Omg why is there so much maths involved with life in america!?!? In the UK its not customary to tip any one (tho people do tip waiters and some times hair dressers) just make the price of thing thing higher and pay your staff properly!!!!
Someone tried that at a restaurant near my city (in Canada) and people didn't like paying higher prices right off the menu. The way I see it, people like to feel like they have control over how much the will pay, even if they pay the same in the end. It's pretty ridiculous. But then again, as someone who makes tips (but thankfully I am still paid above minimum wage) I find myself tipping more when I can.
Maggie Doughty I understand for food but there are sooo many other things in this video people tip for like tipping at a bar for a drink that seems so weird to me! taxis are also expensive too .a massage surely the person is the product so all the money goes to them any way! it seems like madness! I will still come to america again but bearing all this in mind it could be a wile till i can afford it! :)
jazzyisme I live in NY and am a hairdresser and dread when Europeans come in because they never tip. I make a conscious effort to make sure they get the most inconvenient appt available or shame them for not tipping. Its outrageous. These assholes don’t realize that this is how we make our money. Not on the actual service itself.
I feel sad that in some countries/places it is expected to tip and frowned upon not to, you should tip based on your opinions on how the service was, if all they do is serve food or what ever there is no tip needed. if they smile and are nice and generally a good personality and do the job well then you tip them. After all they are already getting payed for what they do.
In some places waitresses and waiters are paid under minimum wage on the understanding that tipping will make up for it. These jobs are not fun. Tipping is a good way of saying thanks to those who work hard; if you can afford it, I think you always should :)
I know it is stupid minimum wage is there for a reason, never should you be paid under it even with high tipping. As i said, you should only tip if they work hard, if they just do bare minim there should be no tip n my opinion.
Here's how to easily do the mental math to figure out 15%: 1. Round the bill up to the nearest dollar 2. Move the decimal place one to the left 3. Multiply that by 1.5 4. Don't lose sleep over the fact that you tipped slightly more than 15%; you're helping your waiter out :) One good thing to note is that when you screw up at work in a salary/fixed-hourly job, your boss doesn't immediately give you a pay cut. Many people who depend on tips don't make minimum wage because it's expected that the tips will get them up to it, so just treat it as a cost of going out, or move to Japan. Also, how much extra do I tip my valets if I find them acting out Liam Neeson movies in the parking lot?
This is so weird to watch in the UK we literally only tip waiters and that's usually expected to be about 10%. I'd never even dream of tipping a cab driver, the cost of a cab is already entirely disproportionate without adding extra money on top. If I ever went to a country where tipping was expected I'd be incredibly nervous about seeming rude but really it's far ruder to expect people to give you extra money for doing a task they're already paying you for anyway.
You talk sense! I'm in the UK too and would only tip at a restaurant really...but when I worked as a waitress I would never expect people to tip me...it was just a great bonus if they did.
+Bethany Marsh It's rinsing consumers of money. A scam. I set up a business, I pay my workers dirty cheap to make me tonnes of money and simply pass on the responsibility onto the customers
I'm weirded out by the fact that half these jobs exist. But not as much as the fact that America uses tipping in EVERYTHING, apparently. Here in Denmark, we actually know how to let our labourers earn a living, and asking for more would either get you a blank stare, if not a scolding. ~ TDG
I play music in coffee shops, bars and restaurants, and I really appreciate any tips! I think tipping musicians is a universal thing and any amount is welcome. I've gotten simple "Thank you"s all the way up to a $100 bill. I usually end the vlogs on my channel with how much money I get in tips each week. Anyways, thanks for the video, Emma and Mike!
I'm a server in the US and I miss dining in the UK. Since servers are actually paid there they seem happier and more productive. Though I did always tip servers in the UK like I would in the US just to be nice since I know what the job is like.
I know that tipping is more important in america (their pay is caculated low to beginn with, because the tips are considered part of the salary), but I think you should at least note somewhere, that this video is mostly for americans. In Europe you don't need to tip as many people (and only if you feel they did a good job). Mostly it's waiters, cleaning staff at hotels and cabdrivers - you tip them about 10% (or round up to an even amount) if you got good service. It's ok to not tip at all too - especially if the setting isn't fancy and/or you are e.g. a student or otherwise not easily able to tip constantly. (I know that legally you don't HAVE to tip in amercia either, but it'd be frowned upon not to a LOT more than around here). You mostly only tip other employes if they did an especially good job or went out of their way to help you. Their salary is calculated to sustain them fully without any significant amount of tips. I think that's better for everyone involved, because waiters don't feel as much pressure, knowing their pay is not dependant so much on tips and customers don't need to constantly be on the look-out for people to tip and worrying on how much to. (10% are very easy to calculate too!) ^_^
I just stumbled over an article on the subject - in case you are interested: kitchenette.jezebel. com/the-gratuitous-injustice-of-american-tipping-culture-1608009017 (remove the spaces)
Alex I'Anson Oh. Sorry, I am so not up to date then... ^_~ Have it again: kitchenette.jezebel.com/the-gratuitous-injustice-of-american-tipping-culture-1608009017
Alex I'Anson Depends. Of course you can tip what you want, I learned (I'm from Germany) you tip about 10-15% of the total bill at a restaurant and whatever floats your boat in other situations.
Remember that waiters/waitresses can be paid SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN MINIUMUM WAGE (depending on your state). We're talking less than half. This is to account for tips. This means that tipping is not optional in a restaurant unless you have a horror story experience it's at least 15%.
If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any pay period, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate. If the owner is a scumbag and claims that tips were paid when they weren't that's another matter entirely.
