When you receive service, do you always tip?

Tipping has always been a question of mine. The question has always been, do I tip for the service and if I do, how much should I tip? There is the standard 15% to 20% for meals, but what about other things -  the valet, the spa, and your barista? I know that when I worked as a barista, having a customer tip me made my day.

It also goes to point that the thought of tipping someone for their service escapes us. There was an article that talked about this very thing. If you're ever sitting in a Starbucks for a period of time like I have, you'll notice that the line doesn't really disappear. The baristas are working their entire shift making drinks for us and not a lot of people tip them for it. If you were to compare them to bartenders, who can easily make hundreds of dollars in an evening, they would lose each and every time. I'm personally a culprit of this because I enjoy the benefits of plastic and being a gold member of Starbucks. Translation: I carry no cash and my money is preloaded on my card. Which gives me a convenient excuse to not leave a tip. Now given the economic situation we're all in, I'm sure that extra change would really help out. Therefore, I'm committing to being a conscious customer. Given that I'm willing to pay someone their commission when a deal closes in real estate, tip my bartender or waiter for what I eat and drink, I can easily make sure I drop something in the tip jar for my barista. After all, they are the ones that will take care of me in the morning and to have someone remember me while being a regular is pretty cool - especially when I don't want to be up.

The rule of thumb that I'm gong to follow is when you're thinking if you should tip or not, do. It might just make their day.