With the Holiday season upon us, we will be out and about more. On these outings there will be tip jars as far as the eye can see. Coffee shops, delivery drivers, and of course your waitress or waiter will be looking for those extra bucks to come into their pockets from yours. So, who do you tip and how much?Tipping is the way that a lot of people make ends meet. They are paid a lower wage, making the need for tips dire. But, a lot of us are confused on who exactly we are suppose to tip.

Wait staff at restaurants of course. They need twenty percent of the total bill. In the rare cases of terrible and horrible service, you can lower that percent to send the message that you were unhappy with the service. The only time that you should not tip is if the service was none existent. In that case, a manager should be called over and you should be given another server. This new server should not be deprived of a tip because you are still upset about the first  waiter or waitress. We all know these things and anticipate tipping when going out to eat.

There are two food industry workers that are not receiving the tips they deserve, maybe because we do not know to tip them. Because they are not the conventional wait staff, they are over looked when it comes time to pay the bill. Coffee shops and buffets are in need of a little bit of your money.

The employees of Starbucks, Brady's Coffee Shop, or any coffee shop are paid just minimum wage but are working hard to make sure your daily caffeine or sweet treat are made correctly. They are not just baristas, but perfectionists for your taste buds. They deserve these extra bucks as reward for a job well done. If you are ordering a super complicated and lengthy order, please tip them to ease the pain of making your order perfect.

Buffet workers also are missing out on the tips normally given. They bring you drinks and clean up your plates, isn't that what a normal waiter or waitress does? The only difference is that you go get your food, but they will do that for you too if you need. Why are they not tipped like other restaurants? Please, tip them and make their job a little easier. They are dealing with the hungry masses in a chaotic situation on a daily basis, give them a little monetary break.

Another group of service industry that is a little under appreciated at times, while they deal with not the best of society at times, bartenders.

Bartenders should get tips as well. During the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, these workers are very busy. People are coming in to the bar to relieve the stress of family bickering. They have to deal with drunks and hear everyone's problems so they definitely need a tip as their wages are cut shorter than minimum as well. About a couple of bucks for every drink should work, or just give the standard 20% of your tab at the end.

After you leave the bar for that stress relieving beer, you might find a package on your door step and not pay any mind to the person that got it there for you.

Delivery people should be tipped as well. That includes the UPS driver, if you can catch them. Big deliveries, like all the Christmas gifts you bought from Amazon, are heavy and the effort of carrying them should be rewarded. Also, flower and food deliveries should be tipped. Yes, you need to tip your pizza delivery person. These drivers also rely on your tips to make ends meet. Floral deliveries do not require as much tip, they are paid well enough to not need too much of a tip.

Planning on getting a hair cut or even a tattoo?

These are the people that you really should not skip on the tip. They can make you look very silly if you make them mad.

A bad hair day for months while it grows out can be the retribution of a non tipped hair stylist. Now, this is extreme but would you want to chance it? They do a great service to you by keeping you looking the best you can. When you leave looking better than you did coming in, don't you think the person that made this happen needs a little green in thanks?

Tattoos will not grow out like a hair cut, so tipping your tattoo artist will save you from a permanent reminder of your cheap mistake. If you plan on coming back to them for more great work, you need to make sure they are happy with you. They have a unique ability to refuse service to anyone they choose. If you only got the first layer of work done on the tattoo and did not tip, they may choose not to finish it for you.

Again, these are extreme effects to not tipping, but they could happen to you. This is how the people you rely on can show you they feel unappreciated. Be kind to them to keep the help coming your way. You can think of it as you are helping them celebrate the holidays.

In your celebrations of the season will you be going out of town for the holidays? Make sure to have your wallet ready at the door.

If you are coming from the airport the taxi, or if driving yourself the valet need tips.  At the hotel the bell hop, then the concierge, and finally the maids need to be tipped. Seems like a lot of money going out for a simple hotel stay, but these people are putting in endless hours to make sure your stay is as close to home as it can be. Would you be as kind and warm in greeting a stranger with this kind of hospitality if you were not being appreciated for your hard work?

Once you are home from all of the holiday travel, you might need to get some repairs done on your car. Guess what? You will be tipping there as well.

Full service gas station attendants and their mechanic friends are waiting on your tips. It is almost a give in that gas station attendants require a tip, but not many understand that your mechanic deserves one too. If they are doing work for you that reaches more than five hundred dollars, it is proper to tip them.

If it seems a little out of place to tip your mechanic or the person that made your coffee, you are not alone. Many people do not see the point in tipping, but what happens when you do not give that extra small bit is someone feels disrespected. It is sad that a lot of americans are not tipping.  Maybe you feel like just anyone could put up a tip jar and say they deserve it, but these listed are truly deserving and worth the bit of cash leaving your hand.

Keep in mind, this holiday season is about being thankful and giving to others. What better time to start practicing proper tipping etiquette?

Be kind and tip.

 

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