By Jennifer Otto

If you are too cheap to tip, stay at home! As harsh as those words sound, everyone needs to hear them. The Emerald Coast is full of expensive, fancy restaurants. If you can afford to eat at them, you can afford to tip.

Working as a server in a restaurant for several years, I feel that it is my personal duty to educate the public on how to tip. No matter where you go, there will always be a time when the food is lousy and the service is bad. You need to know when to blame your server and when to let it go.

Before I lecture you on when to question your server and when to leave a better than average tip, I want you to take a look at the life of a server. A server tends to work longer than usual hours without much time to rest. They are constantly on their feet and running from table to table for less than minimum wage. When the restaurant gets slow, other servers get cut; therefore, the servers not cut tend to get busier. Some restaurants have no limits on the amount of tables that their servers can take at a time, and others place limits that go out the window when it gets busy. Your server has to deal with more than just you – your server may have more than 20 customers at a time, as many as three managers breathing down their necks, other servers in their way, cooks unhappy with their jobs and dishwashers slowing up the process. This is a serious juggling act that takes time to master. A good server is not born; she is made.

What do you do when the service is bad or slow? Do you still tip? Here is a list of helpful facts that may move you closer to a decision. No one can tell you what to do, but I will certainly attempt to persuade you into seeing it my way.

Slow service – look around and see what is making your server slow. Is your server extremely busy or is he flirting with a table full of girls? If your server has more than three tables, chances are that he cannot move any faster. Maybe you should try coming in a little earlier/later next time or requesting a less busy section, such as smoking.

Too much service – we have all had a server that shows up every two minutes and fills up your glass before you have taken a drink out of it. Chances are the server’s section is slow, and she is new and still does not know the proper timing of checking up on her tables. Give her a few weeks, and she will shine above the rest.

Excellent service – reward your server with extra in the tip if he met all of your expectations. If he was really great, ask to speak to the manager. Tell the manager how well this server took care of you. Excellent service deserves praise.

Bad food/good service – your server is not the cook! Do not put your server’s tip in jeopardy over the food. Trust me – your server is sweating over trying to make it right. If your server goes above and beyond the call of duty, tip her extra.

Bad service/bad food – I do not care how bad the food or service was in the restaurant – you should always tip your server. If you plan to not tip or give a less than satisfactory tip, let your server know why. He will not know how to improve on his profession if no one ever tells him what he did wrong. I strongly advise against not tipping at all. Less is better than none.

Nice restaurants – if the quality of food and service is above average in the restaurant, you should tip more than the usual 15 to 20 percent. These servers go through more training and are required to perform extra duties to make your meal pleasant. Not to mention, good service comes at a cost to your server – he may be assigned to only three-table sections to keep service up to level.

Coupons and discounts – if you pay for your food using coupons or a discount, do not tip based on the amount of money left over after the coupon or discount was calculated. If your meal is $15 after a $10 off coupon, you better tip that server for $25 worth of service.

Big parties – if you are part of a huge party with extra demands placed upon the server, you should always tip extremely well. It is not easy to handle a large group and balance other tables at the same time, but somehow your server is managing.

Other tips – if you are in a fancy restaurant on the Emerald Coast, it is polite to tip more than just your server. Make sure you tip the coat checker, valet parker, maitre d', bathroom attendant and bartender.

Tip already added in the check – your server may or may not even see this money. It depends on how the restaurant is operated. Chances are it is divided among different restaurant personnel, and your server only gets a small cut. If the dining experience was a good one, tip outside of the calculated amount to make sure that your server gets a cut.

Verbal gratuities – this is my biggest pet peeve! If you are going to praise the server for their attention to detail or the quality of your experience, reflect this in the tip. She is expecting a good tip – $2 will not suffice.

Cheat Sheet for Tipping

To make it easier on you, I have put together a helpful a cheat sheet for tipping. I have based the amounts to tip on the average 15 to 20 percent; however, do keep in mind that an average tip should only be given for average service. Good service deserves more.