Tipping in The United States

[UK SUBS]

Ok, so last time I asked years ago I got some pretty sound advice. I know it will generate debate as to whether you should or not but I'm not asking that I'm specifically asking; I'm off to NYC with my good lady in a weeks time celebrating my birthday plus other things. What's the tipping policy. Feel free to list as much detail as you can please.

Staying in a really plush hotel in Manhattan.

Thank you in advance

[Guest Len B'stard]

Subsy of The Boro Does Manhattan! Bless! You know they don't serve scallop butties and dripping sandwiches out there right?

[UK SUBS]

Subsy of The Boro Does Manhattan! Bless! You know they don't serve scallop butties and dripping sandwiches out there right?

Fuck you Len you soft southern fanny! x

[SoulMonster]

10-20 %?

[Lio]

This is all you need to know about tipping in the US:

[pestilence]

20%

[wasted]

I don't tip. I don't believe in it.

[Dazey]

15-20% of the bill and a dollar a drink in bars usually.

[pestilence]

i once gave the pizza guy a $20.....looked like he was gonna shit himself

[downzy]

Americans, in my experience as a former bartender, are the best tippers in the world. In North America, most of a bartender or waiter's salaries come in the form of tips. Remember that in many places the restaurant will take a portion of a waiter's tips, so if they have to tip out 6-8 percent at the end of the night, and you've only given the waiter 5 percent, the waiter now has to pay money to serve you.

15 percent is the bare minimum. Give this if you felt like the service was okay, but nothing to write home about. 20 percent if you thought your server did a decent job. 25 percent if the server went above and beyond your normal dining experience.

The only time you want to give less than 15 percent is if the service is bad. And I mean really bad. A mistake or two doesn't count. The waiter has to be rude, forgetful, and inattentive to warrant 5 to 10 percent. The only time you give zero is if they drop your food on you, say really rude things, or tamper with your food (at that point you shouldn't pay for your bill anyway).

Edited June 27, 2014 by downzy

[UK SUBS]

Americans, in my experience as a former bartender, are the best tippers in the world. In North America, most of a bartender or waiter's salaries come in the form of tips. Remember that in many places the restaurant will take a portion of a waiter's tips, so if they have to tip out 6-8 percent at the end of the night, and you've only given the waiter 5 percent, the waiter now has to pay money to serve you. 15 percent is the bare minimum. Give this if you felt like the service was okay, but nothing to write home about. 20 percent if you thought your server did a decent job. 25 percent if the server went above and beyond your normal dining experience. The only time you want to give less than 15 percent is if the service is bad. And I mean really bad. A mistake or two doesn't count. The waiter has to be rude, forgetful, and inattentive to warrant 5 to 10 percent. The only time you give zero is if they drop your food on you, say really rude things, or tamper with your food (at that point you shouldn't pay for your bill anyway).

Thanks man!

[Nosaj Thing]

I don't tip. I don't believe in it.

[UK SUBS]

What about at a nice hotel?

Maids?

Barman?

Valet?

Anything else?

[downzy]

Americans, in my experience as a former bartender, are the best tippers in the world. In North America, most of a bartender or waiter's salaries come in the form of tips. Remember that in many places the restaurant will take a portion of a waiter's tips, so if they have to tip out 6-8 percent at the end of the night, and you've only given the waiter 5 percent, the waiter now has to pay money to serve you. 15 percent is the bare minimum. Give this if you felt like the service was okay, but nothing to write home about. 20 percent if you thought your server did a decent job. 25 percent if the server went above and beyond your normal dining experience. The only time you want to give less than 15 percent is if the service is bad. And I mean really bad. A mistake or two doesn't count. The waiter has to be rude, forgetful, and inattentive to warrant 5 to 10 percent. The only time you give zero is if they drop your food on you, say really rude things, or tamper with your food (at that point you shouldn't pay for your bill anyway).

Thanks man!

No worries! Another thing to think about is that NYC is probably home to some of the world's biggest tippers. And this may sound paradoxical, but the nicer the establishment (which means higher the bill) usually requires a higher tip percentage. I suppose it's not a big deal if you're only planning on going once and never returning, but generally the waiters at better establishments expect better tips than waiters at lesser establishments (like an Appleby's or Olive Garden).

