Tipping in the US?

[baldrick]

one of my favourite blogs:

http://waiterrant.net/

 

[skyscraper101]

"Hey, I'm very sorry that the government taxes their tips. That's fucked up. But that ain't my fault. It would appear that waitresses are just one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. You show me a paper says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it. Put it to a vote, I'll vote for it. But what I won't do is play ball. And this non-college bullshit you're telling me, I got two words for that: "Learn to fuckin type." Cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent, you're in for a big fuckin surprise."

 

[baldrick]

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/food/2008/07/oh_no_british_people.html

hahahahaha

 

[skyscraper101]

if I get another bad tip from a British person - I'll nuke the country from space.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I liked this comment too:

It's probably why similar to why i always hated serving yanks in bars and clubs. Not being allowed to collect tips we were instead rewarded by the management relative to how much business we did. A group of yanks meant a shitty night for us, on account of their damned sensible apporach to drinking a reasonable amount and not getting bladdered. Inconsiderate.

It's true.

 

[rachamim18]

It is pretty much a given in many cases. Resturants are 15% as a rule of thumb although most leave 20 unless you get crappy service and/or food and then it can get as low as 0. Taxis, porets, and haircutters are 1 dollar only no matter the price although one can tip more if service is great. Also, if you fgot to very ethnic areas like NYC's many Chinatowns realise that most service workers are getting robbed on their tips so try to tip them in a no descipt way so their bosses do not get their payoff on it.

 

[Dr. Furface]

I don't like having to tip but when I'm in the US I'm usually impressed by the standard of service in bars and restaurants, both the pleasantness of the staff and their efficiency, so I don't mind so much. When you come back you really notice how bad the standards of service generally are here, and it makes me wish that we operated the same system. If we did you certainly wouldn't get the kind of miserable, surly, rude and slow service that is so commonplace here that we just about take it for granted.

 

[tarannau]

... and it makes me wish that we operated the same system. If we did you certainly wouldn't get the kind of miserable, surly, rude and slow service that is so commonplace here that we just about take it for granted.

To be fair it probably wouldn't happen, well not with not tightwad arses like Skyscraper anyway. $5 on a $100 meal - what a cheapskate shithead.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Sadly, I think you're right - crap service is a major part of British culture, like shit public transport, and lots of other things that are rubbish that we put up with.

 

[1927]

Fuck all that. Tipping should be something extra you pay because someone put in the extra effort when working.

But tipping 15% automatically just because the government expects them to be tipped and then justifies paying lower minimum wage? Thats bullshit. And what it then does is lower the standard of service whereby waiting staff simply have to just do their job to get an extra reward, and if you don't tip, you're more likely to get inferior service the next time.

Its bollocks. Why should I endorse their policy through automatically tipping some 'socially' required minimum just because the government refuses to pay them as equally as a street cleaner?

Look at it like this.

When it says $20 on the menu, it is actually $23, but they would like you to give the $3 direct to the waiter to save them the hassle.

If you dont agree with the culture don't go there. simple as.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Look at it like this.

When it says $20 on the menu, it is actually $23, but they would like you to give the $3 direct to the waiter to save them the hassle.

If you dont agree with the culture don't go there. simple as.

Its not as bad parts of Mexico. You have to tip your boss in many jobs such as manufacturing. Often a bottle of booze or some such is expected here and there just as a gratuity for having a job.

 

[spring-peeper]

Look at it like this.

When it says $20 on the menu, it is actually $23, but they would like you to give the $3 direct to the waiter to save them the hassle.

If you dont agree with the culture don't go there. simple as.

Actually, it may say $20 on the menu, but you forgot to add the sales tax on top of that. Then you add the tip.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I don't like having to tip but when I'm in the US I'm usually impressed by the standard of service in bars and restaurants, both the pleasantness of the staff and their efficiency, so I don't mind so much. When you come back you really notice how bad the standards of service generally are here, and it makes me wish that we operated the same system. If we did you certainly wouldn't get the kind of miserable, surly, rude and slow service that is so commonplace here that we just about take it for granted.

To be honest, long term, I've not noticed very much difference. Initially in the US I thought "wow everyone in retail is really keen" but I think it's just the novelty of some of the standard phrases, which you are used to over here and just blank out.

