How to tip at a Restaurant?

We all have had that experience where after having a hearty meal at a restaurant, we are not sure how much to tip the waiter. We discuss among our friends and then arrive at a certain amount, tip the waiter and then leave. Most of us have a discretionary power here. But it should not so happen that you over tip or under tip unnecessarily. 

Firstly you need to evaluate how the service was. The key here is to judge the service. If the food is not up to the mark, the menu is not satisfactory, the prices are shocking, and the decor is awful, all of this affects your dining experience, but remember, it is not the waiter's mistake. If you are unhappy with it, don't visit the restaurant again. But the service itself should be judged on:

• How the food matched with your order,

• Whether the food was hot and fresh from the kitchen (or not),

• How observant and attentive the server was to your needs,

• How swiftly your empty dishes were taken away,

• How fast it took to get your check and have your payment handled, and

• Whether the server's conduct was polite and professional.

Secondly to determine the tip, the general principle is 20% for excellent service, 15% for solid service, and 10% for bad service. On average, people tip 18%. If you like a place and the waiters know you and are very cordial with you, you can tip them some extra amount. Also, make a mental note that most of the restaurants have service charges added to the total bill. In that case, you need not tip excessively.

Also, if you are eating with small children and make a big mess then consider leaving the servers a little extra for this inconvenience for them. If the server is particularly useful with child-related issues during the meal, you might also wish to tip a little extra for that.

So, now that you know the nuisances of tipping right, go and enjoy your meal and tip rightly.