Tipping in NYC
 

How should one tip in NYC?
-at a restaurant?
-getting your luggage brought to your room?
-any other hotel service?
-in a taxi?

I tip the same in NYC as I do in any other city, hotel or taxi. whatever you presently do works in NYC. Please do not forget to tip the housekeeping staff on a daily basis since the person who cleans your room at the beginning may not be the same person who gets the tip when you check out. I tip $2.00 a day for housekeeping staff.

<b>-at a restaurant?</b>

15-30% of the bill, depending on quality of service &amp; other variables such as sommelier involvement, etc.

<b>-getting your luggage brought to your room?</b>

$2 per large suitcase, $1 per small, but with a minimum of $5

<b>-any other hotel service?</b>

a couple of bucks for the guy who gets your taxi is always appreciated, and he'll remember you the next time (and who needs the money more, you or him?) ... check your room service bill before you tip as it's often included

<b>-in a taxi?</b>

15% of fare, but never less than $1 ... if your fare is $5.80 for example, pay $7

Enjoy NYC!

Taxi 20% of the fare with $1 medium.

Luggage - depends on size ad # of bags - and type of hotel. Minimum $2 for 1 bag and up. And if you'r staying ina $500 room - $2 is NOT enough.

In restaurants 20% - unless you get poor service - then, it depends on how bad. (And don;t skunk the server if the food is bad - that should be a complaint to the manager - not the fault of the server.)

Other hotel services:

Calling a cab/holding door and ushering you in $1/$2

Some special request ( different pillows or something) $5 - but nothing if it's fixing something that should be there

Concierge - depends on the service. for restauant resie $5 and up depending on how hard it is to get, the same for theater tickets etc. You don;t pay anything for a map, directions or a package tour (they get a % from the tour). If it's a special tour just for you give a % of the value.

You remember <i>My Cousin Vinny</i>, where Joe Pesci tips the prison guard for bringing him to a cell? That's how you tip in NY.

That said, no waiter is ever going to see 30% from me.

I am more than happy to tip for good service, but I do not tip 30%.

Gekko - are you a waiter and are hoping that OldTrout is seated at one of your tables??

I haven't waited tables since college ... I say 30% at the top end in the event you have a very involved sommelier or captain ... very rare, indeed, but the extra service should be considered ....

I almost always tip a straight 20% here in Manhattan.

You would be better advised to Google &quot;tipping in U.S.A.,&quot; because at this site questions about tipping always get off-the-wall suggestions for over-tipping from people in service industries who frequent this forum.

Well, say you start at 20% for perfect service.

Subtract .5% if the waiter identifies him/herself by name.

Subtract 1% for annoyingly over-detailed description of specials, with patronizing asides.

Subtract .5% for approaching to ask how everything is going when I have a mouthful of food.

We're now at a reasonable 18%.

That's BS. Not one response in this thread suggests &quot;over-tipping.&quot;

What do you think, waiters &amp; cabdrivers lurk on this site waiting for the rare thread about tipping, and then they pounce?

Get a clue. Courteous, respectful people tip as directed in this thread.

If you don't, that's your problem.

I've worked in the restaurant industry in various capacities for 12 yrs and am currently a server. I'd like to add my 2 cents. (And no, I'm not going to suggest anyone tip excessively).
The industry standard right now is 18-20%. If you have excessively good service, it is appreciated (not expected) when you tip over 20%. Use your own judgement here...it doesn't have to be 30%...even 21% is appreciated. If you have excessively bad service, definitely tip under 18%. Also, if you are high-maintenence, i.e. you need your drink refilled every five minutes, or keep running your server to the kitchen for something every time they come to the table, tip 20% or more. If you are low-maintenence, tip on the lower end of the scale.
I have heard horror stories of servers doing some bad things to people who consistently tip poorly. We have to remember a lot of things in our job...do you really think we forget the faces of the repeat customers who tip 10% every time? I don't work with anyone now who does these things, and I won't say what they are...just be careful where you eat if you are one of those people. Or rent 'Waiting' with Ryan Reynolds.
Our job is not easy, and most people don't realize it, but we only get paid $2.83/hr in most parts of the country.
As a side note to Pausinas, how do you expect us to know if there is a problem with your meal if we don't come to check on you while you are eating?
And please listen to nytraveler regarding bad food. If you don't like it or it wasn't prepared properly, don't take it out on your server. Unless of course they just shrug their shoulders and walk away when you complain about it...there certainly are servers out there like that, unfortunately.
This is the first thread I've come across about this subject and I find it very interesting. I'll be watching.

