Tipping in the US

silja

iusedtoknow wrote: »

I have once found myself in that situation near Napa (Cthulhu, it was a good wine) and so we tipped 25% on the food (worth it!) and we tipped 10% on the wine, and that went to the somellier rather than the servers.

Nice! I have not yet been in a US restaurant where I would pay more for my drink than my food, so wouldn't know.

smurfjed

How do u tip for a service that u don't know the cost of? For example I got collected by a chauffeur this afternoon and driven 2 hours to Washington DC. I tipped the guy $40, but I have no idea of the trip cost as my employer paid. What is the protocol in this kind of situation?

I worked out that during the last 9 days in the USA, I have paid close to $200 in tips!

Smurfjed

rockonollie

Smoggy wrote: »

The tipping culture is an issue if a barman is getting 10 dollars tips for a few mins work.

I'm not saying that I agree with the amounts......I was just offering the reasoning behind the expectation of a higher tip for cocktails vs a bottle of beer.

rockonollie

smurfjed wrote: »

Strange logic, he is doing his job and I'M going to pay for it?

When did it go up to 15%???

why? They are paid to clean my room? I just stayed for a week in a Sheraton, I have no desire to increase the cost of the hotel room by tipping the room cleaners. Its almost like this idea that if i dont wash the hotel towels I'm benefiting the environment rather than reducing the Sheraton laundry bill.

smurfjed

Yes but you can't think of it in the same sense as in Ireland, he's doing his job, and getting paid 1/4 of the normal minimum wage in most states. A barman working a 40 hour week takes home less than $80 after tax before his tips are added.

A barman working the same hours in ireland takes home at least 300 euro and will have some tips on top of it.

The train of thought that "he is doing his job and I'M going to pay for it?" can't be applied in the US

Ponster

smurfjed wrote: »

I tipped the guy $40, but I have no idea of the trip cost as my employer paid. What is the protocol in this kind of situation?

I can't answer your question but $40 seems fine for 2 hours. I took a 1 hour trip from Boston Airport last month which came to $110 (paid by the company) and I tipped $20

duck_77

As mentioned previously, even in Ireland you are paying for their wages, just that it is all included in the price you pay.

I agree it is not the best or most logical system where we are concerned but it is the way it works.

dave2pvd

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

Ok silja thanks.
What about a different scenario where the food bill is still $400 but we are drinking more expensive wine and the bill for it is say $2500-what would be the protocol then?

You tip on the total amount, excluding tax. Doesn't matter if it's food or wine. As others have said, 15-20% is customary.

If there is a service charge, your tip depends on how much has been tacked on. TBH, service charges bother me a bit, so I'll usually not add anything to make the (perhaps) 20% amount. Recent services charges I recall were 17% and 18%.

I'm always amused that people find the restaurant tipping system illogical. One frequent visitor I know always says he feels ambushed when he gets a bill! IMO, it's all quite transparent. ANY travel book on the US will give good advice about how it works.

Things do become complicated when dealing with concierges, bellhops and other sundry attendant-types.

spideog7

Ponster wrote: »

I disagree. My local has pints for $4.25 and I tip a dollar per pint resulting in every 3rd or 4th pint offered by the bar. Maybe about once every couple of weeks the first drink is offered.
I'd open a tab and add the tip to the CC bill if I was in a bar that I didn't plan on becoming a local in.

I've often heard this but I've never in my life gotten a free drink at a bar for being a good tipper.

Stenth

Something I never figured out last time I was in the US: if the breakfast is included (buffet style, so no one actually comes to my table to take orders or fill up coffee and such, but there will be a worker taking away my plate afterwards), should I leave a tip? Where, in that case? On the table? How much?

Ponster

Stenth wrote: »

Where, in that case? On the table? How much?

I don't think I've ever tipped at a buffet as I've never received 'service' at a buffet. I guess the only service that you're going to get is have used plates removed and have tea/coffee delivered and that isn't always the case?

