This couldn't be more true.

When in Doubt, Just Tip Well

In the end, experts say that rather than worrying about whether gratuities should always be left in cash or on a credit card, simply resolve to tip generously. "The servers aren't paid a living wage without tips," says Dan Post Senning of etiquette expertise company the Emily Post Institute. Even cash gratuities may not mean the server is going home with that money in their wallet. A waiter's tip may be divvied up among other restaurant workers -- such as busboys, food runners and sommeliers -- who make the waiter's job easier. At other establishments, all tips may be pooled for the entire staff before being divided among all the employees.


There are plenty of reasons to tip well, but what about when your experience isn't so good? Regardless, Senning says that diners shouldn't leave a tip that's less than 15 percent of the total bill. If a poor experience has you considering a tip below that amount, "you really should be talking to the manager," he says. Rather than penalizing your server, an off night for the restaurant may be to blame.

To make sure interchange fees aren't reducing your credit card gratuities to below 15 percent -- since restaurant and hotel policies vary -- Senning recommends leaving a tip that's no lower than 17 or 18 percent. You can also calculate your tip based on the total bill including tax, rather than the pre-tax amount. "That's another way you can indicate the service has been good, and you appreciate it by bumping up the tip," he says.

Just remember that when it comes to servers, they rely on your tips to earn a living. "The mainstay of income is all that gratuity," says Johnson & Wales instructor Connors