Tipping tips needed
 

As an Australian about to visit the US I need some tips on tipping. It may seem silly, however tipping is not common practice in Oz, except for exceptional service, or "keep the change". <BR> <BR>I understand that it is normal to tip around 17.5% of the cost, however I have the following questions: <BR> <BR>1) Say in a restaurant, who do you tip? When do you tip? Say you wish to tip $20 and only have a $50 note, is it polite to ask for change for your tip? Say I'm not happy with the service, should I still tip? <BR> <BR>2) Does tipping extend to just about everyone you give money to? Would for example I tip the bus driver on public transport? <BR> <BR>3) In a hotel, I would probably tip for example the porter. How much should I tip in such an instance. <BR> <BR>Also when I'm checking out, am I expected to tip the desk person...if so surely not 17.5% of the total bill. <BR> <BR>4) I'm travelling a lot on Amtrak. Who and when should I tip? <BR> <BR>Any help that prevents me embarrassing myself would be greatly appreciated. <BR> <BR>P.S: Don't expect a tip! <BR>

Hi Rob, <BR> <BR>I can give you a few hints, but keep in mind that people's tipping habits are quite variable! For good restaurant service, I usually tip around 20%, but 15% is perfectly fine too. If the service is quite poor, I will tip around 10%. <BR> <BR>Waiters and waitresses make most of their money in tips. I used to wait tables, and the hourly pay was just over $2/hour. I don't know what it is these days, but I'm sure it's less than most people realize. <BR> <BR>At restaurants, they will almost always bring you the check at the end of the meal. At nicer restaurants, you pay and tip the waitperson. At diners, you may need to pay the cashier near the entrance and tip your waitperson at the table. (When in doubt about who you are supposed to pay, it is fine to ask your waiter/waitress if you pay them or at the cashier.) <BR> <BR>When they leave the check at your table and you wish to tip 15-20% of the total bill, but don't have the right change, simply put your cash or credit card in with the bill. They will bring you change, and if they know what they're doing they'll make the change in bills suitable for a tip. Leave the tip on the table. <BR> <BR>If you are at a diner and are supposed to pay the cashier and don't have correct change to leave at the table for the waiter/waitress, it's fine to get change from the cashier and walk back to the table to leave the tip. <BR> <BR>You tip only the waiter/waitress, and only at the end of the meal, upon leaving. <BR> <BR>Tipping does not extend to everyone you give money to during the course of the day. Bus drivers need not be tipped. But I usually tip taxi drivers a few dollars, depending on the amount of the fare. <BR> <BR>At hotels, definitely tip the porter and the valet. Once at a very nice hotel in Seattle, I asked the doorman who should be tipped. His reply was if you tip the doorman(when you pull up for valet parking, etc.) he will share the tip with the people parking the cars and taking care of your bags, so you do not need to tip everyone individually. I suppose it never really hurts to be very candid and ask, if you are in doubt. Better to seem sincere but unknowing rather than cheap and rude. <BR> <BR>If checking into a nice hotel (with valet parking, a doorman, etc.) I tip the doorman $2-5. If a person carries my bags to my room, I usually tip him too (a dollar per each big bag). <BR> <BR>You do not tip the front desk clerks. <BR> <BR>I have not ridden on Amtrak, but my guess would be to tip in the dining/bar car as you would in a restaurant. Also, tip any baggage handlers who load and unload your things for you. I would be surprised if the ticketperson expected a tip (but I could be wrong!) <BR> <BR>In general, don't worry to much about the details of tipping. Everyone does it slightly differently, and I'm sure other people posting replies will disagree with my view. I know people who still tip 5% in fine restaurants, but I usually slip back to the table to leave more money when they aren't looking! <BR> <BR>Have a wonderful trip. Sorry this reply is so long. -Mary

Mary's tip info was right on. One thing I learned recently though was that you should tip your hotel maid service -- either each a.m. or at the end of your stay (seems to me each a.m. would encourge them to keep doing a good job during your stay). I'm uncomfortable with how much though -- I usually leave $1-2 a night but have no idea if that is being cheap! Would like comments from others on this one. <BR> <BR>Also -- do you tip curbside baggage handlers at the airport?? <BR> <BR>

Hi Rob, <BR> <BR>Just thought I would note that it is customary to tip in bars here. I've never been to Australia, but I know that bar staff is generally not tipped in the U.K. If we're paying as we go, we usually tip $1 per order when we pay or get the drink change. If we start a tab, then add 10-15% onto the charge.

You should always tip the curbside baggage handlers at the airport. Contrary to popular belief, they are not paid by the airlines and make absymally low salaries. The norm is about $1 per bag.

