Tipping

I'm heading over to the States in little over a day now and in true male fashion, have left everything to the last minute. I understand that tipping is a big thing and was wanting to know the general rule of thumb:

Does tip percentage change in different cities? Do I tip people in retail stores? Is it rude to give the bare minimum tip?

BTW - will tip for answers with vCash

 

You generally only tip in restaurants that have servers who bring your food to you. Tip about 15-20% of the cost of your meal.

Tip percentage is the same wherever you go.

 

To make it easy, you tip your servers at restaurants, bartenders, and your cab drivers between 15% and 20%. Anything in there and no one will think twice.

Pizza delivery is 3 to 5 dollars maybe. That should cover about 99% of all tipping situations, unless you're planning on getting your hair cut.

 

Yeah, waitresses and bellhops are pretty much the only people you have to tip. And bellhops will let you know when they want some money.

Edit: and cabbies and bartenders.

 

50%

 

this thread is like pandora's box. expect alot of butthurt service industry workers complaining.

 

I've tipped random other people if the business was good.

 

Oh god.

 

These threads always get good.

 

Thanks for the input - I think I've got it covered. What if I was to get a haircut though? More than 15-20%?

 

How much do people getting tipped get taxed?

They probably make more in tips than the amount that gets deducted through tax.

 

as an American, living now in a country with no tip is AWESOME.

 

15-20% at restaurants. Usually it's double the tax you see on the receipt. Sometimes I tip at restaurants where you don't have a waitress aside from someone that brings you food and takes your tray.

Tips don't get taxed AFAIK, but often do get distributed among the staff.

 

Okay looked it up. Tips do get taxed.

 

I waited tables through college. You just have to claim enough to bring you over minimum wage (your hourly wage as a server is 2.13-2.18 in the states I've done it). So, if you work an 8-hour serving shift, you made about $17 in wages. If the minimum wage is $7.25, you would need to claim at the very least $40-45 in tips, even if you didn't make that much. If your employer has to bring you up to minimum wage out of their own pocket, they're going to axe you before very long. If you're halfway decent you will make much more than minimum wage waiting tables, though. Very few people would wait tables for less than 9-11$ an hour unless it's at a cafeteria or something where you don't have to do much but refill drinks. They then tax you on your wages earned plus what you claimed.

I would guess about 99.9% of servers cheat the government on their tip claims to some degree. I would guess about half grossly under-report their tips (like 50% or more). I'm sure I under-reported but it probably wasn't more than 10-15%.

At certain places, especially those that serve drinks, I would guess about 15-20% of servers will try to give people things for free (cheating their employer) in hopes of ingratiating themselves to the tables and getting larger tips.

 

Woah, really? I guess they would have to tell the tax department to be taxed, though.


I meant more in a way of

Made $400 gross pay in a week
Got taxed $60
Made $100 in tips.

for example.

 

Wow, that is pretty crazy. Australia is so different, haha. I have never tipped anyone in my life and never received bad service. I don't think anyone tips here tbh...

 

Two dollars should do it (assuming you're a guy just getting a trim cut.)

 

i still tip people in the uk.

always at restaurants and especially bars.

tipping the guy behind the bar a few quid is an easy way to get served quicker and sometimes if you are there a while a free drink or two.

i mean whats the hardship in throwing the guy a tenner over the course of the night if you and you friends are running a tab.