Hi, asillymuffin! Thanks for commenting! Maybe this wasn't as clear as we'd intended: We're not endorsing 5-10% tips. The reason we said 5-10% minimum is that we wanted to make clear that in America, we personally feel you should not NOT leave a tip. We're not passing judgment (we're just here to give information and hopefully some chuckles), but some people regularly leave 0% if their experience isn't above average. So we agree with you that 15% is standard ("for average service," as we put it); we just wanted to stress that we feel you should always leave *something*. Thanks again! - Mike
I worked at Subway for a while and I usually worked shifts alone, so occasionally I would get someone who would tip me $5 for getting them in and out quickly, or just because they knew what it was like to work their alone at night, and I often would get someone who came in and would order 4 to 8 footlongs that I would take care of by myself, and they would tip nothing, despite paying in cash. My coworkers and I agreed that if you're getting food for a large party then you ought to tip, especially if they service you alone, and ESPECIALLY if they label all the food, put it into bags for easier carrying, and provide all the extra condiments without you having to ask. We also agreed that if you asked for a service that takes some extra time and effort (such as asking them to sanitize all the knives and boards for your order due to an allergy) during a rush, then they ought to get tipped for that as well.
I agree, I think that if you get take out and you're the dream in and out and no fuss customer, no tip is really required (but appreciated). However, if you're a large party or have an odd request that you know will take extra time, you should feel obligated to tip. I just have a practice in general to toss coins I get in change in the tip jar regardless (what am I going to do with 37 cents?), and an extra couple of bucks if I am getting food for my whole family. I used to work at an ice cream stand over the summers in highschool, and I generally found that people are generous with tips in non-required situations. Back when minimum wage was $5/hour (I guess I am dating myself here), we'd typically make an extra $2/hour in tips. Not bad! So I think most of the time people are awesome, it just stands out in our mind when people are not.
I'm a server and I "liked" this video before I even watched it. I can elaborate on why servers need to be tipped: most servers work for less than minimum wage. I won't say the name of the restaurant but servers are paid 2.83 an hour there. After taxes that's basically nothing. Servers make the majority of their income based off tips and turnover. Turnover is when servers clean up their table (sometimes by themselves, sometimes by the bus staff which they have to give a portion of their tips to) and can then seat another, and then make more money. So if you sit at a table for longer than an hour and a half (that's your average turnover for most places) then you are taking money from the server that they could have made from another table after your and your tip should reflect that. Most people don't know this. Serving isn't an easy job but someone's got to do it. Also if you don't factor a tip into your budget before you go out you should. It makes the process so much easier.
BlaineCraner aw, that's not nice or fair. Waiters aren't paid very much to begin with and often are paid less because their employer expects the tips to be a part of their wage. Two sides to every story.
Tori Pierce ... OK, waiters I understand. Bars? Maybe. The rest? No reason. The person act as if he/she is supposed to get the tip? (you know, in the snaky / privileged way) No tip.
BlaineCraner I agree with that for sure! I just reread your comment and your second comment and realized you meant a different thing! sorry :) also, Martijn van de Streek lol that's definitely the theoretical way the system should work... however, I don't think that's how it ACTUALLY works.
I don't remember the findings exactly, but I've read an article talking about how waiters specifically would probably make more if tips were removed and instead built into the cost of the meals. I forget the specific logistics, though. Good video :)
I really wish tipping wasn't a thing, you should be paid enough by your employer and be motivate by pride in a job well done, not "can I make rent this month?". Not tipping works elsewhere (Japan, Australia) with generally better service. I still tip when I choose to visit restaurants, though. I'm not a monster.
Sorry friends, most of these are 'no tip required' in my book. I only tip waiters & waitresses, and honestly I'd prefer if they were simply paid better wages so I'm not always eating cheaper meals than what I can ordinarily afford. In all other spheres, I tip great and memorable service as a thank you. This obligation to tip in so many other situations is not my bag.
Also, I'm not sure in America, BUT this might be a thing to add - in the UK, if you're in a restaurant and they add a 12.5% gratuity, you are NOT obligated to pay it. If they put it on the paperwork, say at the start if you're not going to pay a forced gratiuity (my family prefer to leave paper tips), but if it's added at the end with no warning? You DON'T have to pay it :)
You should still tip for takeout. Those servers staffing that area of the house are not making minimum, and they still have to do everything a server does. Even though they aren't taking care of a table for 45+ minutes, they've checked and bagged your food, gotten bread/utensils/whatever and run through a script of service. And THANK YOU for saying something about deliveries! It's so devastating to not be thought of, or to be punished for management/circumstances that were beyond our control.
I used to be a driver for a pizza place. Delivery orders would skyrocket during bad weather. Tips didn't usually change, but they should. If you don't want to drive out in the weather, you're about to make someone else do it instead so tip well and make it worth the risk they are taking for you. Or just don't order at all. Thinking about safety and needs of others when ordering in bad weather is a good thing to do.
Because tipping isn't a part of the culture here in Finland, whenever I visit a country where tipping is a thing I honestly get a bit nervous. Because I normally never have to think about tipping it's very easy to just forget about it, and I really don't want to be "that guy" who just casually walks out of a restaurant without leaving a tip. Not a big deal, but I do want to pay for the service unless it's been built into the salary (I don't understand why it isn't, but that's a whole another discussion). Any _tips_, anyone?
This is just my personal opinion, but I'd rather have people like, favorite, and share if they really like my stuff rather than offer money - the way I see it, the amplification effect those things provide will help more people see the channel, and it's likely that getting additional viewers would probably increase income naturally. evi v's suggestions are definitely good as well though!
For some channels (like this one I think) you can go to Subbable.com and subscribe to your favorite channels to help support them with a monthly monetary donation of your choice.
