tipping etiquette
 

As a frequent Australian traveller to the US, I'm embarrassed to say I didn't realise that you are supposed to leave a tip for the person who cleans the room. US citizens at a recent conference indicated that they left roughly a dollar per day. Some people said at the end of the stay, others said they left it each day. Is there a norm for this in terms of how much and when you leave it? Also does it depend on the hotel? Should you leave more in cheap hotels where the salary is lower, or does it work the other way round, room cleaners get paid less in the more expensive hotels because they assume people will/can tip?

Also I'm told you should tip hairdressers and the person who washes your hair. How much is appropriate here?

Are there other situations other than the obvious--cabs, hotels--where tipping is customary?

Hello Susan, don't feel bad as tipping the housekeeper as they are now called in a US Hotel is always open for discussion.

Here is a thread regarding the subject you can read if for nothing more than for amusement

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

I do tip the housekeeper daily as I am sure that there will possibly be different ones on different days. I use to tip $2.00 per day but now $3.00 seems more the thing to do. I put the dollar bills on one of the bed pillows of the unmade bed so that the cleaning person knows it is for them. About the cost of the hotel room versus the tip..well that is a good question. I tend to stay at 3 or 4 star hotels and so do the same amount of tipping. If you leave $2.00 to $3.00 per day in my opinion that would be fine.

Hairdressers. Where I go the same person washes, colors and cuts my hair. I tip her 20% of the bill. I will leave it up to some other Fodorite to say what they do when they have a different person wash their hair. I would think the total of all tips should be 20% total.

Restaurants..it is the custom to tip 20% of the bill. Some people tip a bit less because of the tax but I and most people I know don't. We just tip 20% of the total bill. That makes it quite easy to calculate. If the bill is say $78.00 everyone I knows just rounds that figure up to $80.00 and leaves $16.00 for the tip.

I hope I have been of some help to you. I know the tipping customs here in the states are so different than in Australia. I wish we had your situation but sadly we don't. Cheers!

Many people so not tip the "housekeepers" (person who cleans room), particularly if they are staying one night in a motel along an Interstate, but it is certainly a nice thing to do but it's a personal decision. We do not usually "one night" anyplace and if we stay a few days we always tip the housekeepers.

We stay in Las Vegas often (4*** hotels), I always give the housekeeper $3 (used to be $2)a day and I try and give it to the person who actually cleans my room. You can leave it on the pillow as well as the other poster mentioned.

It really should not depend on the fact if the hotel is "cheap" or a luxury resort, the housekeepers have to do the same work (i.e. clean the toilet, scrub the tub, make the bed, etc.). It is all up to YOU tho, but it is not mandatory.

I live in AZ and it is NOT the custom to tip 20% in restaurants. 15% of the restuarant bill is considered fine .. maybe 18% now and then if service is really good. 20% is NOT the norm in many places in the U.S. (for example I am sure tipping in NYC or DC is more then in Utah. I think those who live in large cities have a different perspective of tipping then those who live in other areas of the U.S. I have friends who live in NY and DC and they tip higher then my friends who live in Missouri for example.

Again with hairdressers, it kind of depends where you live..I think people in NY tip more then people in smaller cities. 15-20% is fine where I live. Cabs usually will be 15%, altho if the cabbie is wonderful and helps with your luggage (if you have any) you can go a little higher.

Tipping is a delicate subject but the US is large, as is Australia, so what is the "norm" in one place may not be in the other. That is why I'd stick to about 15% when in doubt :-)

Tipping is up to you.

According to Frommer, tip a housekeeper at least $1-$2 a day.

I feel especially good about leaving tips at Holiday Inn Express type motels, in the belief that housekeepers at such places are less likely to receive tips.

I don't tip if I notice dust on furniture, fuzz-bunnies under the bed, or other inadequate housekeeping.

Hairdressers, usually $5 or $10. I'm not going to leave $20 if I get a permanent. Tip percentage, if we like the service and the waitperson was attentive, we leave 20%, especially with places we frequent. If it was okay but not bad, 15%, and 10% if it was a buffet where you were only seated and provided drinks.

We have never left money for housekeeper service in hotels, however we often turn it down as we don't like the idea of people rifling through our stuff. The "do not disturb" sign works for this. I don't know of anyone who has left more than a dollar or two per cleaning as a tip. Some hotels have a housekeeping charge to avoid worrying about what people pay.

one more, susan7: tipping in the US is supposed to be supplementing pay for waitstaff in bars/restaurants, who are LEGALLY paid less than minimum wage on the basis of the expectation of gratuities (and they are taxed on those expected tips, so they'd better earn them!Lousy/substandard service, no tip at all). Other service providers, esp. cleaning staff, are paid at least the guaranteed minimum wage. Lousy job, low pay? Yes. However, there are many of those (as I've said, we don't tip the guy in the back of the hot smelly drycleaners). So, don't be cowed into thinking you must tip everyone with their hand out, or listen to lectures about how you should feel guilty about not tipping for your toilet being cleaned. (What are you paying all that money for, if not just that?)

