I have no idea what the rukes are for tipping in America, I have only visited once and I really can't remember who I tipped or didn't. I don't think I offended anyone while I was there (at least no-one looked insulted!) so I must have done it ok.

We normally holiday in Europe, mainly Turkey now, and we always tip in restaurants if the service is good. We also round up taxi fares etc. I know having lived there while my husband worked in tourism that he relied on tips to boost his wages so we always try to leave something.

Hi tootsie,

I believe the minimum in the states is 15%, and it is expected as a general rule.
I feel that tipping should be way of thanking someone for a good service provided, not just as the norm. Nobody tips me for my services, read into that what you will....

The reason the tipping culture is different in the US is that, in the service industries, the workers are assumed to have received x amount in tips and they are taxed on this whether they receive the tips or not and if you don't tip you are actually costing them money.

In general you should tip 15-20% in restaurants and for taxi fares, in a bar $1 per drink, if you use the bell desk at the hotel $1-2 per bag, maids $2-3 per day.

It seems like at lot and can feel awkward to start with, but if you accept it is their culture, when in Rome and all that, it becomes second nature.

You should find the service far superior to that in the UK.

luci

Thanks for that..........gosh Luci that does seem a lot -but Im glad you told me!

But its the underlying issue I was also sort of keen to discuss - IF tipping is really at someones discretion then why are they taxed on it - it means that it really isint at your discretion after all - should wages not be good enough in the first place so folk dont have to "rely" on tips? Im really playing devils advocate a bit here to be honest - is there an argument for the service industry paying a proper salary to its employees rather than the rest of us having to make it up?

Though the argument then is to pay MORE for a meal or a haircut or a hotel room and if the service isint good you DONT have the option of not paying for it.........arrrrgh Im arguing with myself now

According to our youngest who spends a great deal of time in San Francisco - girlfriend lives there and also business - tipping in the USA is mandatory. Many of the people basically don't get paid and work for tips only. Has as been said work on the 15 to 20% mark. But then they seem to have tipping as a culture.

When it comes to the UK I personally have never been happy with it. Who do you tip? The waiter? well what about all the other staff who you never see. The chef? In recent times it has become obvious that many places are making use of the tip to avoid paying staff. In some cases I know of they do pay minimum wage but the bulk of the tips from service charges go in the pockets of the owner. If you cannot run a business without reliance on tips to make up the wage then there is something seriously wrong.

Do you tip the checkout girl at the supermarket? She is just as important as a waiter. What about when you go buy a new TV or washing machine. The salesman advises you on which is best. Do you tip him?

Personally I think it an anachronism that should be consigned to history. You do a job and should be paid a fair wage.

fwh

Thats exactly where I was coming from Frank, but you said it much better!

In the US though, if the service is terrible would you still tip? I do get the concept of it being mandatory but what if you are not at all happy?

If you cannot run a business without reliance on tips to make up the wage then there is something seriously wrong.

Totally agree. But surely just because its a "culture" in the States, does that make it right? I would no more not tip if its expected than fly to the moon when I go - but Im a bit dismayed to think that a fifth of my spending money is going on tips to folk.........and even then its not everyone, for instance shop assistants etc.....you dont tip them.......but every time you get a drink you tip the barman? Im a very logical person and like things to be ordered and its all a bit offish to me

I always insist on the service charge being removed. What service? I ask. Do they expect me to peel the spuds and grill my own steak? They are using it as an excuse to rip off the customer.

We were in London the other week and went for a meal. We ordered and when it came my wife and son had only the meat on their plates. When we asked why we were told they were extras. No indication on the menu. No question when the meals were ordered do you want veg? Who has the meat on its own?

Then they want to add a service charge and tip! They must be joking.

fwh

Fwh, all I can say is - at last, someone after my own heart! I agree completely - and that's why I NEVER tip in this country.

this topic was discussed in detail a couple of years back

Yes we tip for good service [usually a min 10% in UK & EU] not been to the states, never paid a service charge [wont even use places which charge this or make cover charges] a tip is for good or exceptional service don't expect it from me if you are rude/sullen or the product is crap

using tips as a part of the wage whatever country is in my mind totally unacceptable and not what they are intended for

wiz

Sorry for bringing it up again Wizard - but at my age my memory isint the best so I had forgotten that it was discussed before in detail a couple of years ago - hopefully though we have some "newer" members iwho still might be interested in a discussion about the ethics of this.

I dont disagree with the concept of rewarding someone who has gone over and above of what I would have expected them to do in their day to day job - but part of me thinks that they should have a decent salary in the first place and not to "have" to rely on tips - this makes me feel guilty as I always wonder if I am tipping enough - and to be honest when I hear things like "20% is mandatory" - while I know I will pay it becuase I am in their country and obviously want to do the right thing - I still dont think the whole process is very fair - as others say, what about the dishwashers in the restaurant and the chefs.........

If nothing else a good discussion keeps us all on our toes especially when the forum tends to get a bit quiet this time of the year!

Two things come to mind about tipping when we were on holiday:-

The first night in a hotel we were advised that if you tipped the head barman, he would always remember you.
We gave him 20euros and never saw him again for the whole two weeks!

In Lanzarote, we got on really well with the head barman and one night we gave him 10euros and he never spoke to us again for the remainder of the holiday - completely ignored us!
We wondered if he was offended by the amount -not enough or too much but of course, couldn't ask him!!!

We still tip to the people we think deserves it and most of them do.

