Tipping in USA, how much and where?

The one tip I can give is if you don't tip, do not go back to that restaurant....they will remember you..

I'm not convinced that the expectation of tipping is necessarily related to absolute wages. 1$US or 1$Au doesn't mean the same thing in different countries.

One point that I hope folks take away from this discussion is that they should research culture and customs in countries they plan to visit. Having spent many years traveling the world on business, I learned some things the hard way when I didn'd do my homework ahead of time.

Having visited Singapore more times than I can count, I've regretted not taking private time to visit AU or NZ.

BTW I'm a Wallabies fan 

As mentioned by several Americans in this interesting thread - "To Insure Prompt Service"

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Another misconception, see Snopes for the facts.

Tom said:

I'm not convinced that the expectation of tipping is necessarily related to absolute wages. 1$US or 1$Au doesn't mean the same thing in different countries.

One point that I hope folks take away from this discussion is that they should research culture and customs in countries they plan to visit. Having spent many years traveling the world on business, I learned some things the hard way when I didn'd do my homework ahead of time.

Having visited Singapore more times than I can count, I've regretted not taking private time to visit AU or NZ.

BTW I'm a Wallabies fan 

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you are right Tom
Research is important to do before you visit different country. And also it is important to respect local customs. That is the reason I asked the tipping question on this forum. Not to criticise the system.

I have observed the US tipping system first hand as a visitor for 25 years, and discussed it with many Americans and non-Americans alog the way

My conclusion may not be that popular but have a read (link in signature).

The Escape Goat said:

I have observed the US tipping system first hand as a visitor for 25 years, and discussed it with many Americans and non-Americans alog the way

My conclusion may not be that popular but have a read here >>

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Excellent commentary and quite accurate from my own experience both as a bus boy in a restaurant and other such jobs and as a customer who left a meager tip because of poor service.  The waitress did not see it my way and was very vocal about it and she was not the only one in my life time as I do not tip well for poor service.

Being in the US again reminded me what an archaic and injust system tipping is

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It seems that Australia is not as tip-free as comments here suggest. A little research, including among Aussie sites, suggests that tipping is becoming more common. 10% is mentioned as appropriate, customary &/or expected  .  Just one of many such reports returned by a simple Google search:

http://www.austtravel.com.au/australian_travel.htm

Tom said:

It seems that Australia is not as tip-free as comments here suggest. A little research, including among Aussie sites, suggests that tipping is becoming more common. 10% is mentioned as appropriate, customary &/or expected  .  Just one of many such reports returned by a simple Google search:

http://www.austtravel.com.au/australian_travel.htm

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Thanks for the link, just so we're clear, tipping is neither required nor expected in Australia. Anyone who says otherwise has personal interests, e.g. from the hospitality industry

Hospitality workers are well paid - in many cases being paid time and a half and double time for overtime and sundays - and our labour laws ensure that nobody in this country needs to rely on gratuities of any kind.

No one will ever ask you for a tip, and many neighbourhood restuarants & cafes away from tourist areas will total off your bill when you pay with a credit card, not even expecting that you would add a tip.

Many tourists (and a few locals) still do tip - almost exclusively in restuarants - but all this serves to do is erode the foundation of what is a very stable and equitable system.

Your stable & equitable system provides no incentive for service above and beyond. Everyone gets paid the same 'high' wage, irrespective if their service is outstanding or non-existent. Having lived and worked in an environment like that, I know which I prefer, both as an employee and a customer. Seeing coworkers do as little as possible and getting paid the same high wage was extremely discouraging, and I left that environment.

No one will ever ask you for a tip

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I've never been asked for a tip in 40+ years of living in and traveling to the U.S.

Tom said:

Your stable & equitable system provides no incentive for service above and beyond. Everyone gets paid the same 'high' wage, irrespective if their service is outstanding or non-existent. Having lived and worked in an environment like that, I know which I prefer, both as an employee and a customer. Seeing coworkers do as little as possible and getting paid the same high wage was extremely discouraging, and I left that environment.

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Yes to a degree that is true. Our system is stable and equitable but not perfect. There are socialist elements to it, as much of our workplace laws were pounded out by decades of labour governments with left-wing factionals at the helm. Historical I guess as our country was built initially on the back of convicts and pioneers and then poor immigrants, whilst the element of nobility and land barons for want of a better term has was less than other country's. A land for the people you could say, though 10 years of conservative government did erode quite a bit of the hard fought workers rights and swung in favour of big business and employers.

Not sure where it will go from here as there is a real push for "insentivism" especially in public services e.g there's a huge teacher controversy looming.

But I've found though through my work life here that generally the good workers get the promotions, better conditions and raises and the poor workers stagnate, so I have to admit to being a tad cynical about the proposed changes

Just not sure who they're meant to benefit, and we have a 20 year history of gradual "Americanisation" (not all bad), this could be yet another chapter.

Tom said:

I've never been asked for a tip in 40+ years of living in and traveling to the U.S.

