By Sarah Henshall

According to Michael Lynn, editor of the Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly and associate professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University, one-third of people know they should tip, but are unaware of to whom and how much.

“There are service professions that should be tipped that people are not aware of,” Lynn says. “The one that is commonly missed is the housekeeper at your hotel. The housekeeper should receive $2 to $3 per night of your stay.”

To tip or not to tip: that is the question. No, this is isn’t the beginning a long lost Shakespearean play, but an internal question that many of us face during the workday and in other business situations.

“The biggest common mistakes are over or under tipping for the particular situation,” says Pamela J. Holland, co-author of Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move? “Many times, for example, room service will include the tip, as will many restaurants for parties of six or greater.

Holland adds that the rule of thumb for tipping, to ensure proper service, varies by the assistance being rendered. Aside from the obvious, you also need to tip for things like valet services, luggage handling and requests at hotels that ask for service above and beyond the standard, such as a special request made through the concierge.

Regardless of if you are in Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, GA or New York City, tipping runs 15 to 20 percent across the board, says Lynn.

“Tipping is typically higher in the East and lower in the South, because taxes change, but not the tipping percentage.”

“Tipping always has the tendency to be an awkward subject-mainly because most people are not familiar with whom to tip, how to tip or when to tip,” says Carly Drum, Wall Street executive recruiter and expert on proper business etiquette. “Money, especially in a business setting, is also uncomfortable. You are faced with such questions as, does the most senior individual always pick up the tab and give the tips, or is it every person for themselves? These are all reasons why tipping has become such an uncomfortable topic.”

Drum’s rules of tipping are as follows: “For meals, I always suggest putting 15 percent or greater as the tip. Remember, the tip is on the pre-tax number. Many people don’t consider that. If you have a breakfast buffet in the hotel you are staying at, be sure to tip the person that brings over the beverages. They may not be serving you food, but they are providing a service to you. In those situations you can leave 10 percent.”

We all have received bad service at restaurants before and at times are very tempted not to leave a tip just to let the server know how we feel, but Holland suggests first giving the individual a chance to correct his or her mistake.

“Let the person know. Give them the chance to correct what you feel is inadequate. If, however, the person simply has a poor attitude, is hostile or doesn’t seem to care, you should ask to speak with the manager. Hopefully, this will result in getting a replacement server who will courteously meet your needs.”

Holland adds to then tip accordingly. “If these attempts to correct the problem fail, I suggest leaving a $1 tip. This removes doubt that you may have forgotten to tip and makes a firm statement of substandard service.”

At a restaurant, the coat check attendant should be tipped $1 to $2. The parking valet or garage attendant should receive $2 when he or she brings your car to you, and the hotel doorman should receive $1 per person hailing a cab and $1 per bag for help with luggage. The bartender’s tip should be anywhere from 10 to 15 percent, and “if a maitre d’ gives you special treatment, like a good table, it should range anywhere from $5 to $20 depending on the restaurant and group you are with,” says Drum.

In the other instances, such as the airport, Drum suggests to tip the skycap $1 to $2 per bag. The driver to or from the airport should get approximately 15 percent of the bill, but she advises to be sure the tip is not on the bill already since many car companies include this in the total cost.