Its something that is discussed between myself and hubby every holiday. If anything, I will overtip but hubby is more careful about what he will give. We usually give 10% of the bill so if a meal cost €30 we would tip €3. I think this is really poor, but hubby thinks this is too much and we have had many a discussion about it. I dont mind tipping in a restaurant as usually the meals/service/treatment warrents it. I have been to places where all of those things were lacking and we didnt leave anything. We usually save all our change throughout the holiday (which does add up to quite a bit) and add €10 to this for the cleaner but again, if they were lacking they get nowt (this happened to us in Zante - cleaner was worse than useless and never did a stroke so hubby gave her nothing and wouldnt let me leave anything. I did feel terrible, but he did make some valid points and pushed me out the room so I couldnt leave it).

As for tipping in this country, again, if we eat out then usually 10% but I wouldnt tip in the likes of McDonalds. Yet, this is where the staff would probably appreciate it more . I do usually give a small tip to my hairdresser and the taxi driver but that is about it.

I dont know how I would fare in America as far as tipping goes. I suppose if you have to do it, then you will but it does grate a bit that its expected and not necessarily deserved.

Sarah

I don't pay a service charge in a restaurant, don't tip my hairdresser and rarely tip taxi drivers in the UK. I always leave a tip in a restaurant in the UK if the service has been good and I have enjoyed the experience. I tip on holiday if the service has been good, but object to being made to feel I have to tip. I never tip for sullen service, and always put a meal back if it is not up to scratch in a restaurant. I don't tip in advance on holiday either. Gosh, I sound like a right meanie, but I'm not really!

You have a job - you are paid to carry out that job - so where does the tipping come into it?

What is the difference between going into a restaurant or McDonalds. Do you tip there when you order your big mac and fries? Why not? You get quick efficient service with a smile, so what is different from the restaurant where you often think they have forgotten you?

Get on the bus - the driver saw you running and waited (they do sometimes) do you tip him?

Eating out is not cheap. The profit margins in an efficient well run establishment are very high. Overheads? well all businesses have them so what is different?

If you are a plumber or electrician do you tip when you go down to the wholesalers? Go to the garden centre for some plants and the same applies.

Really is time we got rid of this antiquated practice. For many years people have campaigned for a decent fair wage and we allow this practice to continue. When I was working I always tried to ensure that the people who worked for me got paid as well as possible.

fwh

Tootsie, thank you for bringing this post up. We are due to fly to Florida on Saturday and I have been mulling over this tipping issue. I am not entirely comfortable with the 'mandatory' bit. I do tip when the service has been excellent and am happy to do so but I don't like the idea of being expected to tip. Have spoken to friends at work over this and some were quite happy to tip the world and his friends when in Florida while others have refused and only tipped when they have wanted to. One friend said she did it the first week and then realised that it was rediculous and costing a fortune and didn't bother the second week and no-one took issue. I have another friend who has just come back from Florida and said that after one particularly mundane meal she handed a $10 tip to the waitress to be told 'that wasn't enough'. My friend took the $10 back and walked out without leaving any tip she was so angry. This is exactly the situation I don't want to find myself in. Still in a quandary about the whole thing but I'm determined not to let it affect my holiday.

I only ever tip for good service, A friendly smile and efficient service go along way .

I would consider myself as a good tipper generally but did once take fifty 1 dollar bills to the Dominican Republic and came home with forty four as the staff were terrible and tips made no difference to there attitude, still there loss I suppose.

As for tipping in the States we found that if you wanted to sit at the bar and have a drink then tipping became essential or the barman would not notice you

As I was loading the car with the shopping this evening, an Asda trolley collector came over and said he'd take the trolley back for me. I smiled and said thank you for saving me the walk. Hubby asked me if I hadn't seen him waiting for a tip (he was joking) and said that if he'd have been wearing an airline uniform, I'd have tipped him I think he was referring to the luggage porters abroad.

When eating out in restaurants i usually tip 10% , i think its expected abroad and just part of their culture, when i'm on holiday in Egypt it really is just a way of life, and i accept that , but the danger is that a good concierge guy could become the highest paid in the hotel. its a hard working job but not as skilled as the head chef or as demanding as the hotel managers.

I agree with a few of the posts about the whole ethics of tipping especially in this country, why do hairdressers get tips? (it can't be for their conversational skills)joke , my mum used to give the milkman a tip every xmas, why? she kept him in a job all year by buying from him. the only reason is because you think they deserve something extra as a sign of gratitude, which is nice and rational, but we don't treat other people like that , for example checkout staff in shops and servers in fast food places, yet some of these people are on the national minimum wage and they even have to pay tax on that aswell, where's the ethics in that?

What has been said is correct, in the USA people live on their tips, typical wage for a waitress is $2.50 an hour which for a 10 hour shift is only just over £10.

Not a lot of people know that a waitress/waiter is also expected to pass money onto the kitchen staff for each meal prepared whether they have been tipped or not.

If you have received normal service then 15% is the norm, if it was good service then 20%, if you have had bad service you ask to see the manager.

Taxi drivers expect 15% (did you know in New York a private taxi plate is nealy $500K so most drivers work for someone else and get a basic wage)

At a bar, typically $1, bell hop $1 a case, maid $2 a night (don't leave it the last night, I tend to leave a couple of dollars each night on the pillow, it's been known to get a letter from the manager)

A couple of points -
1) Food and drink is cheap in the USA because they are not charging you for the staff overheads

2) You only work the tip out after you take the tax off which is shown separately on the bill, eg A $120 bill maybe $100 + $20 tax, only tip on the $100 part.