Great post.
I am from the UK where tipping is not customary, due to the hourly wages, so when I moved to Canada understanding who I tip and how much to tip was tough. Do I tip a cab driver? Do I tip for take out?
I was always under the impression that you should start a server on 15% and increase or decrease the tip depending on the service you receive. More/better work means more money.
However, since moving in with a bartender I am now understanding that all servers should require a minimum 20% tip (He will not stray from that but I will still reduce it if the service has been so bad and I cannot see a valid reason to sympathize with the server i.e busy night and short staffed)
I also found out that tipping on the final bill is not always accurate as sometimes you are given a discount or are "comped" a drink (If you are a regular maybe or they fixed an issue with your meal) and a lot of people do not recognize that the discount reduces the final bill so the server is now reducing their tip too.
I always try to look at what the bill would have been, before the discount, and tip on that sub-total as you will still be saving money from the discount.
Great post on a very delicate topic.
Great reply. Your bartender friend is on the money. We always strive for at least 20% and it's very important to make sure your tipping on the total price not including discounted price.