And also, not to disparage Europeans, but when I bartended, I always knew what kind of tip to expect as soon as I heard a person's accent. If they were American, I knew they were likely to give me a better tip, so I probably gave them better service. I should say that I never gave (or tried to at least) bad service, but as soon as I spoke to customers and established that they were European, I knew that I was likely going to get less of a tip (if any tip at all). It's a stereotype, I know, but more times than not it usually proved to be true. I did experiment at times, giving Europeans as good as service as I could possibly give (when I say good service, I mean the priority I placed on them versus other tables) but the stereotype still held. Perhaps that was my own issue and you won't experience that. But if you find that you're not getting the service you expect, your accent might be betraying you. Which will likely justify a lower tip, which just continues the cycle.

[dalsh327]

They include the tip if you're going to a restaurant with a group but people still tip.

You'll get price gouged on wine in most restaurants in NY. If you're going to stock up on booze:

http://www.warehousewinesandspirits.com/how-to-find-us/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/trader-joes-wine-shop-new-york-2

Study the subway system and plan accordingly, I think the Metro Card's 5 bucks which is reloadable (if you're flying to JFK, you can ride the train into Manhattan, LaGuardia is a pain in the ass because you have to do a bus transfer or need a taxi) and each subway ride's 2 bucks.

It's summertime so there should be a lot of concerts going on, some of them free.

Curbside check in at the airport - expected to tip because it's a convenience.

Valet - depends if you're traveling light and need the assistance, housekeeping, usually at the end, depending how you left the room and how much trash they have to take out.

Barman - depends what you're drinking and where you're going, the more work they have to make the drink and provide excellent service, tip them more, same goes with coffee shops.

Edited June 27, 2014 by dalsh327

[downzy]

What about at a nice hotel?

Maids?

Barman?

Valet?

Anything else?

Like I said in the my previous post, the nicer the spot, the better the tip expected.

Hotel maids you want to tip $1-$5 a day. Depends on how much mess you've caused. If you've just rustled the bed sheets, than a dollar or two will suffice. If you've partied and the room is a bit of mess, then $5 a night is probably warranted.

At the bar, if you're paying per drink, than a dollar a drink should suffice, so long as your drinks are under $5-$6. Start ordering expensive cocktails or martinis and you should pay more. If you're going to be at the bar for awhile, it's better to leave your credit card. You'll get better service, and you will only have to pay the bartender a tip once. If he/she gave you attentive, good service and was engaging, then 20 percent is the norm.

If you're only traveling with one or two bags, I'd suggest no more than $5 for the valet.

If taking a taxi, 15 percent is pretty standard. Again, if the cab driver is engaging and gives you information that you think was relevant for your stay, then 20 percent. I've been to NYC many times and I've only once taken a cab that warranted 20 percent. Most cab drivers will ignore you until it's time to pay your fare.

[UK SUBS]

Downzy -- do I tip you for these tips?

And.... I heard that about british having a bad reputation and at least while I'm there I want to ensure that's not right. It's not about tipping in the UK it's about fitting in with the norm and not embarrassing ourselves. I want to reward good service and we're staying in nice places and eating in top restaurants so....

[shades]

Americans, in my experience as a former bartender, are the best tippers in the world. In North America, most of a bartender or waiter's salaries come in the form of tips. Remember that in many places the restaurant will take a portion of a waiter's tips, so if they have to tip out 6-8 percent at the end of the night, and you've only given the waiter 5 percent, the waiter now has to pay money to serve you.

15 percent is the bare minimum. Give this if you felt like the service was okay, but nothing to write home about. 20 percent if you thought your server did a decent job. 25 percent if the server went above and beyond your normal dining experience.

The only time you want to give less than 15 percent is if the service is bad. And I mean really bad. A mistake or two doesn't count. The waiter has to be rude, forgetful, and inattentive to warrant 5 to 10 percent. The only time you give zero is if they drop your food on you, say really rude things, or tamper with your food (at that point you shouldn't pay for your bill anyway).

That ^^^^^

Is spot on, in every regard

the only thing I might add is in regards to parking attendants, hotel staff, or anyone else that may be handling and or might have access to your personal stuff.

use your own judgement, but if you are leaving your car at a parking garage in NYC with all your stuff in the back seat of trunk, it is a good idea to not only be friendly with the guy, but make eye contact and hand him a 10 spot before he jumps in your car because they drive them into the garage and back themselves.

general rule tip anyone who knows your routine and whereabouts. Don't act like Donald Trump but you did say plush hotel so a 10 or 20 here and there goes a long way.

Edited June 27, 2014 by shades

[downzy]

Downzy -- do I tip you for these tips?

And.... I heard that about british having a bad reputation and at least while I'm there I want to ensure that's not right. It's not about tipping in the UK it's about fitting in with the norm and not embarrassing ourselves. I want to reward good service and we're staying in nice places and eating in top restaurants so....

