I remember watching Reservoir Dogs a few days ago and I just marvel at how Tarantino philosophizes everyday things. I won’t go into too much detail and spoil it for those who haven’t watched it but there’s this part there on tipping. Mr. Pink (played by Steve Buscemi) refuses to throw in a dollar for the tip ensuing a debate on tipping. To summarize their points:

Mr. Pink

• If waitresses make chump change, they can quit
• He shouldn’t tip just because society says so
• If they deserve it and put on an effort, then it’s okay to tip
• People at McDonalds don’t get tipped

Everyone else

• Waitresses make chump change
• If they did something special, then go over the expected 12%
• They count on tips to make a living

Mr. Pink really raised good points and it really had me thinking if I should go on tipping. Anyway, for those of you who wouldn’t want to take Mr. Pink’s side, here’s an FAQ on tipping:

What’s a tip?

A tip is something extra (either monetary or material) you give to a person rendering a service on top of the total bill.

Is tipping necessary?

For countries where tipping is customary, then you should. Services usually indicate if service charges are included in the bill. If they’re not, then tips are expected.

But it still can be your choice. If you can take people calling you Mr. or Ms. Cheap-O and risk having sloppy service. Oh yeah, you might experience paranoia over whether your soup’s got delicious spit in it or not. But as I’ve said, your choice.

For which services am I required to tip?

Here’s a list of people that commonly get/expect tips:

• Waiters and waitresses
• Hairdressers
• Bellhops
• Taxi drivers
• Doormen/women
• Bartenders

Sometimes it’s illegal for those in government/civil service to receive tips since they can be viewed as bribes, so be careful.

How much am I supposed to tip?

In the US restaurants, it’s usually 15-20% of the total charge. You can just divide the total charge by 5 to get 20%. For bars, it’s usually $1 per drink.

As for other countries, there are varied ranges of customary tip ranges and some don’t require it.

When is it okay not to tip?

If the one rendering the service is totally impolite and does a sloppy job then you have every right not to give them some of your hard-earned money.

Remember that your tip only goes to the one who gives you service. Your decision to tip shouldn’t be affected by things out of their control like parking conditions or washroom cleanliness.

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So there you go. If you aren’t starving yourself then maybe you could always find it in your heart to help other people out with your tips.

If you’re looking for a longer read and more details on tipping in other places, visit BBC’s article on International Tipping Etiquette.