You're friendly neighborhood barista here! I love this video, it helps a lot! Though I feel a bit left out. As someone who makes handcrafted drinks for hours and uses tip money each week to put gas in my car, I think coffee shop tipping should be included and encouraged. :)
Nicely done, well presented, and comprehensive. Please remember when tipping wait staff, especially in places like chain cheap cafés, waitresses and waiters (at least in America) are usually paid UNDER minimum wage. You're helping pay their living costs by tipping well (if you can afford it.) Also, being nice to people, a smile, and a bright conversation can make the day of any server - either if you can't tip (like mcdonalds), or you just can't afford it! :)
I think the most important thin is to stress that those are guidelines for America. In Germany for instance you tip waaaaaay less. If you are a young person it isn't even expected of you... Also it helps to just ask the waiter or waitress if you are expected to tip in a foreign country when you are unsure how to tip.
If while traveling (or even not while traveling), you take a tour of a museum or historical site, it's nice but not necessary to tip the tour guide $5 or so at the end of the tour. I always err on the side of tipping and, as far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as overtipping. This has led to the occasional upgrade and lots of attentive service in hotels and restaurants and such.
For Massage Therapists, always increase the tip by a couple of dollars if you requested any add-ons or specialty changes to your massage. If it's deep tissue or a trigger point therapy session, please understand that those modalities take a huge toll on the therapist's body. If you are receiving a massage at a franchise or chain, tip 15-20% based on the RETAIL VALUE of the massage. NOT THE MEMBER RATE. Massage therapists rely on tips for at least one third of their income (For a massage that costs you $80, the therapist is actually being paid around $16-24). Therapists also prefer to be paid in cash. Putting a tip on a credit/debit card means that the tip will be taxed and received in the therapist's paycheck up to two weeks later.
On waitstaff. Often they get paid a nominal below-minimum wage amount they never even see because it's held back for taxes assuming they get tips. So your tip is all they will ever make. If you order any kind of alcoholic or specialty beverage, they have a set amount they MUST tip out to the bar, regardless of how much you tip. Meaning: if you stiff a waiter/waitress, they may end having to PAY for the honor of serving your inconsiderate hide. I'd say 15% is a minimum for even terrible service, 18% for ok service, 20% for good, and more for exceptional. I always tend to be a bit more generous, personally, and if my meal is comped I tip even more (unless it was just a disaster).
Hey, tipping started out there to get alcohol when it was not accessible. Also, tipping is considered rude in Japan. Here's the advice - the more you tip, the more you promote the culture of paying minimum wages for jobs like waiters. My final remark would be to refer to to a book Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, who did research and concluded that social and monetary interactions should not be combined! Therefore, I DO NOT TIP, but when I pay my bill, I talk to the service staff politely and educate them about the customs of the country where I came from (now I live in Canada). I really wish everyone had fair salary and an opportunity to grow. I really hope I will not have to pay extra money and evaluate someone who was friendly and nice in money terms. Thank you.
For me as a Swede this seems so weird. In Sweden you can tip if you want to, but it's very uncommon. We almost only tip with "Keep the change" or in a tip jar (which basically is a jar for "Keep the change").
I can't speak for all tip-jar places, but back when I was a barista, I expected tips less from regulars (though they were usually great and threw one in) and more from the new people because I usually took extra time to help them (explaining drinks, recommendations, possibility even taste testing) and tried to make it an experience for them; there was nothing worse than spending 20 minutes of my already busy day describing every drink option, making several complicated drinks, and then not getting tipped. Here's a tip; if you're not a quick in-and-out customer, please tip. And, of course, even if you are, if your barista is fantastic and makes you some great coffee, please tip... most of us are poor college students struggling to feed ourselves and the tips I make that week might be next week's grocery money.
DakuHonoo yeah, but you have the chance to be a really nice person and help out a little bit :) it's not hard, just showing a little decency and generosity towards people who are, in fact, hard-working! and if you can't afford it, well, no big deal, just be polite and kind and it might just make somebody's night! :)
Martijn van de Streek I'm 19. I'm a university student. I'm up to my neck in student debt. I simply cannot afford to not be working. Do you honestly think that I didn't go round every place of employment in my town with my CV?? There ARE no other places to work. I have to suck it up. I am simply asking that people who are ALREADY paying to eat out tip generously.
Even if you go inside to pick up the order at certain places aside from Chinese food restaurants or pizza places, it's likely that a server or a bartender had to put your order together in the kitchen and prepare your takeout bag with napkins, utensils, sauces, etc. which takes away from time these people could dedicate to a paying table. It's more work to put those orders together than most may think, and still deserve a tip even if you come in! I would agree, however, that it can be lower than if you get curbside service. Don't leave nothing though!
I find the need to tip people weird. Isn't it the responsibility of the boss of the employee to pay the employee fair? and if that costs too much, he can raise the price of the food/other stuff, too include the regular tip. I have not tipped a single time in my life(But I live in Belgium where what I describe actually happens)
samramdebest as a hairdresser in New York we dread anytime Europeans walk into the salon and make sure they get the most inconvenient appointment available or don’t even take them at all. In the States, the bigger the tip, the better the service. Waiters will even spit in your leftovers if you tip them poorly. So be careful in America. You tip 20% ALWAYS
OK so, I order food a lot for my office, usually sandwiches or burritos or something, and the total comes to about $300 (to feed 30ish people). Do I really need to tip the delivery guy $45? Seems like a lot.
if its catered to you, at least 20! remember they pay their own gas usually and prep the food and supplies. they sometimes get a gratuity of like 10% of the order so $20 is good
Always give an Uber driver 5 stars if they get you to your destination. Barista - if your drink means measuring loose leaf tea into a tea bag, steeping tea, adding flavor shots, and steaming milk or some other complicated process you need to tip a dollar. Pay attention to how complicated your drink is! I've noticed a lot of people use level up for coffee. Know that 1) the app reads "customer will tip cash" if you choose not to tip, and 2) Customers who change their tip to 50% when getting something small like a coffee or a cookie are remembered as angels.
Don't forget the outdoor service industries like guiding, zip-lining, etc. They keep you safe while also entertaining you. Tip values vary widely since it's a much newer thing - I think 5-10% per event cost is reasonable, divided among guides. Also, I think delivery drivers should be tipped more, like $5.