Born, raised and live in NY - We tip double the tax (comes out to around around 17%.) Makes it easy to figure out. If at a special restaurant - 20%. But 30%??? Never heard of it!!

Taxis: 15-20%.

Again, I repeat, 30% is for the rare case when a sommelier shows special attention to a table or a captain does the same. If you have extra people to thank for superior service, the gratuity can run up to 30% easily.

<i>Get a clue. Courteous, respectful people tip as directed in this thread.
If you don't, that's your problem.</i>

These are the kinds of statements that one does not find in polite conversation. If only the author could disagree without being disagreeable.

Agree with Gekko, nytraveler, etc., and will add:

If you take a taxi from one end of Manhattan to the other, or to another borough (i.e., a long distance), it's good to add another dollar (or two) onto the tip, especially if the driver was good (no cell phone use while you're in car - illegal anyway; no excessive speeding and braking, etc.). That extra bit for the extra distance is usually very appreciated!

Also, the suggestion about doubling the tax is a very good rule of thumb. Tax is over 8% here on most items including meals, so doubling it brings the tip to around 17% as mentioned previously. You can then add to it from there if the service was worth it, or subtract to bring it down to 15%.

SuCo27, I can't speak for Pausanias but when a server appears at the table 2 or 3 times during the meal asking if everything is &quot;ok&quot; I find it annoying. First does the server reason to suspect that everything is NOT ok? Second if you feel that people will think you have ignored them if you don't come over maybe approach once during entree that way if the customer does need something there is opportunity to ask. Other than that if you are in working in the dining room and are alert to your customers if a customer needs something they can see you and will politely get your attention. Of course there are always those who are so high maintenance that you might as well pull up a chair and join them at the table because they will want you to do everything for them including cut their steak and put it on their fork!

Our most enjoyable dining experiences have been when the food was served, the waiter left the table and did not appear until the next course (but they weren't hiding out on the sidewalk, we could get their attention if necessary). We were not asked repeatedly if &quot;everything was ok&quot; because they KNEW it was more than &quot;ok&quot;!

That said I realize that waiting on the public is NOT easy and that you work very hard for your money.

What's a sommelier or captain? And, what extra fees go on your bill? What is the sales tax in NYC? That's a mouthful of questions, but it's best to ask rather than not know...

As a former server myself, I find the recommendation of 30% to be absolutely out-of-range! 20% is the top end, with perhaps a little extra for bending-over-backwards service. Sommelier and/or captain gets his/her own tip, separate from server's tip.

And, yes, beware the food if you are a high-maintenance, difficult customer. In addition, the only thing I would EVER send back is something which needs to be cooked a little longer, like a steak or piece of fish.

gekko - OK - maybe 30% if you use the services of a sommelier (wine expert) - but we never do. Guess we just don't go to restaurants of that caliber. ($100 or more per person type of places.) Have never used a sommelier.

Again - Just double the tax (approx. 8.5% is the tax in NYC). This is what most NYers do. (And I used to wait tables myself.) Makes life easy. Example: tax is $2.15, so tip is $4.30.

SUCo I have to put my 2 cents in here too. You say if you get excessively bad service tip under 18%, if I get excessively bad service I do not tip (or will leave a shiny penny. YOu also state that you get $2.83 per hour but what is your average hourly wage with tips? I am sure you make very good money unless you work as a counter server.

