Tipping in USA

Woolwich_Kim

Hiya, Just an update.

Am back from my AMAZING hols in San Francisco. Already would love to go live out there (but I'm aware I have my holiday glasses on).

With regards to tipping, I just rounded up the bill with the exception of Boudins as it was so posh it felt a bit embarassing to give the change.

All in all the tipping business was ok. Thanks to all those who advised on this.

photome

Woolwich_Kim wrote: »

Hiya, Just an update.

Am back from my AMAZING hols in San Francisco. Already would love to go live out there (but I'm aware I have my holiday glasses on).

With regards to tipping, I just rounded up the bill with the exception of Boudins as it was so posh it felt a bit embarassing to give the change.

All in all the tipping business was ok. Thanks to all those who advised on this.

LOL, I have been to the west coast most years for the past 15 years and I would still like to live out there

Woolwich_Kim

photome wrote: »

LOL, I have been to the west coast most years for the past 15 years and I would still like to live out there

Why haven't you done so?

I have looked into it many a times but am not eligable as I'm not qualified (educationally or otherwise) in a specific field where there is a good chance of getting work out there. I've even tried looking into the green card lottery but again not qualified.

Seems my only option is to marry a yank.

thelawnet

duchy wrote: »

Nothing has changed in the USA tip-wise since you were last there

Transfer driving a dollar per bag is acceptable.......eating out 20% -15% if you're stingy - bars dollar or two per drink.

No it isn't "as optional" as it is here -there is no minimum wage for waiters etc- it's very common they will be earning $2 or $3 per hour and their wage is made up with tips....It means service in the US is usually far better than here but if you walked out after a good meal with good service and didn't tip it isn't unknown for the waiter or manager to follow you out to demand to know why you haven't tipped. Entirely different culture to here.

Actually there is a minimum wage for waiters ($2.13), and while in most states you can count tips towards the wage, servers in California (where the Op was going) must be paid minimum California wage ($8) PLUS tips

http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

photome

Woolwich_Kim wrote: »

Why haven't you done so?

I have looked into it many a times but am not eligable as I'm not qualified (educationally or otherwise) in a specific field where there is a good chance of getting work out there. I've even tried looking into the green card lottery but again not qualified.

Seems my only option is to marry a yank.

For those reasons you have highlighted (and my son doesnt want to)

[Deleted User]

I am anti tipping but when we went to America I even started tipping because of the way I felt we were treated against the way we are treated in the UK. The ear you go mate and not having a clue how to serve attitude winds me up here

photome

shrimper1 wrote: »

I am anti tipping but when we went to America I even started tipping because of the way I felt we were treated against the way we are treated in the UK. The ear you go mate and not having a clue how to serve attitude winds me up here

I was the same as you 15 years ago, but quite a few trips to the USA later and tipping is now second nature and for the most part the service warrants it.

I am still loath to tip in the UK because for the most part the service doesn't warrant it

mdkdue

This is a subject that very much winds me up!

My wife and I are regular travellers to the USA, and I have to say we are very much in the 'When in Rome' camp. In fact we find it hugely embarrassing when we see fellow tourists from the UK (which I must say 90% of the time are from a specific region which I shall not name) barely tipping or not tipping at all.

As others have said, this is the culture of the USA, if you don't like it then don't go there.

What makes it worse is that not tipping only tends to fuel the Americans pre conceived idea of UK tourists, and can often mean that as soon as they hear your accent they assume that they will receive next to no tip and therefore give you mediocre/bad service.

This is what is so infuriating. We ALWAYS tip, and tip well at that. We often feel like walking in with a sign on our foreheads saying 'WE WILL TIP. PLEASE DONT JUDGE US'.

