VHolly

I know this has been brought up before, but I want to be clear on the subject. I am from the US and we tip about anyone who provides us service. Many of our workers get paid a little amount of money and rely on tips for their income.

I do not want to impose my culture on the Irish. I don't want to insult anyone by tipping inappropriately. However, I also do not want to not tip someone who may rely on the tip for income. So please help clarify this touchy subject, by telling me if I should tip in these circumstances and what percent.

Taxis:
Restaurant waiters/waitresses:
Bartenders:
Bell hops/ carry your luggage to your room at hotels:
Housekeepers/cleaning ladys in hotels:
Golf Caddies:
Any one else you can think of:

Thank you for your help.

nspotz

This comment is probably not going to help you at all, but here you go... We went to Ireland this summer and sometimes we tipped and sometimes we didn't. We didn't ever tip the bartender... I saw some Americans trying to tip at the pubs and the bartender just looked really confused. We did tip in some restaurants, and when we didn't we felt guilty (because as Americans it feels wrong not to tip the waiter). I saw plenty of locals leaving reastuarants without tipping so we just sort of followed their lead... however at nice restaurants when we got really good service we did leave a tip. Since we stayed in B&Bs we didn't run into any bell hops so I can't comment on those situations. According to Rick Steves, leave a tip for excellent service but it doesn't need to be more than 10%.

humptynumpty

Vholly

You can't lose.

When we visit The States if we get the local customs wrong we are hit with very uncomfortable situations. If you get it wrong you won't be insulting anyone just tipping more than they would expect normally. Which isn't a bad thing.

Bars : leave the pence change
Meals : Again round up, good service 10 - 15%
Taxis round up to nearest note.
Golf caddies : I would - whatever you want.
Cleaning ladies : usually no.

Any other situation : whatever you feel you would like to do.

Try travelling in the reverse direction from a non tipping culture : it is a nightmare. I tip my wife when in The States before we go to sleep!

tarheeltravler

When we are in Ireland, we tip as we do in the States. It works for us, and they never gave the money back! I'd do what I felt was deserved, no matter the culture. It's my tip, I'll leave it where I feel it's deserved.

bilboburgler

As Humpty says but

Meals : Again round up, good service 10 - 15%

is going it a bit; 7 to 10% but check if there is a service charge included in the bill, this is not for the staff but for the management.

Don't put the tip on the credit card bill or the management take that as well, leave it in cash on the table

qwovadis

for me from 10-15% for good service to all

ALWAYS tip my chambermaids there

If service charge is added to bill which is done rarely

of course I do not tip

Padraig

I commend VHolly's position as a good basis for being a respectful and welcome visitor: "I do not want to impose my culture on the Irish. I don't want to insult anyone by tipping inappropriately.". It's so much more considerate than tarheeltravler's preference for doing things the American way. It's also less expensive to adopt our customs.

On what to do, I broadly agree with humptynumpty, except for one thing. It is not usual to tip bar staff in Ireland. An exception might be made for lounge (table) service when things are busy, and carrying a tray of drinks to your table involves a bit of effort. That's a "keep the change" situation provided that you engineer things so that the change is not too far off 50c.

I always ask servers in restaurants what happens to any gratuity I add to my CC bill. Without exception, they have told me that it goes to the staff. Restaurants generally apply a formula for spreading the gratuity among all staff, so portion of it goes into the kitchen.

We don't have bellhops here. The job is done by porters. There is no pressure to accept their assistance, and I usually carry my own bags. If I accept their help, I tip €2.

humptynumpty

Padraig

I think for me at the bar it is simply not wanting pockets full of change. If the charge is e3.70, I would give e4 and "keep the change".

I don't think you have any idea how many Brits dread going to the States and having to cope with the "tipping thing".

29FEB

Humpty, you wrote
<i>
Bars : leave the pence change
Meals : Again round up, good service 10 - 15%
Taxis round up to nearest note.
Golf caddies : I would - whatever you want.
Cleaning ladies : usually no.</i>

Do you not tip cleaning ladies because you don't see them, no interaction?
It seems to me the person scrubbing your bathroom deserves a thank-you.
And leave your thank you daily, not at the end of your stay, so the right housemaid receives it!

