Ah, a post close to the heart of every individual in a service industry. There are many schools of thought on this practice which vary dependent on class and culture, as well as evolving over time. I seem to remember the average dinner time gratuity rising from 10% all the way to the current 20% (then again, I remember when gas was 89cents/gallon), with a brief stopover at 18. As a fantasy writer, should I include a tip if my characters stay at a roadside inn?
In my "Currency" post, I discuss the use of cold hard cash in a fantasy novel. First and foremost, if you want to have a tipping culture, it must be in a trade-rich region. If you're leaving a tip, you must be exchanging cash for services. Service industry workers tend to be salaried (i.e. not the owner of the business), unless they are exceptionally poor (or an apprentice). if you're earning cash, there must be some way to pay for food and shelter near their place of work. Not much point in having money if there is nowhere to spend it. You can't eat it. You goddamn city slicker.
I just finished reading the second Scott Lynch book and the lead character leaves a rather exhorbinant tip (early on, geez I'm not spoiling anything). It is explained to be worth half of the man's annual salary (to which is added a dozen more coins of equal value). When figuring out what a salary should be, you might want to keep in mind that there need to be certain minimum prices for things. While there are plenty of cultures that have cut their coins into smaller pieces to pay for little things, this is generally discouraged. If you can pay for a meal with the smallest of coins, what would the individual elements of that meal cost at the market? A little bit of math at the beginning can save a load of headaches later on (also remember that different countries may use different coins of different intrinsic values based upon materials).
As I stated in the opening, waiters in the US are generally tipped 20% these days, but that is a modern convention. The US government has helped to formalize this practice by setting a lower minimum wage for waiters and waitresses (in PA at least, if you don't equal standard minimum wage with you hourly plus tips, the restaurant makes up the difference). People also tip hair stylists, hotel maids, and doormen (at least once a year), along with various other workers (like parking attendants, legitimate or otherwise). In Europe, the tip is often just the change you get from the bill, even if it is just a few low denomination coins (waiters tend to make a living wage over there). Apparently there are places where it is offensive to leave a tip, as though you think they need additional encouragement to do their job well, or their employer does not pay them enough. For a writer, tipping traditions can be a nice point of conflict for a character traveling in a foreign land.
It's funny, all these words spend on how to tip, and how to apply the currency properly, but very little on the "why" of it all. Most people today are guilted into tipping. You do it because everyone would think you were an ass if you didn't. I like the line from "My Blue Heaven," when Vinnie says, "I don't believe in tipping. I believe in over-tipping." He tips to make people remember him, so that the next time he comes around they wait on him with pleasure and alacrity. It seems a bit mercenary, but that is the point. Tipping someone to say, "good job," is a little demeaning (in a non-tipping culture). You tip because when you go back, you can rely on being treated better than the new faces. It's a bribe. Check out the origins of "gratuity." It's always been one. Happy tipping.
Any thoughts? How do people tip where you are from? Are you an over-tipper?
As an aside. (US mainly) The next time you go out for drinks or dinner with friends and someone drops cash, be alert. If someone puts down cash with the cards, the waiter often gets under-appreciated. It works like this: $100 check. $50 cash on the table. $50 goes on a card. The cardholder often leaves 20% of their part ($10). Whose fault is this? I dunno, but the server can't tell if you didn't like service, or if the table is just bad at math. Be good to people who take care of you.
Wiki - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratuity
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