Tipping.....

[TheLordsSouljah]

Umm, so in Aus we never tip. Sometimes it can even be seen as an insult to tip. It all just comes in the pay packet.

 

In the US, what's the deal with tipping? who do you tip? how much?

I just don't want to be rude over there. 

 

Sincerely,

Worried.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

depends on the quality of service i'm told. And you fib, we have optional tipping at restaurants and cafes and bars etc in aus, well where i live there is a tip jar at the payment desk of all of these. If you don't get any answers i will give you my answer if you like. I think there are so many different systems for tipping in the u.s , from state to state and on another level individual systems. Perhaps saying which state or states you are going to will help our brothers and sisters give you the best directions for tipping.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Tab'le De'Bah-Rye

[CrossCuT]

I used to be on the quality of service, but now its the unwritten rule that you tip 15-20%. If you dont then you are considered a poo head.

 

I am in favor of NO tips and having the employers pay their workers enough.

 

I dont see why the customers are accountable for paying their employees as well as the fact that it is not fair that a waiter/waitress working at Denny's will get a smaller tip than someone working at a high end restaurant solely based on the fact that the food price is different. They do the same job. One just works at a place with higher priced entrees. 

 

Why should I tip one person $5 for a burger at one place and $10 for a burger at the other?

Edited January 16, 2014 by CrossCuT

[SilentJoy]

I used to be on the quality of service, but now its the unwritten rule that you tip 15-20%. If you dont then you are considered a poo head.

 

I am in favor of NO tips and having the employers pay their workers enough.

 

I dont see why the customers are accountable for paying their employees as well as the fact that it is not fair that a waiter/waitress working at Denny's will get a smaller tip than someone working at a high end restaurant solely based on the fact that the food price is different. They do the same job. One just works at a place with higher priced entrees. 

 

Why should I tip one person $5 for a burger at one place and $10 for a burger at the other?

 

Those are some REALLY expensive burgers, if that's a 15% tip.  :sos:

 

If you go to a full-service restaurant, where the waiter/waitress comes to the table, takes your order, delivers you food, refills your coffee, takes care of your dishes, etc., you would tip about 15%. At a fast-food restaurant where you go to the counter and place your order and take care of your own dishes, no tip is expected.

 

I'm not aware of very many other times that the average person would be expected to offer a tip, but that depends on the services required; I rarely ask a professional to cut my hair, but when I do, I give them a couple bucks extra. Little things like that.

[CrossCuT]

Those are some REALLY expensive burgers, if that's a 15% tip.  :sos:

 

Im obviously not being very precise. 

[SilentJoy]

Im obviously not being very precise. 

 

:smile4:

[CrossCuT]

:cheers:

[SilentJoy]

:cheers:

 

OH, I get it...that's why the burger was so expensive, it came with plenty of beer.

[CrossCuT]

OH, I get it...that's why the burger was so expensive, it came with plenty of beer.

I can neither confirm nor deny

Edited January 16, 2014 by CrossCuT

[BG45]

15-20% at a sit down restaurant, nothing at fast food. Unfortunately, a lot of employers in the U.S. don't follow federal law when it comes to waiters and waitresses.  Under federal law, the employer is supposed to make up any difference in tips between the $2 or so they're paid, and minimum wage.  Many, however, don't actually do that, so the servers really end up living on the tip money.   If you order pizza for delivery, it's in good form to tip the driver, because they often pay their own gas costs.  

 

While I'm going to sound like a jerk for saying this, if you're treated horribly, then you shouldn't feel as though you have to tip.  An example of what I mean is a time my theology on tap group was out at a bar we always went to at the time.  Our waiter was attentive, talkative, always kept refilling the drinks.  Once our last friend got there, who was both black and quite openly gay, the waiter all but refused to come back to our table.  We had to go get him to take further drink orders, and he never said a word, just glaring at us.  Then he would take 20+ minutes to bring the drinks again, if we didn't go and get him again, and he waited until our food was cold to bring it out.  At the end of the night, I paid him $20 for a $16 meal and he kept my change and then disappeared, while everyone else paid with a card.  Not my proudest moment, but I took out my red editing pen, wrote on the back of a paper placemat, something to the effect of, "Since you stole my change, here's a tip for you. DON'T STEAL FROM REGULARS [profane word here]!"  Ended up emailing the owners about it, getting an apology and a gift card and assured the guy had been fired because this was far from the first racist or homophobic complaint about him, and haven't been back there since with the group.

