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Tipping in USA/Canada



 
 
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  #61  
Old November 11th, 2007, 11:02 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Hatunen
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Posts: 4,483
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:32:21 -0000, "JohnT"
wrote:

"John L" wrote in message
...
So the customer has to pay his/her server's minimum wage in addition
to paying for the food and the tax.


Yeah. Think of it as an implicitly itemized bill.

When I was in England earlier this year, I noted the the prices in
restaurants in the UK were about the same as in the US, except that
the prices were in pounds, so something that cost 20 dollars in the US
would cost 20 pounds in the UK. Even after you leave a tip, I think
you'll find that restaurant prices in the US are not out of line with
prices in other developed countries.




I don't argue that often prices in the UK are much higher than in the USA.
Prices in London are obscenely high, but tend to be more reasonable
throughout much of the rest of the UK. But I do find it very strange that in
a highly-developed Society such as the USA whoever serves a meal may well be
paid much less than the minimum legal wage.


Not quite true. The legal minimum wage for waiters is lower than
the legal minimum wage for others.

And surely the USA (plus,
perhaps, Canada) is the only territory where taxes are not included in the
quoted cost.


Also Mexico.

So, in New York for example, a meal nominally costing $25 would
actually cost $25 + 8.25% + 15%, which is more than $31.


Yep.

--
************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *
  #62  
Old November 11th, 2007, 11:07 PM posted to rec.travel.air
DaveM
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Posts: 176
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:02:25 -0700, Hatunen wrote:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:32:21 -0000, "JohnT"
wrote:


So, in New York for example, a meal nominally costing $25 would
actually cost $25 + 8.25% + 15%, which is more than $31.


Yep.


We should do this in the UK. Our standards of mental arithmetic could do
with boosting.

DaveM
  #63  
Old November 12th, 2007, 05:04 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Robert Cohen
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Posts: 433
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Nov 11, 5:58 am, Mr Travel wrote:
Robert Cohen wrote:
the economics of restaurant patronage and everything else in an
often depressing reality


a few days ago, an olive garden (owned by darden) had people waiting
for a table for lunch, and that estimated 30 minutes of waiting around
would be to me a sort of torture


other nearby restaurants, including the somewhat more expensive
darden's red lobster where we ended up. were not seemingly as crowded
(one can also estimate from the number of cars in an eatery's parking
lot if too lazy to go inside the bldg)


buyers certainly do tend to be price conscious, and it doesn't take
einstein (or the "hungrygarian" teller) to perceive a basic simple
phenomenon that the "too busy" olive garden is simply perceived as
"better value" or considered "relatively cheaper"


You could also perceived

1. Food at Olive Garden tastes better
2. Americans would rather eat pasta at lunch than seafood
3. The waitresses at OG are better than RL
4. OG has the biggest sign or the best location.
5. Perhaps RL has bad odors

You could base it on a lot of things Why assume it was price?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -




When Red Lobster started 20 -30 years ago, they had a lunch menu that
seemingly kept 'em busy for lunch too.

Why? Because the meal was perceived as being novel plus good value, I
suppose.

Hey: it's not that damne ocean mercury fear that is making 'em less
busy at lunch; while
it surely has some impact too.

Granted: consumers admittedly aren't totally basing their restaurant
choices upon money/prices.

I concur there are many other factors; while holding that price is the
major determiner.






  #64  
Old November 12th, 2007, 05:57 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Capt. Del
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Posts: 2
Default Tipping in USA/Canada



As a Brit, personally I'm embarrassed to tip. It's not what I was
brought up doing. We expect to tip but very discreetly.
But that's not the American way.
The American way is to brandish the tip like a fiery sword, making
sure everybody can see how great a tipper you are. The bigger the tip
the greater the guy you are.

Staff at restaurants and bars accept the minimum wage knowing that the
real wages are in the tips.
Restaurant owners know that staff are fighting for the job and would
even take the job for nothing, but they are legally compelled to pay
the minimum wage.
There are some establishments that stop paying even the minimum wage
if a certain figure of tips is reached.
It's not uncommon for a cute barmaid to make $1,000 a week in tips.
Watch out! If she touches you or laughs at your jokes expect to double
the tip and don't ever give loose change.

