Top tips for girls

So D&D have dropped their inclusive service charge. Good news or bad news for waitresses and waiters? Liberated diners? Better service? Well we’ll have to wait and see. But for the next time I dine out with friends I fear for my wallet. You see my mother put the fear of god of tipping in me growing up. To the point that I never leave a taxi now with out saying 'Keep the change', I spend most of a haircut stressing whether I should tip my hair washer and cutter and in what proportion and I’ve spent many a bikini wax squirming not over the pain but over the fact that I’ve just remember that I, again, don’t have any cash in my purse and won’t be able to tip her when I pay, again, by card. Are you supposed to tip your bikini waxer? Surely there must be tip-iquette on this?

Anyway, before I put you off your food (which is supposed to be what this is all about) back to my point. A lot of people don’t tip. And I think that’s wrong. And when that joint bill comes and everyone whacks down their share in an assortment of silver and pounds (I told you I am a lowly journo, none of my friends have any money either), there always seems to be well shy of an extra 10%, let alone the 12.5% all-inclusive sum. So what does my ‘no one call me a tight Scot’ self do? Make up the difference. Now, I’m not setting myself out as some sort of tipping saint but I think good service is all part of the joy of going to restaurants. What would going out to eat be without waiting staff? You might as well just go to a glorified Chinese Buffet King and be done. Can you imagine Gord at Claridge’s yelling, ‘Number 22 your Crispy pork belly with braised cheek and scallop is up, come and get it.’ No. You wouldn't want canteen culture to extend to restaurant culture so please, I beg of you, tip. Otherwise I might just feel guilty enough to do it for you.