I feel I am a decent tipper - but - 30%? I think not.

We typically double the tax and round up. However, there are many times that we DO tip 30%. If we have a waiter who really guides us through the menu, doesn't let us over-order, doesn't act like he is doing me a huge favor by asking the chef to switch out an element of the dish, etc.

Also, I tip the cab drivers more in the summer IF they have great air conditioning and use it. I know what a drain that is on gas. If they tell me the A/C is broken, they get 10%.

&quot;Luggage - depends on size ad # of bags - and type of hotel. Minimum $2 for 1 bag and up. And if you'r staying ina $500 room - $2 is NOT enough.&quot;

I agree $2 is not enough, $5 should be the minimum, same with housekeeping if the hotel room is $500 (even $300 or $400) per night.

Margo, I would hope that a server does not ask more than once if everything is ok. Once should be sufficient. In every restaurant I've worked in, it has been a rule by the managers/owners that servers return to the table within two minutes after food is served to ask if everything is ok. And no, we don't have reason to suspect a problem, but some people are just so picky that nothing you serve them will be right and they want you to send it back to the kitchen for one reason or another. Also, the kitchen does make mistakes and as Gerda said, sometimes things need to be put back on the grill for a few minutes to be cooked a little more. And we should be in the dining room and available for our customers, I agree. However, some people just won't say anything if they aren't asked. And some people don't know how to politely get our attention (i.e., they snap their fingers or whistle). I just had someone the other day stick his arm out in the aisle as I was walking by and hit me on the thigh to get my attention...that was nice.
Travelbug, you're right, if the service is EXCESSIVELY bad, i.e. the server is just plain rude or never returns to the table after taking your order, don't tip if you don't want to. Just keep in mind that at times we are waiting on 30 different people with 30 different needs at one time, so if you can see that it's busy and it takes one extra minute for your drink refill, try not to take it out on your server. A good server shouldn't make you wait more than once during your visit, but even the best servers get overwhelmed at times. Also, I won't say exactly what I make in a year, let's just say it's not as much as you may think.
As for the 30% comments, people do leave that much and more on occasion. And just like some servers will give bad service to bad tippers, they will give better service to better tippers.
Thank you Margo, BTW, for acknowledging that our jobs are not easy. A lot of people seem to think the opposite. A lot of people also seem to think that they are better than us because we are 'just servers'. I'd like to add that I myself have a degree from a great college and choose to be a server because the people who work in the restaurant biz are just more fun to be around and because making people happy by serving them good food is a great thing!

SuCo., I am a very patient customer and I will wait but there have been times that the wait person was so bad and/or rude that they did not deserve a tip. I do also know that the job is not easy. I do know for sure tho that the money is not as bad as some might want you to think. If you graduated from a great college and you stay on the job it must be worth your while in addition to the fun.

30% is ridiculous. Places that provide all of those extra services also provide separate lines for all of those tips. Doubling the tax is a great and easy way to calculate a tip. Round up or down depending on service and your comfort zone. I tip better in places where I'm a regular - not just to curry favor but because when people get to know you the service tends to be better and/or more personal.

Good grief people, reading comprehension is sorely lacking.

Multiple times I said that tipping 30% (or more) is for the &quot;rare&quot; occasion when you receive extra attention from a sommelier or captain.

For example, last month at Le Cirque, the sommelier spent an inordinate amount of time with my fiancee, who is an amateur oenophile with a very discerning palate. He allowed her to try 4 glasses of different reds at no charge -- he took a real interest in her, and the captain was also at our table suggesting off-the-menu desserts.

Do you think I left a 20% tip that night? Of course not. It was closer to 40%, if I recall correctly.

My point is, and I should have made this clear in the beginning, is not to get boxed in to some pointless narrow range. 15% at every meal is as ridiculous as 30% at every meal. Service varies, which is why in my original post, way up the list, I said:

<b>at a restaurant?