Padraig

Kindly leave American customs in America, and when we Europeans visit the US we will agree to follow local traditions.

humptynumpty

Don't be ridiculous 29Feb and don't try to wind people up for the sake of it.

When does it all stop.

The street cleaners every night. The police. The fire service tipped in case there is a fire.

In Europe a nightly rate for a hotel room states with or without breakfast and that is it. There is no obligation to make ANY further payments and that is the custom/norm. It is NOT the norm to even tip for bags being carried to your room. IT IS PART OF A GOOD SERVICE. Which is paid to the hotel at the end of the stay in the form of your bill.

If you pay £60 a night for a room, you will probably have to carry your own bags. If you pay £400 a night your bags will be carried and no doubt someone will clean your shoes on entering the room but it is part of the room rate.

Which gets me onto the subject of why I am expected to pay £250 a night in The States and still tip the hotel cat.

As Padraig says.....

or do you expect us to come to the States and apply our local customs?

29FEB

C'mon man, you tip the bartender, waitstaff, taxi driver and golf caddy.
Why stiff the poor chambermaid?

humptynumpty

Where does it all end?

29FEB

It ends after the chambermaid and before your wife.

Padraig

29FEB wrote: "Why stiff the poor chambermaid?"

In my understanding of American English, to stiff somebody means to fail to pay a tip where there is fair expectation that one be given. If a tip is not expected because it is not the norm, then there is no question of the chambermaid being stiffed.

I respect all work and the people who undertake it. I show my respect in an appropriate way. In the case of hotel housekeeping staff, I take care not to leave the room in a disgusting state. Yes please, make the bed, but I don't expect you to deal with my used underwear; it's already in the laundry bag, thanks.

latedaytraveler

Hi Padraig,

"I don't think you have any idea how many Brits dread going to the States and having to cope with the "tipping thing"."

I hear you. I guess we Yanks are so used to tipping that we feel “cheap” if we don’t. No doubt, it’s a learning curve. Example, several years ago I had two great trips to Ireland with my cousin whose husband’s family live in a charming rural area (no fancy accommodations nearby) on the Galway/Roscommon line. All the farmers gather on Saturday nights at Cunningham’s Pub in Newbridge, a small crossroads.

What fun! The owner’s son, a sharp young fellow, was servicing the bar which was hopping as the night wore on. When I bought my round, I left a tip which totally flustered the young man. He tried to return it to me which I thought peculiar. He finally accepted it in good humor.

Later my cousin explained, “There’s no need to tip here and remember that this family is making a very substantial living with the pub, along with their adjacent funeral parlor.” The young barkeep was a university graduate and heir to the businesses. In fact, he was considered the most eligible bachelor in the country round. At the end of the night the bar was literally loaded with empty pint glasses. They were raking it in so my tip was only a gesture.

Live and learn….

bilboburgler

I've decided to start tipping the pilot on the aircraft when we fly anywhere, just to make sure that they don't make it too bumpy for us. Now how do I send the money up, do I give it to the trolley dollies or go up and knock on the door?

I wonder if the airport check-in staff need a little something?

And train drivers what about them?

And customs officials they have to handle my identity cards, maybe they need something.

And the policemen on the streets

And the papervendor?

And the shop keeper (after all if I tip the barmen why no the check-out girl)?

And the weather forecaster who gave me such great weather, should I tip the BBC one or the ITV one?

bilboburgler

Sorry Humpty I just read up and you got there before me, I feel such a fool.

PaulHahn

What is so difficult about tipping in the USA? It really isn't that difficult. In a restaurant, give 15% for good service and 20% for exceptional service--and anywhere from zero to 14.9% for poor, rude, inattentive, etc. service.

NeoPatrick

I am a little amused when people try to compare NOT tipping in the US to tipping in a country that normally doesn't do a lot of tipping. Of course waiters in the US whose income is based on tips and who expect the standard custom or 15 to 20% are upset when they don't get a tip -- or one of 2 or 3%. But do people actually think in this modern day and age when waiters all over the world are used to getting tips from foreign travelers, that they resent getting a tip from a foreigner even when none is required or expected from locals. Really???

In other words, do you really think any server will be insulted if he gives you good service and you offer him a small reward for it? Maybe 25 or 50 years ago, but no more. Believe me.