Tipping in America

(Icono Clast) wrote:
I'm checking into a hotel Friday. I'll have $5 handy for a bellman if
one gets to me

One did. He got the fin.

and $8 in ones to leave four each morning for the housekeeper.

I left $4 when I left the room but it was there when I returned. The
room had not been touched.

I pocketed the $4 and called. "We'll send someone right up". "No! I'm
getting into the shower. Wait about a half-hour."

When I returned to the room around 04:30, it had not been touched.
Next morning, there was no coffee, the two housekeepers I found in the
hall had no coffee, and an employee who had helped me to fail to find
coffee returned to the room about 20 minutes later with coffee.

I was not pleased.

All eight of the dollars I took for the housekeepers left the hotel
with me.
__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan in 47.335 mile² San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

"Julie" wrote in message ...
We loved the US and plan to come back again, but I loathed the whole eating,
tipping thing. I used to dread mealtime.

There's really no reason for dread or loathing, as there are "escape
clauses" inherent in the tipping system (or non-system, as you care to
interpret it). If you are utterly baffled or appalled by tipping,
don't obtain food from places where tipping is expected. You still
have a wide choice: hotels where "self-serve" breakfast is included in
the room rate, cafeterias (available at museums, large bookstores,
university campuses, hospitals, etc.), coffeehouses, street vendors,
fast-food "restaurants," supermarkets or neighborhood groceries,
take-out food, and the occasional restaurant that caters to foreign
tourists by automatically slapping on a service charge (check for fine
print on the menu).

Nancy

Juliana L Holm wrote in message ...
If you are at a fancy restaurant where the tabs are $100 or $150 for two with
wine and drinks, then at 15% three tables will net you $45, which lets you bring home a whole lot more.

You don't tip on liquor.

kassa

kassa says "You don't tip on liquor."

What kassa means, I hope, is you don't tip on liquor at a liquor store
if you carry out the product yourself. At a restaurant, bar, tavern,
etc. in the United States you tip the bartender or server. Servers, in
fact, generally are required to share a portion of their tips with the
bartender. Bartenders, as servers, usually get minimal "shift pay" and
rely on their tips as the major part of their pay. Like it or not,
that's the way it is - or that three dollar beer will be $3.50.

Greg Johnson wrote:
What kassa means, I hope, is you don't tip on liquor at a liquor store
if you carry out the product yourself. At a restaurant, bar, tavern,
etc. in the United States you tip the bartender or server. Servers, in
fact, generally are required to share a portion of their tips with the
bartender. Bartenders, as servers, usually get minimal "shift pay" and
rely on their tips as the major part of their pay. Like it or not,
that's the way it is - or that three dollar beer will be $3.50.

If that $3 beer cost $3.50, the bartender was paid a decent wage, and
tipping was no longer expected, I could die happy.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

In article ,
Davo wrote:

1) 15% seems to be the minimum in restaurants, with more generous
souls contributing 20% of the bill before tax

That's about right. If you're fussing too much with cents, then you're
worrying too much, though it is permissible to pick the tip to round up to
whole dollars--i.e., if the tap is $8.60, don't fret too much if you leave
$1.40 or $2.00. $1 would work in a pinch, but be realistic--what are you
likely to do with that extra 40 cents anyways (which will barely get you a
pack of gum)?

2) There's not a lot of consistency in tipping beyond that! You'd
think that something as ingrained as tipping would be fairly evenly
applied, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Tip the hotel cleaner,
or not? Tip the cab driver 15%, or an amount per bag, or both, or
just double the fare just in case :-)... just kidding!

I try to leave something for the hotel maids. Ten to fifteen percent for
the cab driver, and best to round to whole dollars or have some quarters
ready. (Both are rough lines of work.) Nobody but me lifts my bag, so I
don't usually need to tip for that, but if I have the hotel hold it for
me, I'll give a buck or two when I retrieve it. Other than that, it's
hard to imagine the budget traveler encountering many tipping situations.

I'd like to encourage any Aussies out there not to be tightwads when
it comes to tipping when in America, since it seems that there are a
lot of people who depend on that money for their livelihood. I know
it's not the way we do things when at home but when in Rome... (or NY,
LA or wherever!).

Thank you. If there's one thing we can do to be less ugly when we're down
there, let us know and we'll try not to do it.

Thanks again everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing your great
country next month.

Hope you have a great trip!
--
---
Eric Holeman Chicago Illinois USA

Alas, that model won't work. We had a nice restaurant here a while ago.
Wines were priced at 20% over wholesale and the waiters were paid and
signs were placed indicating a no tipping policy. Not really much more
expensive without considering the tipping. Crashed in about 2 years. FFM

Miguel Cruz wrote:

Greg Johnson wrote:

What kassa means, I hope, is you don't tip on liquor at a liquor store
if you carry out the product yourself. At a restaurant, bar, tavern,
etc. in the United States you tip the bartender or server. Servers, in
fact, generally are required to share a portion of their tips with the
bartender. Bartenders, as servers, usually get minimal "shift pay" and
rely on their tips as the major part of their pay. Like it or not,
that's the way it is - or that three dollar beer will be $3.50.


If that $3 beer cost $3.50, the bartender was paid a decent wage, and
tipping was no longer expected, I could die happy.

miguel

You ought to know which maids clean your room. I would as soon as you get to
know who the regulars are, approach them and personally give them a tip that
totals about $1 per day. Explain that you will be staying on and off and
that you want to make sure they get the money. so if your total days is
about 60, then after a week, you might approach the (say 3) maids who would
be cleaning your room and give each a $20 bill. If you need help in figuring
which one(s) to tip, ask the general manager (not a duty manager).

The advantage of the one-time tip is that it would be more meaningful to
them as one big tip; they would know who gave it to them when they see you
in the hall or landing; there would be no doubt that it was for them and not
to be shared (some might and others wouldn't) and it would insure that you
will get extras like more towels, a little more care, a friendlier smile,
etc.

John

"Hans-Christian Grosz" wrote in message
...
Hi!

With all those tipping-messages, I got another question:

Right now, I'm staying in a Hotel, 39 usd without taxes, and about 90
days with breaks. How should I handle tipping (if, when, how much) in
such situation?

HC

(Greg Johnson) wrote in message ...
kassa says "You don't tip on liquor."

What kassa means, I hope, is you don't tip on liquor at a liquor store
if you carry out the product yourself. At a restaurant, bar, tavern,
etc. in the United States you tip the bartender or server. Servers, in
fact, generally are required to share a portion of their tips with the
bartender. Bartenders, as servers, usually get minimal "shift pay" and
rely on their tips as the major part of their pay. Like it or not,
that's the way it is - or that three dollar beer will be $3.50.

I would be delighted to pay the $3.50. Pay the guy a salary and leave
me flaming out of it. My clients don't slip my designers a fiver for
doing a great logo. I am responsible for paying them a competitive
salary that keeps them happy (and not job seeking) and my clients
happy (by charging an acceptable rate)

thanks
tina