 

[mortify ii]

Look up Mr Pink on tips, a clip from the film Reservoir Dogs

[CrossCuT]

While I'm going to sound like a jerk for saying this, if you're treated horribly, then you shouldn't feel as though you have to tip.  An example of what I mean is a time my theology on tap group was out at a bar we always went to at the time.  Our waiter was attentive, talkative, always kept refilling the drinks.  Once our last friend got there, who was both black and quite openly gay, the waiter all but refused to come back to our table.  We had to go get him to take further drink orders, and he never said a word, just glaring at us.  Then he would take 20+ minutes to bring the drinks again, if we didn't go and get him again, and he waited until our food was cold to bring it out.  At the end of the night, I paid him $20 for a $16 meal and he kept my change and then disappeared, while everyone else paid with a card.  Not my proudest moment, but I took out my red editing pen, wrote on the back of a paper placemat, something to the effect of, "Since you stole my change, here's a tip for you. DON'T STEAL FROM REGULARS [profane word here]!"  Ended up emailing the owners about it, getting an apology and a gift card and assured the guy had been fired because this was far from the first racist or homophobic complaint about him, and haven't been back there since with the group.

 

In the tip system, I definitely agree that you should be able to withhold tip from a very poor server. It sucks that the waiter treated your table so poorly after your other fright arrived. Ugh. Ruffles my feathers.

 

However I still dont like the idea that waiter/waitresses as a whole really DO rely on tips for part of their income. Its a very unstable and unreliable source of income and I dont think it is fair to them. 

[Anastasia13]

However I still dont like the idea that waiter/waitresses as a whole really DO rely on tips for part of their income. Its a very unstable and unreliable source of income and I dont think it is fair to them. 

 

A couple states pay them minimum wage that is the same as other fields.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

[Basilisa Marie]

I live in Washington, so we don't have a separate wage for tipped employees. But they do have to pay taxes on their times, so come tax season they usually end up paying the government money instead of getting any back. 

 

Tipping allows me to show appreciation in a meaningful way. Sure, I could say "wow the food is great, thanks so much for making my complicated coffee drink, etc" but that doesn't make any real difference in the lives of the people who are serving me. I believe in leaving good tips for servers at my favorite restaurants and cafes, because I've noticed it makes a stronger and quicker impression on them, and in turn I tend to get better service, if I'm a regular. 

 

For me, a standard sit down dinner tip is about 20%, a little more if the server went really above and beyond, and less if it was meh. The only time I've left no tip was when a server was busy, but didn't express any interest in taking anything other than my drink order and didn't bother sending anyone else to check on us. We ended up leaving. 

[Basilisa Marie]

Umm, so in Aus we never tip. Sometimes it can even be seen as an insult to tip. It all just comes in the pay packet.

 

In the US, what's the deal with tipping? who do you tip? how much?

I just don't want to be rude over there. 

 

Sincerely,

Worried.

 

If you're staying at a hotel, it's usually customary to tip the housekeeping staff. Something like a dollar a day, in an envelope marked "housekeeping" or something,  in a conspicuous location. If you take a taxi and the guy helps you with your really heavy bags, it's also usually customary to tip him an extra dollar or two.  But if you don't do either of those things, it's not like it's a giant insult. 

 

Otherwise the general standard is 10%-15% for lunch in restaurants where someone takes your order, and 15%-20% for dinner. 10% is basically seen as the absolute minimum for average service, and even then it's a bit cheap. If you go somewhere like Starbucks and order a customized drink, it's generally considered nice to throw a little money (change or a dollar) in the tip jar.