The tipping double standard for Americans
May 30th, 2006, 04:23 PM
#22
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I've only been to Prague once but I used this site by a Fodor's poster, Jason Holt, for reference:
http://www.livingprague.com/food.htm
Jason suggests rounding up but we often tipped around 10% unless we had bad service. The most common advice I remember was to tip the waiter directly (don't leave money on the table as this is construed as an insult).
http://www.livingprague.com/food.htm
Jason suggests rounding up but we often tipped around 10% unless we had bad service. The most common advice I remember was to tip the waiter directly (don't leave money on the table as this is construed as an insult).
May 30th, 2006, 04:33 PM
#23
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"chances are you're never going to see these people again"
I understand that this comment is directed to tipping but I wonder if a near criminal attitude like this is also directed to other circumstances which generate the image of the ugly American.
I understand that this comment is directed to tipping but I wonder if a near criminal attitude like this is also directed to other circumstances which generate the image of the ugly American.
May 30th, 2006, 06:51 PM
#25
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Cigalechanta,
while in the U.S. "everyone" might leave the tip on the table, in Germany, that is not the proper etiquette. When the waiter comes to the table with the bill, he will tell you the amount of the bill. You round it up appropriately, then if you have that amount, you hand it to him and say, "Stimmt so", meaning that is the correct amount I want to give you. No change required. If you don't have the exact amount, you give him something more and say the amount you want to give him (Ex: fünf und zwanzig).
while in the U.S. "everyone" might leave the tip on the table, in Germany, that is not the proper etiquette. When the waiter comes to the table with the bill, he will tell you the amount of the bill. You round it up appropriately, then if you have that amount, you hand it to him and say, "Stimmt so", meaning that is the correct amount I want to give you. No change required. If you don't have the exact amount, you give him something more and say the amount you want to give him (Ex: fünf und zwanzig).
May 30th, 2006, 07:23 PM
#26
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jsmith...
What an idiotic comment...an attitude about tipping has nothing to do with anything else...
Besides which, how does anybody know somebody is an American in a Prague restaurant...for all they know, they could be Canadian, English, Dutch or whatever.
If you don't believe tipping is appropriate, what the hell does it have to do with nationality???? And igf you don't tip, so they talk about you behind your back....if you tip too much or tip when it is inappropriate, they laugh at you behind your back just as loudly.
When I see service included, I don't tip.....period. Besides I almost always pay with a credit card (making sure it is one without the near criminal, which is most assuredly near criminal, extra fee for currency conversion...and if the slip has no room for a tip, too bad. (And if it does, and it says service included on the menu too bad too because....chances are I will never see those people again.
I suppose that make me an ugly whatever but if an Aussie does it for the reasons we have discussed, does that make them an ugly Australian?
What an idiotic comment...an attitude about tipping has nothing to do with anything else...
Besides which, how does anybody know somebody is an American in a Prague restaurant...for all they know, they could be Canadian, English, Dutch or whatever.
If you don't believe tipping is appropriate, what the hell does it have to do with nationality???? And igf you don't tip, so they talk about you behind your back....if you tip too much or tip when it is inappropriate, they laugh at you behind your back just as loudly.
When I see service included, I don't tip.....period. Besides I almost always pay with a credit card (making sure it is one without the near criminal, which is most assuredly near criminal, extra fee for currency conversion...and if the slip has no room for a tip, too bad. (And if it does, and it says service included on the menu too bad too because....chances are I will never see those people again.
I suppose that make me an ugly whatever but if an Aussie does it for the reasons we have discussed, does that make them an ugly Australian?
May 30th, 2006, 07:28 PM
#27
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Kangamom,
We've had the same experience in Greece and Italy. I agree, it is totally annoying. We know tip is included, and rounding up is a nice thing to do. But we feel so guilty when they make it a point to say "Tip is not included." Like others here have said, we usually end up leaving a 10% tip. But it does rather spoil the dinner as you leaving either feeling ripped off, or like a cheapskate!