You'll be tipping enough in NYC, no tipping needed here

I completely agree with normative conduct in relation to your home country. The last time I was in London I went drinking with some people who lived in London and I tried to tailor my tipping after them.

I never held it against Europeans who didn't tip because I knew that was customary where they lived. Some people i worked with who had never been to England or Europe would assume it meant people from across the Atlantic were cheap. But having spent months traveling through Europe I know it's a cultural thing, not a matter of cheapness. Europeans pay their service workers better than we do in North America so it makes sense that less tip is required. A service worker in North America would be forced to live on the street if nobody tipped.

[downzy]

That's bullshit IMO. I mean of course as their salaries compose of tips, you gotta tip but it just should not be that way. Why can't the employer pay them enough? Does the customer feel as if they're getting their food cheaper when they pay in portions or something..

Here, tipping is not common but I tip if the service is good, I like to reward nice people like that. But them being able to pay their bills shouldn't be depending on that..

Also, if the restaurant is known to take money FROM THE TIPS, why not tip the waiter/waitress directly!

In NYC the minimum wage for service industry workers is $5 an hour. And NYC is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live, so $5 an hour is more like $2 an hour everywhere else.

It's an unstated social contract that the price for a meal or drink on the menu is not reflective of the true cost to the consumer. If you have a problem with that model, then don't go into those establishments. Eat at Subway (where tipping probably should happen but nobody does it).

In a lot of U.S. states, the minimum wage for service workers is even less. Most states have a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour. It's been decades since minimum wages in the service industry have risen. Employers will not pay their employees more if they're not legally required to and all the other establishments pay the same. In the U.S., it's a tip-based economy. In Europe, it's a wage based economy.

How restaurants take money from the tip pool is pretty simple, regardless of whether you give the tip directly to the server or not. Now that most restaurants have digitized ordering systems, everything can be tracked. So if Server A generated $1000 of revenue for a given night, and he/she is required to tip the house 5 percent, Server A will be required to pay $50, even if all of their customers paid in cash. But most people no longer use cash and instead opt to pay by credit card. With those tips, the server must get the money back from the house. And the house can then withhold the money the server owed the house. Often, the five percent is broken down and given to the support staff (bus boys, server assistance, sommelier, and sometimes management/owner). So like I said, if you come to North America and you don't tip your server at the end of your meal, your server just paid someone else to serve you food. They didn't just work for free (not including the $2.13 they made on their hourly wage), but they actually lost money. Remember, most establishments operate on the assumption that people will tip, so they base the tip out owing to the establishment on revenue and not on actual tips generated. If Server A sold a $1000 worth of food and booze, but nobody tipped him or her, that server will leave work that night $50 poorer (assuming the house takes 5 percent - I've seen it as high as 8 percent).

Here in Ontario, there's been some debate on whether to outlaw tipouts to the house. Some love it, others fear that if all tips are now going to the server, the government can then fully tax those earnings. Right now, with it difficult to prove how much a server is making from their tips, the government generally doesn't go after waiters or bartenders for unreported income. When I was in school, I use to make $25k a year on tips but I'd only declare $2k (meaning I made $23k in tax-free income). I probably could have declared nothing and still be fine. And I was fortunate to work at a place where management/ownership didn't take any of the tip money. But they legally could have, and this creates accounting issues for the government trying to figure out how much a service worker actually makes. So it's a double-edge sword.

Edited June 27, 2014 by downzy

[magisme]

Downzy nailed it, Subs. Only thing I'd change is that I don't tip less than $5 for anything ever, except ordering one or two drinks at the bar, where I'll match the number of $ with the number of drinks.

I know it's different other places, but if you don't tip in the US you're basically a cocksucker.

[Bumblefeet]

I've been to the east and west coast and not being accustomed to tipping it took some getting used to. I gave 15 %, depending on the excellence of service sometimes 20 %. You can really tell waiters, hotel staff, ... do work for their tips and make sure everything is to your liking. I guess the benefit of the system.

I do confess the first time I went to the states was as a *poor* college student and may have skimped on some of the tips.

[downzy]

Downzy nailed it, Subs. Only thing I'd change is that I don't tip less than $5 for anything ever, except ordering one or two drinks at the bar, where I'll match the number of $ with the number of drinks.

I know it's different other places, but if you don't tip in the US you're basically a cocksucker.

Yeah, personally, I pay more but I've been told I'm extra generous (probably as a result of working in the service industry). I figured those were the base tipping rates if Subsy wants to fit in with the norm.

[Forsaken]

I don't tip. I don't believe in it.

