American 'tipping etiquette' article

[chriswallace85]

Wrang again, 7.1 million visitors from overseas to Florida in 2022, 7.1 million visitors from overseas to NYC.

Pretty sure the hotels, bars and restaurants would be up shit creek if international tourists stopped arriving in the numbers they do.

More people visit California than Vegas, more than double.

I wasn't wrong in the first place ya gonk.

58m a year visit Disneyworld.

57m a year visit New York.

Over 80% of those visitors are domestic, and know how to tip.

 

[AndrewP]

Glad we don't have it here. At least, nothing like that level. I do feel I have to tip Uber though, or I'll get a bad rating off the driver

They're more concerned about you being there on time I think.

My biggest gripe is that if I order a steak or a burger, my tip will vary by 100%. For the exact same service.
Makes zero sense.

My biggest gripe is an over expensive Disney Buffet. They expect about 20% of about £60 each for bringing you a beer and taking your plate away at the end.

No chance am I paying someone a £50 tip (or whatever) for that.

 

[Thewper1]

I can't remember exactly how we found out, but 18% was the norm when we were last in New York in November '22.

The angry barman got you in a headlock when you only tipped 15%

 

[Kent_Mackem]

maybe so, but if someone walks into a shop and the sign says 'cheese sandwich $5' and then pays $5 for a cheese sandwich, you can see how they may be confused as to how they have done something wrong

also, as has been pointed out, when you aren't used to doing it and you are there on holiday - drunk, tired, hungover, jet lagged, in a hurry etc.. - its easy to see how someone may just pay what the price of the goods are and walk out

its not the tourists fault for not knowing, its coorperate americas fault for having a pathetic system

I'm not disagreeing that it is a shit system and that it's Corporate America's fault for having it in the first place and for not changing it going forwards. I also agree that some people will be confused by the prices.

However, when I am over there in October for my next conference, I'm not going to be able to change anything by refusing to tip.

Visitors for both tourism, family visits and business surely have a responsibility to learn about the local culture as it exists before travelling - whether or not they may be drunk, tired, jet-lagged or hungover.

 

[chriswallace85]

Sometimes it’s a real pain, you almost have to plan ahead before you go out, if it’s somewhere where you know it’s going to be cash only tips. You need a lot of singles and when ATMs only give $10 or $20 and you seldom use cash you often don’t get to break those.
Just last night, my kids suddenly wanted to go for ice cream. I didn’t have enough to pay by cash but couldn’t put a tip on my card and the bill I had was too big for a tip for ice cream.
Last month I had a works party - I knew the bar was going to be open but you should tip the bar staff - I only had 20s so had to stop off at the grocery on our way there to buy a bottle of water and ask for change in singles (the checkout person no doubt thought I was off to the tittie bar)

I always prefer it when the card readers give you the 3 options for you to discreetly select the cheapest one.


We're usually best off using our lass's card when we travel, so I gladly don't get too involved in paying for things.

The angry barman got you in a headlock when you only tipped 15%

maid#

Mind, not seen many maids with a shaved heed.

 

[tunstallhill]

It's a cultural thing. It encourages "better" service (often weird fake ott smarmy service imo).

The customer pays either way, so in reality it makes no difference, except the server has to be "good" or face the prospect of a lower tip.

i can understand that, i'd just rather my bill at the end of the meal was reflective of what it actually says it cost on the menu. then i can decide whether to tip or not, knowing that the staff are getting paid a minimum living wage anyway. and if the staff are good, then leave a little extra

the thought of forgetting to tip or not tipping enough or not knowing what is expected is canny crap. with it not being instinctive for me, i could easily forget or not have the right change or what ever. its just a rubbish system

Visitors for both tourism, family visits and business surely have a responsibility to learn about the local culture as it exists before travelling - whether or not they may be drunk, tired, jet-lagged or hungover.

agree on that last point. if you were going somewhere culturally alien - like South Korea or Oman - then you'd be an idiot to not at least research what the local customs are or at least make sure you don't accidentally offend someone.

however, this is america we are talking about, pretty much culturally aligned with us. and we are talking about paying for good and services, which isn't alien to anyone. getting off a plane in florida and going for a pizza in a restaurant shouldn't require someone from the UK to do their homework on local customs and etiquette

 

[Squat]

also why isnt it based on time not value? if you spend an hour there and spend 20 quid or 100 quid, they've done the same amount of work.

 

[Kent_Mackem]

however, this is america we are talking about, pretty much culturally aligned with us. and we are talking about paying for good and services, which isn't alien to anyone. getting off a plane in florida and going for a pizza in a restaurant shouldn't require someone from the UK to do their homework on local customs and etiquette

^^ I think that is where we disagree.

I'm in agreement with the rest of your points.