We've had the same experience in Greece and Italy. I agree, it is totally annoying. We know tip is included, and rounding up is a nice thing to do. But we feel so guilty when they make it a point to say "Tip is not included." Like others here have said, we usually end up leaving a 10% tip. But it does rather spoil the dinner as you leaving either feeling ripped off, or like a cheapskate!
May 30th, 2006, 07:44 PM
#29
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....and Dreamer2, what do you suppose would happen if you smiled at the person saying that (conveniently in English eh) and said service included and walked out? Do you think they would run after you? Oh yeah, they might call you an ugly American (even if you were Canadian, English, Dutch, Australian)....but as I said, unless you intend to visit the same restaurant again because you were overwhelmed by the food so what...as I said you're never going to see them again.....a tip is totally optional, has always been totally optional...especially when it says service included or whatever the equivalent is. Sometimes, if I have been overwhelmed by the service, I might consider leaving a tip but that is totally, as it should be, at my and your discretion.
May 30th, 2006, 07:48 PM
#30
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I admit that there is a double standard regarding Americans because we are famous for tipping so much at home. I don't think it is anything to get too upset about, though, because you just have to remember that people are just trying to make some money and have found out that Americans (in general) feel weird about not leaving a tip (side question: how many of you were at least a little intimidated the first time you didn't leave one?). Frankly, if I knew that someone was coming from a place where money was given out as part of a meal, I would not try to dissuade them, and I might even encourage it.
May 30th, 2006, 07:56 PM
#31
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....and every so often you run into a waiter, a hairdresser or whatever who are offended when you offer to tip them for what they consider to be simply doing their job and I have seen it happen in a French restaurant where somebody I thought was American from the accent offered to tip the waiter and the waiter seemed to be offended as to his mind he was simply doing his job.
May 30th, 2006, 08:04 PM
#32
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I'll just throw out one further thought on this and it might help people who visit the United States...
In most localities in the USA, there are sales taxes added on top of the price of a restaurant meal. In NYC it is 8.25%...the prevailing wisdom for people who are a little slow in mathematics was always simply to double the tax (you're still overtipping a bit but not by all that much)...
Well many restaurants have stopped listing the tax separately...you know if a meal costs $20 say they used to give you a bill with the meal listed at $20 and the tax at $1.65 for a total of $21.65...why do they do this...so you would tip on the $21.65...instead of the $3 due on $20 you would tip an extra whatever and of course would expect to round it up.
Now it's only a few cents...but to me it's the principle of the matter and I resent to high heaven those restaurants which add the tip to the bill as a "convenience" and what do they do...they tack 15% on the bill + tax! Again, it's not a lot of money but when they pull this, I always tell them to take the tip off the bill and I will add the tip....all is fair and well with our capitalistic society (and again believe me I know it's only a few cents but again a tip is supposed to be optional on the part of the customer To Insure Proper Service.
In most localities in the USA, there are sales taxes added on top of the price of a restaurant meal. In NYC it is 8.25%...the prevailing wisdom for people who are a little slow in mathematics was always simply to double the tax (you're still overtipping a bit but not by all that much)...
Well many restaurants have stopped listing the tax separately...you know if a meal costs $20 say they used to give you a bill with the meal listed at $20 and the tax at $1.65 for a total of $21.65...why do they do this...so you would tip on the $21.65...instead of the $3 due on $20 you would tip an extra whatever and of course would expect to round it up.
Now it's only a few cents...but to me it's the principle of the matter and I resent to high heaven those restaurants which add the tip to the bill as a "convenience" and what do they do...they tack 15% on the bill + tax! Again, it's not a lot of money but when they pull this, I always tell them to take the tip off the bill and I will add the tip....all is fair and well with our capitalistic society (and again believe me I know it's only a few cents but again a tip is supposed to be optional on the part of the customer To Insure Proper Service.
May 30th, 2006, 08:06 PM
#33
I had the same experience at two different restaurants in Rome, having waiters pointedly telling us that the tip is not included and then standing next to us and watching while we paid the bill. It did leave me with a sour taste.
