How much you should tip and how often

According to one report, restaurant goers in the US leave $16 billion ($26 billion according to another) by way of tips annually, so if all services where gratuity is expected were to be added up, the figure could be much bigger.

No wonder the service industry there has a fair amount of legislation in place to protect the rights of those for whom the tip is intended.

Restaurant owners cannot pocket any of the tip left for the waiter, and the unlucky boss of a Massachusetts restaurant who did could end up paying $2.5 million in damages.

On the popular blog www.waiterrant.com, the blogger warns that this is illegal in most US states.

The West might have its rules, but in India, the whole gratuity issue is still a minefield of dos and don'ts. Tipping is still a restricted phenomenon, and most people will avoid it if they can get away with it. They usually can.

The only place where tipping is seen as mandatory is in restaurants and in hotels. And sometimes it's plain funny to see people who would argue with porters at railway stations over an additional Rs 10, quietly pay twice the porterage as tip to the bellboy.

By and large, though, India was pretty cool where tipping is concerned - till recently. Tipping was estimated at 7.5 per cent of a restaurant bill, for instance. Generous tippers rounded it off to 10 per cent, and that was it.

No more, though, with tipping having moved into the internationally expected range of 15 per cent for routine service, and 20-25 per cent for exceptional service. Restaurant staff in India might not be as surly as their Western counterparts, but you can expect some frostiness should you be mingy.

The main problem, though, is when an establishment includes a service charge as part of the bill. The service charge is a fixed tip and at (sometimes) 10 or (usually) 15 per cent, should take care of the gratuity you're supposed to leave. So, unless you've received exceptional service, you are not obliged to tip extra.

The other thing to note is that if you're dining in a large group, it's sometimes better to calculate the tip on the basis of the number of staff serving you rather than as a percentage of the bill. Say a party of 12 has a booking, and requires four waiters for service.

At the end of the party, instead of calculating a percentage of the bill as gratuity, it's better to leave behind a generous tip for each waiter. Unfair? Yeah, well, you've got more money than they ever will.

Are you obliged to pay when the service has been dismal? Apparently, yes. After all, when the service charge is inbuilt into the bill, you have no choice. A tip should be treated similarly. If the service is bad, why should the kitchen staff be penalised for their colleagues, or vice versa. But you can show your resentment by leaving a sparser tip than usual.

These days it isn't about tipping just waiters and bellboys. Tips are expected for almost all services - from bartenders to parking valets, from the barber to the spa attendant, and from luxury cabs to the boy who delivers your grocery (see box).

The most annoying to calculate among these is the valet who parks your car at luxury hotels. Now that some hotels have begun levying a fee (at Hyatt Regency Delhi it's Rs 100) for valet services, it's galling to still have to pay a token tip to the valet. Thankfully, that's still an exception.

Considering the number of trips one makes to hotels, it would be easier if there was a ready-reckoner for how much to tip. Mostly, Rs 20 is okay for the service, though the charges should go up with the make of your car, the number of people, and/or if you've got baggage.

If you tend to frequent the same hotel, it's alright not to tip each time, or to tip Rs 100 occasionally, or even Rs 500 and then forget about it for the rest of the month (don't worry, they'll know how much you left behind!).

Domestic staff (maids, drivers) qualify for a month's emoluments as Diwali bonus, but it wouldn't be out of place to tip the people who work for you daily - the car attendant, the community gardener or so on the equivalent of a week's salary though personalised gifts (a shirt, for instance) could do just as well.

And yes, it's all right to tip the ayahs in the maternity ward, but no, don't attempt to tip your dentist - he'll definitely take it amiss! 

Calculating tips

Waiter	15% of bill, unless the restaurant levies a service change, in which case 5% is still recommended; can pay more for good service
Bartender	10% on the total bill for hard liquor, 15% for cocktails, and Rs 50/100 for every bottle of beer wine served
Doorman	If you are staying in the hotel, Rs 50 for each day's stay
Bellboy	Rs 50 when you check in, Rs 100 when you check out
Hotel staff	Most hotels levy a separate service charge; however, you might want to show your appreciation by leaving Rs 200 per day for each staff member with whom you came in contact, left behind in a sealed envelope at reception
Taxis	Nothing for city cabs (though you might like to round off the figure); Rs 20-50 for pay-cabs from airport; Rs 100 for every four hours for a luxury cab, Rs 200 if you are out at night and have a cab waiting
Washroom attendant	Rs 20-50
Barber/beauty salon attendant	Rs 100 minimal per treatment, though 10-15% of the bill is the norm; you don't have to pay the owner, but if you do, it must be twice what you tip the attendant, and very discreetly
Spa attendants	Rs 200 per treatment
Petrol attendants	If you go to the same pump, ocassionally slipping the attendant Rs 50-100 will ensure you very prompt service
Grocery deliveries	An occasional small tip and a monthly Rs 100 will have the delivery boy ensuring you're first on his list. This is also true for your presswallah.
Takeaways	Round off the bill (but a minimum of Rs 50)