Easy tipping tip if you can't do the math in your head: take off the last digit, then double the amount of the first digit. For example: bill of $35=$6-$7 tip for a total bill of $41-$42. It's essentially a 15%-20% tip.
I used to think tipping in Australia was illegal until I got tipped myself. It's just not done here! But this video was super useful for when I'm going to America :)
Please, please, please remember to tip delivery drivers and servers. As someone who works in a restaurant and has worked as a delivery driver, I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see people who work their butts off and a ridiculously small tip or none at all
Tried to tip the same way I am used to in North America when I went in Switzerland... the waiter had big round eyes when they saw how much I gave him =3 (I did enjoyed the service too) I believe it would be simpler for a "no obligation" service with adjusted wage (and service cost). I do hate the minimum tip principal...
Wow, it's super different in Canada... This is good to know, there's a lot more tipping in the US. We accidentally got a bell hop in New Orleans mad at us on a trip because my dad only tipped $5 and they were expecting $20 (5 bags).
My parents retired from professional jobs and now are ski instructors at a resort about an hour from here. My dad was, at first, taken aback by the idea that his students or their parents would tip him. Now he sees it as a nice source of loose bills as opposed to $20s from the ATM.
Is it true you don't have to tip, say, the owner of a hair salon? I mean if they do everything from wash to syle, since they're the owner? And, what to do in a similar situation when your stylist is part owner of the biz??? Question from Canada
The only reason you should be tipping less than 15% at a restaurant is if you think the service was so awful the server does it deserve to be able to pay rent and utilities, medical bills, or, you know, groceries. Always tip at least 15%, people. And that's for bad service - definitely at least 20% for average service.
I'm gonna say, as a server, unless you were very dissatisfied with your service, you should always tip at least 15%. A lot of wait staff work for an hourly wage that is half of the minimum wage. If you can't tip that much on a food bill, perhaps you should not being eating in a restaurant or you should get take away. (It can seem like an easy job from the outside but there's more to it than you can see.)
I think my biggest gripe with tipping is just the awkwardness of it. Tipping after eating is easy because you just put the money on the table, but with something like the hair salon you have to do it right in front of them at the counter (and to make things worse they never directly ask for a tip, so you have to awkwardly bring it up yourself like "so here's the amount for the cut... and here's the amount for your tip..." as they stare at you. :\
This is what makes travelling in america a constant stream of awkward for me (british person). at home I only tip waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers. usually 10% or rounding up to the closest £5. and i think that's more than most people do.
The question I have that no one covers.. do you add the extra money on top of your bill, hand over that money and the person will assume the extra is their tip? or do you have actually tell them you're tipping them this amount so they don't give you back change?
Ah, the tip dance! At least in the US, the polite thing to do is to not point out that the tip is the tip. If you want to save the person you're tipping a trip, then you can say you don't need any change.
To me, tipping is such an odd concept. I come from a country where tipping is uncommon, seeing as people are actually paid a reasonable amount of money to do their job. I doubt people tip unless they're at a fancy restaurant, or alike. Sure, I can see that paying waiters based on their service encourages them to do a good job, but the fact that they primarily rely on tips seems terrible to me. Visited Scotland with some of my mates a year back, and we tipped like crazy because we didn't know what was expected. As someone who's not familiar with this concept, a video like this seems very intimidating, seeing as there're so many things to keep in mind if you want to be seen as a decent human being.
Zenyl samramdebest as a hairdresser in New York we dread anytime Europeans walk into the salon and make sure they get the most inconvenient appointment available or don’t even take them at all. In the States, the bigger the tip, the better the service. Waiters will even spit in your leftovers if you tip them poorly. So be careful in America. You tip 20% ALWAYS
I wish tiping was like this is more common where I'm from (the Netherlands). Not just because I am a waitress and me and my coworkers party when we get as much as 10 euros a night, but because it is nice to show people you appreciate what they do for you...
At coffee shops with tip jars, if you are buying something that is not just drip coffee or tea, $0.25 a drink is not much to ask for but goes a long way in the scheme of things!
What about photographers? I had one at my wedding and I remember giving him about 10% the day of as a thank you for his awesome service and professionalism. He worked for himself and was pretty much a one man operation so I assumed the price he charged (which was not cheap) was his legitimate need for his salary and the 10% was just nice from me. But i still worry about it sometimes, and I wonder if tipping in this case is standard and I didn't tip enough.
I was all set to say thanks for the video .... until you got to the "Waitstaff" portion. 5-10%. Really? Sorry, but that is insulting. As a waitstaff person, I will tell you that the majority of my paycheck is my tips. I get less than $3/hour pay with the rest of my income coming from my tips. Industry standard has always been 15% of the total bill or double your local sales tax. Yes, exceptional service does usually earn a higher tip percentage (usually between 20% to 30%), as does service to a larger party (usually considered groups of 8 or more in most restaurant locations and carries an 18% gratuity standard). By suggesting that a standard "acceptable" tip be between 5-10%, you are really doing your server a great disservice. Not trying to put you out, but definitely think it needed to be brought to your attention.
Hi, Benjamin! Thanks for commenting! Maybe this wasn't as clear as we'd intended: We're not endorsing 5-10% tips. The reason we said 5-10% minimum is that we wanted to make clear that in America, we personally feel you should not NOT leave a tip. We're not passing judgment (we're just here to give information and hopefully some chuckles), but some people regularly leave 0% if their experience isn't above average. So we agree with you that 15% is standard ("for average service," as we put it); we just wanted to stress that we feel you should always leave *something*. (I've worked in a tip-reliant restaurant position, so believe me, I am a fan of leaving at least 15%. :] ) Thanks again! - Mike
and whose fault is it that you're working under the minimum wage? yours and the people's who tip ... i'm sick of this american tipping - can't you just organize and say no to lower wages? can't you sue everyone who'd give you a contract where you get below minimum wage? sure you can
DakuHonoo No, you can't sue them because it's not illegal. There is a separate minimum wage for waitress and such who work for tips. I believe in my state it's $1.85/ hour.
