Tipping in New York

justry4n

Hi, I was wondering what should I tip, what can i get away without tipping, and how much should I tip whilst I'm here?

Thanks!

PeacefulWaters

15% plus seems to be the going rate.

Murphy_The_Cat

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

15% plus seems to be the going rate.

IMHO, absolutely bloody ridiculous to be legally extorted, for sometimes shonky service.

If the service is poor, tip accordingly - don't !

OP, tipping isn't expected at fast food places (ironically, possibly the place where they need the extra pay the most)

stevenhp1987

United States: Tipping & Etiquette

From personal experience in New York:

15% for "good" service in a restaurant.
10% for "bad"
18-20% for "great"

$2 per night (left on pillow) for cleaning the hotel room.

$1 per drink at a bar, $2+ for more elaborate cocktails at a bar.

There will be more tipping required if you use a taxi, bellhop etc.

Tipping is used instead of being paid an appropriate wage in USA. Just because you don't agree with tipping culture (I do not), you still need to tip, otherwise they will essentially be out of pay.

Teahfc

Do watch when your bill ( check) arrived many restaurants in NYC have already added a gratuity !!! Do not be embarrassed to tell them to remove it and pay what you think the service was like. A American would pay up to 20%. I would pay maximum 15% if it was exceptional or 7-12% or rounded off to the dollar for good service, don’t be embarrassed not to tip of service is slow and food is poor !
$1 a bag bell boy

Murphy_The_Cat

stevenhp1987 wrote: »

Tipping is used instead of being paid an appropriate wage in USA. Just because you don't agree with tipping culture (I do not), you still need to tip, otherwise they will essentially be out of pay.

My grumble is that a tip is "expected", irrespective of service being at an acceptable level, or not

I disagree wholeheartedly with you - when the order taker has incorrectly taken your order, when the server fails to bring part of your order and the cook/chef has failed to prepare your food to the very basic level of it being cooked throughout. Why the he** should you pay them extra, when they've failed in the very basic execution, of a very basic job ?

However, if they've managed to do what they are expected to, then you're looking at an additional tax/tip rate of 15%

Nick_C

For restaurants, most places will print the suggested tip on the bill, probably suggesting 18 or 20%

If they don't print a suggested amount, a good guide is to double the tax.

If you are going to a bar and don't tip when you get your first drink, you'll find you won't be served if you want a second one!

But I've been in bars in NY where I've tipped the barman for every beer I've bought, only to find I eventually get one on the house - and I'm not that big a drinker.

And for anyone who strongly disagrees with tipping culture and who is not prepared to tip the answer is simple. Don't go the the US. Or if you do go, then go self catering,stay away from bars and restaurants, and don't take taxis.

PS - in NYC, if you work for a large employer, minimum wage is $11.00 per hour. If you are a waiter and get tips, your minimum wage is only $7.50 an hour.

michele-p

we did around 15% - in food places ect. There was one we didn't tip, but the meal really wasn't good, and service awful - so there was no way they deserved a tip! Other places we didn't se so much of the tipping culture, so didn't bother in starbuks and the like. We used Uber for airport, which you aren't meant to tip. I thought it was going to feel oppressive about it, but when we were there it really wasn't .

When they bring you the bill, it shows the amount, and you write on the final total, they take your card away to swipe it, don't panic. it's normal in America, feels very strange to us brits to do that though! they often 'pre swipe" your card, so sometimes it show twice on your credit card bill, but the first will drop off after a few days.

Voyager2002

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

My grumble is that a tip is "expected", irrespective of service being at an acceptable level, or not

I disagree wholeheartedly with you - when the order taker has incorrectly taken your order, when the server fails to bring part of your order and the cook/chef has failed to prepare your food to the very basic level of it being cooked throughout. Why the he** should you pay them extra, when they've failed in the very basic execution, of a very basic job ?

However, if they've managed to do what they are expected to, then you're looking at an additional tax/tip rate of 15%

When service falls below the minimum acceptable standard then no tip is appropriate. As a foreigner, if you don't leave a tip they will think you have forgotten and "remind" you, perhaps very forcefully. What an American would do in that situation is make a point of leaving a one-cent tip. Essentially you are refusing to pay for the service, so only do this if the service has in effect not been provided.

Murphy_The_Cat

Voyager2002 wrote: »

When service falls below the minimum acceptable standard then no tip is appropriate. As a foreigner, if you don't leave a tip they will think you have forgotten and "remind" you, perhaps very forcefully. What an American would do in that situation is make a point of leaving a one-cent tip. Essentially you are refusing to pay for the service, so only do this if the service has in effect not been provided.

On our last trip, they were to busy sweeping the floor around our table and putting the lights out around us to "remind us" about the missing tip.
Fair enough, they wanted to go home - but it was 15 mins before closing time and when we went in, we asked if the restaurant was still open for meals.

stevenhp1987

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

My grumble is that a tip is "expected", irrespective of service being at an acceptable level, or not

I disagree wholeheartedly with you - when the order taker has incorrectly taken your order, when the server fails to bring part of your order and the cook/chef has failed to prepare your food to the very basic level of it being cooked throughout. Why the he** should you pay them extra, when they've failed in the very basic execution, of a very basic job ?

However, if they've managed to do what they are expected to, then you're looking at an additional tax/tip rate of 15%

Don't get me wrong. I've left a $0 tip before in the restaurant in Binions Casino Hotel in Vegas (the food was terrible, the service was terrible, waited 45mins for food etc.). They were not happy but I wrote why on the receipt.

If they do that wrong, don't tip 15%, go as low as simply $1!!

they might be getting paid around $2 an hour, with tips making their actual wage. If they do a bad job, leave a low / no tip, that will make them want to up their game.