<i>Some hotels have a housekeeping charge to avoid worrying about what people pay.</i> That's a new one on me, and I've stayed in hundreds of hotels. HTTY

It is not an obligation to tip housekeeping, but it is nice. If you do so, do it each day (rather than once at the end) because different people may clean your room different days of the week. I leave $2-3 on the unmade bed when I leave the room in the morning.

I had no idea about tipping hotel housekeepers! Has this always been the practice in the States?? I've only been out of the country for 5 years!

I used to leave a tip at the end of my stay but after reading past threads on this topic I have started leaving a few dollars each day. I am conflicted about what to do when there is evening turndown service. Last time I had 2x daily housekeeping service I left money in the morning as well as the evening. I think I left $3 in the am and $2 in the pm. It was an expensive addition to my room tab but I didn't think it was right to only tip the day housekeeper when the evening one had just as much work to do (wet towels, the bed, etc.)

Sylvia3 is correct in her description of waitpersons salary, which is below the national minimum wage level in expectation of received tips, which are taxed.

Things are a bit more fuzzy when you consider others who provide services...taxi drivers, doormen, hairdressers and housekeepers. Some of these folks make a set wage, minimun wage or more and some are on a strictly commission basis, say a taxi driver. Many of these folks are basically self employeed and their income is dependent on how many customers they can serve and how their pay / fees are structured.

I live in Northern California and what I tip seems to be the norm here.

I know people who never tip the housekeeper when staying at hotels and of course that is fine if one does not want to. I just prefer to. Of course I wouldn't if I didn't receive proper service.

Tipping is always such a confusing issue Susan. I always have a difficult time when in Italy but I do try to tip per their custom rather than what I tip at home. Best wishes.

Wow, thanks everyone, that's really helpful, I will be following your advice on my upcoming trip.

One last question on restaurant bills, a number of times I have been out with American colleagues at dinner and they seemed to be calculating the tip on the bill total &quot;before tax.&quot; What's the feeling about that?

Calculating the tip before or after tax: technically &quot;before&quot;, since you are tipping for service, and tax isn't a service. This is easy in Massachusetts, for example, which has a 5% sales tax. Multiply by 3, and you are there. BUT drinks aren't taxed, so the 12 drinks you order for your party don't appear in the tip basis. So then, tip on the gross including tax.

I think I better invest in a calculator! Sounds like calculating tips in the US (particularly across state lines) should be listed as one of those mental agility activities to aid the memory.

Thanks again!

This is from Fodors regarding tipping in NYC:

http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgr...;feature=30014
((*))

LoveItaly - your URL doesn't give the thread you wanted.

Fodor's says a $2 minimum tip for a taxi ride in NYC. That's 40% on a $5 trip. I don't think so. How about $1--a 20% tip.

In the US, you should tip a taxi $2 or 15%, whichever is greater. $2 is a minimum taxi tip - even if it's a $3 taxi ride.

However, you only tip $2 for someone to retrieve your car from a garage - no matter how much you paid for parking.

I agree that in flyover country 15%-18% is an OK tip for a waiter or waitress. In any major city on the east or west coast, however, it's 20% minimum (more in NYC).

I leave $3 each night for cleaning staff at hotels, regardless of room costs or where it's located geographically.

I love travelling abroad where tipping is minimal compared to the US (or in some palces note done at all).

I have read through the posts and agree with leaving a daily tip of $3 for the housekeeper in a hotel or large inn. But what about this?....We like to stay at a small bed and breakfast on Cape Cod that provides great service and impeccable housekeeping every day. I think the owners actually do the housekeeping (not sure about this since our suite is always magically clean when we return each day) since their B+B is rather small (only two suites and a cottage). We usually leave them $20 at the end of our week-stay in the cottage or $10 if we are only staying for the weekend. Is that too cheap? They do give wonderful service and the place is impeccably clean but since they are small I figured that they don't hire someone for minimum wage to clean the rooms.

I think when the person cleaning the room also owns the business a small tip (if any) at the end of your stay is perfectly appropriate.

I wonder if there is any discrete way to inquire about who cleans the rooms, replenishes towels, makes the bed etc. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking the inn keepers if they do it themselves and there has never been one of those empty envelopes with an advance &quot;thank you&quot; from the housekeeping staff. What do you think?

Susan,

Use your common sense. If most travelers used some of the tipping guidelines promoted here, there would be a huge demand for jobs driving taxis and cleaning hotel rooms.

Please don't be cowed into being a spendthrift.

Personally, I tip anyone who goes out of their way for Me when traveling or eating out. That's just MHO.

How odd.

I hope it's okay to come in on this thread for some tipping help also. We are travelling to the US from NZ next month and just wondering when you pay a restaurant bill or similar by credit card do you just tell them to add say 15% on to it as a tip or do you pay the tip in cash. It's a bit confusing for us non-tippers!!!

There is a line for the tip. You write in the amount, do the addition, and sign the receipt.

&quot;when you pay a restaurant bill or similar by credit card do you just tell them to add say 15% on to it as a tip or do you pay the tip in cash&quot;

If you decide to tip in cash when paying with credit card, be sure to put a slash through the tip line and bring the total down to the total line. I have worked with more than one server who has been fired for adding tips on to credit card receipts (needless to say the chances of this happening are slim, but I want to warn you nonetheless).