Try going to a state liquor store in Philadelphia. They're not nasty people, they just clearly don't give a shit. I imagine a few years of dealing with walk-in alcoholics will do that to you - it seems a bit unfair on the staff that the only place you can (legally) get jug wine or cheap spirits is where they work, most cities at least spread it around a bit.

 

[Detroit City]

I dont' even feel like tipping anymore after reading all this shite

 

[N_igma]

I'd imagine tipping is more of a thing done in rural areas than big cities?

 

[D]

So, make sure I've a load of dollar bills handy then.

How much is a beer in the US? A dollar tip sounds very close to 20%. If I just did the usual 10% in restaurants, would that be acceptable? Is NY any different from other places in the US (e.g. Florida)?

I'm not asking just to be tight, I just object to 'enforced' gratuities (how are you expected to indicate genuine gratitude?) but would prefer to remain within some local convention.

10% is likely to be seen as an insult/indication that the service was sub-par.
***
N_igma - moo.

 

[Fullyplumped]

Ths is interesting....

Employers are to be banned from using tips and service charges to "top up" staff pay to meet the minimum wage, under government plans.

The changes, set to come into force next year, will benefit those working in industries such as restaurants, where tipping is commonplace. Firms are currently allowed to divert service charges into takings. Unions have welcomed the move, saying that not allowing employees to have tips in addition to pay is an "abuse". The national minimum wage, currently £5.52, rises to £5.73 on 1 October.​

 

[exitma]

i've been living in the US for 3 years now and only realised this tipping issue after stumbling upon it on this board....

Given my home-grown tipping habits - way off the 20% mark usually - this now explains a lot of things.

Good to know. Europe and the US and like two parallel worlds, sometimes.

 

[D]

You've lived in the US for three years and only just noticed that you're undertipping? Don't your friends give you dirty looks?

 

[spring-peeper]

Hi exitma - welcome to urban

What part of the States are you from?

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I'd imagine tipping is more of a thing done in rural areas than big cities?

Just the opposite. In very rural places you would probably only tip 10%. Rural people expect to work very hard for very little.

On the other hand, you could tip 15 or 20% and be that nice foreign guy, with the cute accent, who overtipped. In a small town they'd talk about it for at least a week.

 

[D]

Just the opposite. In very rural places you would probably only tip 10%. Rural people expect to work very hard for very little.

I think it was a cow-tipping joke.

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I think it was a cow-tipping joke.

Cow-tipping is not a joke.

 

[XR75]

Can I get some free money too?I mean if some of you have it to give away to people just doing their job I'm sure you can waste a little more.

 

[_angel_]

I didn't realise barstaff got paid so little in the US! I'm unlikely to ever go, but if I did I wouldn't quibble about tipping them. Some people are right tightwads.

 

[D]

I didn't realise barstaff got paid so little in the US! I'm unlikely to ever go, but if I did I wouldn't quibble about tipping them. Some people are right tightwads.

Indeed and it's the same with many restaurants. You can also bet those bartenders and servers (and bussers - we used to give them a cut of our tips when I worked at a restaurant) aren't getting any health insurance with their just-barely-minimum wages.

 

[Mikey77]

I was in Vegas a few years back, and was waiting for a cab driver to give me my $10 change. I was going to give it right back to him or just tell him to keep it, but he just stared at me. If that was a custom I never want to go back there again. I ended up just giving the money to him, but without going through the motions.

 

[keithy]

well in the UK I pay 10% tip on things as I'm pretty skint, but in US it's clearly different in terms of the wages the staff get etc.

I always feel bad for giving 10% here though, and usually pay %20 if it's not just me paying. I'm a student/graduate/dole scum afterall

 

[miss direct]

Do you think bar staff in the USA also tip other bar staff when they go out for a drink?

I'm glad I live here, where tips are not expected.

 

[Detroit City]

Do you think bar staff in the USA also tip other bar staff when they go out for a drink?

of course they do...and they probably tip more than average because they know how hard the job is and what it's like to get dicked out of a tip...

I'm glad I live here, where tips are not expected.

but shite service is expected?