Tips on tipping

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Yes, confusingly, tipping differs completely from country to country and therefore should be one of the first things you check in your guidebook before visiting another place.

In New Zealand, you only tip if you are some sort of rich person in a restaurant and you want to show off to your dining partners what a big-wig you are. I hate it when a tip is built into the bill for parties of 6 or more. Tipping should only ever be completely optional, in my opinion.

JSBB - lol! Someone tried to tip their accountant?!

 

I've always been taught that 12 to 15 percent was standard ettiquette. I am usually satisfied if I leave close to that where possible...

 

In singapore, tipping is included in the "service tax", as they called. In malaysia, tipping is non exsistance. When i come to u.s., i forced myself, unwillingly, to tip for 1 dollar and nothing more. Yeah, my friends have funny, almost loathing looks on me, but i cherish my money, and i never asked to be serviced.

However, i think, no matter where you go, tipping is a must for hotel services.

 

Well, I know tipping is not as commonplace in the UK as it is in the US. I tip cab drivers if they are not miserable and I tip my hairdresser. I don't have a problem with tipping. If I am happy with the service I have received then I will not begrudge giving someone a tip.

 

I realize that tips are a good way to augment one's income but I've always seen it as something optional. Admittedly some may earn a pittance but that shouldn't be a go signal for you to mouth off at your customer.

 

Well...AFAIK, tipping in India is at 10% of the bill. Extra if you thought the service was really good.
None if you thought it was bad.

 

As T2Bruno said, in the US, the minimum wage for waiters is only $2.15 vs. $5.15 per hour for any other job. It's therefore virtually expected for you to leave a tip. The restaurant I work in adds a 15% gratuity charge for any group over 8 people. It's assumed the larger groups are going to be more trouble and require more work.

Having a mother that has been a waitress for the majority of my life, it's been drilled into me that if you received good service, you leave a good tip. I'm by nature a fairly free spender any ways so I tend to tip a good bit.

We have had customers refuse to tip because they thought it wasn't right for waiters to make so little, and this was how they fought. Instead of, you know, pressuring for legislative changes.

 

In the Philippines, tipping is optional. Some restaurants or service providers have "service charge" include into the bill, almost always 10%. In this case, customers may want to forego tipping. On the other hand, some generous customers would leave a tip irregardless of the "service charge". Tips are not exactly by percentage of the bill but would largely depend on the change. Some people would just take the bills and leave the coins as tip. While other would leave an amount that they have unconciously considered as their own tipping standard. These personal tipping standard may vary depending on the status (or class) of the establishment. Bad services seldom get tips.

Taxi cabs is completely a different story. Most taxi drivers in Metro Manila are "unfair" (for lack of better words). Fare is usually automatically rounded off to the nearest tens. While the rude ones would actually even ask for additional. In the provices, however, you will most of the time get your change to the last centavo. In my case, I get rude with rude drivers, they will get the "the hell with you attitude from me". While those who would give me the proper change, would mostly get to keep the change (of course, there's a limit to the amount). Usually I just rounded it off to the nearest tens.

IIRC, Hong Kong doesn't really practice tipping, the waiter actually ran after us to return the tip we left, he thought we have accidentally left the money.

 

No tipping in Finland for the most part. The food here is so damn expensive and the waitors get so competetive wage that it would be plain robbery if we would be expected to pay tips. Abroad it's usually 15-20%, once I even left no tip when I was in Poland and the service was horrible and we waited over 1,5 hours for the check, and the reastaurant was nearly empty! Perhaps not the kindest thing to do but we were seriously pissed of then.

 

As Aikanaro said, tipping is virtually unheard of down here - I you give a 20 for something that costs $19.95, you will always be given 5c back.

 

Cant remember who did and said this, but it makes more sence. The waiter shouldnt be tipped, all they do is write down your order and bring you your meal, its the chef that should be tipped.

 

Ehh? It's normal in your country to tip ('reward') people for bad service??

Not sure about the netherlands. Tipping is not expected, but it happens a lot, I guess. I usually tip 15%, more for very good service and no tip for bad service.

*Ting* 2k

 

@ Morgoroth
i think that's what determines the tipping amount in different countries. as i heard from friends in US, tips constitute a big part of waiters' wage so you are expected to tip and in others like TR tips are considered as bonuses and we usually tip 10% for okay service and none for arrogant waiters. for good service you can leave 20 %

 

Beren,


you echo my, and Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs´, sentiments exactly. I would tip if it was exceptionally good but it pisses me off when you´re made to feel that you HAVE to, especially if they complain that it´s too little (which has happened in the US when we left around 10% )

 

Tipping sound like a scam to get around paying taxes and for diners and bars to get away with paying lower wages.

 

Exactly, the worst thing in the US is that the staff expect tips not matter what, they don't even try to 'earn' their tip (to be fair, most waiters/waitresses did a great job).

Not that I expect the staff to flirt with me or anything, but some being friendly is the least they can do.

 

Good point.
Flirting is not a part of the job (not at the places I go, at least ) and I will not tip for it.
I tip for good service. That is friendly behaviour, quick service if possible, alertness, tidyness (no thumb in the soup, not too much empty glasses on table etc)

 

By and large I tip 15% unless service was exceptional or really bad. Most of the time when I find a restraunt that automaticly includes a gratuity I refuse to return on the basis that a tip is my way of thanking a individual waiter.

 

Resevoir dogs?