Hazys

spideog7 wrote: »

I've often heard this but I've never in my life gotten a free drink at a bar for being a good tipper.

I've only gotten free drinks in NYC, it never happens in Boston

heartseeker

Are Americans as good at tipping over here when they visit?

iusedtoknow

well when I worked in a hotel-restaurant in Cork, yes...yes they did. Usually pretty generously as well.

MadsL

Stenth wrote: »

Something I never figured out last time I was in the US: if the breakfast is included (buffet style, so no one actually comes to my table to take orders or fill up coffee and such, but there will be a worker taking away my plate afterwards), should I leave a tip? Where, in that case? On the table? How much?

Couple of bucks a head if you are getting tea/coffee refills and a smile or two. A buck each for someone just busing tables and wiping down.

silja

MadsL wrote: »

Couple of bucks a head if you are getting tea/coffee refills and a smile or two. A buck each for someone just busing tables and wiping down.

Something like that. If I was just staying one night I probably wouldn't tip, if I stayed longer or it's more of a buffet lunch type set up (where they take away your plate between you going up to the buffett and brings drinks), then a few bucks.

rockonollie

heartseeker wrote: »

Are Americans as good at tipping over here when they visit?

Much better than the irish are

smurfjed

I've often heard this but I've never in my life gotten a free drink at a bar for being a good tipper.

Got loads of them last week :) Usually with "I bought you this one".

if the breakfast is included (buffet style, so no one actually comes to my table to take orders or fill up coffee and such, but there will be a worker taking away my plate afterwards),

Hotel i stayed in had a biz lounge with breakfast, i was usually the first one there, all the food was laid out and there was a table to drop off your plates, so usually no staff about. BUT on the table for dropping plates there was a glass with about 8 single $$ in it, so the hint was please leave a tip.

In the next hotel close to DC, i asked for a late checkout rather than 11am as my flight was 6pm, receptionist said 3pm was OK. Next day i gave her a $20 tip as a thank you (Hotel was $68). A few minutes later she asked me if i really intended to give her so much, told her that 4 hours in the room versus 4 extra hours in the airport was well worth it. She was quite shocked

But to also put things in perspective, St Pats morning in an Irish Pub, i had 2 Irish Coffees, Irish Breakfast, a large Irish whiskey and bought a bar tshirt, all for $38...... Try doing that in Dublin

smurfjed

clairefontaine

Waiters, hairdressers, beauty therapists, %15

Hotels - I don't know....$5 a day for the cleaning lady? I don't stay in hotels.

Barman - I'd leave a dollar or two per drink. This usually means you will get a free third or fourth round. With mixed drinks, I've noticed when you tip well they start putting more booze in your drink - this has led me to having to go home at 10 pm because I am too drunk to stay out any longer, so this is not a custom I appreciate.

Delivery people - $2 [depending on what they are delivering-

I ignore all tip cups at self service places like Dunkin Donuts. That is just ridiculous.

Taxi drivers 15 %. I've noticed that they sometimes assume the tip and don't give you back your change, if they do that, I consider it rude and ask for my change.

silja

clairefontaine wrote: »

I ignore all tip cups at self service places like Dunkin Donuts. That is just ridiculous.

Yes! It is getting a bit rediculous that way. I don't tip in places like Starbucks, Subway etc, unless I get a lot of small change and may throw my coppers in there, or if they do something special for me, like the time I ordered a cake pop and they gave me two extra that were damaged, or when we stayed in the cafe and my three kids made a mess.

dave2pvd

silja wrote: »

Yes! It is getting a bit rediculous that way. I don't tip in places like Starbucks, Subway etc, unless I get a lot of small change and may throw my coppers in there, or if they do something special for me, like the time I ordered a cake pop and they gave me two extra that were damaged, or when we stayed in the cafe and my three kids made a mess.

You bring up a good point, silja.