I heard, but do not know if it is true, that though the basic wage is lower, if after tps are added, the income is less than minimum wage then the restaurant has to make up the difference. If that is the case, then surely the american tipping system is a way of the customer subsidising the restaurant. That being said, just give a *expletive* tip. Don't penalise the waiter/waitress for the restaurants *expletive*y policy.
Ok so the excuse for having to tip in America is that usually the people you're tipping get very low wages right? Does this mean that the cost of the service you are receiving is low also? Does this mean that customers are paying most of the persons weekly wage? This is a genuine question, I'm from Ireland and maybe moving to US next year, is there's anyone from Europe or preferably Ireland who has lived in America who can clear this up for me?
Can you talk about the actual tipping procedure? This one time I was eating alone and paying cash and they gave me a folder thing and I just had no idea how to handle it.
I find tipping so weird... I'm from Australia and it's practically non existent here. I'm curious to know, are children expected to tip if they use services that require at tip?
When I was on holiday in America there was a juice stand in a mall so I bought a drink and as I walked away my friend said to me "Here in the US we tip" and tipped the staff member on my behalf. Am I wrong for finding that a little stupid because it wasn't a wait on service? She literally went to a machine, pressed a button and out came my juice? Nothing tip worthy? And if that's the case, should I, who works as a nurse, be tipped for looking after people's health? Because surely that is more tip worthy than pressing a button? I don't know, this whole tipping business is ridiculous. Staff shouldn't just expect a tip when it's at the discretion of the customer.
(sponge bob starfish guy pointing to a direction) why don't we take the expected tips (sponge bob starfish guy pointing to the opposite direction) and make it part of the original wage and eliminate tipping altogether? (i'm not american, obviously, and i hope this injustice of less-than-minimum-wage gets fixed for everyone suffering it)
The problem is that waiters and their employers don't want it fixed. As a waiter with the current system you can easily make double or triple minimum wage using the social pressure inherent to the current system
No, I want to know how to tip literally. Like do you hand the person their tip or do you include it with the bill. i really don't know. I want to avoid being awkward.
It's appropriate to tip for a massage if you're going to a spa or similar place that hires multiple masseuses. If you're going to a sole proprietor or massage therapist, my understanding is you don't tip.
This is a great topic for a How To Adult. I think it's weird that we are practically the only country that does this. That shouldn't mean don't tip though.
Thank you for this, it'll help a lot when I go to the states in May. Tipping in the UK is generally only on people who were actually good, rather than everyone (ie. I tip all my servers unless they were dicks, and my hairdresser who is awesome as standard. Anyone else, it depends). Hopefully I don't look like a total asshole or tightwad in the States, though as a poor student I doubt I'll be in many places I can tip.
As a poor student, I can tell you I tip at restaurants, delivery drivers, and hairdressers. Everything else here I'm too poor to use xD No cabs and fancy hotel concierges for me!
Another poor student here...I find you have to work the expected approximate tip into the bill when you're thinking about where to go. Fast food and takeout resolve the tip-cost issue though! I tip hair stylists and delivery drivers too, but I've never tipped my massage therapist (but I've usually gone to somebody who has her own practice and I feel that she charges whatever she deems appropriate...but that's more a situation where if I was a regular a Christmas gift/bonus would be in order instead). As for hotel staff...I'm too cheap to stay in places with people who actually help you! So...tip your taxi and your restaurant server. Should be all you need to know :)
fast food or local grocery sounds like it'll be my thing then. I'm there for a conference, so I just need to find evening food. I hope there is a grocery in walking distance, I'm trying to lose weight and we all know fast food doesn't work for that
5% for a restaurant meal is TOO LOW! This gets shared (usually) between as many people as line cooks, bussers, host/ess, and your servers. 10% is the general minimum and I've heard that many servers take 10% as a comment on poor service. 15% (at least in Canada) is a good rule of thumb...personallyI also tend to tip higher percentages on smaller bills (oh my sit-down lunch was only $10? $2.00 tip probably appropriate)
Can someone please explain to me the point of tipping? I live in Australia and we don't give tips (unless the establishment has a tip jar which is rare and even then it's only optional). If you already paid for your service, the employee is getting paid for their work, why is it necessary to give extra?
Because in the USA waiters only get paid 2 US dollars / hour. Which is 2.5 Australian dollars or 1.3 Great British Pounds. In other words, not enough to live on without tips!
If I do end up moving to America I am going to need to memorise this video, or go round with a sign that says "If I don't tip enough, tell me, I'm not trying to be rude, I am just a confused English girl"
A little reminder about American Tipping Culture for the foreigners who are a bit confused and surprised by it. The federal minimum wage for tipped positions is only $2.13/hour. Although most wages around the country is around the $4-$5 range. You're not just 'paying' someone for a job they're already being paid for. These tipped positions are designed so that tips are considered part of the employees wages. They're also taxable. Why not pay the employees a livable wage? Well, restaurant industry lobbyists have made sure that doesn't happen anytime soon. It's also been so ingrained in our culture that many aren't willing to part with tipping. You know how stubborn Americans are.