Wow, I find this sorts of makes the tipping molehill more of a mountain.
I have never tipped to the penny, always averaging up. It is amazing to me that people will calculate an 18% tip on a 19.85 lunch bill. Geez Louise, just give 'em 4 bucks if the service was good.
On the other hand, I often find myself tipping so much in the course of my first day of travel that I am without small bills the first morning at the hotel. Many big hotels have the same staff cleaning the same rooms at least 5 days of the week. I generally travel Tuesday-Thursday and it has been my experience that I generally have the same staff each day. Anyhoo... on that first day, IF I do not have change for a tip and the housekeeper shorts me on something, I WILL NOT tip at all. This is a pet peeve of mine. Services and amenities that I am paying for should not be withheld if I do not tip.
I generally tip 3.00-5.00 a day and I leave fun stuff when I am attending a convention that has a trade floor. I am not sure that they appreciate these things, but I always take things that are cool and leave them on the bed with a tip and a 'Thank you' written on the note pad.
It's amazing what things you get at a convention!

Oh, I forgot to say that my friend told me the other day that he never puts the amount on the bill. He always puts &quot;20%&quot; in the tip area and signs it.
This was something I have never heard of!

What about those people who hover around the sink area of public restrooms to hand you a towel? Are these legitimate service staff or are they squatters? Does anyone &quot;tip&quot; these people?

If the restroom is clean, I leave a small tip.

In some countries (Turkey, for instance) there is invariably a restroom attendant and everybody (including natives) leave a coin for him or her.

tipping housekeeping is a good thing to do. this is usually the only job a person has, it is NOT a 40 hour work week so in order to make enough money to get by, many chambermaids depend on tips.


I used to be a chamber maid on occasion when my friend's family motel was short on help at the end of the summer season at the shore. you can only work so many hours per day because the hotel room is the customers and they have to expect some privacy at the same time give service.

so you should remember your chambermaid. I usually leave at least $2 per night one person, $4 or $5 per night for more than one person.

i do adjust this based on the cleanliness of the room, you should only tip if the room is in good shape, if someone doesn't do their job, there is no need to tip.

With 4 star hotels $5/per person might be more appropriate. I also leave it per night incase staff changes

restaurants 15 to 20% of the bill, before tax. most cell phones have calculators in them now and do the math for you. 20% in resort areas and major cities. but again if the service is BAD, yes i'll leave 10%. i haven't had the nerve to leave zero!

also, if it is a buffet, leave less, 10% would be fine. you serve yourself afterall, serve staff mainly just bus tables. possibly bring drinks....

Not unless I take a mint or use any of their &quot;supplies&quot;. Unless I'm at a nightclub or a fancy or super-crowded restaurant, no way. PET PEEVE!!!

In many nicer hotels, a doorman takes your bag from the taxi driver into the hotel for you. After you check in, a bellman (sometimes the same person)then takes the bag up to your room. I tip the bellman who delivers my luggage, but should also I tip the doorman who first helped with my bags?

I had dinner at Sushi Samba in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan last week and went to the bathroom... there was an employee who opened the bathroom door (unisex) and then when I went out he turned on the water, gave me soap and then a towel.
Not cheesy like many but sort of invasive. I gave him 1.00.
He did not seem like a 'bathroom attendant&quot;. He was more like a restaurant employee who got assigned bathroom duty.
Anyway, I thought it was a bit odd and uncomfortable.

He was in the bathroom while you used the stall??? Are you male or female? I would have tipped him to leave! How odd. Are you sure he wasn't some pervert off the street who snuck in?

I have never seen anything like it... it was a young guy, maybe early 20's.
I am female.
There were 3 or 4 unmarked doors. It was pretty dark down there, too.
So, I am a bit confused looking at these unmarked doors and he opens one for me.
It was a room with a toilet and trash can. That's it.
I did my thing and opened the door. That's when I noticed a long sink full of river rocks, in the hall. About the time I noticed it, he turned on the water and held out the soap to squirt in my hand.
Then he handed me a towel.
I think they have an attendant because of this odd bathroom situation.
He was certainly not someone off the street. He did not seem to enjoy what he was doing, maybe a little embarrassed. There was a small tip bowl, so I went to the side of the room and fished out some money. I would imagine that many women leave their bag at the table. Had I been with friends, I would have...

I have a question about tipping at B&amp;Bs. Do you tip for services like helping with bags and serving meals where it's the owners performing the service?

For us Europeans the American way of billing is very confusing.Everything is always marked without the tax.Here in Belgium in the shops or restaurants you get the price you'll have to pay.The menu in the restaurants are the price service included.If you get an exceptional good service you can always add something more. In the States we usually leave about a dollar a day.Paul

I have a question for you on tipping. When we went to the Hard Rock Hotel last year we had guys taking our luggae out of our car and putting it on a luggage rack. Another fella finally delivered it to our room. Same for checking out. What would you tip each occasion?