Today’s “Cheapskate” column in the Wall St. Journal (always a good read) discusses tipping:

The tougher question is why seemingly easy tasks get higher tips than harder ones. Why should that server get a big tip for opening a pricey bottle of wine, something that takes just a minute or two?

Tipping puts you on the spot. Does the barista feel slighted when I am in a hurry and don’t drop some cash in the tip jar.  I know people who drop $1 in the tip jar for a $2 drip coffee. That’s a whopping tip percentage-wise.  I am a good tipper for wait staff, but what to tip for a haircut?  

Many people are still confused about how much — and whom — to tip. Even the experts aren’t always consistent. Michael Lynn, a professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, says he doesn’t normally tip counterpeople. But if a bakery worker performs a special service, such as replacing a lightweight éclair with one that’s stuffed with more cream, then he tips.

“I’ve demanded a little extra service,” Dr. Lynn says. “So am I paying them for that service, or am I paying them not to think badly of me because I’ve requested so much extra work?”

The emphasis above is my own because I like the truth it speaks.