I'm from Costa Rica and we don't tip, I know it's weird, but is just not expected, and a lot of times in restaurants the tip is kind of include, saludos 👑 (dftba)
This is only true for America. In Japan we don't tip. I've tried and people usually refuse. That's because in Japan, more people make a living wage and so tipping is not necessary. I much prefer the Japanese system. I think the employer should pay their employee a living wage, so that employees aren't dependent upon customers who might or might not tip no matter how well they do their job. Japan has (arguably) the best service in the entire world too, so it's not as though it negatively affects the quality of their work to not have tips. You will always be greeted with "いらっしゃいませ" (welcome) and kindness and patience--- even if you're crying like an idiot because you're trying to understand the terms of your mobile phone contract and it's all in Japanese and you're afraid to make a mistake. Not that I would know. Japan's not a perfect society by any means, but I think this is something that Japan does better than the US. Also, hospitals are MUCH cheaper, because the national government regulates how much hospitals can charge for all procedures. The US needs to get on that! I sprained my ankle in Japan and only paid $20 for all the doctor's visits, x-rays, and medicine. In America, my x-ray alone cost me $100...
I take issue with the tip jar advice- as someone who worked as a barista for many years, if you get an excellent, hand crafted espresso drink, to be a good person, you should tip a dollar.
As a college student who's spent 5 years paying her way through as a waitress the 5% minimum you suggested for wait staff is the most insulting thing I have ever heard. Servers get paid usually around $4.25-$6 an hour at your average restaurant. Your tip, the barest minimum, should always be at least 15%. I tip, as someone who has been in the service industry for this long, minimum of 20%, and 25% if the service is exemplary. Additionally, always factor in, when assessing the quality of your service how busy the restaurant is and how many tables that server is taking care of at the same time. Also remember that 90% of the time if your order is late or incorrect in some way, it's the fault of the kitchen staff, not your server. Also please remember that especially in rural locations, there are extremely gendered and rigidly self-perpetuating divides between front staff and kitchen staff, and there is a very high possibility that your servers are already dealing with a lot of disrespect from the kitchen staff and management.
Wow you guys tip so much in the States. Literally no one tips in the UK apart from at a sit down restaurant, and then it is only 10%. I think if you tried to tip a hairdresser they would look at you like you were insane...
Tipping has always felt strange for me living in a country where it isn't a thing at all. To me it feels like one small step away from a bribe for service which should be the persons job as it is.
Omg why is there so much maths involved with life in america!?!? In the UK its not customary to tip any one (tho people do tip waiters and some times hair dressers) just make the price of thing thing higher and pay your staff properly!!!!
Someone tried that at a restaurant near my city (in Canada) and people didn't like paying higher prices right off the menu. The way I see it, people like to feel like they have control over how much the will pay, even if they pay the same in the end. It's pretty ridiculous. But then again, as someone who makes tips (but thankfully I am still paid above minimum wage) I find myself tipping more when I can.
Maggie Doughty I understand for food but there are sooo many other things in this video people tip for like tipping at a bar for a drink that seems so weird to me! taxis are also expensive too .a massage surely the person is the product so all the money goes to them any way! it seems like madness! I will still come to america again but bearing all this in mind it could be a wile till i can afford it! :)
jazzyisme I live in NY and am a hairdresser and dread when Europeans come in because they never tip. I make a conscious effort to make sure they get the most inconvenient appt available or shame them for not tipping. Its outrageous. These assholes don’t realize that this is how we make our money. Not on the actual service itself.
@@jayrockhammer Idk who is the real asshole here...
JJ the Jetplane How toxic
I feel sad that in some countries/places it is expected to tip and frowned upon not to, you should tip based on your opinions on how the service was, if all they do is serve food or what ever there is no tip needed. if they smile and are nice and generally a good personality and do the job well then you tip them. After all they are already getting payed for what they do.
In some places waitresses and waiters are paid under minimum wage on the understanding that tipping will make up for it. These jobs are not fun. Tipping is a good way of saying thanks to those who work hard; if you can afford it, I think you always should :)
I know it is stupid minimum wage is there for a reason, never should you be paid under it even with high tipping. As i said, you should only tip if they work hard, if they just do bare minim there should be no tip n my opinion.
Cubeazza
Your opinion is just your opinion. Tipping is what we do in the US. If you don't want to tip, stay home.
tokyorosa Now that is a rude opinion.
Jores Van Wensen And what you dig up is ridiculous. This vid makes it seem you need a course in tipping to be sure you always get it right.
Here's how to easily do the mental math to figure out 15%:
1. Round the bill up to the nearest dollar
2. Move the decimal place one to the left
3. Multiply that by 1.5
4. Don't lose sleep over the fact that you tipped slightly more than 15%; you're helping your waiter out :)
One good thing to note is that when you screw up at work in a salary/fixed-hourly job, your boss doesn't immediately give you a pay cut. Many people who depend on tips don't make minimum wage because it's expected that the tips will get them up to it, so just treat it as a cost of going out, or move to Japan.
Also, how much extra do I tip my valets if I find them acting out Liam Neeson movies in the parking lot?
Here's how to tip the correct amount. 20%
1) Move the decimal place one to the left.
2) Now double it.
This is so weird to watch in the UK we literally only tip waiters and that's usually expected to be about 10%. I'd never even dream of tipping a cab driver, the cost of a cab is already entirely disproportionate without adding extra money on top. If I ever went to a country where tipping was expected I'd be incredibly nervous about seeming rude but really it's far ruder to expect people to give you extra money for doing a task they're already paying you for anyway.
You talk sense! I'm in the UK too and would only tip at a restaurant really...but when I worked as a waitress I would never expect people to tip me...it was just a great bonus if they did.
+Bethany Marsh It's rinsing consumers of money. A scam. I set up a business, I pay my workers dirty cheap to make me tonnes of money and simply pass on the responsibility onto the customers
I'm weirded out by the fact that half these jobs exist.
But not as much as the fact that America uses tipping in EVERYTHING, apparently.
Here in Denmark, we actually know how to let our labourers earn a living, and asking for more would either get you a blank stare, if not a scolding.
~ TDG
I play music in coffee shops, bars and restaurants, and I really appreciate any tips!
I think tipping musicians is a universal thing and any amount is welcome.
I've gotten simple "Thank you"s all the way up to a $100 bill.