15-30% of the bill, depending on quality of service &amp; other variables such as sommelier involvement, etc.</b>

If anyone still can't comprehend this range, I give up. Tip 15% at Olive Garden .. I don't care.

Gekko what a snob

Why is 30% ridiculous? It is my money, not yours. Maybe you spend money on things that I wouldn't dream of spending a nickel on. Very judgemental people you are.

As Gekko said, it is not the norm, but it has been done. If you are not into fine dining, the odds are probably less that you would encounter a situation that you would pay 30%, but I assure you, there are situations where it is absolutely appropriate.

Well, more in NYC than here in Mexico: waiters - 20% food/10% wine; taxis 10%+ depending on help with bags; US$1.+ pp/pd for the hotel housekeeper.
M

You can certainly spend your money any way you want. Advising a tourist to give 30% to someone they will never see again is what is ridiculous. Other people will eventually read this and they shouldn't think they can't travel here because that sort of thing is the norm.

And I really don't think letting tourists know that they don't have to open their wallets and shake out whatever is left just because they're eating in Manhattan means we've all been sentenced to live out our lives at The Olive Garden!

Something I just don't get and maybe never will is:::::You should give more to bellhops/housekeeping, etc is you are at a more expensive hotel. If I am spending $500.00 per night why should I give the staff a larger tip. Aren't they all doing the same job? (well, I hope) same for wait staff? Why should they get a higher percentage tip?

This really does not make sense to me.

bugswife....Yes it is your money to spend, but advice was being given to Oldtrout about the norms. He does not know what percentage to tip. To tell him 30% is the norm for very good service is not fair. If you want to leave a 50% tip that is your business but should not be given as a general rule. (Best service or not)

I think all comments are positive: most think Estadounidenses tip way too much.
M

travelbug, I agreed with you before. Some people just aren't cut out to be servers. If you want to stiff them, that's your choice. I've personally never done it, but I suppose that's because I'm in the business and realize that these types (the rude or incompetent ones) won't last long. I can't and won't judge you for your choices tho.
As for the money aspect...I'd rather have a job that I loved (most of the time :) ) where I made OK money, than a job that I hated and dreaded going to every day even if it made me rich. That's just me tho.

And Gekko, I understand what you've been saying and you just keep doing what you've been doing...the service industry appreciates people like you!

&quot;Estadounidenses&quot;

You can call me Americano, you can call me gringo, but I don't answer to Estadounidenses.

travelbug, you are nitpicking. Neither Gekko nor myself EVER wrote that 30% for very good service was the norm. There are many more variables--sommalier, corkage fees, size of the party, etc. I believe Gekko gave a range.

I do not think I am nitpicking, I think I am being resonable. To each his own opinion. That is what these boards are about. No wonder Oldtrout started a new post

&quot;Something I just don't get and maybe never will is:::::You should give more to bellhops/housekeeping, etc is you are at a more expensive hotel. If I am spending $500.00 per night why should I give the staff a larger tip. Aren't they all doing the same job? (well, I hope) same for wait staff? Why should they get a higher percentage tip?&quot;

Well doesn't a waitress at a diner where dinner for two is $20.00, do the same job as a waiter at a restaurant where dinner for two is $200.00. Yet the first gets a $4.00 tip, the second $40.00.

Perhaps it's just me, but it seems cheap to tip housekeeping a buck or two when the hotel room costs $500.00 per night.

I don't feel like I get the same service in a $20 diner that I do in a $200 restaurant. But if they can actually make me a Lime Rickey I tip extra! :)

&quot;Well doesn't a waitress at a diner where dinner for two is $20.00, do the same job as a waiter at a restaurant where dinner for two is $200.00. Yet the first gets a $4.00 tip, the second $40.00.&quot;

In the latter instance, you would likely be spending more time in the restaurant. The first server would make money due to turn around times, rather than high sales.