Wow. Lizzie Post was right. Tipping is a big deal. My inbox has been filled with tipping questions after I wrote last week about some of the services we need to tip for and how much.
So today, Post, of the Emily Post Institute and Emily's great-great-granddaughter, is back to help answer your questions.
Q: Annie Lang wrote: "What about the pizza delivery guy? Both of my sons have worked this job, and they report many customers do not tip. ... In addition to low base pay, delivery people have to use their own cars, adding mileage and wear-and-tear."
Pizza delivery people should get 10 to 15 percent of the bill, but no less than $2, Post said. If he gets there fast, tip 20 percent. Remember, you want them to come back.
Q: Katie Kennedy of Cary works "car side" at a restaurant, where she takes orders outside to cars. She was disappointed that Post said it is not necessary to tip for takeout service. "We may not ... keep your drink filled, but we take the order ... and make sure it is made with any specifications," Kennedy wrote. "Particularly during dinner rush, it can be very stressful and a lot of work."
"I feel really badly for those people, but there is nothing that says you have to tip for takeout," Post said. "If someone brings you the food in the rain five feet across the parking lot, you could tip, but no more than $1."
Q: Pam Astolfi of Apex said, "I was disappointed not to see dog groomers on your list of tipping guidelines. This ... has always befuddled me." Her neighbor gives a holiday gift to the dog groomer, but Astolfi said she tips each time.
If you use the same person, give a holiday tip up to the cost of one session or a gift of the same value, Post said.
Q: Lance Pickup of Raleigh asked how much to tip movers, furniture delivery people, carpet installers, handyman and lawn workers.
When the job is complete, the head mover gets $25 to $50; crew get between $15 and $30 each, depending on amount moved, job difficulty and the care they used, Post said. If they pack your belongings, increase tips by $3 to $5. You can also give a lump sum for the crew to split. If you do that, it's $20 to $50 per worker for big jobs and $10 to $20 for small jobs. Department store furniture delivery people are not tipped unless they uncrate and set up, Post said. Call to see if tips are expected. Each delivery person gets between $5 and $20. If it's a large piano that has to be hauled up two flights of stairs, increase the tip by 10 percent. Carpet installers get $10 to $15 each if they remove old carpet, install and cleanup; otherwise, they get $5 to $10 each, Post said. If you rely on a handyman, you can either tip $5 to $10 each time or give a holiday tip of $15 to $40 or more, she said.
Lawn-care workers get $20 to $50 at the end of growing season or at the holidays, depending on amount and quality of work. Workers from a lawn care company are generally not tipped, but call and check.
Q: Doug Hanthorn asked if he should tip his personal trainer.
Post says a holiday gift up to the cost of one session is the norm.
Q: L.K. Kneavel of Cary wants to know if she should tip garbage workers and baggers who take groceries to her car.
Most garbage collectors are city employees, so you'll need to call your city for their policy. I called a few: Raleigh collectors can take gifts up to $25. Chapel Hill and Durham workers cannot accept gifts. As for baggers, check with the store manager to see whether tips are accepted, Post said. If so, bag loaders get $1 for loading two to four bags and $2 for more.
Q: Lots of folks took issue with Post saying a waiter gets a tip even if he gives bad service. "If the bad service is all the doings of a bad server, then I won't leave a tip," Hanthorn wrote. "If the bad service is cold food, late food, noisy customers, and the server is doing his best to keep us happy, then he gets the full tip, and the manager gets an earful."
Post says it's rude not to leave a tip at all. "I've worked in food business, and I would never do that to anyone no matter how bad the service," she said. "You've got to give people a chance to fix it. That manager needs to know."
C.M. Morris had a good suggestion for travelers. "When traveling, I take several $2 bills," he wrote. "A bit unique. The bonus is that you are memorable."
Rhoda Berkowitz of Pittsboro wanted me to urge readers to tip the airport wheelchair attendant.
The woman who pushed her chair in Newark "was wonderful," she wrote. "When my husband gave her a tip, she started to cry, and took out of her pocket two single dollar bills - all she had been given that day. It taught me a lesson - never to take for granted the service people do for you."
A tip to remember
That brings me to my final point. Don't just complain about bad service. If you get an excellent server, give a good tip and then tell the boss.
