If you're great, we'd tip that, too. I'm just tired of the standard. I have a lot of friends who are waiters and waitresses, and a few of them are lazy and inattentive and get tipped fairly well based on the price of the food.

I'm not trying to sound like tipping is bullshit and waiters don't deserve it, because they do. It isn't easy, and most customers are ornery and unruly. My point is just that I feel like there is no quality standard anymore. As with anything, if you do great work, your payment will reflect that. Unfortunately that isn't always the case in this industry anymore.

I just remembered that I also, at times, take into account the amount of tables my waiter has. If I've been their only customer in an hour, I'd tip better than if I was one of 10 tables (in that hour) and the service was the same.

EDIT:
I just saw the rest of this thread's title and figured I'd mix in some more of that. I don't tip delivery-people and I don't tip bellhops at hotels (though I never need help with luggage, so it's not like I'd get a chance to anyway).

I tip, but usually only a little less than 15% (snobby culture guides these days say 20% in America).

I honestly feel that the price of food in a restaurant more than includes the service if you compare what the base materials cost, but I do realize that servers are paid a pittance because of tips.

I'm surprised how many people tip. I guess it's not a Kiwi thing, we never really tip in NZ.

I have heard that some cultures (I believe I heard this in my Japanese Culture class, but it may not have been about Japan) find it insulting to tip.

I dont tip cause nobody tips me (Lol bad joke)

Im poor. Saving that 5$ is tomorrows dinner.

If you're poor and can't afford the tip, you should stop eating out so much!

DM I am going to have to agree with ultimo, When my wife was a waitress fricken tips made us or broke us... and i mean it was so bad like it would go from 15-150 a night. Like it really was hit or miss!

I have to agree.. if your tip is $5, your meal is more expensive than you should be eating if you can't afford it. Tips only bother me because I often feel I am already paying more than the food itself is really worth.

That is true... but you need to realize that its just going to cost more then normal food if you go out to eat. If you can't afford 5+ tip then just eat at fast food.

You don't like delivery people? =( They work hard to get your pizza to your door! I sympathize because my parents use to own a restaurant and my brothers often did delivery work, and you wouldn't believe the amount of people who would tip nothing, or a dollar for the delivery. I find it a bit insulting, but that's just me.

And a five dollar tip? Unless you mean combined total, but if you're tipping that at one sitting, that means you're spending upwards of 50-60 dollars? That might mean you want to tone down on how many times you're going out to eat. I'm usually very cheap when I go out for dinner with my friends, cheapest thing on the menu which is usually pasta for only twenty dollars! I also only get water and no appetizers and dessert, so that usually totals to $25-26 dollars with tip and tax included.

Take my word for it, it is in your best interest to tip if you are going to be an even remotely regular customer. I've always been very fair with every customer, but I am the minority.

Here's Some Tips for eating out, most of which were mentioned in one way or another.

*If the concern is whether or not you can afford the meal, stay home. This includes the following arguments: whether or not you can afford the tip, whether or not you can afford the place without the coupon.

*Good treatment doesn't always come to people who tip insanely high. If you are polite and kind to your waiter, they will more than likely return the favor.

*Eating out is a convenience, not a right. You are paying for the luxury of not having to get the groceries, cook, do the dishes, or even get up to get a glass of water.

*If you have a problem, keep calm and talk to a manager or your waiter. If you yell and scream, the only thing that happens is that you look like a jackass in the middle of the restaurant.

*If you come in right after close, or after things are closed up (think: certain delis and specialty stores. The store remains open when the deli closes), be nice and polite. They will be more willing to help you despite being closed the nicer you are.

I go by a complete "How good of a Job did you do" determination. I tip anywhere from the pennies left over from my change (If you really did a horrible job) to 50% or more of the bill (This one time, i was so blown away by this guy's ability to waiter, I just couldn't help but give a tip equal to the bill).

I use to work as a waiter myself, where I made a TON of tip money, and a lot more than any of my co-workers. I learned all the tricks to being an excellent waiter/waitress and I can usually tell when the person waiting on me is going the extra mile or not. Here's some news, If my glass is empty for more than a minute, you're getting less money. If my appetizer doesn't come BEFORE the first part of the meal, that's another dollar off. I know what it's like, so I figure my judgment is fair.

p.s. Sometimes I get lazy and just throw an estimated % on the table.

lol this happens to me all the time, I swear the waiters just care less because my drink costs nothing. I once watched my friend's root beer get filled up five times before I got one refill of water, especially since I usually drink a lot of water. Does that mean I should start tipping less?

delivery: Don't tip if there's a "delivery charge". Do tip if there isn't one.
Restaurants: Only tip if there's service. If I walk up to the counter, get my food, get my drink, all by myself, there's no tip, even if it's on the receipt. If I sit down and my food is brought to me, as are my drinks, I tip 15%, with service quality increasing the amount. If the tip is included/mandatory (ie parties of 8 sometimes have a built in 18% tip) I won't tip any extra. If the service is terrible, I don't tip anything, though it depends on the situation. I once went to red lobster's endless shrimp. We got seated in some weird corner that nobody knew whose table it was. We sat for 15 minutes before a waitress noticed us (she was extra busy with all of her tables) and told us to wait a little bit and she'd get our waiter/ress. Another 10 minutes and she gave up and just took our orders. We ended up getting the meal half off, but I tipped her the full amount, even though the "service" was terrible, since once we got our food the service was great.

@ Norm. Jesus. I hope this wasn't an expensive meal you tipped 100%.

I always tip and refuse to continue eating out with people if I find out they don't tip. I usually tip around 12% - 15%, and I'll give more if I'm especially pleased.

I tip, always.

Except for this one Thai restaurant near campus which has really shitty service and chases after you if you don't leave enough tip.

Yes, I tip, and because I have friends working in service positions where the majority of their income is from tips, I try to tip generously. Even when I only have a couple extra dollars to tip when I order from Dominoes for something, I do it. I'll scrounge up another 1.75$ in quarters from under the couch if I have to. I'm also very polite and appreciative to the delivery persons, especially when I order near closing hours, which I happen to do a lot.

I tip depending on the quality of service. Anything from 1p to... probably ~15%. Because money is very tight for me.

That could be true. My dad once went to Japan and left a tip on the restaurant table. The waiter came after him with the money as my dad was leaving the place and told him that he had left some money on the table. The waiter gave him his tip back.

Also, they don't tip in Norway.

So yes, tipping is different in different countries.