Help with tipping in San Francisco

[Korimako]

I am considering a cruise from San Francisco to Auckland and intend staying several days in San Francisco pre-cruise. My worry, though is I have NO idea about tipping etiquette, coming from a country where we don't have a tipping culture. Who do I tip, how much, how often??

I wouldn't want to appear mean or unpleasant, nor would I want to be criticised for not leaving a tip, but it's quite possible I might forget, or be unaware someone was waiting for one, as it's just not on my radar.

 

Any guidance gratefully received - and please, as I'm mathematically challenged, don't give me percentages!!

[wheezedr]

You tip a variety of service providers.  In your situation that would likely include waiters in a restaurant, bartenders,  cab drivers, hotel bellman who deliver your bags as well as doormen who might hail a cab for you.  Likely the longshoremen at the port when you drop off your bags will be looking for a tip even though they are well compensated.  Unless you are getting spiffed up pre cruise you won’t need to worry about barbers or operators in a salon.

Some like a doorman might be a quick dollar or two depending on how much service you need, couple of dollars a bag for the bellman.  With the others though, percentages will come into play.  At a bar or restaurant the tip generally reflects the value of the drink or meal. 18-20% would be considered pretty standard in an SF restaurant .  You can always round off a little if the number is a mathematical puzzle.  Some may also comment on whether to tip in cash or just roll it into the charge card.  The bills in many places today will offer you a set of options that the machine pre calculates.  Then you do not have to do the math yourself, although you should always have the option to modify the tip.  
 

 As a simple rule of thumb in a restaurant in the city expect your final bill to be around 30% above the menu price.  Tax of 9.5%, fee for health coverage, I think is now 2-3% and tip-off roughly 20%.  You might calculate the tip on the pre tax price as that is technically the meals cost but everyone has slightly different approaches so no one system is absolutely correct.

[Korimako]

Thank you for a very detailed reply! One question though - what is a bellman??? 

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Korimako said:

Thank you for a very detailed reply! One question though - what is a bellman??? 

The person in a hotel who carries your bag(s) from the front desk to your room after you have checked in.

[d9704011]

4 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

The person in a hotel who carries your bag(s) from the front desk to your room after you have checked in.

Maybe bellhop is more familiar?

[StollyBolly]

A friend in California who worked for an accountant gave me a nice little trick a few years ago.  The sales tax in Calif I think is approximately 8-9%.  If you take the tax on your bill and double it then round up to an even number you’ll get to a 16-18% tip.  That falls near the expected range of 18-20%.   
 

In hotels, usually $2-3 for bringing bags to your room.  I know some people do $1 per bag.  
 

Enjoy SF.  Have lunch at Tadich Grill.  It’s an institution! 
 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by StollyBolly
Misspelling

[jsn55]

It's almost embarrassing to explain American tipping to someone for the first time.  First, you get in a taxi, you tip the driver.  Then you tip the doorman who unloads your luggage.  You tip the bellman (OK, bellperson) when your bags are delivered to your room.  We've really created a complex mess here, haven't we?  I keep a $5 and some $1s in my shirt pocket so I can easily tip everybody ... unless I forget of course.

 

No worries if you 'forget', people know that other countries don't tip much ... nobody should criticize you.  I too have math challenges.  A banker client told me years ago for restaurants:  Take 10% of the total, add half that to it.  That's a little over 15% tip which was fine back then.  After the virus disaster, we've started tipping at least 20% in restaurants, often 25%, since it's these kinds of workers who were hardest hit when unable to work.  However, if the service isn't good, I tip zero.  

[ldubs]

22 minutes ago, jsn55 said:

It's almost embarrassing to explain American tipping to someone for the first time. 

 

I'm not embarrassed by it.  It is the culture.  Though, I have to admit I'm getting pretty tired of it.   Especially counter service where a tip is expected now days. 

 

BTW, the hotels we use typically don't have bellhop service unless you ask for it.  

[lenquixote66]

I have been to California many times on vacation .The last time I recall seeing a bellhop in a hotel was in San Francisco in 1970.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, jsn55 said:

… That's a little over 15% tip which was fine back then.  After the virus disaster, we've started tipping at least 20% in restaurants, often 25%, since it's these kinds of workers who were hardest hit when unable to work.  However, if the service isn't good, I tip zero.  

Of course, just as inflation increases the base cost, it will also carry over to increasing the tip.  I can recall when 10% was the standard, now 15% - increasing the percentage while the base to which that percentage is applied is sort of like rocket fuel.  Good to note, however, that you retain the notion that it is meant to reward good service: i.e. no service = no tip.

[Charles4515]

55 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I'm not embarrassed by it.  It is the culture.  Though, I have to admit I'm getting pretty tired of it.   Especially counter service where a tip is expected now days. 

 

I just press no tip for counter service and I am not embarrassed to do so.

 

What I have not encountered yet but I have read about is some restaurants starting to add a 3% fee for health or health and welfare or something to that effect. I am not sure what I will do. Can I put I a strike through line though that and not pay it? 

[Philob]

49 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I just press no tip for counter service and I am not embarrassed to do so.

 

What I have not encountered yet but I have read about is some restaurants starting to add a 3% fee for health or health and welfare or something to that effect. I am not sure what I will do. Can I put I a strike through line though that and not pay it? 

In San Francisco (anyway), health insurance is mandatory for employers above a certain number of employees. Either the employer provides private insurance or contributes to a "medical reimbursement account" for each employee. Some restaurants absorb the surcharge, other will pass it along.

 

In the beginning it was a thing about whether the surcharge should be added in the first place and why the customer should pay it. It's now just another item that's added to the bill.

