DR. WALLACE: I remember reading in your column that you felt waiters and waitresses should be tipped for prompt, efficient and courteous service. You said that excellent food servers should be given a 20% tip, tapering down to 5% for poor service and nothing for really horrible service.

I'm a food server at a family restaurant, and I strongly disagree with your tipping philosophy. No matter how poor the service is, a reasonable tip should be left following a meal. You must remember that food servers work very hard for their money, and the majority of them earn minimum wage. Only a fortunate few earn more than minimum wage. That's why tips are necessary.

Many people read your column and are influenced by what you write. Please give us food service workers a break. — Waitress, Austin, Texas

WAITRESS: Americans and Canadians are the best tippers on the planet. We tip food servers, taxi drivers, hotel and airport baggage handlers, haircutters, stylists and a host of other service-oriented workers. In many countries, tipping is considered an insult to those providing a service. In North America, it has become a part of the culture. But a tip is not a handout. The intent is to reward the food server for providing good service. In the food industry, superior servers make better tips. That's the way it should be.

RETURN, AND THE INCIDENT WILL BE FORGOTTEN

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 16-year-old girl with a huge dilemma. After my school's football team won the conference championship, a lot of us went to a favorite restaurant hangout to celebrate the big win. When our players got to the restaurant, a big crowd started cheering outside, and my friend and I went out to join them.

The problem is that when I got home, I found the restaurant bill in my jacket pocket. We ate the food and didn't pay for it. That means we are both thieves! I'd like to go back and pay for the food, but it would be too embarrassing. My friend says we should donate the money ($11.25) to the Salvation Army because the restaurant charges too much anyway. That sounds like a pretty good idea. What do you think? Please don't tell me to discuss this with my parents because I want to work things out without their assistance. — Accidental Thief, via email

ACCIDENTAL THIEF: While donating money to the Salvation Army is a good idea, you should return to the restaurant. Explain to the manager that in the excitement of winning the championship, you inadvertently forgot to pay your bill. Give him $13, and tell him the $1.75 extra is intended as a tip for the server. I trust the manager will appreciate your honesty and the incident will be forgotten.

It's a good lesson to learn that you should face your errors or shortcomings head on instead of trying to right a wrong by doing an unrelated good deed as penance. Seek to directly correct any error you may make. To feel even better after having made things right, feel free to donate your time, money or belongings whenever you can to another good cause as well.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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