May 30th, 2006, 08:35 PM
#34
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A service charge is <i>exactly</i> the same thing as a tip, except that you do not have the option of not paying a service charge. People who tip on top of a service charge are effectively giving staff tips of up to 50%. That is generous indeed for the fairly ordinary service that most restaurants provide.
May 30th, 2006, 11:05 PM
#36
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The German service charge (Bediengeld) is not always part of the salary of the waiter, but a markup to the price for service and subject to income tax. A tip (Trinkgeld) is the amount you pay in addition for the waiters service. This is an addition to the usually low!! income in that industry a doesn't have to be taxed. Up to 10% are still the norm here. There is no need to tip, but it IS expected, if you're American, German or whatever. While the service charge is a "must", the tip is a "can".
May 31st, 2006, 12:38 AM
#37
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Larryincolorado stated
"If "Tips aren't included" was written in English, it is probably an indication that they only expected Americans to pay it."
I doubt it. For starters, Prague gets many more British visitors than American, and we're MUCH worse tippers. Americans have a reputation for overtipping, if anything. What's more, let's not forget that English is a universal language, so I suspect the message is targetted at ALL foreign tourists, rather than Americans specifically.
"If "Tips aren't included" was written in English, it is probably an indication that they only expected Americans to pay it."
I doubt it. For starters, Prague gets many more British visitors than American, and we're MUCH worse tippers. Americans have a reputation for overtipping, if anything. What's more, let's not forget that English is a universal language, so I suspect the message is targetted at ALL foreign tourists, rather than Americans specifically.
May 31st, 2006, 01:29 AM
#38
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In most European countries service is included, but that does not mean that there is a separate mention or percentage on the bill; it is included in the price of food and drink.
We always leave something extra; rounding up to the nearest round figure if it was adequate, to maybe 5% extra for very good service. This is what we call a tip. I live in Belgium, but I am Dutch, and Belgian friends sometimes think we leave too much tip; after all, when service is included, why leave anything extra?
A waiter standing over you and telling you that tips are not included would not get anything; that is totally out of order. I really think that is a con aimed at Americans. And this works both ways; they don't count on seeing you again, so don't care if they are rude as long as you tip them now.
The exception to this is the UK, where service is added to the bill (usually 15%). In a few cases they do not add the service charge, but then this is clearly indicated on the bill.
We always leave something extra; rounding up to the nearest round figure if it was adequate, to maybe 5% extra for very good service. This is what we call a tip. I live in Belgium, but I am Dutch, and Belgian friends sometimes think we leave too much tip; after all, when service is included, why leave anything extra?
A waiter standing over you and telling you that tips are not included would not get anything; that is totally out of order. I really think that is a con aimed at Americans. And this works both ways; they don't count on seeing you again, so don't care if they are rude as long as you tip them now.
The exception to this is the UK, where service is added to the bill (usually 15%). In a few cases they do not add the service charge, but then this is clearly indicated on the bill.
May 31st, 2006, 03:32 AM
#39
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Well, if you <b>DO</b>happen to "see them again" I wonder what will happen:
Since the "tip" or whatever you want to call it always comes <b>after</b>the service is rendered I wonder how you'll be treated? I somehow doubt they would give you bad service or be rude just for the fun of it and if they did all the more reason to leave nothing.
Since the "tip" or whatever you want to call it always comes <b>after</b>the service is rendered I wonder how you'll be treated? I somehow doubt they would give you bad service or be rude just for the fun of it and if they did all the more reason to leave nothing.
May 31st, 2006, 03:42 AM
#40
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The more I've read the thread, the more I've become convinced that this is not a double standard for Americans but rather a double standard for tourists...when I go into a restaurant in say Paris, I can tell who the tourists are generally but unless I listen closely I can't tell who are Americans, English, Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Canadians. To me the accents all sound different...to a waiter in Prague, English is English and I doubt extremely if he knows just what accent he is hearing!
