Hey, Waiter! Just How Much Extra Do You Really Expect?

[Feuer Frei!]

I agree, it seems some of you are saying that if staff are expecting a tip or are giving the impression that it is your right to tip after being given service then that is wrong, a bit like the porters in hotels when they take your luggage to your rooom and won't leave until they receive a tip for their troubles. That to me is rude...
However, what is the current percentage of a account's sub total in the U.S. at the moment which is made up of a tip?
12-15%?
In relation to tip jars being near a cash register, i don't have a problem with that, nothing wrong with that, it's not forcing you to tip.
Also remember, what is the restaurant's policy on tips? Do the staff get the tips, or do management slice a percentage off the tip so that staff are left with the 'crumbs'?
In the restaurants i have managed over the years, i have always enforced the policy that if a certain staff member has received a tip from a customer in the form of cash, then that tip is for that person alone.
However i have laso had the policy that all cash tips received, be it from credit cards or cash, were totalled up for the month, i had a spread sheet for that to track who was working the most during that month and what days/nights, then divided the total tips up to be paid out to my staff into their nominated bank account.
I think that staff that have truly earned their tips should also receive those tips. Makes for good morale and also keeps up service standards.
So, when tipping, just remember: what is the establishment's policy on tips? Does the staff member get the tip? Or does management either slice off a big chunk of it? When tipping, who do you really want the tip to go to?