Tips on Tipping

[mozerz]

Went to McCormick & Schmick's for lunch so we used the Costco sourced gift vouchers (79.99 for two $50 gift cards) so that took out the pain of an Australian tipping in Los Angeles. I just doubled the sales tax for the tip and rounded it to the higher round dollar figure.

I think the sales tax is about 9% in LA, so that would make it 18% which is not bad

 

[significance]

Don't forget housekeepers...for a multi-night stay, I tip after the first night. $2-$3 goes a long way to ensure clean room and additional guest supplies if I want.

How do you tip hotel cleaners? Do you take the money to the front desk? Add it when you settle the bill as you check out? Or do you leave it in the room? Do you leave a note with it, or leave it in some special place, or is any cash left lying around assumed to be a tip in the US?

 

[mozerz]

How do you tip hotel cleaners? Do you take the money to the front desk? Add it when you settle the bill as you check out? Or do you leave it in the room? Do you leave a note with it, or leave it in some special place, or is any cash left lying around assumed to be a tip in the US?

I either leave it next to the tv or put in an envelope with "for housekeeping" written on it. Worked for me so far

 

[drron]

Agreed... A true no tip restaurant would be you see something on the menu for $20, you eat said item and when you leave you leave a $20 note and not 1c more. Restaurants over there often use the "service charge" as a way of confusing diners so that you still leave a tip on top.

If you read the full article it does say that they refuse any extra payment so no confusing of diners.If they find cash after patron has left that money is donated to charity.

 

[harvyk]

I am not picking sides or anything but then you would need to raise prices by 18-20% and dinner may not like the sticker shock.

But they are paying the higher amount already... If you have something on the menu for $18.20, and an automatic 18% is added, you'll be paying $20 anyway. If having the full and upfront price leads to "sticker shock" then they are living in a false economy anyway.

 

[harvyk]

If you read the full article it does say that they refuse any extra payment so no confusing of diners.If they find cash after patron has left that money is donated to charity.

I did read the article... IMHO service charge is a tip by stealth, nothing more...

 

[anat0l]

But they are paying the higher amount already... If you have something on the menu for $18.20, and an automatic 18% is added, you'll be paying $20 anyway. If having the full and upfront price leads to "sticker shock" then they are living in a false economy anyway.

LOL.

No, that laughing is not meant to offend. It's just that when it comes down to it, Australia has to be one of the few countries in the world where we pretty much have a "what you see is what you pay" ethos. (To be honest, this wasn't really the case either until the introduction of the GST)

In some countries the "additions" are mandated (e.g. government taxes) and in other cases it's meant to fool an ignorant tourist.

 

[harvyk]

LOL.

No, that laughing is not meant to offend. It's just that when it comes down to it, Australia has to be one of the few countries in the world where we pretty much have a "what you see is what you pay" ethos. (To be honest, this wasn't really the case either until the introduction of the GST)

In some countries the "additions" are mandated (e.g. government taxes) and in other cases it's meant to fool an ignorant tourist.

Actually it was around 2008 / 2009 where it became law, before that it was simply convention with exception to airfares and car sales... To bring things back to flying, it was the then DJ who started printing advertisements on the back of cabs saying "$59* CBR-ADL", with that little star meaning excluding completely non optional components which you have no option but to pay which was one of the main reasons we now have all inclusive pricing. Obviously someone with power got a little annoyed when their $59 airfare actually cost them $100...

I remember first being told about it, since back then I was going to weekly meetings with a group of small businesses. One of the participants of the meeting was a lawyer who warned us about the new inclusive pricing laws.

 

[drron]

I did read the article... IMHO service charge is a tip by stealth, nothing more...

But tipping in LOTFAP is to compensate the lowly paid workers in the restaurant industry.Unlike Australia they are not paid a living wage.The 18% is to make up that shortfall.I think it is a great start though definitely not the first.Per se in NYC for quite some time has increased it's prices so tipping is no longer required but unlike this guy they will accept extra.That puts extra stress on to the patrons.
And it is not by stealth as it is advertised as such.