I believe in tipping curbside baggage attendants...BUT THEY ARE NOT LOW PAID! <BR> <BR>The Wall Street Journal did a story on them a few years ago and determined theat they were making $75,000 to 120,000 (per year)at most major airports. They can get tips of $5-20 per passenger for about 2 mins work...and they get a lot of passengers. Compare this to how harda waitress must work for comparable tip. <BR> <BR>There is a long waiting list for these jobs.

Dick, I have to disagree with you. While the Wall Street Journal is a reputable paper, I have to question their facts. Several different news pieces that I have seen (both print and broadcast) all stated that the curbside baggage handlers, or skycaps, actually make below minimum wage.

Message: Julie <BR> <BR>It's customary to leave $1.00 per person per night ($2.00 nightly minimum) for the hotel maid. Therefore if a family of four share a room, it would be $4.00 per night. The theory being, the more people sharing a room, the more work for the maid. <BR> <BR>I generally leave it in the room at the end of my stay along with the room keys. If you leave it on a daily basis, you would need to leave a daily note since maids shouldn't be taking loose money left in the room. <BR> <BR>P.S. Mary's advise was excellant. <BR>

Yes, I always tip the maid in a hotel, but usually leave the whole amount at the end of the stay. At a nice hotel expect maybe $2-$3 per day does it. I tip curbside baggage handlers $2 a bag, doorman $1 a bag, bellman $2 a bag and car valets maybe $2.

I would question as to whether it is "customary" to tip the housekeeping staff at a hotel. I doubt too many people do that (not that it shouldn't be done). <BR> <BR>Just to add to the above advice: you never tip at fast food restaurants, with the caveat that some coffee shops, pizza stands (places with counter service) have started placing tip jars next to the register where you pay. Do not feel obligated to tip here unless you want to, and if you do, a dollar or your coin change is enough. I have heard that about half of the customers put tips in these jars. I see them as simply a way for the owner to guilt the customer into paying part of the salary that he should be paying, but I'll tip if the counter person has done something special for me. <BR> <BR>Have a great time on your trip!

Just a question regarding tipping hotel maids. Aren't they paid at least minimum wage and isn't cleaning the room their job? I seldom tip the maid.

Message: Curious <BR> <BR>Waiters are paid to deliver food, porters and bellman are paid to pick up luggage, taxi drivers are paid to drive. All are generally tipped for the service they provide in addition to being paid by their employer. Similarly, hotel maids provide a service and it is gracious to leave a tip eventhough you may not have seen the actual person during your stay. Keep in mind that on a cruise, the cabin steward, who preforms a similar service, is ALWAYS left a tip and generally a larger one than has been recommended here. Keep in mind that the small amount left in tips will seem inconsequential when compared to the total cost of your trip. <BR> <BR>

I agree with curious - I already think too many people expect tips, and to me, to tip someone I have never seen, and never asked for anything other than the usual service - well I won't do it. I do tip cabin stewards on cruise ships for 2 reasons - #1 they get paid NOTHING on most ships, the tips are their only income, and #2 I usually meet and talk with them, get extra beach towels, etc. So to this point I have not tipped a hotel maid in a regular hotel and don't plan too, unless I ask for a special request. <BR> <BR>I tip food servers 15-20%, porters $1 a bag [what little I use them] and hotel shuttle bus drivers $1. On a valet parking I usually give the valet $1. You do not need to tip on mass transit, nor the front desk clerk. If you order room service, take a good look at the bill first - a 15% tip is often "automatically" included and you don't need to add anything additional to that, unless you got exceptional help [which is rare in room service in my opinion].

I don't believe in tipping. It's so mean to the poor cows.