I usually end the vlogs on my channel with how much money I get in tips each week.
Anyways, thanks for the video, Emma and Mike!
America sounds confusing.
if you're in the UK:
- Waiters = couple of quid, fiver at most
- Anything else = whatever you want, zero tip is acceptable
And when you're in a big group and paying cash, round up to the nearest convenient "round number".
I would say 10% if it's a fancy meal with lots of people a fiver doesn't cut it.
I'm a server in the US and I miss dining in the UK. Since servers are actually paid there they seem happier and more productive. Though I did always tip servers in the UK like I would in the US just to be nice since I know what the job is like.
What is a quid?
ccubed215 a pound sterling
google it in future
I know that tipping is more important in america (their pay is caculated low to beginn with, because the tips are considered part of the salary), but I think you should at least note somewhere, that this video is mostly for americans.
In Europe you don't need to tip as many people (and only if you feel they did a good job). Mostly it's waiters, cleaning staff at hotels and cabdrivers - you tip them about 10% (or round up to an even amount) if you got good service. It's ok to not tip at all too - especially if the setting isn't fancy and/or you are e.g. a student or otherwise not easily able to tip constantly. (I know that legally you don't HAVE to tip in amercia either, but it'd be frowned upon not to a LOT more than around here).
You mostly only tip other employes if they did an especially good job or went out of their way to help you. Their salary is calculated to sustain them fully without any significant amount of tips.
I think that's better for everyone involved, because waiters don't feel as much pressure, knowing their pay is not dependant so much on tips and customers don't need to constantly be on the look-out for people to tip and worrying on how much to. (10% are very easy to calculate too!) ^_^
Good call. It was in the video but got cut for time, so I put it in the vid description instead. Thanks for watching!
- Mike
in japan, you dont tip at all. They will give you back your money if you try to tip
I just stumbled over an article on the subject - in case you are interested:
kitchenette.jezebel. com/the-gratuitous-injustice-of-american-tipping-culture-1608009017
(remove the spaces)
Alex I'Anson
Oh. Sorry, I am so not up to date then... ^_~
Have it again: kitchenette.jezebel.com/the-gratuitous-injustice-of-american-tipping-culture-1608009017
Alex I'Anson Depends. Of course you can tip what you want, I learned (I'm from Germany) you tip about 10-15% of the total bill at a restaurant and whatever floats your boat in other situations.
Remember that waiters/waitresses can be paid SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN MINIUMUM WAGE (depending on your state). We're talking less than half. This is to account for tips. This means that tipping is not optional in a restaurant unless you have a horror story experience it's at least 15%.
If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any pay period, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate.
If the owner is a scumbag and claims that tips were paid when they weren't that's another matter entirely.
Hi, asillymuffin! Thanks for commenting! Maybe this wasn't as clear as we'd intended: We're not endorsing 5-10% tips. The reason we said 5-10% minimum is that we wanted to make clear that in America, we personally feel you should not NOT leave a tip. We're not passing judgment (we're just here to give information and hopefully some chuckles), but some people regularly leave 0% if their experience isn't above average. So we agree with you that 15% is standard ("for average service," as we put it); we just wanted to stress that we feel you should always leave *something*.
Thanks again!
- Mike
I worked at Subway for a while and I usually worked shifts alone, so occasionally I would get someone who would tip me $5 for getting them in and out quickly, or just because they knew what it was like to work their alone at night, and I often would get someone who came in and would order 4 to 8 footlongs that I would take care of by myself, and they would tip nothing, despite paying in cash. My coworkers and I agreed that if you're getting food for a large party then you ought to tip, especially if they service you alone, and ESPECIALLY if they label all the food, put it into bags for easier carrying, and provide all the extra condiments without you having to ask. We also agreed that if you asked for a service that takes some extra time and effort (such as asking them to sanitize all the knives and boards for your order due to an allergy) during a rush, then they ought to get tipped for that as well.
I agree, I think that if you get take out and you're the dream in and out and no fuss customer, no tip is really required (but appreciated). However, if you're a large party or have an odd request that you know will take extra time, you should feel obligated to tip. I just have a practice in general to toss coins I get in change in the tip jar regardless (what am I going to do with 37 cents?), and an extra couple of bucks if I am getting food for my whole family.
I used to work at an ice cream stand over the summers in highschool, and I generally found that people are generous with tips in non-required situations. Back when minimum wage was $5/hour (I guess I am dating myself here), we'd typically make an extra $2/hour in tips. Not bad! So I think most of the time people are awesome, it just stands out in our mind when people are not.
I'm a server and I "liked" this video before I even watched it.
I can elaborate on why servers need to be tipped: most servers work for less than minimum wage. I won't say the name of the restaurant but servers are paid 2.83 an hour there. After taxes that's basically nothing. Servers make the majority of their income based off tips and turnover. Turnover is when servers clean up their table (sometimes by themselves, sometimes by the bus staff which they have to give a portion of their tips to) and can then seat another, and then make more money.
So if you sit at a table for longer than an hour and a half (that's your average turnover for most places) then you are taking money from the server that they could have made from another table after your and your tip should reflect that. Most people don't know this.
Serving isn't an easy job but someone's got to do it.
Also if you don't factor a tip into your budget before you go out you should. It makes the process so much easier.
Those were some tip-top tipping tips!
9878710783
How to tip (for non-Americans): 1st- Don't tip
BlaineCraner
aw, that's not nice or fair. Waiters aren't paid very much to begin with and often are paid less because their employer expects the tips to be a part of their wage. Two sides to every story.
Tori Pierce Then they should find a better employer. Or failing that, *become* that better employer. That's how the system works.
Tori Pierce
...
OK, waiters I understand. Bars? Maybe. The rest? No reason.
The person act as if he/she is supposed to get the tip? (you know, in the snaky / privileged way) No tip.
