How much should I tip

PatR_3

Will be taking a break in London, staying in a posh hotel. As this is not my usual type of accomodation I feel a bit uneasy about if or how much I should tip the staff. Don't want to embarrass myself do I?

DaisyNelson

10% - 15%, but I'd only tip if the service was excellent, no matter how posh the place.

chalky_bertie

Sorry to sound mean and tight-fisted but I never tip in this country no matter how good the service was. I only tip in the US under duress from the other half and never give them the proper % amount. I am very cautious with my money and do not give it away willy-nilly.

nelly_2

Mate of mine went to the US there were 8 of them and restaurants have an automatic 20% tip for parties of 8 or more. Cost his dad an extra 60 quid.

They went back in a few days later and the waiter said "table for 8 sir?

And his dad said " no 2 tables for 4"

spendaholic

I normally give up to 10% on charged items, but never more, and £1 on things like porterage or the bringing up of room service trays. I do the 10% thing rounded up or down to the nearest 50p. Not sure if this is the "right" protocol, but it makes me feel easy.

IvanOpinion

You don't say what you are tipping for. Assuming service was good and the waiter/waitress was friendly I would usually leave a 10% tip for food (possibly more if the service was extraordinary and the waitress offered to do my washing and ironing). Bag handlers etc. might get £1 but I usually turn down their services and do my impersonation of a pack-mule.

If you are doing bus tours etc. it appears that the norm is £1 for a half-day or a couple of quid for a full day.

While America is renowned for its tipping policy I have generally found that they are often the worst tippers (meals excepted). They can be quite free with the old dollar bills but that is about it ... a single dollar (about 60p).

Ivan

spendaholic

Yup - soz - I meant on things that are waitress served. But only if the service/quality is good (I did say UP to 10%).

On a bus tour in Italy we were shocked when the tour leader made an announcement saying something like: "It's perfectly okay to tip me and the driver - a good recommendation is £5 per day per person each." That would have been £280. We left them the shrapnel ...

IvanOpinion

spendaholic wrote:

"It's perfectly okay to tip me and the driver - a good recommendation is £5 per day per person each."

A good recommendation for who? That seems totally over the top I would never give more than £5 per couple for a full day tour and only if I felt the tour guide was excellent and kept me awake in that post-lunch period.

Ivan

spendaholic

IvanOpinion wrote:

A good recommendation for who?

Obviously the tour operator and driver. And even more shocking, most of the passengers did it without question! Many were American, some were antipodean. The Brits were outnumbered and we were probably the ones who paled the most.

dwarfer01

We just got back from the US, bus tour guides there always seemed to say 'In the country it is common to tip your guide 5 dollars', err OK but each time you get off a hop on hop off bus? Come on!

The strangest was when we were at a baseball game, paid about 30 dollars for 3 drinks and hot dogs, woman at the stall said 'here is your change, and yes we accept tips too'!!. She said it in all seriousness and I was so stunned I just walked away! I have no idea if this is the done thing at ball games but I expect she was taking me for a ride...

IvanOpinion

Dwarfer
That does not surprise me ... I have seen a tip jar sitting beside check-out operators in America .. I am wondering where it will end.

Ivan