Rob: Mary's advice was very good. Just to clarify a couple of things: <BR> <BR>1. As Mary said, a tip of 15-20% is standard if you were satisfied with the service -- but note that this percentage is calculated based on the bill total BEFORE TAX. (Your bill should show a total, then the amount of tax, then another total that includes tax.) If the service is truly exceptional, leave more, and if you weren't happy with the service, leave less. <BR> <BR>2. In restaurants where you pay at the table rather than at a cashier (i.e. nicer, non-diner restaurants), let's say your bill comes to $42. If you want to, you can just put $50 on the table with the bill, and get up and leave and not wait for the waitstaff to come back. They will understand that the extra $8 you left was their tip. This comes in handy when you're in a hurry -- you don't have to wait for change. If you have put down your money on the table next to the bill, but are still sitting there at the table, the waitperson will come back and will often just pick up the bill and the money without looking at it, and ask you, "Do you need change?" If you don't, you can just say, "No, we're all set." And they will keep the change as their tip. If you do need change, just say yes, and they will bring it to you, and you can then figure out the tip after they bring you your change. And yes, if you don't have the correct change to leave the tip that you want to leave, you can always ask them to break a bill for you and you can specify the particular change you need; e.g. if breaking a $20 bill, you can ask, "Could you bring us back two fives and ten ones?" If you pay with a credit card, just put the card down next to the bill, and they will come and pick it up and bring back a credit card slip for you to fill out and sign, which will have a space marked "tip" for you to fill out, and you then have to write in the new "total" in the space provided, and sign the form. <BR> <BR>3. In some REALLY fancy restaurants, if you use the services of a wine steward to help select and open a bottle of wine for you, you may want to tip them separately in addition to your waiter/waitress. In most moderately-priced restaurants, though, your waiter or waitress can help you select a wine and open the bottle and you just tip them once at the end as you usually would. <BR> <BR>4. Everyone has their own policy about what to do if the service isn't good. I am reluctant to penalize waitstaff if the problem was simply that the restaurant is terribly busy and the management has a particular waiter or waitress serving too many tables. I view that as the fault of the management, not the waiter or waitress. Likewise, I will not penalize the waiter or waitress if the kitchen failed to serve an item as ordered (e.g. with a sauce on the side, or with a substitution, or cooked medium rare, or whatever) -- that is the kitchen's fault, and the waiter shouldn't be penalized. However, sometimes the problem is not just that but is attributable to the particular waiter or waitress (e.g. they said they'd bring you catsup but then forgot, they cleared away a dish before you had finished eating it, brought you the wrong food, etc.) My own policy, like Mary's, is to leave 10% of the pre-tax total if the service was disappointing. However, if the service is truly TERRIBLE (e.g. the waitperson was rude), you should be sure to say something to the manager and let them know. They may apologize and take something off your bill, or give you free dessert, or send over a different waiter or waitress to serve you, or some combination thereof. <BR> <BR>5. If you eat in a large group (each restaurant has its own policy -- often defined as 8 or more people), most restaurants will automatically add a tip onto the bill, which is usually 15-20%. <BR> <BR>Keep in mind that tips can be used both to reward good service and also as an incentive for future good service, which is the reason many people tip doormen, valets, concierges, etc. in hotels -- particularly if you know that there is someone whose services you are going to be needing during your stay. <BR> <BR>Tipping in the U.S. is confusing even to those of us who live here so don't worry too much about it -- just keep a few $1 bills handy at all times! Have a great time here in the states.

rob's question seems to have been well addressed, but since i spent three years waiting tables i have to add one thing: waiters/waitresses in most restaurants do make a mere $2.13/hr...if your party lingers for a long time talking or finishing off drinks after you've finished eating, which you should feel free to do, please be aware that you are prohibiting other patrons from dining in your server's section and thereby preventing him/her from earning money. your tip should reflect this. the same goes for those who sit in a restaurant and eat very little or nothing. for example, if your party has a $5 pitcher of beer and sits around talking & drinking in a busy restaurant for 2 hours, a 20% tip of $1 is not acceptable. as a general rule you should never, ever leave less than $1 per person at any place where you are waited on at the table...this is the bare minimum of decency. <BR> <BR>by the way, servers in many restaurants are required to "tip out" a percentage of their tips to the bartender and host/hostess. also, i personally find it unacceptable to penalize servers by giving them less than 15% unless they are just outright rude. most people are starting to recognize 20% as the standard amount to tip...i give just 15% only if the server was really inept and 20-30% for decent to great service.

ps. the tax at restaurants in the states generally will run you 4-10% depending on the city...please feel free to calculate the tip before or after taxes. no one will notice except lisa.

Skycap income debate: <BR>If a skycap moves 30 bags an hour (not too difficult during main hours, when they could easily move twice that many) and gets $1 a bag, they'll easily clear over $60,000 a year (simple math).

I was once a maid at a Holiday Inn and received exactly one tip the whole year I worked there. The hotels here are advertising for maids at above minimum wage, as are most employers of formerly minimum-wage jobs. I would have been happy to get tips, but I didn't expect them.

