Friday March 30, 2001

Tipping Etiquette

Keanu Reeves is a killer tipper. The godfather of soul, James Brown, is the godfather of gratuities, and John Travolta greases all the hands that feed him. But not all celebs are big spenders.

Lloyd Grove writes the Celebrity Tip Challenge for the Washington Post. He says that these days everyone has their hand out - from Starbucks brewmasters to your manicurist and the Internet delivery guy.

Lloyd Grove says, "The Clinton's are not known as great tippers and they're not known as paying for their meals."

Andy Serwer, editor of Fortune magazine says that our service oriented economy demands that we all tip. Maybe so, but how do you know when, who, and how much? Andy says, "It's a really difficult situation."

Though there's no rule, some spare change for good service might be appropriate. But what about all those home deliveries from pizza to groceries to flowers?

According to experts, hot food drivers should get 10 to 15 percent. Most Internet grocery delivery guys won't take tips, but you can try. And flower deliveries usually get $2 to $5.

For the valet, one or two dollars is fair. But once you step into a hotel, you better start digging. Andy says, "Hotels are the black holes of tipping."

The bell staff usually gets at least $2 a bag. The chambermaid gets $2 to $5 a night And room service? About 15 to 20 percent.

But if the service is bad, stiffing is always an option. Andy says, "A tip is not written in stone. A tip should be for adequate if not exemplary service."

So keep that in mind, the better the service the better the tip. And just maybe the better service you'll get next time.