Do you know when to tip? These are 7 crucial times to do so…

I have some quite strong views on tipping. Mainly that giving people money for doing their job should be done with personal discretion – not as a formality. Surely this should be the right of the person paying rather than receiving? If you eat out these days, the one thing you can be sure of is that a 12% service charge will be nailed onto the bottom of your bill regardless of what the food tastes like or how the waiter treats you. In essence, this means you could have to tip for a main course tasting like the dregs of a wheelie bin. I’ve heard in America that if you fail to tip the barman after ordering a rum & coke, you run the risk of being thrown out by burly bouncers. This seems odd, no? The gratuity becomes a necessity.

But while I harbour this thought, there are, however, occasions when a gentleman should tip…

Eating out is one of life’s luxuries. Especially if you’re lucky enough to eat at one of the greatest restaurants on Earth. More often than not you’ll want to show your gratitude. If given the choice, tips should be in the region of 10-12% of the bill. If your experience was incredibly special, this can rise – the same can be said if you feel your food or service was below par.

I am constantly surprised at how few people do this. But after a weekend or stay in a house where a cleaner is employed, a tip of £10 should be left on the bedside table. Preparing bedrooms and capacious dining rooms, etc. for a large raucous party of guests is no easy feat and should be discreetly acknowledged.

Depending on how your experience was and what the result of the cut is, you may feel the wont to tip your barber – especially given that you return to them time and time again. As a rule of thumb, in barbers one should round up to the nearest £5 or £10 – i.e. £13 to £15, £27 to £30.

There are many who don’t see this as at all necessary. Often, however, you bond with a driver as he or she ferries you from A to B, becoming a travel companion – albeit for a short stint. In this occasion, we recommend leaving £2/3.

A keeper works tirelessly throughout the season to ensure each day is as good as possible for the Guns – for them it is a livelihood rather than just a job. “Getting the right tip is very hard and many people have strong views on this,” says Rob Fenwick of E.J. Churchill. “Firstly you should never forget that it is a ‘tip’ and so some of it relates to how good you feel the day was for you. If the weather conditions were difficult how hard did the keeper work to give you the best day possible? All this should affect your tip and so a simple equation like I suggest below is only a guide.

“As a norm I work on £20 per hundred birds shot. So on a 180 bird day I give £40. Although on smaller days, say 75 birds, I always give a minimum of £30 and sometimes more. On these smaller days keepers can work extra hard to give you a good day and it can be even harder for them to get everything right. On a bigger day I still stick to the same equation, so on a 300-bird day £60 and for a 400-bird day I will tip £80.”

Experienced at the finer hotels around the country. If your bags are brought up to your room, the recommended tip is £2 – £5.

Tipping a guide is essential when travelling, as without these people you’re on your own. They uncomplicate the unknown and lead you through unchartered waters. “We recommend that our clients pay £15 – £20 per person per day,” says Rose Hipwood of the Luxury Safari Company, “with tips heading north depending on the enjoyment of your trip.”