Whether you love or hate tipping, it’s an integral part of going out for drinks — one that service industry workers rely on to make a living. So, what’s the right way to tip?
Back to Basics
It may sound rudimentary, but some of us have lost the art of greetings during the pandemic. Bartender Norelle told City Cast Boise last year that customers should first acknowledge that they’re talking to a human.
“When you first walk into a bar and the bartender or any staff there says hello to you, maybe say hello back and acknowledge that there's a person talking to you,” she said. Great advice for all of life, honestly.
And if someone asks you for an ID, just show it to them without reproach. These folks have a job to do, so there’s no need to make it difficult by acting insulted or surprised.
The expectation is that servers and bartenders will make up the rest of their wages in tips, which is not always the case.
Norelle Bond, Boise Bartender and Comedian
The Importance of Tipping
The conversation around tipping at bars and restaurants has reached — ahem — a tipping point. Some people around the country have been vocal about “tipping fatigue,” decrying a lack of transparency in prices and being saddled with a sense of moral obligation when deciding what amount of gratuity is appropriate.
Conversely, others fear that foregoing tips for higher wages will inevitably result in elevated prices, lest bars and restaurants be robbed of already miniscule margins. Despite personal feelings about tipping, the crux of the issue is wage uncertainty for service industry workers.
So, how much should you tip? “Tipping 20% is the standard, not just because of [the quality of] service, but because in the state of Idaho, making up for the fact that employers only have to pay [tipped employees] $3.35 an hour,” says Norelle.
“Going out is sort of a privileged thing to do, and it should be the expectation that tipping is built into the budget when you are going out to a bar.”
