Good service deserves a reward, but how much? Here are some guidelines

Around 1 p.m. every workday, a local businessman stops by the Brews Bros. Espresso Lounge downtown to buy a small drip coffee – no cream or sugar – totaling $1.35. Each time he hands the barista a $5 bill and tells her to keep the change.

“The girls love it when he walks in,” says Shae Obando, who owns the espresso business with her husband, Jovan, and her parents John and Venice Sullivan. “They fight over who gets to serve him.”

Not everyone leaves a nearly 270 percent tip when buying espresso, although Obando says that a majority of the customers who buy coffee at her shop do leave some type of gratuity. The amount, however, varies.

“I’ve found that people downtown tend to tip dollars because they want to save their change for the (parking) meters,” Obando says. “Whereas at the drive-through stands, people don’t want to handle their loose change when they’re driving so they tend to drop it in (the tip cup).”

Is tipping for a latte really necessary, though? What about the valet who parks your car – how much is appropriate? And the hairdresser … does she get a tip or just a gift around the holidays?

Merrily Bjerkestrand, an etiquette consultant and director of the Northwest School of Protocol in Spokane, says a coffee drinker isn’t required to tip for an espresso. Many people, however, enjoy rewarding a barista who knows them by name and makes a drink just the way they like it.

The most important thing for tippers to remember is the attitude with which the gratuity is given—not necessarily what would be an appropriate percentage.

“Whatever tip you leave needs to be given in a spirit of thankfulness and graciousness,” Bjerkestrand says.

She adds that the recipient needs to show appreciation for whatever tip is received, regardless of whether he or she thinks it was enough.

Hotel tipping

Housekeeper: In Bjerkestrand’s mind, a common tipping faux pas is forgetting to tip the housekeeper when staying at a hotel. She recommends leaving a tip of at least $1 a night by the bathroom sink—a spot where a housekeeper would be sure to find it—at the end of your stay. Such a tip would be appropriate for a single occupant of a room. If you’re traveling with others, especially kids, leave more, she says.

Lynnelle Caudill, general manager of the Davenport Hotel, says many hotel guests don’t think to tip for housekeeping services. Each maid at the Davenport cleans about 13 rooms a day and Caudill estimates that guests in only two of those rooms might leave a gratuity.

“I can tell you, any tip is greatly appreciated,” she says. “The other day at one of our meetings a member of our housekeeping staff had received a note card with $15 in it and she was jumping up and down.”

Most other services performed by hotel employees typically require a dollar or two, so carrying small bills when traveling is a good idea.

“If you have five one-dollar bills in your pocket, you can pretty much count on using them when either arriving or leaving the hotel,” Caudill says.

Valet: It’s appropriate to hand $1 or $2 to a parking attendant both when dropping off a car and retrieving it.

Doorman: One dollar is appropriate for a doorman, especially in this age of automated doors. Many hotel doormen also open car doors for guests.

Bellman: $2 a bag is considered the standard in the hospitality industry. Most bellmen are responsible for more than just carrying a bag to the guest’s door upon arrival. They also open the curtains in the room, offer to fill the ice bucket, ask if additional blankets are needed, and check to make sure the room’s temperature meets with the guest’s approval, Caudill says.

Limousine/shuttle service: Again, a $1 or $2 tip for the driver is appropriate.

Concierge: An appropriate tip would depend on the service rendered. It’s not unusual for a concierge to receive $5, $10, or even $20 for arranging reservations at a popular restaurant on a busy Friday or Saturday night—or even more if a premier table was secured as well.

“The concierge is really a wild card,” Caudill says. “I know a concierge who was given $100 for getting tickets to a sold-out show.”

Room service: An 18 percent gratuity automatically is added to a person’s bill at most hotels. A $1 or $2 tip could be given to the person who delivers a guest’s meal if they go above and beyond service expectations.

Restaurant tipping

Waiters: Gene Vosberg, president of the Olympia-based Washington Restaurant Association, says he doesn’t believe people who dine out should feel obligated to tip 15 percent to 20 percent of their total bill. He thinks a gratuity should reflect the service that’s given.

“If I receive bad service, and I know that it’s the fault of the server and not of the kitchen staff, I give a tip that’s reflective of that,” says Vosberg, who adds that the gratuity could range from five percent of the total bill to no tip at all.

“The only caveat being you have to tell someone, like the hostess or manager, that you left a poor tip and why,” he says. “Otherwise, you leave it wide open for your server to call you a ‘tightwad,’ and then he’ll never improve as a server.”

On the flip side, Vosberg says he’ll leave a 20 percent or even a 25 percent tip for extraordinary service.

Bjerkestrand says she’ll even take the time to drop a note to the restaurant manager and tell him or her about the extraordinary service she received and from whom.

To avoid embarrassment, it’s always a good idea to ask when you make a reservation at an upscale restaurant whether they automatically add an 18 percent to 20 percent tip to the bill. Many do, but if you forget to ask, most restaurants will print such information at the bottom of their menus or discreetly post a sign on the host/hostess table.

Buffet or cafeteria-style restaurant: Tips aren’t required, but diners who want to reward the person who filled their water glasses and checked up on them can leave a gratuity on the table, Vosberg says.

Food delivery: Tipping 15 percent to 20 percent of the total bill is recommended for food that’s delivered to a home or work place.

“I tend to tip closer to 20 percent because the people who are performing the service went to a lot more trouble to take care of me, it seems to me,” Vosberg says. “That’s assuming it gets there fast, the food is hot, and the delivery person is pleasant.”

Other services

Coat attendant: An attendant at the Spokane Opera House or a local theater is another situation in which a person might be uneasy about the proper amount to tip, Bjerkestrand says.

One dollar for the first coat and 50 cents for each additional coat is appropriate. She adds, however, that some people are uncomfortable tipping change, in which case $1 for each additional coat also would be acceptable.

Hair and nail salons: As for hair stylists and operators at nail salons, Bjerkestrand says that a tip will depend on whether the person owns the business or not. She says it’s inappropriate to tip hair stylists who work out of their home or who own the salon. It’s recommended that gifts such as money, a gift card, wine or a gift basket be given at the holidays instead.

It’s appropriate to tip 10 percent to 20 percent to hair stylists and manicurists who work at salons, but who don’t own them.

“You also need to be aware that some hair salons, like 14th & Grand Salon, have signs posted indicating that they’re ‘no tipping’ establishments,” Bjerkestrand says. “In such cases, showing your appreciate with a gift around the holidays would be appropriate.”