The way to think about it is, this is not a tip, this is the cost of
service.
Welcome to America!

But I guess you already know that in UK, Tips for known tipping jobs,
i.e. Taxi drivers, hairdressers etc. are taxable, if they don't
declare the tips then they are assessed and have to pay tax on
whatever the tax man thinks they may earn.
Welcome to the UK!

  #65  
Old November 12th, 2007, 07:13 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Louis Krupp
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Posts: 70
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

Capt. Del wrote:

As a Brit, personally I'm embarrassed to tip. It's not what I was
brought up doing. We expect to tip but very discreetly.
But that's not the American way.
The American way is to brandish the tip like a fiery sword, making
sure everybody can see how great a tipper you are. The bigger the tip
the greater the guy you are.


It might take some practice, but you can learn to be ostentatious, too.
Think of it as getting in touch with your inner Yank.


Staff at restaurants and bars accept the minimum wage knowing that the
real wages are in the tips.
Restaurant owners know that staff are fighting for the job and would
even take the job for nothing, but they are legally compelled to pay
the minimum wage.
There are some establishments that stop paying even the minimum wage
if a certain figure of tips is reached.
It's not uncommon for a cute barmaid to make $1,000 a week in tips.
Watch out! If she touches you or laughs at your jokes expect to double
the tip and don't ever give loose change.


When the waitperson is something other than young and female and
attractive, it's your chance to even the playing field a bit by tipping
well (discreetly, if you must) for good service.


The way to think about it is, this is not a tip, this is the cost of
service.
Welcome to America!


"Howdy," as we say out west.


But I guess you already know that in UK, Tips for known tipping jobs,
i.e. Taxi drivers, hairdressers etc. are taxable, if they don't
declare the tips then they are assessed and have to pay tax on
whatever the tax man thinks they may earn.
Welcome to the UK!


I must admit didn't know that. Who else besides taxi drivers and
hairdressers must be tipped?

Louis
Boulder, Colorado
  #66  
Old November 12th, 2007, 10:22 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Dennis P. Harris
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Posts: 175
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:57:10 -0800 in rec.travel.air, "Capt. Del"
wrote:

As a Brit, personally I'm embarrassed to tip. It's not what I was
brought up doing. We expect to tip but very discreetly.
But that's not the American way.
The American way is to brandish the tip like a fiery sword, making
sure everybody can see how great a tipper you are.


because, unfortunately, if you don't, some judgemental idiot will
assume that you're a cheapskate.

you have to remember that most americans don't carry the
upperclass/lowerclass baggage that many brits do --- or the
resentment that aussies & kiwis have about gratuities that's
connected with the supposed unequal relationship between server
and served. i thnk with the aussies that much of it has to do
with the resentment inherited from transported prisoner
attitudes.

  #67  
Old November 12th, 2007, 01:33 PM posted to rec.travel.air
John Kulp
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Posts: 2,535
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:57:10 -0800, "Capt. Del"
wrote:



As a Brit, personally I'm embarrassed to tip. It's not what I was
brought up doing. We expect to tip but very discreetly.
But that's not the American way.
The American way is to brandish the tip like a fiery sword, making
sure everybody can see how great a tipper you are. The bigger the tip
the greater the guy you are.


Talk about arrogant stupidity. You should be embarrassed for accusing
all Americans of acting like this. It would be no different than if I
said all Brits are thugs because of what a few football fans act like.
Real genius you are.


Staff at restaurants and bars accept the minimum wage knowing that the
real wages are in the tips.
Restaurant owners know that staff are fighting for the job and would
even take the job for nothing, but they are legally compelled to pay
the minimum wage.
There are some establishments that stop paying even the minimum wage
if a certain figure of tips is reached.


Name one.

It's not uncommon for a cute barmaid to make $1,000 a week in tips.
Watch out! If she touches you or laughs at your jokes expect to double
the tip and don't ever give loose change.


Name one.