 

[Mackem00]

Yes but if they increased the actual basic wage to something like what’s needed you’d be paying about the same anyway overall.

Just do that then. Then everyone knows where they stand. That the US is an absolute rip off of a country.

 

[Pop]

I wasn't wrong in the first place ya gonk.

58m a year visit Disneyworld.

57m a year visit New York.

Over 80% of those visitors are domestic, and know how to tip.

You were wrang, how can the third most visited country in the world not be geared up for tourism you mentalist.

If they aren't nobody is!

 

[tunstallhill]

^^ I think that is where we disagree.

I'm in agreement with the rest of your points.

fair do's. i'm totally in agreement that if you go to america and you are fully aware of the tipping ettiquette then you should fully commit to it the best you can.

we always do, and i find in the most part the contactless machines with the auto '15, 20, 25%' buttons to be most handy. but where it falls down is if we just stop in a little coffee shop for a sit down and quick coffee, literally there 15 mins and barely needed any service as you get served at the counter, as opposed to going into a restaurant and being there 2 hours requiring table service the whole time. or going into a dive bar and sitting at the bar watching some sports on TV for an hour. its not natural for us to know exactly how much to tip and what is appropriate.

i find the bar scenario easiest as i usually pay cash in those instances and can just add one dollar to each drink. the restuarant is probably the place most deserving of a tip. but the little coffee shop where you get served at a busy counter and have no interaction with the staff and are gone in 15 mins... for me it doesn't feel normal to tip

 

[chriswallace85]

You were wrang, how can the third most visited country in the world not be geared up for tourism you mentalist.

If they aren't nobody is!

I think you've completely misunderstood what I meant by geared up, or I've put it badly. Their service industry isn't tailored to tourism, it's simply tailored towards providing a service, whether that's to Johnny American or an Englishman.

And for what it's worth, the level of service in their country absolutely pisses on the level of service in ours.

 

[Thewper1]

I always prefer it when the card readers give you the 3 options for you to discreetly select the cheapest one.


We're usually best off using our lass's card when we travel, so I gladly don't get too involved in paying for things.

maid#

Mind, not seen many maids with a shaved heed.

Aye that’s a tricky one, easy to avoid…..although I always tip cos am a nice lad innit (and they might sprinkle pubes on me pillow if I don’t)

 

[chriswallace85]

I've not and have no desire to go to Disneyland. Not sure why you've decided to hoy a surname in there either. Bit snidey.

Just painting picture there, figuratively.

 

[LewisLad]

I can’t stand the American tipping culture, for me a tip should be a nice little bonus for exceptional service to be able to treat the worker and not a top up on a poultry wage that is expected to be the given

That's because it means something totally different in the UK.

In any other country if you visited as a foreigner and went about saying you 'can't stand' things about the local culture, the answer would be simple - don't visit then.

People over complicate it, just factor it into the cost of eating out over there.

 

[chriswallace85]

That's because it means something totally different in the UK.

In any other country if you visited as a foreigner and went about saying you 'can't stand' things about the local culture, the answer would be simple - don't visit then.

People over complicate it, just factor it into the cost of eating out over there.

Exactly. You (should) know before you go.

 

[Biffo The Bear]

I'm fairly certain it would be impossible to live on £1.83 per hour , even if you did 50-60 hour weeks . It's less than £5k per year .

I know it's in the US not here, but surely things like rent, bills, food etc .. aren't significantly cheaper there?

From my experience rent is about the same, bills similar, food more expensive. Given that i was in SE Texas can imagine all 3 to be more than here when you look at the big cities / more upmarket areas than Port Arthur.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

My mrs has a mate who came out to see us when we lived over there and her husband flatly refused to pay more than 10% tip. When explained to him how the subminimum wage "works" in industries where tipping is the norm in the US, he still wouldn't budge. And in one of my favourite restaurants. Mrs still asks "why do you hate Mike?" and it basically boils down to this single incident.

I hate US tipping culture, but it's not something I can change by stiffing waiters and barmen.

Is it not the case that the subminimum is topped up to a minimum wage is someone receives zero tips?

 

[AndrewP]

i can understand that, i'd just rather my bill at the end of the meal was reflective of what it actually says it cost on the menu. then i can decide whether to tip or not, knowing that the staff are getting paid a minimum living wage anyway. and if the staff are good, then leave a little extra

I totally agree. Decent waiting staff over there can earn a fortune though, so they probably prefer it over minimum wage.

I've not and have no desire to go to Disneyland. Not sure why you've decided to hoy a surname in there either. Bit snidey.

Shit behaviour that like. I expected better of him.

 

[Billericay Dichio]

US Barmen get snotty when you don't tip them for taking the top off a bottle.

It's getting silly now.