In restaurants, I do NOT believe in tipping even though the service was poor. I waitressed while going to school, so I know what they're up against. I am very careful not to blame poor service on the wait person if it is not their fault. However, if they walk by and don't notice you standing and waving for their attention, disappear for more than ten minutes (especially after they've delivered your meal and omitted an essential item, such as a fork or cream for your coffee), or have a nasty or condescending attitude, I do not leave a tip. I do leave a note on the back of the check as to the reason no tip was added. On the other hand, if the wait person is obviously doing their very best, even though the service was less than excellent, I leave 15%. If the service is really fine, I'm very generous, figuring an few dollars will mean a lot more to them than to me, and, perhaps make a difficult work night more bearable. Tipping chamber maids has always perplexed me. Who knows if the same maid did your room every day? It's also difficult to know what their "orders" happen to be. Would the room had been a bit more spiffy if, perhaps, management didn't require them to be in and out in 10 minutes? If the housekeeping is meticulous and there are lots of extra touches, I leave a dollar or two per night (or, in a foreign country, all my coins). I'm especially generous when I leave a note for extra towels and pillows and they are left every single day of our stay, even when I forget to leave another note. As for all the other folks (porters, doormen, taxi-hailers), I use the usual tipping guidelines (outlined by others above) if service is cheerfully provided. However, I've never heard of tipping the public bus driver or front desk clerk (unless he fills an unusual request of some sort, which I've never had occasion to try). Once, I left a brand new pair of prescription glasses in a cocktail lounge. Long story short, the waitress had taken them home with her for safe keeping (apparently, the lost and found was not reliable in this particular establishement) and had told everyone who might receive and inquiry that she had done this, along with permission to give me her home phone number to arrange a time to collect them (on her day off, as it turned out). I was SO glad to find my (very expensive) glasses, and felt most stupid for having left them behind. I gave her a $20 tip (which she declined, but I forced upon her anyway). Replacing those glasses would have cost a whole lot more...

If waiters/waitresses make only $2.13 per hour, what is the minimum wage in the US? <BR> <BR>I was a chambermaid for a summer when I was a teenager. Rarely were tips left (but it was nice when they were). I didn't find much difference in cleaning a room whether used by 2 people or 4 - it probably only amounted to one more bed to make. <BR> <BR>I disagree with leaving tips for really bad service.

Sadly, restaurants are permitted to pay far less than minimum wage, the presumption being that tips will average 10% of the "take" over the course of an evening which is substantiated with records of "covers" collected. IRS has been known to audit on this basis. In fact, there have always been laws on the books that the "proprietor" must pay the difference if that is not the case. Agree with you completely re: not leaving ANY tip for horrible service.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I feel fully armed and ready to enter the world of tipping!

I have a real problem with tipping maids. We were staying in a VERY expensive hotel in New Orleans, and after two nights...we had not left a tip...the towels were not replaced and we had to call housekeeping to get our room cleaned the last two days. I would say that is virtual blackmail. When you spend $300 a night, plus tax for a hotel room...I would like to think that they would pay their employees decently, and do not feel it is my responsibilty to make up the difference of a cheap employer!

Not only are waitpersons allowed to be paid less than the minimum wage, they have taxes withheld at a rate which assumes they will make a certain percentage of the restaurant's income (I think it's something like 8%). So, if tips are low or absent, the waitperson is still paying taxes on them. Plus, the waitperson often shares tips with the busboys, etc.

Ilisa, <BR> <BR>Next time you are at a major airport..take 10 minutes and watch the curbside attendants. It is not uncommon for them to get $5, $10 or even $20 tips from people who think that wil insure that their bags go to the right destination. <BR> <BR>Just watch them....with so many passengers it is not difficult, some hours, to generate well over a $100 an hour in tips (and probably not all reported to the IRS). <BR> <BR>You NEVER see these job advertised, they go to family and friends. With airlines flying at such high capacity ...they do incredibly well..especially considering they don't need any education.

I always tip the housekeeping staff..especially at the beginnning of my stay. <BR> <BR>They are the most under tipped and most appreciative of any in the hotel..and I never have a problem getting extra towels or any other special requests fulfilled.

As an Australian living in the States I can tell you that service and restaurants are a little different here. Australian restaurants are pleasantly slow, a good meal with friends should last 2-3 hours with several bottles of wine. US restaurants tend to be fast in, fast out. As a result the waitperson may seem pushy to some one used to slow easy servive. It took me a long time to used to the waitperson asking me "How was your meal?". In Oz, that would be intrusive, here in the US that is good service. <BR>Another thing to watch out for is the ritual of clearing the dishes. In Australia the waitperson will wait until everyone at the table has finished their meals. It would be extremely impolite to take some dishes will others were still eating. I was quite shocked when it first happened to me. But now I see it is the norm here in the US and is considered good service. <BR>Lastly I will make a general comment re American vrs Australian. You may find that American are a little more vocal, and will voice their concerns if a meal has not been prepared the way it was ordered. Australian tend to be a more easy going, and will just put up with small errors in their orders. The point I am trying to make is, When In Rome, do as the Americans do, voice your concern. Send back wrong orders. Talk to the manager if you have a problem. You may get a discount or a free meal. <BR>Oh and one more thing, if you ever order a steak, try A1 sauce on it, it is awesome.

