Tipping restaurants in America

I hate the thing of when it's your birthday you're expected to buy everyone in the office cakes.

No, it's my birthday, you buy ME things :dread:

Then it becomes a case of who buys the best cakes of the year, with everyone trying to one up each other. I think I spent more on cakes for other people than I got in cash for my birthday this year :fp:

[iup=3624268]Ad7[/iup] wrote:
Then it becomes a case of who buys the best cakes of the year, with everyone trying to one up each other.

What sort of twat would do something like that? :lol:

[iup=3624268]Ad7[/iup] wrote:I think I spent more on cakes for other people than I got in cash for my birthday this year

Oh right....

Last edited by Hime on Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.

You might want to get these issues with your cousin sorted before you go. It's not just restaurants, in Vegas people tip at the tables to both the dealers and waitresses. Also eating out in Vegas is incredibly good value for what you're getting, if money is an issue you might want to forget about night clubs, they are incredibly expensive and people still tip.

Surprised at the attitudes on here, when you go to different countries the onus is on you to do your research before you go. If you don't like or agree with what you read, go somewhere else. Especially if you're going to try and disguise the fact that your a bit tight as a cultural statement.

Yeah, I agree with Hime's sentiment.

Drinks in Vegas are almost always free. However, you are expected to tip everytime the waitress comes. Common opinion is that if you don't tip, the server won't generally come back in a hurry, if at all.

Tipping is just something that happens, wholesale, across the American service industry. You may think it is wrong or that there are better ways to do it, but it isn't upon you to go over there and "re-educate" 250 million people who have been doing it that way for longer than you have been alive. Don't bloody moan about it - or at least don't moan to them - and just do it.

Or when they ask for a tip, just tell them not to eat yellow snow.

I think telling tired, cliched jokes is against their culture too, Cora.

(Still bitter)

Well, two things.

1) Take it from me, that is not against their culture.

2) So, so salty. :lol:

[iup=3616170]mrspax[/iup] wrote:When in Rome...

Do as the Visigoths did

[iup=3630082]YOLO SWAG[/iup] wrote:
[iup=3616170]mrspax[/iup] wrote:When in Rome...

Do as the Visigoths did

I am not wearing black eyeliner just so I can visit the Pope.

Waiters/waitresses get the lion's share of their income from tips. There is a minimum wage in the US, but strangely, it doesn't go for waiters. An American friend (who had prior experience as a waitress) told me that the hourly wage they get from their employers hasn't changed since the late eighties and is about $2.50. She suggested 20% for normal, good service.

My experience with eating out in the US is that waiters there work really hard to make your dinner something special (quite a contrast with the lazy gits here in Amsterdam). Also, the prices on the menu are a good deal lower. Not tipping, or being stingy with tips means you're depriving the waiters of income, plain and simple.

Yeah but float them, should get a proper job etc

Just thought I'd report back on my trip. I tipped 15-20%. My cousin was more willing to tip when he realised how important it was over there. Like when the bill came it would have the tips worked out for you to choose from 15% 18% and 20%.
So I guess he realised that he was supposed to tip...

At Nobu the bill was about $290 and we rounded it up to $350.

I think my cousin was still extremely reluctant to tip but just felt the pressure from the culture when he got there.
Coz he questioned my principles a few times whilst we were there :roll:

one funny example he asked me was if I had a wedding and the catering cost 10k would I tip the waiter 10% i.e. 1k? I didn't know what to say at the time but now realise its stupid coz functions are different to restaurants...there are no words...

He asked me if I had slurped my food when I was in Japan? Obviously no i didn't and he replied well you didn't respect the culture in Japan did you? (so why the tipping culture here?) As its suppose to be a nod to the chef that the food is nice...again no words

Anyway to conclude I don't think I will plan any future holidays with him again in a country where tipping is a concern

Actually printing tip amounts on the bill? FFS :fp:

[iup=3652015]Lagamorph[/iup] wrote:Actually printing tip amounts on the bill? FFS

lol it was on like all the bills. Handy feature I guess. But at no time did I feel pressurised to give a tip. The waiters were all really nice. One even give me a free drink!

Except for the airport taxi driver in NYC, I had like no US money left and give him only 2 dollars and he said its supposed to be $5! lol

[iup=3652012]No:1 Final Fantasy Fan[/iup] wrote:He asked me if I had slurped my food when I was in Japan? Obviously no i didn't and he replied well you didn't respect the culture in Japan did you? (so why the tipping culture here?) As its suppose to be a nod to the chef that the food is nice...again no words

Just don't go on holiday with him again.

PostRe: Tipping restaurants in America by **mrspax** » Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:11 am

[iup=3652015]Lagamorph[/iup] wrote:Actually printing tip amounts on the bill? FFS

Why the face palm? I think you completely miss the point of it. It's not a special feature for tourists you know.

It's done for good reason - remember, Yanks do not even question the social requirement to tip. They just do it. Therefore the numbers at the bottom are there to genuinely help those that can't add up quickly. Some find it difficult to do 17.5% of a bill quickly.

Although that said, most Americans have the calculation almost preprogrammed when handing over the cash.

Sounds like you did the best of a bad situation No 1 FFF. Your cousin's association with the slurping in Japan is irrelevant as it is used as almost an optional thing. It's not expected as a social norm and most importantly, it's not ensuring the person serving you makes a living wage. The function thing is also complete crap. At these s events there is often a tip jar and or the waiting staff are paid a premium to cater for the fact teny will not be receiving direct tips. The cost of eating at such functions is also much higher because it's well understood that eating out in the US is cheap.

Recommend your cousin sticks to the UK where his social expectations won't be affronted!

Ps - How was Nobu? I have been to the London restaurant and thought was pretty good, but it did lose its Michelin stars recently (so can't quite command the price!). Not sure if the LV one is the same.

Take him to Japan.

mummy strawberry floaters do. not. tip.

We just left our spare change in the bowl and when we left the waiter chased us down the street to give it back.

[iup=3653943]Skarjo[/iup] wrote:Take him to Japan.

mummy strawberry floaters do. not. tip.

We just left our spare change in the bowl and when we left the waiter chased us down the street to give it back.

Maybe that's because you didn't tip enough and he was insulted.

[iup=3653947]Memento Mori[/iup] wrote:
[iup=3653943]Skarjo[/iup] wrote:Take him to Japan.

mummy strawberry floaters do. not. tip.

We just left our spare change in the bowl and when we left the waiter chased us down the street to give it back.

Maybe that's because you didn't tip enough and he was insulted.

It's because Skarjo had been shagging the waiters wife. The waiter panicked and thought Skarjo was trying to buy her.

Tipping restaurants in America

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