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In the US? Wow I have! Maybe there's been times its been clear that I'm a non-US tourist and waitresses etc have felt the need to "educate" me in advance. And that doesnt count the times its been automatically added to my bill and I've had to go to the cashier and say "actually the service was pretty bad and I'm not leaving a 20% tip so can you please remove it from my bill and I will add my own tip as I see appropriate thank you very much!"

Which takes balls but it shouldt have to be that way.

BTW am trully enjoying this conversation, thank you.

I, too, have never been asked to leave a tip.  The only times that a tip was added automatically to the bill was when it was a restaurant policy for large parties (typically 8 or more) and I knew that in advance.

I've never been asked for a tip in 40+ years of living in and traveling to the U.S.

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I have!  A group of us were at a convention in New York City about 25 years ago.  Some of us went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.  Both the meal and the service were awful so we left no tip.  The waiter and someone else came running after us and we had a confrontation on the sidewalk.  We told them there would be no tip.  When half the group was sick the next day, it reinforced our thoughts as to why we left no tip.

ArdraF

I must say that I was asked for tip in nearly all tourist bus site seeing trips by tour organizer, or driver in advance on this year holiday in US. I think they do that, because they know that tourists from other countries don't tip otherwise.
After sight seeing trips, driver was standing next to door when people was leaving bus and his hand was up receiving the money. It would be not easy to skip tipping there, happy or not happy. I felt like I am paying release fee to get out from bus. He he.
But I don't mind to tip. Just the way they handle the process was bit strange.

Ned said:

I, too, have never been asked to leave a tip.  The only times that a tip was added automatically to the bill was when it was a restaurant policy for large parties (typically 8 or more) and I knew that in advance.

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Same for me, unless you count the "tip" jars sitting on counters as "asking" for tips. And anytime a tip is automatically added for a large group, you are always free to remove or adjust that tip based on the service you received.

FWIW, tipping is NOT unique to the U.S. When we've gone on cruises, we've been given a sheet that lists the "appropriate" tips for shipboard employees. And on Caribbean islands, the bus driver and tour guides have their hand stuck out as you get off the bus, waiting for their tip.

Regardless of where or how much, good or bad, different countries are, well, different. And I won't slam one for not having tipping and I won't slam one that does have tipping. It's the differences that make us special.

Wendy

Ned said:

The only times that a tip was added automatically to the bill was when it was a restaurant policy for large parties (typically 8 or more) and I knew that in advance.

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I've had the group thing too, but no I am specifically talking about eating with my family - 3 of us.

Wendy said:

FWIW, tipping is NOT unique to the U.S. When we've gone on cruises, we've been given a sheet that lists the "appropriate" tips for shipboard employees. And on Caribbean islands, the bus driver and tour guides have their hand stuck out as you get off the bus, waiting for their tip.

Regardless of where or how much, good or bad, different countries are, well, different. And I won't slam one for not having tipping and I won't slam one that does have tipping. It's the differences that make us special.

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I hear you, and I'm not slamming one country over another (well not too hard anyway) but I think the US can afford modern labour laws and a system befitting a country of its position in the world economy.

The Carribean countries, Mexico etc where your cruise might have gone can't always.

Is it not a tad embarassing for the US to be compared to poorer, and in some cases third-world nations?

Not too many rich nations in this list have systems where employees rely on tips to survive.

Wow Guys you are getting political here. I think that we should stay away from this type of posting. I started this post simply to find out how to tip in USA not why to tip.

Jan Stiskala said:

Wow Guys you are getting political here. I think that we should stay away from this type of posting. I started this post simply to find out how to tip in USA not why to tip.

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LOL, no ones blaming you, your original question has grown into a wider discussion thats all!

Tipping is an accepted practice in America.  Tipping, apparently, is not an accepted practice in some other countries.  If one doesn't approve of tipping, perhaps one should confine their travels to countries where tipping is not an accepted practice.  I doubt if any expressed opinions on this forum will change accepted practices in individual countries. 

So, the choice is clear.  Visit America  ... or not. 

Margi

Tom and Margi said:

Tipping is an accepted practice in America.  Tipping, apparently, is not an accepted practice in some other countries.  If one doesn't approve of tipping, perhaps one should confine their travels to countries where tipping is not an accepted practice.  I doubt if any expressed opinions on this forum will change accepted practices in individual countries. 

So, the choice is clear.  Visit America  ... or not. 

Margi

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I LOVE America, and most Americans I've met over the last 25 years.

But whats wrong with a little self-analysis? Just because something may never change, doesn't mean I have to like it and it can't be discussed sensibly

Greetings,

This is my take. While visitors might not like our methods in regards to employment, I look at it this way. If the business is paying their employees a higher wage, then I will pay more for my visit there (which might be a factor in my even going to that business in the first place). It also cuts me out of the loop for showing my gratitude for good or bad service. I'd like to have the control of paying for the good service and leaving a low token for bad service.

If a server is doing a good job for people, they will have the tips to supplement their incomes. If they don't feel like things are fair, they are FREE to make a business themselves here or find other employment.