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.

-at a restaurant?

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

-getting your luggage brought to your room?

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

-any other hotel service?

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

-in a taxi?

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 My Cousin Vinny, 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 "tipping in U.S.A.," 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 "over-tipping."

What do you think, waiters & 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.

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

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 "ok" 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 "everything was ok" because they KNEW it was more than "ok"!

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.