There aren’t a lot of sit-down restaurants here in Seymour, but soon there will be. In the office we began discussing the etiquette of tipping. I was quick to discover that everyone has there own philosophy when it comes to tipping. There are different types of tipping philosophies, which are based on the personality of the tipper.
For instance, I am what you call a “feel good tipper.” I leave a 20% tip most of time because I feel better when I do. I think that my tip will somehow lighten a weary waitress, or waiter’s dank mood. I overlook service because my tip is about my emotional well-being. Sometimes I even leave a cheerful little note on my receipt. Why? Because I feel better when I do these things for my server. My server may not feel great, but I sure do.
Joe is a “qualified tipper.” His philosophy is, if you qualify for a tip, you get one. Qualifying for a tip means above and beyond basic service. Along with a smile and outgoing attitude the server acts as though they really care about their customers. Joe believes that basic service doesn’t garner a tip. He thinks that people who tip when service is just average or adequate, encourages average service, and entrenches the belief that one should tip at every meal. Tips are extra, a job-performance review if you will. The better job a server provides, the better tip they will receive. In Joe’s opinion if a waitperson treats their customers above basic, then they will be tipped. After all, it should be kept in mind that tips are a way of expressing satisfaction beyond what you are paying for.
Chris, our sports writer, is a “based on appearance tipper.” Chris will tip a pretty-girl waitress regardless of service. A waiter won’t see the same kind of tip. This type of philosophy mimics “feel good tipping” with the exception that it shows prejudice. “Feel good tipping” includes everybody regardless of race, color, or creed. “Based on appearance tipping” believes that pretty people should be rewarded.
Some people are “been there, done that tippers.” They have been waiters or waitresses and they understand “how it feels.” The say things to those of us, who haven’t waited tables, like, “you don’t understand, customer service is hard.” They also make comments about the good ol’ days as they’re writing out the tip. This type of ‘good ol’ day thinking influences the tip amount. It isn’t about service for “been there, done that tipper,” it’s about taking care of their own. It’s as if they have some kind of waiter/waitress bond with every server they encounter.
Other people are what I call “sarcastic tippers.” They leave supposedly helpful suggestions on napkins instead of money. Phrases like: plant your corn early next year or always take an umbrella when its cloudy are left on the table to provide comfort to servers everywhere. In my opinion, this type of tipping philosophy is just plain mean. Most servers have a very small hourly wage and if they run around and work hard they deserve a monetary reward.
And finally, the last type of tipping philosophy, I can think of, is the “no tipper.” This type of tipping philosophy is usually prevalent at dinner theater type restaurants. Many patrons believe that the cost of the ticket includes the waitperson’s tip. However, this isn’t always the case. Many dinner theater tickets do not include the tip (i.e. Dixie Stampede, Black Bear Jamboree etc.), although, “no tippers” can crop up in a general sit-down eateries too. Some people just don’t believe in tipping. The attitude is that certain service industries don’t receive a tip so why should waiters or waitresses? In my opinion service industries can vary and so should the logic those industries are approached with. For instance you pay your doctor after the surgery, but you pay for college prior to attending. They both provide something to me but the pay schedule varies. While I don’t tip my postman for providing the service of delivering my mail, I do tip my waitress.
I can’t think of anymore tipper philosophies, but if you can let me know.
Then the questions comes up – how much should one tip? But that’s another editorial.

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