Tipping abroad

Let's say you are in a restaurant in an American city or a town in the mid-west and you order your food and it's delivered within a reasonable amount of time but the quality is disappointing or even terrible. You might send back a course or hardly eat a course. Do you still tip the wait staff? You can't NOT tip the chef or the owner.

 

If the food is substandard, I would speak to the manager and expect it to either be rectified, or the cost taken off, but if the server has done their job, I still tip.

 

Does a meal in a three-star Michelin restaurant in NY or Chicago costing, say, $500 merit a tip of $100 when that waiter is still just bringing you a plate of food that might cost £100 somewhere else?

 

This is the way it is, and you know this in advance and to eat there is your choice, but there is a difference in your surroundings, the quality of the meal between a diner and a Michelin starred restaurant.

 

Do you tip in cash or do you just add on a tip to the credit card reader when the restaurant owner might keep all the tips. This sort of malpractice was uncovered at one of London's most famous restaurants recently.

This is why we ask if the server gets the tip if it is added on to the credit card.

I've also heard Americans here in the US say things like "We didn't tip our server as the meals in that restaurant are very expensive and we couldn't afford to eat there if we tipped." News flash for ya, sunshine - if you can't afford the tip, you CAN'T afford to eat there! There's no reason to stiff the waitstaff because you can't do math!

Personally I'd like to see tipping go away. With the case of the $10 hamburger - is there really any difference if you pay the restaurant $10 for the burger and leave a 20% ($2.00) tip or if the restaurant did away with tips and just charged $12 for the burger up front? Twelve bucks is twelve bucks, regardless of how you break it out. I'd much rather just pay what's on the tab and be done with it.

Why we tip waiters when we don't tip other workers is beyond me. We tip a cabbie, but not the sales clerk in a department store. Tip a bellhop but not your car salesman. Seems like EVERYONE in the US expects tips these days - the postman, news carrier, everyone. And like Fletcher said, the travel/hospitality industry is just insane. Tip the valet. Tip the doorman. Tip the bellhop. Tip the skycap. Tip the driver. Why should I toss money at someone who shows me how my keycard and thermostat work? I KNOW how these things work...and you get paid. Put your hand away... :mad:

Whenever I go to Vegas, I have to go to the bank and get a stack of $5s just to take care of the people who 'get me to my hotel'. Totally nuts.

What's next? Walking up and tipping the police? The firefighter after he hoses down your garage fire? It's just so arbitrary - and archaic. Just pay people a fair wage for the work they do and charge me for it up front.

And while I'm at it, show the 'tax included' price on items in the store, just like most civilized nations do it. Nothing more frustrating than seeing something you want to buy and having to figure the tax on it to see if it's worth it to me. And quit tossing on additional fees and charges on my cell bill, cable bill, flower orders, etc. Just tell me how freakin' much something costs...

Sorry, I get fired up. Time to relax a bit...

Okay Bill, have my wallet out. How much should I tip you for that post?:evilsmile: :halo: :D

I've also heard Americans here in the US say things like "We didn't tip our server as the meals in that restaurant are very expensive and we couldn't afford to eat there if we tipped." News flash for ya, sunshine - if you can't afford the tip, you CAN'T afford to eat there! There's no reason to stiff the waitstaff because you can't do math!

 

Personally I'd like to see tipping go away. With the case of the $10 hamburger - is there really any difference if you pay the restaurant $10 for the burger and leave a 20% ($2.00) tip or if the restaurant did away with tips and just charged $12 for the burger up front? Twelve bucks is twelve bucks, regardless of how you break it out. I'd much rather just pay what's on the tab and be done with it.

 

Why we tip waiters when we don't tip other workers is beyond me. We tip a cabbie, but not the sales clerk in a department store. Tip a bellhop but not your car salesman. Seems like EVERYONE in the US expects tips these days - the postman, news carrier, everyone. And like Fletcher said, the travel/hospitality industry is just insane. Tip the valet. Tip the doorman. Tip the bellhop. Tip the skycap. Tip the driver. Why should I toss money at someone who shows me how my keycard and thermostat work? I KNOW how these things work...and you get paid. Put your hand away... :mad:

 

Whenever I go to Vegas, I have to go to the bank and get a stack of $5s just to take care of the people who 'get me to my hotel'. Totally nuts.

 

What's next? Walking up and tipping the police? The firefighter after he hoses down your garage fire? It's just so arbitrary - and archaic. Just pay people a fair wage for the work they do and charge me for it up front.

 

And while I'm at it, show the 'tax included' price on items in the store, just like most civilized nations do it. Nothing more frustrating than seeing something you want to buy and having to figure the tax on it to see if it's worth it to me. And quit tossing on additional fees and charges on my cell bill, cable bill, flower orders, etc. Just tell me how freakin' much something costs...

