When I’m not writing this blog, I take people wine tasting. That’s the other side of the coin for WINEormous. I pride myself on taking good care of my clients and providing them with a fun and informative three or four hours. More often than not, they thank me with a gratuity. Just the other day, I took out a large group. I was contacted by a former colleague. As a favor, I gave the group a deeply discounted rate. At the end of the day, I dropped them off, received my check and… nothing else. I was slightly stunned.

I brought up the subject with a group of friends and a lively discussion ensued. Most agreed that’s it’s a common courtesy to leave a tip. Then the subject of tipping business owners came up. I’m not only the owner, but the driver. Some felt tipping a business owner isn’t necessary, but others argued that if it’s a small business that has provided good serve, you tip. It was an interesting conversation. We were at a winery, so the question of tipping servers came up. Some wineries don’t allow tipping. Others prohibit tip jars on the counter.

If I have been treated well, I always leave a gratuity. Many servers work for close to minimum wage and tips make a big difference. How do you weigh in on this? Where do you stand?