Thats how i do it too ^^
Im off to the USA in a couple of weeks and slightly perturbed at the idea of tipping for so many things.
.......especially to somebody who's been on their feet all day.
I used to wait tables, when i was in collage, and the pay was not very good, so i relied on tip`s aswell, some was insulting and other`s very generous, i alway`s made sure i was extra nice to my generous customer`s when they came back
It's always a treat when the waitress gives you a surprise portion of spotted dick upon your next visit to the restaurant in which she works, isn't it?
I always made sure everyone got a good and professional service. That was my own code, of course those that appreciated my service got extra tips about certain wines that had turned up in the cellar and if they were interested what particular meat, fish etc was at it's best that night.
I will usually round a taxi fare up to the nearest 5. Primarily this is because I used to drive taxis when I was at Uni, however.
I would only tip for sit-down service, and even then only if the waiter/waitress has to make multiple trips to the table (eg: drink then food, multi-course meal) AND has been at least "above average" (and in countries where English is not the native language, anyone who speaks at least some English automatically qualifies). I will generally never tip bar staff, with the exception of rounding up to the nearest 5 on a round of cocktails (or something equally fiddly to make).
10-15% is pretty much my upper limit - and it'd want to be damn good service, or an extrememely personable/attentive/pretty waiter/waitress to earn it.
Although when I move to the US later this year, I might have to change my habits for anywhere I might want to go back to.
Aside: one of the main reasons I dislike going to places where tipping is widespread (apart from the obvious "I shouldn't have to pay you extra to do your job") is that if you've not grown up with it, you really have no idea how much to tip. Eg: we stayed at a flash resort in Hawaii last year for a friend's wedding. Should I have been tipping the people who retrieved my car from the carpark ? How much ? What about if it was the third time that day I was going out ? Etc, etc. For much the same reason I don't like places with heavy bargaining cultures. It adds a needless level of stress to a situation that should be 100% relaxing and enjoyable.
Well i never did that
Me too, but what i meant was i was extra nice to the nice customer`s, i was NEVER rude to the stingy ones i was alway`s professional
If I go to the restaurant, I usually tip gratitude of 10%-15% irrespective of the quality of service although my bf reminds me not to do so if the service is sluggish, but hell cannot discriminate here can I? Maybe the pressure is lower considering the fact that we hardly eat out
I think it's a bit rude for anyone to ever feel insulted by a tip. At the end of the day it's a gift - no matter how small - and the patron is under no obligation whatsoever to give it to you.
This is exactly my problem, after a bottle of wine and a good meal, last thing I want to do is math. It is more or less obligatory in the US to tip at least 15%, they might as well just include it in the price. People would just tip on top of that then, probably/
Good luck with that attitude in the US.....the waiters might chase you down the sidewalk if you don't tip. If they sense your non-American, they probably will stand at your table until you tip....I find the whole tipping culture annoying.
does this work in reverse if you carefully start counting out the rappen until the waiter says isch guet?
but seriously, is it rude not to tip. i hate tipping. i'd rather just have a fixed price than constantly worry whether i am tipping too much/too little.
Spent a summer in Munich as a chambermaid in a hotel when I was a student - the pay is awful. If you are tipping the chambermaid, hide the tip under the sheets/duvet down the bed as the Porters always check under the pillows and take it when you check out of a hotel.. the poor chambermaids rarely get a bean and they work the hardest.
We alway`s give our chambermaid her tip in her hand, we stayed in Djerba for 2 weeks last year, and we tipped her after the first week, and gave her an even bigger tip when we was leaving, you should of seen the thing`s she did with our towel`s she made Swan`s, and heart`s on our bed with rose petal`s really beautiful. I would of tipped her without them aswell because she cleaned our suite to perfection
The reason tips in the US are not included in the bill is because tipping is NOT mandatory. Whatever compulsion you feel is just psychological. Its not unusual to walk away without tipping if the service is unsatisfactory.
If a tip to a bill comes out to a couple of dollars, and you put 10 cents on the table, it is considered an insult. Its like calling the waiter/waitress cheap. It is better not leaving anything at all.
Not obligatory but could be confrontational if you don't.....
Oh yeah...
They'll chase you down with the butcher's knife, or pull the handgun tucked away at their waist.
Seriously, I've never seen it happen. Normally, when not leaving a tip, its for obvious reasons.
By the way, do tip for everything in the 'States: Valet parking, Taxi drivers, concierge service, and even the man in the restroom with a counter full of colognes. Just play like Sinatra with one dollar bils. You'll be better off for it.
It depends on which meal of the day as well.
Thank`s Pho`s my thought`s exactly, better not to tip, if you are only going to leave 10 cents.
I will maybe do a 5% tip for "standard" service, but will only pay 10% if it's been exceptional service... and would certainly never pay 20%. I mean seriously, paying a 1/5 over an already hugely inflated food and drinks price just because er... it's habit? Madness.
If resturant owners want to pay their staff peanuts, despite making a killing off of their food and drink then that's up to them, but there is no way in hell I am subsidizing their low wages that they pay their staff, and increasing their profits by 'routine' tipping. I tip only when I have service that goes above and beyond... to do otherwise promotes bad service in my opinion, and nothing irks me more than staff in busy restaurants who expect a tip even when they've done nothing but get your food and stick it on your table. Erm... isn't that what they're paid to do? I don't tip postmen for delivering my mail, I don't tip checkout cashiers for processing my shopping, and I don't tip shop staff when I buy something... so why should this be any different?
And no i'm not generally a tight-wad in every day life either... in fact quite the opposite.