27 Of People Tip This Surprising Amount When Restaurant Service Is Good

                By                    Heather Taylor                

See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money ExpertsLearn: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Retirement Goals

The results might surprise you.

How Much Do We Tip When Restaurant Service Is Good?

Findings from the survey reveal nearly 27% of Americans tip 25% or more when restaurant service is good. Those unable to tip at 25% or more will at least meet the 20% threshold with 41% of Americans tipping 20% for good service.

Exceptional service typically means tipping 25% or more. Being a generous tipper means more than practicing good etiquette while dining out. The income of a service worker is dependent on tips and goes toward the financial responsibilities in their lives. This includes any individuals or family members dependent on the server’s income and paying for bills like rent, utilities and groceries.

More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today.

Additionally, your tip does not impact the life of just one server. The hospitality service chain usually pays multiple people, said Georgia Parker, project coordinator at Blue Orbit Hospitality Consulting. The tip you pay a server is split amongst the people within the chain. Those who tip 25% or more are able to financially benefit many individuals and make them feel better about their jobs and work.

Take Our Poll: How Do You Typically Split the Restaurant Bill?

How Much Do We Tip When Restaurant Service Is Bad?

A 20% tip is the standard baseline for tipping in the United States. Should this percentage change for purposes of inflation? The short answer is no. 

Sam Zietz, CEO of Grubbrr, said diners who tip a restaurant server 20% of their bill will already be tipping more when the total goes up. As the price of food rises, restaurants and dining establishments adapt by increasing menu prices to pass some of the excess costs onto consumers. When the price of food rises, the tip price automatically increases with it.

How To Be a Generous Tipper

Whether you tip 20% or 25% or more, anyone can be a generous tipper. Create a budget specifically for the purpose of generous tips when dining out. This ensures you always have a few extra dollars to tip servers. If your bill is on the lower side, try to make it a practice to tip 20% or more.

Remember, tipping doesn’t start and stop when dining out at a restaurant either. Give a generous tip when ordering take-out or receiving delivery through a food delivery app as there is always someone ensuring your order is correct before delivering it to you. If there’s a tip jar present at your favorite bar or coffee shop, add a few dollars to it. Don’t see a tip jar? Inquire about any virtual tip jars the establishment may have where you can provide contributions.

Happy tipping!