 

[harvyk]

But tipping in LOTFAP is to compensate the lowly paid workers in the restaurant industry.Unlike Australia they are not paid a living wage.The 18% is to make up that shortfall.I think it is a great start though definitely not the first.Per se in NYC for quite some time has increased it's prices so tipping is no longer required but unlike this guy they will accept extra.That puts extra stress on to the patrons.
And it is not by stealth as it is advertised as such.

I realize 100% that in the US tipping is basically the income which service staff live on. But that's the thing, be upfront and charge what the food + service actually costs and coupled with pay your staff a livable wage, and your staff will no longer need to supplement their wages with tips.

 

[dajop]

I did read the article... IMHO service charge is a tip by stealth, nothing more...

Maybe in the original article. But I suspect in lots of places the service charge goes to the owner - not the employees. One of my favourites (NOT) is hotel service charges.

 

[seanpodge]

The whole tipping thing is confusing. I try to follow customs, but still....Also, I think adding a "service charge" and still expecting tips is a flat out scam.

I am not picking sides or anything but then you would need to raise prices by 18-20% and dinner may not like the sticker shock.

I much prefer this type of "shock" to the shock of seeing the amount on the menu being rather different to the amount that has to come out of my wallet.

LOL.

No, that laughing is not meant to offend. It's just that when it comes down to it, Australia has to be one of the few countries in the world where we pretty much have a "what you see is what you pay" ethos. (To be honest, this wasn't really the case either until the introduction of the GST)

In some countries the "additions" are mandated (e.g. government taxes) and in other cases it's meant to fool an ignorant tourist.

In China, I've found that (excluding airfares, strangely enough) the price is the price and tipping is pretty much unheard of.

 

[CamDownUnder]

The whole tipping thing is confusing. I try to follow customs, but still....Also, I think adding a "service charge" and still expecting tips is a flat out scam.

Absolutely! Take your average room service order in the USA: they add a room service/delivery charge, and the bill will often include a gratuity on top of that, and then the delivery guy still puts his hand out for a tip. That's how a $20 club sandwich and Coke becomes $30+ !

 

[drewbles]

Absolutely! Take your average room service order in the USA: they add a room service/delivery charge, and the bill will often include a gratuity on top of that, and then the delivery guy still puts his hand out for a tip. That's how a $20 club sandwich and Coke becomes $30+ !

Most USA hotels state quite clearly at the bottom of the page that an 18% gratuity will be added, and this goes to the server.

The receipt you get shows the gratuity, but as they use the same computer system hotel wide, it has space at the bottom for an additional gratuity. Hotels are now pretty transparent in regards to room service. Many years ago though, they had it in 1 point font, on the bottom of the back page of the room service menu, and hid it on the receipt.

 

[CamDownUnder]

Most USA hotels state quite clearly at the bottom of the page that an 18% gratuity will be added, and this goes to the server. The receipt you get shows the gratuity, but as they use the same computer system hotel wide, it has space at the bottom for an additional gratuity. Hotels are now pretty transparent in regards to room service. Many years ago though, they had it in 1 point font, on the bottom of the back page of the room service menu, and hid it on the receipt.

This might be 'transparent' in that sense but there is still a blank space for 'gratuity' and most people I know hand over a tip because they don't read the bill that carrefuly, obiously that is 'their' fault but all the same it is something that people need to be aware of.

I also stayed in a hotel in London once where they added a 'service charge' to the bill when I checked out. It was a flat per day rate, can't remember how much but maybe something like 10 pounds per day. And this was a higher-end 'boutique' hotel in the city.

