Christmas is just around the corner, the party season's in full swing but, according to recent research, people working in the service industry over the festive period shouldn't expect too much festive cheer.

A poll commissioned by private bank Cater Allen has revealed we're actually a nation of Scrooges.

Although a very respectable nine out of 10 of us regularly leave tips, the average gratuity is apparently less than 10 per cent of the bill.

The survey, released yesterday, suggests about 89 per cent of people leave a miserly 8.5 per cent - far less than our cousins across the pond, where a 15 to 20 per cent tip is standard.

It seems tipping is still very much a social minefield, with customers completely at a loss when it comes to applying the correct etiquette.

According to the study, people are most comfortable leaving tips in a restaurant.

Over three quarters of respondents revealed they reward their waiter with an average 10 per cent extra, while 65 per cent would tip a taxi driver.

Just under half of us give our hairdresser a bonus, leaving an average of 11 per cent of the bill - the most generous amount for a specific service.

But only one in four people would consider tipping someone delivering a pizza and just one in five leave money for a chambermaid.

Similarly, fewer than one in 10 people would tip a concierge, cleaner or beauty therapist.

A custom which dates back to the middle ages, tipping is believed to have originated from the 16th-century verb "tip".

Literally translated this means "to give unexpectedly" and is derived from the German verb tippen meaning "to tap".

Acronyms such as "to insure promptness" and "to improve performance" have evolved over the years but by definition a tip should be given voluntarily and its amount, a way of expressing satisfaction, should always be at the discretion of the person being served.

According to tipping.org there are no set rules but generally larger tips should be left for those providing extraordinary services, and smaller tips or no tip at all should be left when service is poor.

Adrian Simmons, owner of Studio Fifty Six hair salon in Christchurch, has been hairdressing for about 30 years and says that tips are worse now than when he started in the business.

"Hairdressing prices have gone up but people still tip about the same amount.

"I'd get a pound when I was 20 and I still get a pound now - but prices are probably double what they were back then.

"We never used to earn money when we were young.

"When we did apprenticeships and traineeships they never had such things as minimum wage so you relied on what you got as tips - it was more or less what you earnt."

Approximately half to three quarters of Adrian's clients leave a tip amounting to about 10 per cent of the bill - but it is by no means expected.

"Tipping has got to be something personal.

"It's the same as in a restaurant - if someone bends over backwards to look after you, you give them more of a tip than if they just do what they have to do.

"A tip is that little bit extra you give to someone for looking after you."

Celia Rolfe, landlady at the Mount Inn at Corfe Mullen, says the majority of her customers are quite generous.

"It's swings and roundabouts really.

"Most leave just over 10 per cent but some don't leave a tip at all.

"I do think a gratuity is expected these days but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"If you've received good service you should expect to pay for it."