Message: billbuckin <BR> <BR>It's never good service to clear plates before everyone has finished eating, even here in the U.S. Although it is commonly done in many restaurants, it's a sign of a poorly trained wait staff or management who has instructed the staff to maximize the table turnover. In either case it is perfectly acceptable to inform the waiter who begins to clear the plates to come back when everyone has finished eating. <BR> <BR>

Dick, thanks for the suggestion, but when I am at an airport, I generally have to be somewhere and don't have the time to check out the tips skycaps receive (a tacky thing to do anyway). I was just relaying the information that I heard.

Julie: I mentioned the pre-tax/post-tax distinction because on a bill for a family of 5, the difference between a tip on the bill pre-tax versus with tax can be pretty substantial. Many parts of the U.S. now have very high taxes on restaurant meals, so the distinction is not trivial to me, nor would it be to someone new to our country trying to calculate the tax for the first time. Plus, sometime the taxes come in handy in calculating the tip. In places where the tax rate is 7.5-10%, you can just double the tax and there's your tip.

lisa: sorry if my sarcasm offended you, you had it out there glaring in bold print and i just couldn't help myself. i don't think it makes that big of a difference. even if you tip 20% at a restaurant where the tax is 10%...the difference between a pre-tax and post-tax tip would be only 2% of the total bill...even on a VERY large tab this will amount to only a couple dollars. anyway, it was meant more lightly than it sounded i guess...sorry again!!!

Lisa, I was glad you mentioned figuring the tip BEFORE taxes. That's honestly something I've never thought of, and YES it can make a big difference especially if you are traveling for 7 days and eating out 3 meals each day with 5 people. It DOES add up very quickly. <BR> <BR>When you're on a budget and already spending a fortune on airfare and lodging, it's nice to find ways to save a little here and there. It may seem frugal to some, but be very necessary and helpful for others. The amount I save on dining taxes could afford me t-shirts or other goodies for the kids, that I may not have otherwise felt I should spend money on.

I can't believe no one commented on the recommendation to tip taxi drivers only $1 or $2. They expect 15% just like waitstaff, and brotherr will you hear about it if you come up with less. <BR> <BR>As to the people who don't tip chamber maids as a matter of principle -- I've worked in a number of places and the cleaning staff is the bottom of the pecking order, esp. from the point of view of income. Waitresses may only be paid a base rate of $2-$5/hour, but they can clear quite a bit more and usually do through tips. Maids may or may not get minimum wage, but they make a lot less than waitresses. I always tip the maid, especially if she does a favor (like extra towels, etc.), and consider $2./day a minimum. <BR> <BR>Only the classier hotels will have concierges, but if they do, you had better tip them for whatever service they provide. <BR> <BR>Finally, Rob -- depending on your inclinations regarding hair cuts: I'm not clear on tipping in barber shops (identified by spiral-striped barber pole outside), but if you go to a "salon" or "hair styling" shop, you will tip at least 15% -- and if someone other than the stylist shampoos your hair, they should be given a couple of bucks, too.

Regarding Billbuckin and Frank's messages about clearing dishes while others are still eating --- I remember working in a few coffee shops while in college and I was always told by my bosses to clear plates as people were finished with them; that it was rude to let dirty plates sit in front of people and that they would feel more relaxed without having to stare at their dirty dishes. We were also told never to rush our customers (even if it was closing time), so I don't think the dish clearing was meant to be pushy. Of course that was a long time ago and maybe times have changed. <BR> <BR>Rob, regarding Amtrack -- You didn't mention if you had booked any sleeper cars (or were planning to), but I remember being told that it is standard to tip your sleeper car attendant $5 per night, at the end of the trip. They do all sorts of things for you, kind of like the cabin steward on a cruise ship. Although I was told the $5 amount about 8-10 years ago back when I took an Amtrack trip across the USA. Does anyone out there know if the standard amount has gone up at all since then?

I have rcvd mixed advice on whether to include a bar bill on the food total for calculating the 20%. I usually include it, but not at a full 20% rate if the result seems off (for example, add a nice bottle of wine to an otherwise inexpensive meal and you can double the amount of tip!). <BR> <BR>Any thoughts?