Eating out is something most people enjoy from time to time, but when the bill arrives, deciding what kind of tip to leave can sometimes create a conundrum.

For many years, tipping 15 percent of the bill for good service has been the standard, but that amount seems to be on the rise. These days, it isn’t unusual for servers to see tips as much as 20 percent and even higher for exceptional service.

As a waitress for 14 years, Tresa Quinones, who now waits tables at Bogart’s in Waynesville, said she has noticed that tip amounts have risen in the past four or five years. She credits the increase partly to higher food costs, which have raised menu prices and therefore, increased tip amounts — regardless of the percentage — but, she added, another factor is that servers’ expectations have increased as well.

She said most servers have come to expect about an 18 percent tip for good service, and 20 percent has become pretty common.

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