Tips on tipping for services

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Regardless of the service, there are tip conventions to follow. Here are some tips on how to tip.

It was a frigidly cold night as we walked into the restaurant. We were looking forward to sitting down and relaxing over a nice hot meal. The hostess seated us promptly but forgot to mention our arrival to the wait staff.

Approximately 15 minutes went by when our waitress finally addressed us. We ordered our drinks, appetizers and entrees and continued to play an intense game of tictac- toe. We were enthralled in our game — I kept beating him — when we realized that about 30 minutes had passed, and we still hadn't received our appetizers.

Our food, all of it, was brought to us shortly after. He took a bite of his steak and found that it was cold. My pasta tasted like it had been cooked and then placed on the counter and forgotten about. Our waitress was busy with all of her other tables, and a while passed before we could draw attention to our dissatisfying meal.

We have all been here before. We went out for a nice dinner, maybe to spend money that we really shouldn't have, and when the meal came, it was disappointing. However, at the end of our substandard meal, we were faced with a question — to tip or not to tip? Here are the basic etiquette rules regarding tipping.

At hair salons, you should leave a 15 to 20 per cent tip. This helps ensure that when you come back to this person, they will do a good job on your hair again.

Are manicures and pedicures your thing? You should be leaving a 15 to 20 per cent tip here as well.

It is not a requirement to tip after getting a massage. There are even some places that don't allow tips. If you do choose to leave a tip, 10 per cent is the normal amount here.

Addicted to ink? It is not necessary to tip your tattoo artist. They would be just as pleased if you recommend them to your friends and family.

For all those pet owners out there, if you bring your dog to the groomers, you should leave a tip of at least $5.

Thankfully, warmer weather is on its way, but until then, if you leave your coat at a coat check, you should be prepared to tip one to two dollars for each item you leave with the attendant.

That jar that sits on the counter by the register at Starbucks, you don't have to feel obligated to put money in it. As a past Starbucks employee, the people who tip are the regulars that come in every day and have built relationships with the baristas.

Some restaurants are raising their minimum tip amount to 20 per cent. Personally, I'll be sticking with the 15 per cent.

Oh, and what do you do if you received terrible service at one of the locations where you should be leaving a tip? If you want to make the waiter/waitress aware that you were not pleased with your service, it is okay to leave a 10 per cent tip. If you want to make a statement, leave nothing. However, if you choose to not leave a tip at all, I would recommend speaking with the manager to make them aware of the service you received and why you are not leaving a tip.

At the end of the day, try to be understanding. You don't know what has happened in this person's life today. And remember, you could be in a position where you rely on tips for your living someday. Karma is nice to those who are nice to others.