A common practice in America since the 1880s, tipping has taken over a whole new meaning, or rather intention, since it was brought to this country. When it first began in Europe in the seventeenth century, tipping was a way for visitors of local establishments to ensure promptitude from their servers if they placed a monetary donation in the jar that was designated for such an act. American aristocrats coming home from travels brought over the tradition after the Civil War and thus tipping in America was born.

Tipping was first met with hostility from a group that believed that the servile class would become too financially dependent on the higher class. The movement tried to have a bill passed that made tipping illegal, but it was barely acknowledged and thus did not pass. Washington is the only state in American history to have laws against tipping, although due to the majority largely ignoring them the laws were soon repealed. It seemed that most Americans were okay with the idea of giving a tip to receive better service.

When did something a little extra become expected though? Today, any server in the food industry has come to expect that they will always receive a tip when they take care of a table, but I believe that shouldn’t be the case. Yes, if your server is going above and beyond what is expected of them as your server then they deserve a tip, but no, it shouldn’t be mandatory for you to have to leave one, especially if you are dissatisfied with your service. I have always believed that tips are a way to show appreciation rather than an extra cost you have to spend on your meal.

Growing up in the food service and then working in it I have an understanding of what servers go through and what their tips mean to them. Likewise, growing up with a traditional father I know what I should expect of my servers when I go out to eat. Most servers make around $4.25/hour if they work for tips, which means that a large majority of the income they receive is from being tipped. It can be very disheartening for them if they are trying their best to please customers and make it an enjoyable meal to only receive a very small tip in the end while others receive larger tips for minimal service.

On the flip side, when I go out for a meal, I shouldn’t have to leave knowing that I am going to be paying for both the food and the service. I should be able to sit and worry about the food and then think to myself “Wow, our service was fantastic. I am going to leave a little more to reflect how much I appreciate what our server did for us.” I recently had to leave a restaurant without leaving a tip for my waitress, and the guilt I felt was terrible, especially because she was very understanding and gave us fantastic service. Once I was able to, I returned to the restaurant to give her the tip because she deserved it. Had it been another server that wasn’t as great, I may have actually not gone back because I knew my other colleagues had tipped her.

Mandatory tipping is another thing that bothers me, both as a server and as a customer. As a server, I don’t want my tables to have to give me a tip. I’d rather them do it because I did a very good job and they enjoyed their experience. As a customer it angers me that I’m expected to pay extra for what may have been terrible service.

So should we do away with tipping? No, but should we do away with the expectation that we will be receiving/giving a tip when it comes to being served in a restaurant. Tips should be based on how well the performance of the server was, and the overall ambiance of the restaurant as well. If I go to a restaurant such as Steak ‘n’ Shake I’ll tip about 15 to 18%, at a place like Applebee’s I’ll tip between 18 and 22%, and then at a fancier restaurant I’ll tip 22% or above. It’s all about how I feel after the meal.

Also, if you have the chance to tip on a to-go order and it’s from a restaurant you usually receive great service from, go ahead and possibly leave one. You never know whose day you’re going to make by just leaving a dollar.