 

Sorry, I get fired up. Time to relax a bit...

As a rule, in the UK all these things are included, so this is where we get our bad reputation from, as we aren't used to tipping everyone, especially large amounts.

Taxi's charge extra for each bag/case put in the boot/trunk.

Hotels, if your room has been well looked after, you might leave a small tip at the end of your stay.

Your server you would tip for good service, but the norm is a £1pp, but more places are putting a complusory charge for large parties.

But we have our ways and you have yours. Nothing to say one way is better than the other and our word wouldn't be so diverse if we all lived by the same rules, customs and beliefs.

As a rule, in the UK all these things are included, so this is where we get our bad reputation from, as we aren't used to tipping everyone, especially large amounts.

Taxi's charge extra for each bag/case put in the boot/trunk.

Hotels, if your room has been well looked after, you might leave a small tip at the end of your stay.

Your server you would tip for good service, but the norm is a £1pp, but more places are putting a complusory charge for large parties.

 

But we have our ways and you have yours. Nothing to say one way is better than the other and our word wouldn't be so diverse if we all lived by the same rules, customs and beliefs.

As you have stated so well, customs are different depending upon the country you are in. One isn't better than the other but, IMO, all customs should be respected. If someone tipped the equivalent of 1 GBP per person, a server would be insulted. Tipping housekeeping in a hotel isn't followed by as many people in the U.S. as one would think (unless your stay in the hotel is for more than a couple of nights). Tips to porters - especially those that will be taking your luggage to the ship -- is important. Some people think that this is included but it is not.

More and more taxis accept credit cards and we tend to add the tip to the credit card (not 20% -- it depends upon many factors).

IMO, with the exception of tipping for expensive meals, large amounts are not expected. Sometimes I just "wing it" (meaning that I go with my gut feeling) and will tip the person taking our 2 large bags to the ship $5 (because I want to make sure that our luggage isn't put on last).

Although this is something that is not mentioned much, there can be retaliation for those that do not tip. I've seen servers chase patrons out the door and gave them a piece of their mind (think that this is horrible but it happens). If I did not tip a server, I would not want to show my face in that dining establishment again.

As a person born in the U.S. with a British DH, I find that I am the one that leaves tips as he would dramatically undertip and I would be embarrassed. Like Bill, I wish we could do away with the rampant tipping culture in the U.S. However, unless/until that happens, I will abide by what is expected.

P.S. I use the term U.S. rather than Americans because I was reminded in Costa Rica that they, too are Americans (as are all people in South, Central and North America). So, in respect for other countries, I try (it isn't easy) not to refer to people living in the U.S. as "Americans".

I vividly remember seeing in Cairo airport a sign saying, 'Do not tip the man who x-rays your luggage.'

Egypt, some other Middle Eastern countries and India have perhaps the most aggressive/grasping tipping cultures in my experience.

:confused: What happened to that old concept of tipping to acknowledge exemplary service?

 

From reading this thread, and others, on these Boards it appears that the primary reason for tipping is one or more of the following:

 

• to make up for poor wages payed by employers
  
• it is shown (as a suggestion) on the bill/check
  
• it is the custom in the country
  
• others are tipping, and I don't want to appear cheap
  
• I want to make an open display of my benevolence
  
• it is the only way to be given reasonable service (pre-tipping/bribing)
  

Do people advocate tipping in cash or by adding an amount to payment by credit card?

I don't know about the U.S., but in the UK there have been many reports of 'tips' added by credit card not being distributed to employees; the additional money is just pocketed by employers, reduced by 'admin charges' or offset against the minimum wage :(

In the UK I never take the option of adding the tip to the Bill for the reasons you stated. I always leave a 10% cash tip.

Okay Bill, have my wallet out. How much should I tip you for that post?:evilsmile: :halo: :D

No tip necessary.

(See how easy that was? Wish I heard that more often!)

No tip necessary.

 

 

 

(See how easy that was? Wish I heard that more often!)

Wish that it were always that easy. If/when we finally sail together, I'll buy you and your DH a drink;p

Wish that it were always that easy. If/when we finally sail together, I'll buy you and your DH a drink;p

Make it my DW and you got a deal. Oh, and I’ll take care of the tip. ;p

Make it my DW and you got a deal. Oh, and I’ll take care of the tip. ;p

Not sure what was wrong with my typing today. First I referred to 'poss' as a man and have done the same thing to your DW. I have no words:mad:

Not sure what was wrong with my typing today. First I referred to 'poss' as a man and have done the same thing to your DW. I have no words:mad:

Must have something to do with all the trans news in the media today. No worries! :')