 

We were in Honolulu recently and the surcharge was added to some of our restaurant bills.

 

Best to call ahead and ask if the restaurant adds the surcharge, then don't go if you don't want to pay it.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Philob

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Philob said:

Best to call ahead and ask if the restaurant adds the surcharge, then don't go if you don't want to pay it.

Calling ahead s not going to happen.

 

Health insurance is not mandatory here. Restaurant workers here only get the national minimium wage and are expected to make up the rest of their earnings from tips.  I have heard that a few restaurants are adding a charge for a health and welfare fund or some such in the area but I would have no faith as to where the funds collected would go.  I think those restaurants expect most people not to notice the add on. I also heard that if you complain about the add on the charges will probably be removed. Well, we will see how it goes.....I don't know if the public here will accept such add ons.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Charles4515

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

I just press no tip for counter service and I am not embarrassed to do so.

 

What I have not encountered yet but I have read about is some restaurants starting to add a 3% fee for health or health and welfare or something to that effect. I am not sure what I will do. Can I put I a strike through line though that and not pay it? 

 

I do the same thing with counter service.  Though if paying cash I might toss odd change in the tip jar, or if someone does something really nice or makes me laugh I might throw in a tip. Otherwise, not going to tip for counter service. 

 

@Philob pretty much explained the med insurance thing in SF.   I think a lot of restaurants show it separately to keep menu prices down & so you know what it is.   I wish they didn't do this.   I don't think you have the option of not paying it.  

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Calling ahead s not going to happen.

 

Health insurance is not mandatory here. Restaurant workers here only get the national minimium wage and are expected to make up the rest of their earnings from tips.  I have heard that a few restaurants are adding a charge for a health and welfare fund or some such in the area but I would have no faith as to where the funds collected would go.  I think those restaurants expect most people not to nothice the add on. I also heard that if you complain about the add on the charges will probably be removed. Well, we will see how it goes.....

 

To me, if a restnt wants to provide medical insurance benefits to employees, that is great.  Just please build it into the prices shown on the menu instead of making it another "add-on".  

 

Restaurant workers in California get the California minimum wage ($15.50/hour) before tips.   

[Charles4515]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

To me, if a restnt wants to provide medical insurance benefits to employees, that is great.  Just please build it into the prices shown on the menu instead of making it another "add-on".  

 

Restaurant workers in California get the California minimum wage ($15.50/hour) before tips.   

That is what I believe. Build it into the menu. And they should get medical coverage. 

 

Here restaurant workers get $7.25 minimium wage. Not even close to a living wage. 

[Mum2Mercury]

14 hours ago, Korimako said:

Any guidance gratefully received - and please, as I'm mathematically challenged, don't give me percentages!!

You really have to be able to do percentages for tips:  

- 10% is easy:  say your bill is $28.50 ... just move the decimal point one digit to the left, and you have 10%:  $2.85 ... round to the nearest dollar and give $3.  

- 15% is more effort:  figure 10%, then divide it and add to the 10% ... so $2.85 + $1.42 = $4.27 ... round it to $4 

- 20% is easy:  figure 10% and double it, making it $5.70 ... round it and give $5 or 6, depending upon how good the service was.  

 

Always round off to the nearest dollar.  Your server doesn't want a pocket full of change by the end of the evening.  

If your service is genuinely horrible -- I mean genuinely awful and intentional -- leave a couple small coins.  If you leave nothing, the server might think you forgot.  

6 hours ago, jsn55 said:

... I keep a $5 and some $1s in my shirt pocket so I can easily tip everybody ... unless I forget of course ... 

Yes, collect a handful of small bills before a vacation.  You can't politely say, "Here's a ten -- will you give me back a five?"  

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[Charles4515]

55 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

You really have to be able to do percentages for tips:  

All they need is the calculator app on their smartphone.  Much simpler than all that messing around. 

[Mum2Mercury]

22 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

All they need is the calculator app on their smartphone.  Much simpler than all that messing around. 

Eh, I can do the math in my head before I can pull out my phone.  

[Charles4515]

20 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Eh, I can do the math in my head before I can pull out my phone.  

Nice but OP says in post #1:

 

“Any guidance gratefully received - and please, as I'm mathematically challenged, don't give me percentages!!”

[KeepCalmBearOn]

16 hours ago, Korimako said:

I am considering a cruise from San Francisco to Auckland and intend staying several days in San Francisco pre-cruise. My worry, though is I have NO idea about tipping etiquette, coming from a country where we don't have a tipping culture.

 

Here is an article from TripAdvisor. Hopefully the links inside it still work.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

12 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

The person in a hotel who carries your bag(s) from the front desk to your room after you have checked in.

They still have those? 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Tipping is a very personal thing and it's hard to say what works for me will seem right for you.  But we generally do meals at a sit down place 20% and up if really good.  Uber is included in the bill and later you can add to it if you want when they update your ride on the app.  Bar for only a cocktail $1 a drink or 20% if you order appetizers.  Fast food (walk up) $0 unless it's a street vendor then $1.  Somebody handling your luggage for you $10.  Make sure to review the bill as some SF restaurants are adding the tip.  Also at the bottom of the receipt they might already calculate the 10%, 15%, 20% figure for you to make it easy.    

[jsn55]

8 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have been to California many times on vacation .The last time I recall seeing a bellhop in a hotel was in San Francisco in 1970.

All depends on the luxury level of the hotels you stay in.  Lots of people haven't stayed at Conrads or InterContinentals, so it's good to be prepared for anything.

[Charles4515]

52 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

They still have those? 

I have stayed at a few in the last ten years. Resort hotels often take your bags to your room.