I checked the bill, asked what it was, they said it was for use of services such as concierge etc, to which I replied that not only did I not use the concierge during my stay but even if I did, my understanding is that a concierge is a free service offset by the cost of the hotel and if I'm paying something like 300 pounds per night I expect a concierge to be part of the deal. I asked this be removed form the bill, they complied but it made me wonder how many other guests were slugged for this and didn't even know it because they didn't check the bill or didn't question this 'extra' charge,

 

[Bolthead]

Don't get me started on tipping...

I go to the USA and Europe often and to this day my stomach turns every time I tip. I will leave it at that however as a semi humorous antidote while in Las Vegas visiting my wife's sister and family we had a meal at one of those mega buffets. From memory I think it was the Sahara. We had finished the meal and as we were leaving I decided to go to the loo. As I walked back past the table we had been sitting at I noticed a $10 some money ($5 or $10 - cam't remember) sitting on the table. As the balance of my party had already left I picked up the money and met them out the front. I said to everyone, who left $10 on the table. I was quickly told off by my wife's sister as she advised me the money was the tip. I quickly rebutted and reminded her it as a buffet and we had to serve ourselves.... hello..... She promptly put the money back in her purse.

 

[RooFlyer]

Don't get me started on tipping...

I go to the USA and Europe often and to this day my stomach turns every time I tip. I will leave it at that however as a semi humorous antidote while in Las Vegas visiting my wife's sister and family we had a meal at one of those mega buffets. From memory I think it was the Sahara. We had finished the meal and as we were leaving I decided to go to the loo. As I walked back past the table we had been sitting at I noticed a $10 some money ($5 or $10 - cam't remember) sitting on the table. As the balance of my party had already left I picked up the money and met them out the front. I said to everyone, who left $10 on the table. I was quickly told off by my wife's sister as she advised me the money was the tip. I quickly rebutted and reminded her it as a buffet and we had to serve ourselves.... hello..... She promptly put the money back in her purse.

Did you have any drinks service? I'm not defending the 'system' over there, but I go by the 'when in Rome' philosophy. At those buffet places, you nearly always have to use the drinks 'waiter' service - and that's tippable.

 

[Bolthead]

Did you have any drinks service? I'm not defending the 'system' over there, but I go by the 'when in Rome' philosophy. At those buffet places, you nearly always have to use the drinks 'waiter' service - and that's tippable.

You are right, however this was 13 years ago so my memory is a little slack. As well they were fairly good at removing the plates etc.... I just have a problem with tipping. I am actually planning our next trip to North America now and that is why this thread caught my attention. I notice in Las Vegas there is a thing called a resort fee. Have been to LV 3 times before and don't remember paying this fee before. So far anywhere from $25-$35 dollars. (not in all places as some of them make a point about excluding resort fess) I know that is a little OT however it's all about the 'hidden fees' and I consider tipping one of them.

Like you said, 'When in Rome....'

 

[harvyk]

You are right, however this was 13 years ago so my memory is a little slack. As well they were fairly good at removing the plates etc.... I just have a problem with tipping. I am actually planning our next trip to North America now and that is why this thread caught my attention. I notice in Las Vegas there is a thing called a resort fee. Have been to LV 3 times before and don't remember paying this fee before. So far anywhere from $25-$35 dollars. (not in all places as some of them make a point about excluding resort fess) I know that is a little OT however it's all about the 'hidden fees' and I consider tipping one of them.

Like you said, 'When in Rome....'

The resort fee is another fee that if you stand your ground you can usually get removed from the invoice. Just be 100% sure that you didn't accidentally step foot anywhere else other than the most direct route from the entrance / lobby and your room and you'll be fine.

I certainly adopt a "when in Rome" approach. Doesn't mean I have to like it...

 

[ermen]

A little OT but what is worst is when the restaurant adds a "charity donation" at the end of the bill!
I was at Dinner by Heston in London around a year ago and they added £1 or £2 at the end for some charity! Now one could probably get it removed if they wanted toat the end but was not worth the embarassment I felt at the time...

i may have subsequently seen it in Australia too...