If your kids leave a mess you need to tip above the usual amount. Or clean up the mess yourself.

clairefontaine

Mr.S wrote: »

If your on holidays though, chances are you won't be going back to the same place twice, right? So if your really bothered, you can just not tip, they can't exactly *do* anything.

Stingy ofcourse, but if you don't want to tip, you don't have to!

When you go to a foreign land, you leave footprints. Do that and whomevever you did not tip will have the impression the Irish are cheap bastards. And will treat the next Irish person they meet with bad service.

rockonollie

Mr.S wrote: »

If your on holidays though, chances are you won't be going back to the same place twice, right? So if your really bothered, you can just not tip, they can't exactly *do* anything.

Stingy ofcourse, but if you don't want to tip, you don't have to!

Except the stories of waiters and waitresses chasing people out of restaraunts and assaulting them......or posting photos online of your receipt without the tip (if you used a card, your name will be right there) or even worse......stealing your card numbers and selling them to fraudsters.

MadYaker

silja wrote: »

Yes! It is getting a bit rediculous that way. I don't tip in places like Starbucks, Subway etc,

There seems to me to be a lack of logic here, you tip bar, restaurant and hotel staff because they get by on tips and its a big part of their earnings, but it is not the same for people working in dunkin donuts or starbucks or krispy kreme or some other place like that? So why don't you tip them, they are just doing their job, same as the guy who served you your drink or cleaned your hotel room.

SimonLynch

Hazys wrote: »

I've only gotten free drinks in NYC, it never happens in Boston

I was in both cities a while back and was told by friends it's illegal practice in Boston,was told off by New York-based friends for tipping a taxi driver because "you'll never see him again". Recent experiences of 15% being fine in Phoenix and more than expected in rural Wauseon, Ohio.

cosbloodymick

I am extremely incomfortable with tipping. It has master servant connotations. Imo there should not be an onus on the customer to pay the staff wages, that is the responsibility of the employer. I find it incredulous the this ridiculous system has been allowed to develop to such an extent in the US. Maybe if customers were to stop tipping, employers would have to pay decent wages to get people to do the jobs.
However I do tip when I go to the US as it is the way things are done over there, still don't like it though.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

yeah maybe they would, and maybe they'd have to fire a chunk of their employees because they can't afford to employ them all at the level of pay required if everyone stopped tipping

jd

Hazys wrote: »

I've only gotten free drinks in NYC, it never happens in Boston

Used to get free drinks if I tipped well when I lived in Boston. It was back in '89 though.

rockonollie

cosbloodymick wrote: »

I am extremely incomfortable with tipping. It has master servant connotations. Imo there should not be an onus on the customer to pay the staff wages, that is the responsibility of the employer. I find it incredulous the this ridiculous system has been allowed to develop to such an extent in the US. Maybe if customers were to stop tipping, employers would have to pay decent wages to get people to do the jobs.
However I do tip when I go to the US as it is the way things are done over there, still don't like it though.

They would......in the states where there is a reduced minimum wage, the employer is required to pay the difference if the employee's hourly wage plus tips don't average out to the standard minimum wage......of course this is dependent on the employee declaring their tip income for taxes.

Gandhi

MadYaker wrote: »

There seems to me to be a lack of logic here, you tip bar, restaurant and hotel staff because they get by on tips and its a big part of their earnings, but it is not the same for people working in dunkin donuts or starbucks or krispy kreme or some other place like that? So why don't you tip them, they are just doing their job, same as the guy who served you your drink or cleaned your hotel room.

Because tippable jobs (barman, waiter etc) have a different minimum wage. I think it is only about a quarter or a third of the mainstream minimum wage (that you'd get working in McDonalds etc).

Also, it motivates better customer service as they know that you, the customer, are directly deciding how much they get paid.

Gandhi

jd wrote: »

Used to get free drinks if I tipped well when I lived in Boston. It was back in '89 though.

Happens in some bars in Philly, especially if you become a regular, or if you are sitting at the bar on a quiet night when he sees how much you are drinking. Not as consistently as NYC, though.