Tipping Rules

[Foreigner]

Oh, Foreigner, you've started another tipping thread. Naughty, naughty.

Let's get back on-topic...

Tipping is a disconcerting issue for many not accustomed to it, as others here have experienced. When i was in San Diego in June I went to cashier to pay for meal by credit card and was asked about tip to which I responded I would leave cash tip at the table.

Just wondering with IRS rules whether tips on bills for business-related meals are deductible for tax.

 

[bam71]

We tip, and generously. Our take - we come from one of the richest countries in the world ( Aus), jet around in J and P, and if we can help some poor bugger working for minimum wage in a skan_y US burger joint, we will, regardless of service.

 

[harvyk]

I hate idea idea of a mandatory tip. It's not fair to the employee on minimum wage to have to carry the risk of the business and it's not fair on the customer whom has to work out what extra to leave behind.

If it would make a difference to the system by me not leaving tips I would do so, however since tipping is so ingrained in US culture and a good numbers of times no tip = massive money problems for wait staff, I will either round up to the dollar or leave 20%.

Even though it's a very coughpy system which has it's roots in bribery and corruption, as foreigners it's not really our place to change it.

 

[Denali]

When in the US, we tip 20% or whatever rounds up higher.

No argument. It sucks but that's the way it is.

A few times we've had puts-Aussies-to-shame service and have tipped 100+% because we generally don't eat at very expensive places.

I also give my change to people that need it. A few dollars per day isn't going to break me.

 

[Snoopydoo]

I get the general idea of who you should tip in the US (restaurants, taxis, bar and hotel staff) but what about the every day sales people you come into contact with? Like the guy who sells you your hotdog from the food cart or the person who sells you your paper or the cashier when you go to the supermarket, do you have to tip them too?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I get the general idea of who you should tip in the US (restaurants, taxis, bar and hotel staff) but what about the every day sales people you come into contact with? Like the guy who sells you your hotdog from the food cart or the person who sells you your paper or the cashier when you go to the supermarket, do you have to tip them too?

Cashier at the supermarket? No. Macys or MacDonalds... no.

I think tipping generally comes in when there's a variable price component involving service (like wait staff at a restaurant), or when a 'service' is being provided for 'free'. A hotel storing bags, or a bell-hop getting a taxi... you'd generally be expected to tip for both. A fixed price bagel and coffee from a street stall you probably wouldn't. Although you go into a starbucks and there's a tip jar... but then that's the same here in Australia.

 

[serfty]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States

It's now basically $7.25.

Those in "tipped employment" on $2.13 have to have it made up by their employer to $7.25 - generally from tips. ...

 

[cove]

US 7.25 is pretty ordinary by Australian standards but our countries are very different. Tipping in the US is necessary even though most Australians dislike the idea.

 

[anat0l]

When I go to a country where the social convention is tipping, I tip.

Even if it isn't against the law, there's no point in being overly hostile socially, unless you are prepared to put up with that flak.

You still have the right to a penny or no tip if the service was horribly unacceptable.

I don't like tipping, especially when I can't guarantee that my tip is going wholly to the server, and even then it befuddles me how they have to share the tip with kitchen staff etc, so it seems those staff aren't getting paid "enough" either. It's also pretty confusing.

That linked article seems to prescribe a stiffer / higher set of tipping rules that I'm used to, e.g. except for New York, I was used to 15% base everywhere. So now it is 20% everywhere - really? - or then again this is the Washington Post, so...

Counter staff at fast food and the like never got tipped. There was a tipping jar, but I thought that was more an excuse for people to get rid of shrapnel they didn't necessarily want. That jar got shared with everyone.

I have to admit that when I'm in the USA, I feel uncomfortable because I forget who to tip and how much to tip. It doesn't matter how many sets of rules I read. Then, I feel bad if I stiffed someone, and it's not got to do with that person not getting paid enough or whatever. How much someone is getting paid never comes into consideration when tipping.


Anyway, this isn't the first thread on this kind of thing. Definitely isn't the first article on the topic, either. In fact, one could viably argue that both are being done to the death.

 

[cove]

Doing the tip in cash means the "house" does not necessarily grab a third to a half of the money. One of my friends owns a restaurant in Orange County California and the "house" does that. It is harder to do when the tips are not on credit cards so that is why I tend to do the tips in cash.

 

[ric_melb]

I think we can see and accept that the tip now expected at a full service restaurant is 20%, especially in New York. Even if we don't like it. But some of the tips suggested for bars and lower scale restaurants seem a bit over the top. And the justifications for all tips suggested in this article are "baloney". :-|

 

[Fifa]

I remember when our US friends told us that they tip the hairdresser and barber!!!

I asked if they also tip the mechanic who services their car and they said no. When I asked what the difference was they told me that the mechanic doesn't do a very good job! Go figure.

 

[get me outta here]

I had a Saturday job at 14- 15 helping out at a hairdresser and I was a really good hairwasher as I used to massage the scalp too. I often got the eq of about 50 cents and was very very appreciative.

I remember when our US friends told us that they tip the hairdresser and barber!!!

I asked if they also tip the mechanic who services their car and they said no. When I asked what the difference was they told me that the mechanic doesn't do a very good job! Go figure.

 

[Milefest]

Cashier at the supermarket? No.

This is the thing about tipping.. there are no clear rules. I was given an earful at a supermarket in the US for not tipping the cashier for every shopping bag they filled for me. Apparently I was supposed to tip a dollar per bag, I'd never heard of this before.

 

[cove]

Never heard of that.
I do know the helpful check out lady at our local Gelsons has been there 17 years and she has zero retirement plan. I hate to admit it but Paul Keating got the super fund idea running for Australians. So many in the US live pay check to pay check so tips are helpful to cover unexpected expenses.

 

[dajop]

One thing new to me was varying tip based on drink price ... Always though it was standard to pay the bar attendant $1 or $2 per drink (plus a slightly bigger bribe, oops I mean tip, on the first drink to guarantee good service if you're going to be there for a while.)

 

[cove]

I still remember getting the top taken off a Bud beer and the bar tender needing a tip....no cold glass, no nibbles....just the opened bottle.

 

[GarrettM]

The Langham lunch yesterday was $84 a head in Melbourne because of archaic labour pay rates and conditions.that may get reviewed in December or later.

Does the Langham do walkups? Planning to launch into and annihilate as much food as possible there in a few weeks, after the Socceroos match the night before.

I see I can book ahead of time, but hoping it won't be necessary.

 

[jb747]

They were told in no uncertain terms that 10% was a wrong tip in New York.

So you reduced it to zero?

It's actually a good reason to visit another country instead.

 

[anat0l]

It's actually a good reason to visit another country instead.

Now that's a tad harsh

As it turns out, there are quite a handful of countries that have tipping as a social convention. The application, amount and places where it is done varies from country to country.