Really? Most waitresses and servers depend on tips to make a living. You know their hourly wage is absolute garbage right and is tip dependent?

[downzy]

That's bullshit IMO. I mean of course as their salaries compose of tips, you gotta tip but it just should not be that way. Why can't the employer pay them enough? Does the customer feel as if they're getting their food cheaper when they pay in portions or something..

Here, tipping is not common but I tip if the service is good, I like to reward nice people like that. But them being able to pay their bills shouldn't be depending on that..

Also, if the restaurant is known to take money FROM THE TIPS, why not tip the waiter/waitress directly!

In NYC the minimum wage for service industry workers if $5 an hour. NYC is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live. It's an unstated social contract that the price for a meal or drink on the menu is not reflective of the true cost to the consumer. If you have a problem with that model, then don't go into those establishments. Eat at Subway (where tipping probably should happen but nobody does it).

In a lot of U.S. states, the minimum wage for service workers is even less. Most states have a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour. It's been decades since minimum wages in the service industry have risen. Employers will not pay their employees more if they're not legally required to and all the other establishments pay the same. In the U.S., it's a tip-based economy. In Europe, it's a wage based economy.

How restaurants take money from the tip pool is pretty simple, regardless of whether you give the tip directly to the server or not. Now that most restaurants have digitized ordering systems, everything can be tracked. So if Server A generated $1000 of revenue for a given night, and he/she is required to tip the house 5 percent, Server A will be required to pay $50, even if all of their customers paid in cash. But most people no longer use cash and instead opt to pay by credit card. With those tips, the server must get the money back from the house. And the house can then withhold the money the server owed the house. Often, the five percent is broken down and given to the support staff (bus boys, server assistance, sommelier, and sometimes management/owner). So like I said, if you come to North America and you don't tip your server at the end of your meal, your server just paid someone else to serve you food. They didn't just work for free (not including the $2.13 they made on their hourly wage), but they actually lost money. Remember, most establishments operate on the assumption that people will tip, so they base the tip out owing to the establishment on revenue and not on actual tips generated. If Server A sold a $1000 worth of food and booze, but nobody tipped him or her, that server will leave work that night $50 poorer (assuming the house takes 5 percent - I've seen it as high as 8 percent).

Here in Ontario, there's been some debate on whether to outlaw tipouts to the house. Some love it, others fear that if all tips are now going to the server, the government can then fully tax those earnings. Right now, with it difficult to prove how much a server is making from their tips, the government generally doesn't go after waiters or bartenders for unreported income. When I was in school, I use to make $25k a year on tips but I'd only declare $2k (meaning I made $23k in tax-free income). I probably could have declared nothing and still be fine. And I was fortunate to work at a place where management/ownership didn't take any of the tip money. But they legally could have, and this creates accounting issues for the government trying to figure out how much a service worker actually makes. So it's a double-edge sword.

Whoah. Thanks for the thorough info, I appreciate.

How the hell can the minimum be as low as it is?

Do you mean I shouldn't eat at a place where the salaries depend on tipping because I have a problem with the model? I would tip of course but if there was anything I could do to get them a decent salary without that, I'd do it.. Also when I tip here or when travelling I tip on cash directly and sometimes even discreetly hand them the money if I suspect it'd be taken away from them.. especially in less wealthy countries.

The minimum wage is low because enough Americans think minimum wages shouldn't exist or ever be raised. The "invisible hand" of the market is somehow suppose to take care of the situation. It doesn't, but that doesn't stop people from believing in such fantasies.

It's good that you tip while in places where the practice is standard. But there are many who fundamentally disagree with the practice but will still visit establishments where tipping is expected (and then not do it). It's akin to people complaining of the prices when frequenting a high-end establishment. I use to bartend in a very high-end hotel here in Toronto and the prices were rather exorbitant. People would sit down and then bitch about the cost of the drinks. And I always wanted to ask them, where the fuck did they think they were? TGI Fridays? (Obviously, I never did)

High-end establishments will charge more, just like tipping is a standard and expected practice within North American restaurants and bars. It's a reality of North American dining that you have to respect while visiting. If you disagree with that, then you shouldn't eat out at nice places while in North America. Such people who oppose the concept of tipping but still visit establishments where it's expected may think they're proving their point, but what they're really doing is impoverishing the server that worked very hard to deliver them a great experience.

There are many places where people who disagree with the practice of tipping can eat, but generally those places ask you want kind of bread you want your sandwich made on. My advice to those who disagree with tipping on principle should limit their culinary experiences to those kind of establishments.

Edited June 27, 2014 by downzy