We usually stick to the following tipping 'rules'
- If we are just stopping for a drink or two at a bar we tip a dollar a round. We usually pay cash after each round and leave a dollar from our change.
- If we are having drinks at a bar for an evening and the bartender is constantly filling our water glasses, asking us if we would like another round etc then its 20%
- If we stop at a bar and have a couple of drinks but then decide to have ANY food then we automatically switch to the 20% rule. This is regardless of whether we are getting bar service or are seated at a table. If we get food and drink, its 20%.
- All meals, always 20%, and we do this on the TOTAL bill, not the pre-tax amount, so in actual fact we are actually tipping more than 20%.
- If the meal/service is bad we tip 15% of the pre-tax total. We NEVER leave anything less than this.
- Taxis - Always 20%
- Shuttles - 2 or 3 dollars as they are handing over our bags.
- Bell Boys - usually 2 dollars per bag.
- Maid service - We usually leave around 15 dollars on our last day, we do not tip daily.

As mentioned, we would feel highly embarrassed if we didn't tip, and we have every sympathy with the waiters/waitresses when they have to wait on people from the UK who are too tight to adhere to the cultures of the country they are visiting.

Mr_Wang

mdkdue wrote: »

This is a subject that very much winds me up!

My wife and I are regular travellers to the USA, and I have to say we are very much in the 'When in Rome' camp. In fact we find it hugely embarrassing when we see fellow tourists from the UK (which I must say 90% of the time are from a specific region which I shall not name) barely tipping or not tipping at all.

As others have said, this is the culture of the USA, if you don't like it then don't go there.

What makes it worse is that not tipping only tends to fuel the Americans pre conceived idea of UK tourists, and can often mean that as soon as they hear your accent they assume that they will receive next to no tip and therefore give you mediocre/bad service.

This is what is so infuriating. We ALWAYS tip, and tip well at that. We often feel like walking in with a sign on our foreheads saying 'WE WILL TIP. PLEASE DONT JUDGE US'.

We usually stick to the following tipping 'rules'
- If we are just stopping for a drink or two at a bar we tip a dollar a round. We usually pay cash after each round and leave a dollar from our change.
- If we are having drinks at a bar for an evening and the bartender is constantly filling our water glasses, asking us if we would like another round etc then its 20%
- If we stop at a bar and have a couple of drinks but then decide to have ANY food then we automatically switch to the 20% rule. This is regardless of whether we are getting bar service or are seated at a table. If we get food and drink, its 20%.
- All meals, always 20%, and we do this on the TOTAL bill, not the pre-tax amount, so in actual fact we are actually tipping more than 20%.
- If the meal/service is bad we tip 15% of the pre-tax total. We NEVER leave anything less than this.
- Taxis - Always 20%
- Shuttles - 2 or 3 dollars as they are handing over our bags.
- Bell Boys - usually 2 dollars per bag.
- Maid service - We usually leave around 15 dollars on our last day, we do not tip daily.

As mentioned, we would feel highly embarrassed if we didn't tip, and we have every sympathy with the waiters/waitresses when they have to wait on people from the UK who are too tight to adhere to the cultures of the country they are visiting.

Sorry pal but you are exactly the sort over the top UK tourist I avoid when abroad.

You might think you need to put a sign on your forehead saying "we will tip" but you should first wipe off the sign which says "we are mugs"

In regards to your rant about poor service etc I would like to know where this is? Because, having travelled all over the States I don't feel like I have ever been treated with any preconception or received a pre-empted bad service.

mdkdue

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Sorry pal but you are exactly the sort over the top UK tourist I avoid when abroad.

You might think you need to put a sign on your forehead saying "we will tip" but you should first wipe off the sign which says "we are mugs"

In regards to your rant about poor service etc I would like to know where this is? Because, having travelled all over the States I don't feel like I have ever been treated with any preconception or received a pre-empted bad service.

And from the sounds of it you are exactly the sort of tight UK tourist that we try (but unfortunately never seem to be able to) avoid when we are abroad.

I could name many places that I have received mediocre service due to being British, Vegas, NYC, Boston, Orlando, we have even had bartenders/waitresses that we have gotten friendly with admit to us that they never expect anything from UK tourists. The reason you probably haven't noticed is because you don't know what good service really is. Plus if you have the attitude that you are going to treat a countries 'way of life' as it were, with such contempt, it doesn't surprise me one bit. You obviously don't give a damn so why would you notice? :cool: