Tipping Etiquette

[visualkei]

Alright, just to be a bit knowledgeable, I have some questions about tipping when you order food. I tip when I know I'm expected to, or when I get good service and I'm not expected to, but I'm still unsure in certain situations what I'm expected to tip, and whether I have to or not.

This thread isn't about what a big spender you are, but just to help some of us know when we're supposed to add a little more, of if we've been tipping way too much. Or if there are certain times when it's rude to tip. So, just for my "fyi" tell me a little about tipping expectations where you're from.

I know that in the states you're expected to tip between 15-20% of the bill when eating in a restaurant.

I've been told that in Vietnam, sometimes tipping is considered being boastful.

How about in a bar, if you only order one drink, like a 2 dollar beer, do you tip? What about tipping for mixed drinks?

When you order pizza?

Delivered foods?

[Retribution]

[quote name='visualkei']Alright, just to be a bit knowledgeable, I have some questions about tipping when you order food. I tip when I know I'm expected to, or when I get good service and I'm not expected to, but I'm still unsure in certain situations what I'm expected to tip, and whether I have to or not.

This thread isn't about what a big spender you are, but just to help some of us know when we're supposed to add a little more, of if we've been tipping way too much. Or if there are certain times when it's rude to tip. So, just for my "fyi" tell me a little about tipping expectations where you're from.

I know that in the states you're expected to tip between 15-20% of the bill when eating in a restaurant.

I've been told that in Vietnam, sometimes tipping is considered being boastful.

How about in a bar, if you only order one drink, like a 2 dollar beer, do you tip? What about tipping for mixed drinks?

When you order pizza?

Delivered foods?[/QUOTE]
[font=Arial]For delivery there's generally a tip. My experience has been 15% is what they expect... but you can always tip more (and I'm sure they'd be glad to have it).

Restaurants, also a tip. Bars, depends on how much you've spent -- if it's only one or two drinks, don't bother. If you've been harassing the bartender all night, or if you're buying a pitcher of beer, leave a tip of a few bucks.

Tipping in other countries gets complicated. Some places it's absolutely not done, other times it's optional.[/font]

[AzureWolf]

In a nutshell, anywhere you get some form of service other than what you paid for, you are expected to tip. You tip the dude who parks your car; you tip the waiter; etc. If you go there and pick it up, you don't need to tip because you were not serviced in any way: not one waited on you, no one delivered something on your behalf, etc.

In the US, 15% is for "expected/close-to acceptable service," 10% is for "very very very very bad service," and 20% is for "good or great service."


Tipping in a bar varies, based on how knowledgeable you are or pretend you are. Based on the drinks you order, if you know it's a pain-in-the-arse to make, you tip generously. If it's something that comes out of the tap, you tip if you feel like it. Basically, if the guy has to work to get you your drink, you tip. Of course, if it's obvious you don't know any better about how every drink is made, they can and do overlook your poor tipping skills.

The bartender will hate you and spit in your drink next time if you order - say - a Mojito and don't even give him a penny. Hell, he might punch you. He doesn't enjoy his job as much as you think he does.


Every place is different, you just have to find out what the custom is. In China, a tip can take you a long way. In Europe, a tip is what you give so the waiter doesn't throw a glass plate at you on your way out.

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]As one of the few women here that is routinely dragged to expensive formal dinners at places where the water is bottled and 10 dollars for flat and 12 for sparkling...

Anything less than a 20% tip is a complete insult. You tip the coat check person, you tip the valet that parks your car, you tip the waiter, and you do NOT skimp. Half of it is because the service is generally that good and half of it is to impress your female date. However, when you're eating primarily dinner, you do not tip on alcohol. Unless you are just THAT extravagant. And how do I learn all this? I have a boss that takes me to expensive dinners as part of my maintenance and to make himself look good in front of his business associates.

Otherwise 10-15 is what you can get away with at most other places like Denny's or Outback steak house. Usually you just double the tip, give or take. And try to not tip with change. That's tacky.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Hmm... I can't tell you how the tipping in Vietnam would be. In Thailand, I know that many people in such jobs where it would be appropriate to tip are pretty poor, so any extra money would be grateful. Maybe it's similar in Vietnam? I'm not sure. And of course, they could be insulted by your charity (who knows).

The rule on tipping in Italy was really fuzzy. There were certain dinner situations where you were supposed to tip, and others where you weren't, so my friends and I just ended up tipping everywhere. Quite complicated.

I've been told by a British girl generally not to tip for service. "Don't tip the bell boys who carry your luggage -- actually don't let them carry your luggage." She also said that unlike in America where waiters get paid very little for the hour and get live on tips, in London, waiters get paid very well. If you'd like to tip to show excellent service, a 1£ tip per person is more than enough. There's also an exception to the "don't tip" rule, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is.

And, for anyone from the UK, if I've gotten this wrong, please correct me!! I'm just repeating what another Brit told me, I swear. X_x; [/color]

[Gavin]

[quote name='MistressRoxie'][color=#9933ff]And, for anyone from the UK, if I've gotten this wrong, please correct me!! I'm just repeating what another Brit told me, I swear. X_x; [/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Well, I'm afraid I can't talk with certainty for my neighbours across the Irish Sea, but I know over here in Ireland, a lot of places add an additional "service charge" to bills, which is practically a built-in tip and I think generally it's about 15% of the overall meal. Really, it's handier than having to try to work out how much to tip.

That said, because of "service charges", when I go out foreign to places that don't have them, I have to be reminded to tip because I'm so used to just paying for the meal and leaving, more than once I've actually left without tipping by accident.

One of the other things about tipping, based on a conversation I've just had with Crys is the truly paltry minimum wage over in the States, I can understand tipping in a situation where your waiter is only making about $7 an hour, but over here, minimum wage is nearly $14, so it's sort of unnecessary.[/SIZE]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]One of the other things about tipping, based on a conversation I've just had with Crys is the truly paltry minimum wage over in the States, I can understand tipping in a situation where your waiter is only making about $7 an hour, but over here, minimum wage is nearly $14, so it's sort of unnecessary.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]You think that's bad, for those working in the food industry, actual waiters and waitresses, an employer can consider tips as a part of their employees wages. Which means they can legally get away with only paying them $2.13 an hour in direct wages. So no tips means they get paid just about nothing since that's often a huge part of their actual wage.

So I'm sure you can imagine just how unpopular someone who doesn't tip is. So unless the service is absolutely dismal, I always leave a 15% tip when I go out to eat. Unless there are more than eight of us since a lot of places at that point automatically add 15% to the bill. Similar to that service charge you're talking about I imagine.

[Morpheus]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']You think that's bad, for those working in the food industry, actual waiters and waitresses, an employer can consider tips as a part of their employees wages. Which means they can legally get away with only paying them $2.13 an hour in direct wages. So no tips means they get paid just about nothing since that's often a huge part of their actual wage.

So I'm sure you can imagine just how unpopular someone who doesn't tip is. So unless the service is absolutely dismal, I always leave a 15% tip when I go out to eat. Unless there are more than eight of us since a lot of places at that point automatically add 15% to the bill. Similar to that service charge you're talking about I imagine.[/QUOTE]

If the waiter/waitress doesn't pull minimum wage, their wages are supplemented to that level. Rarely happens. Also, that 15% gratuity has been declared illegal in at least one state, and if you don't pay it the restaurant can't really do anything about it as it is not an item that you bought from them.

I'm not a huge tipper, but considering that I rarely spend a large amount of money at an eatery, 15% seems about right for what I leave.

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]I talked to someone from Seoul at lunch, and they gave me the low-down on tipping in Korea.

He said that people like valets and bag carriers at hotels [b]should[/b] be tipped because the expectation is that if you can afford to be at a place that offers those services, you are quite rich and you can also afford to tip.

But, he said that waiters/waitresses don't get tipped at all. ...And they only make $4 USD an hour! (And a gal. of milk costs something like $6 USD - ?!) Now that really sucks. [/color]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='MistressRoxie][color=#9933ff']And they only make $4 USD an hour! (And a gal. of milk costs something like $6 USD - ?!) Now that really sucks. [/color][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]$6 US in Seoul, or $6 in the US?

'Cause gallons over here cost about $3.20 or something like that.[/FONT]

[Raiha]

[quote name='Allamorph'][FONT=Arial]$6 US in Seoul, or $6 in the US?

'Cause gallons over here cost about $3.20 or something like that.[/FONT][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Less if you're on Wic. Or of you drink lactose free milk like me.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]In Seoul, a gal. of milk (well, the equiv. of a gal. since the use metric like the rest of the world) cost six USA dollars. (~1,584.02 South Korean Won). He just gave me prices in USD so I could comprehend. *shrug*[/color]

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]That's really dang expensive, comparatively.

Tipping for me usually runs fifteen percent, unless I really liked the service of the waiter/-tress. I've been known to toss in an extra fiver for a good attitude and light conversation.

Or if I can tell they're new.[/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Morpheus']If the waiter/waitress doesn't pull minimum wage, their wages are supplemented to that level. Rarely happens.[/QUOTE]Depends. That's how it's suppose to work, but it's hard to prove that one's employer actually followed through if they didn't get enough tips to pull it to minimum wage. It's kind of a problem around here, at least for some people I know. Though I'm sure most of the time the system works correctly.

[visualkei]

considering how much gas is, how much would one tip for a $10 pizza delivered. I mean, the person has to drive to your house, which is different than sitting in a restaurant and being waited on. But, you only order a cheap pizza. what's adequate?

[Drizzt Do'urden]

a $10 pizza would be $2. Plus (At least in the US) all your major pizza chains pay their drivers normal minimum wage $6.85 in Ohio. So really pizza delivery drivers don't need tipped. I usually do a $5 tip for anything over $20 and $2 for anything under $20.

As far as waiters/waitress' go in my opionion it should be 20% at all times. With minimum wage increases. The tipped employees wage only went from like $2.25 to $2.75 If i'm correct. That again was only for Ohio though.

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Do any of you tip at the hair salon? I just remembered that I usually give them a 20% tip when they cut my hair or do my nails. Just curious if anyone else did the same.[/color]

[Lucy]

[font=Georgia][COLOR="DimGray"]^ I tip at salons whenever I survive their blades and files with a haircut I can face people with and/or really, really glossy nails. No task is as daunting as pulling out bills from your wallet with a fresh manicure, so give them a little extra when they help you with this too.

I only tip when the service is good. Not exceptional, just good. Never put up with places that expect you to fork out 20% for tips; it's their job to pay for their employees. And never ever tip when there's service charge, unless the attendant has showered you with enough attention that it's easier to part with a few more bucks than to persuade him/her to become your personal assistant.[/COLOR][/font]

[visualkei]

Do any of you tip when you get a drink like coffee or a smoothie? Starbucks or Jamba Juice tippers? You're not really expected to tip are you?

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Nah. If it's one of those little cups that have "tips" written on it in sharpie, you're not required to.

I usually don't, unless the server was extremely helpful, or I'm in another country, in which case by some twisted logic I figure it'll make Americans look less ****** if I put something in the tip box. Of course, then there was the time I accidentally tipped something like 2 euros because I didn't understand the 1 and 2 euro units were in coins... XD[/color]