The way to think about it is, this is not a tip, this is the cost of
service.
Welcome to America!


No, in your case, stay home.


  #68  
Old November 12th, 2007, 01:36 PM posted to rec.travel.air
John Kulp
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Posts: 2,535
Default Tipping in USA/Canada

On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:22:29 -0900,
(Dennis P. Harris) wrote:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:57:10 -0800 in rec.travel.air, "Capt. Del"
wrote:

As a Brit, personally I'm embarrassed to tip. It's not what I was
brought up doing. We expect to tip but very discreetly.
But that's not the American way.
The American way is to brandish the tip like a fiery sword, making
sure everybody can see how great a tipper you are.


because, unfortunately, if you don't, some judgemental idiot will
assume that you're a cheapskate.


More complete stupidity. You simply leave the money on the table or
on the credit card slip and leave. There is no need to flourish
anything and in many, if not most places, it's not even picked up
until you leave.


you have to remember that most americans don't carry the
upperclass/lowerclass baggage that many brits do --- or the
resentment that aussies & kiwis have about gratuities that's
connected with the supposed unequal relationship between server
and served. i thnk with the aussies that much of it has to do
with the resentment inherited from transported prisoner
attitudes.


Then, genius, why isn't this the case in the US which was where they
were all sent before we got independance and they opened up Australia.
Tell me that genius.
  #69  
Old November 12th, 2007, 04:05 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Jeff[_16_]
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Posts: 83
Default Tipping in USA/Canada


"Martin D. Pay" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 09 Nov 2007 14:29:27 -0600, James Robinson
mangled uncounted electrons thus:

Martin D. Pay wrote:

(Dennis P. Harris) mangled uncounted electrons thus:

it's an unfortunate fact of life
that the american restaurant industry has refused to pay their
employees a living wage and expects them to live off tips, to the
point that it's actually the law and they will be taxed on tips
that the govt expects them to receive even if they don't.

That's the bit I find extraordinary! Can the worker reclaim any
overpaid tax at the end of the year, if they can demonstrate a
lower actual income than the amount on which they've been
charged? (Even with the rapacious tax regime in the UK, this is
possible.)


The tax authority (IRS) estimates what the person should receive in tips
based on the total sales of the restaurant, and tax returns filed by other
people in similar jobs. If the amount reported by someone varies
significantly from the estimates, the onus is on them to prove why they
are
different than the trend. In many cases, they simply take the easiest
course and accept the IRS estimate.


Good... grief... @_@

Martin D. Pay
Nothing witty comes to mind...


In the U.S., the restaurant reports as tips those paid on credit card
receipts (which tips can be easily computed). It is up to the employee to
estimate additional tips and show them on his/her tax return.


  #70  
Old November 12th, 2007, 07:21 PM posted to rec.travel.air
PTravel[_1_]
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Posts: 219
Default Tipping in USA/Canada


"Qanset" wrote in message
u...
The wife and I are planning at trip to USA/Canada in the near future.
Is it true that the Yanks are really hung up on tipping, and that
FORGETTING to tip someone is courting disaster???

Like most tourists we will be traveling on a limited budget,this means
that anybody expecting free money from us will be advised to look
elsewhere.


With all due respect, I'd suggest you don't come. When I travel
internationally, I buy a guidebook and learn what particular practices and
customs are observed in the locality I'm visiting. I don't make judgments
about them, and definitely do not arrive with a, "we're superior because we
don't do things this way," attitude. I also don't insist that locals
observe my customs.

I don't think you will enjoy international travel, and I certainly don't
think you'll enjoy the U.S. Everyone will probably be better off if you
just stay home.


A colleague of mine who honeymooned in Hawaii was told by a tour bus
operator, that he EXPECTED gratuities for his efforts, because his job
was poorly paid. What more can I say.???


I think you've said quite enough. Incidentally, being sheparded around on a
tour bus is probably the worst way to visit a foreign county.


I'm going to cop a lot of flak on this subject, but never mind I have and
open mind on accepting advice on World Travel.


Advice given: change your attitude or stay home. You and the rest of the
world will be a lot happier.

 




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