You’ve touched on another of my strategies: no change tipping. Unless the odd cents are such that I have exactly that amount in my pocket (which I try not to do) it’s always even dollars up to the closest to 15% of total. Unless the service is really fine, then it’s to the 20% even dollar.
And your tip shouldn’t cover tax, either.
I had no clue that the standard, average tip had gone up from 15% to 20%. Our standard tip for good/decent service is 16.5%+ (calculated by doubling the 8.25% tax and rounding up to the nearest whole dollar). We tip 20-25% for above-average service, though we’ve been known to throw in from 30-50% for truly exceptional service. We also always tip for take-out, but usually closer to 10%. I thought we were decent tippers – guess I’ll have to rethink that one (though I’m still not convinced that basic/average service deserves more than 16%)…
I never worried about the tax (15 or 20% on the tax–big deal). But I have been told that you needn’t tip for the wine part of the bill. That can really set you back, depending upon the place.
Yeah, but they forget to pay the tax. If you leave a 15% tip, but taxes are 8%, the effective tip becomes 7%.
$1 per drink is still a good tip; it’s far better on a bottle of beer than it is on a martini, but either way it’s a safe play.
Most people who pay per round have a very hard time tipping $1 per drink if they order more than three, however; five shots plus, say, a beer and margarita will very rarely net a $7 tip, even from a guy/gal who’s been tipping a buck a drink all night. They’ll probably still tip two bucks for the beer and margarita, and “forget” all about the shots. Which is one of the many irritating things about shots–they’re high-maintenance and rarely pay off–but I digress.
Yes, Virginia, $1 is still a good tip at most bars. 
I’ve never heard that. Perhaps the person who told you that was just a bad tipper indulging themselves in a little wishful thinking in an attempt to rationalize their cheap behaviour.
Or perhaps you, like me, just weren’t familar with this far-from-settled, but not unheard of convention.
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You’ll notice though, in your first example, that the recommended tip for waiters is “15-20% of the bill, minus wine and taxes.” But there is also listed a tip for the wine steward of “10-15% of the cost of the wines, with a minimum of $5.” So they’re not saying that you don’t tip for wine. They’re just saying that you should make sure that the wine tip goes to the right person.
In a restaurant where there is no official sommelier, and where your food waiter also takes care of all your wine needs (which is most restaurants that i can afford to eat in) it thus seems reasonable to include a tip for the wine when calculating your waiter’s gratuity.
If there is no wine steward, or if the wine steward didn’t assist you, then, yes, that cite is exactly saying that you needn’t tip for wine. But let’s not get into a nitpick exchange. My response was in reaction to your suggestion that this was an unheard of notion, a mirage created by a poor tipper trying to justify his actions.
You may tip whomever you please. I’m sure the waitstaff won’t protest. What exactly do you mean by, “your food waiter also takes care of all your wine needs”? If by that you mean he plays the role of a wine steward, I agree. If by that you mean the waiter simply wrote down my wine order, then, no, these cites don’t agree with you. Wine should not be factored into the tip.
Public humiliation works well. I’ve clearly reminded people before going out with them that I expect them to have money for tax and tip. After a few times of realizing everyone notices, most people clean up their act.
I also find that with some groups I simply have to grab the check and divy up people’s shares.
It’s tough to deal with, but I simply won’t regularly dine with people who aren’t of the “let’s all enjoy ourselves, tip properly, then divide up the bill equally” sort. Not that it isn’t someone’s right to gnash their teeth over having to pony up an extra $4 (since, after all, that person didn’t even eat any of the appetizers, plus he only had 2 drinks and Jim had 4). I just don’t like eating with them. Bad tippers are in the same category, IMO. I just don’t want to have to worry about such silliness. Again, just my opinion.
I don’t think i’ve ever been to a restaurant where the waiter “simply wrote down [the] wine order.”
If there is no wine steward then, as far as i can tell, someone has to act as one, and that someone is usually the waiter. Most waiters can give advice about wine selection, or at least tell you what is popular. They bring the bottle to the table, open it, pour a sample for the person who ordered the wine, and then pour the glasses of everyone at the table. They also refill everyone’s win glasses periodically.
I literally cannot recall the last time i ordered a bottle of wine when something like this did not happen. If i ordered wine at a restaurant and i was expected to open the bottle and pour the wine myself, then i’d feel no need to tip. I’m just curious as to how many restaurants you’ve been to where someone—either a wine steward or a waiter—did not perfom wine stewarding services for you.
I had something like that happen to me, only I was the non tipper. A friend of mine insisted on going to a sit down, buffet place (Eat N Park) while I had exactly seven bucks on me-just enough to get the buffet, and that’s it. I tried to say, “You know, let’s just go grab a burger”, but she didn’t want to. So I asked her if she’d put my tip on her credit card. I felt so bad, but what could I do? I think that was the last time I went anywhere with her.
I usually end up over-tipping because I’m horrible at math.
Good to know – thanks! 
I usually drink just beer, but I only get a bottle if there’s nothing decent on tap (e.g., at some live music venues, company parties, etc.). I know there’s an art to pulling a drink, so I figure a good pour deserves a good tip! I’m surprised to hear that people often don’t think to tip on shots. Hell, I give the bartender $1 per drink even if the drink is a soda, or water!