BlaineCraner I agree with that for sure! I just reread your comment and your second comment and realized you meant a different thing! sorry :)
also, Martijn van de Streek lol that's definitely the theoretical way the system should work... however, I don't think that's how it ACTUALLY works.
+Tori Pierce then let pay them enough!!!
I don't remember the findings exactly, but I've read an article talking about how waiters specifically would probably make more if tips were removed and instead built into the cost of the meals. I forget the specific logistics, though.
Good video :)
I really wish tipping wasn't a thing, you should be paid enough by your employer and be motivate by pride in a job well done, not "can I make rent this month?". Not tipping works elsewhere (Japan, Australia) with generally better service. I still tip when I choose to visit restaurants, though. I'm not a monster.
Sorry friends, most of these are 'no tip required' in my book.
I only tip waiters & waitresses, and honestly I'd prefer if they were simply paid better wages so I'm not always eating cheaper meals than what I can ordinarily afford. In all other spheres, I tip great and memorable service as a thank you. This obligation to tip in so many other situations is not my bag.
Also, I'm not sure in America, BUT this might be a thing to add - in the UK, if you're in a restaurant and they add a 12.5% gratuity, you are NOT obligated to pay it. If they put it on the paperwork, say at the start if you're not going to pay a forced gratiuity (my family prefer to leave paper tips), but if it's added at the end with no warning? You DON'T have to pay it :)
You should still tip for takeout. Those servers staffing that area of the house are not making minimum, and they still have to do everything a server does. Even though they aren't taking care of a table for 45+ minutes, they've checked and bagged your food, gotten bread/utensils/whatever and run through a script of service. And THANK YOU for saying something about deliveries! It's so devastating to not be thought of, or to be punished for management/circumstances that were beyond our control.
You guys are probably the dorkiest educational channel on TH-cam, and I just love you that much more because of it.
I used to be a driver for a pizza place. Delivery orders would skyrocket during bad weather. Tips didn't usually change, but they should. If you don't want to drive out in the weather, you're about to make someone else do it instead so tip well and make it worth the risk they are taking for you. Or just don't order at all. Thinking about safety and needs of others when ordering in bad weather is a good thing to do.
So I pretty much have to stay home and never leave in order to avoid feeling abligated to pay everyone around me?
Because tipping isn't a part of the culture here in Finland, whenever I visit a country where tipping is a thing I honestly get a bit nervous. Because I normally never have to think about tipping it's very easy to just forget about it, and I really don't want to be "that guy" who just casually walks out of a restaurant without leaving a tip. Not a big deal, but I do want to pay for the service unless it's been built into the salary (I don't understand why it isn't, but that's a whole another discussion). Any _tips_, anyone?
Australia: Tip only if your server goes above and beyond or you just can't be bothered dealing with the change.
how much are you supposed to tip youtubers if you follow them?
watch al of there uploads, don't use addblock, subscribe and if they do an excellent job, click an add at there page once in a wile :)
This is just my personal opinion, but I'd rather have people like, favorite, and share if they really like my stuff rather than offer money - the way I see it, the amplification effect those things provide will help more people see the channel, and it's likely that getting additional viewers would probably increase income naturally. evi v's suggestions are definitely good as well though!
Subscribe, thumbs up, and a social media scare ;)
For some channels (like this one I think) you can go to Subbable.com and subscribe to your favorite channels to help support them with a monthly monetary donation of your choice.
Flat £10 I'd say...one off payment ;)
You're friendly neighborhood barista here! I love this video, it helps a lot! Though I feel a bit left out. As someone who makes handcrafted drinks for hours and uses tip money each week to put gas in my car, I think coffee shop tipping should be included and encouraged. :)
Nicely done, well presented, and comprehensive. Please remember when tipping wait staff, especially in places like chain cheap cafés, waitresses and waiters (at least in America) are usually paid UNDER minimum wage. You're helping pay their living costs by tipping well (if you can afford it.) Also, being nice to people, a smile, and a bright conversation can make the day of any server - either if you can't tip (like mcdonalds), or you just can't afford it! :)
I think the most important thin is to stress that those are guidelines for America. In Germany for instance you tip waaaaaay less. If you are a young person it isn't even expected of you...
Also it helps to just ask the waiter or waitress if you are expected to tip in a foreign country when you are unsure how to tip.
If while traveling (or even not while traveling), you take a tour of a museum or historical site, it's nice but not necessary to tip the tour guide $5 or so at the end of the tour.
I always err on the side of tipping and, as far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as overtipping. This has led to the occasional upgrade and lots of attentive service in hotels and restaurants and such.
For Massage Therapists, always increase the tip by a couple of dollars if you requested any add-ons or specialty changes to your massage. If it's deep tissue or a trigger point therapy session, please understand that those modalities take a huge toll on the therapist's body. If you are receiving a massage at a franchise or chain, tip 15-20% based on the RETAIL VALUE of the massage. NOT THE MEMBER RATE. Massage therapists rely on tips for at least one third of their income (For a massage that costs you $80, the therapist is actually being paid around $16-24). Therapists also prefer to be paid in cash. Putting a tip on a credit/debit card means that the tip will be taxed and received in the therapist's paycheck up to two weeks later.
On waitstaff. Often they get paid a nominal below-minimum wage amount they never even see because it's held back for taxes assuming they get tips. So your tip is all they will ever make. If you order any kind of alcoholic or specialty beverage, they have a set amount they MUST tip out to the bar, regardless of how much you tip. Meaning: if you stiff a waiter/waitress, they may end having to PAY for the honor of serving your inconsiderate hide. I'd say 15% is a minimum for even terrible service, 18% for ok service, 20% for good, and more for exceptional. I always tend to be a bit more generous, personally, and if my meal is comped I tip even more (unless it was just a disaster).
Hey, tipping started out there to get alcohol when it was not accessible. Also, tipping is considered rude in Japan. Here's the advice - the more you tip, the more you promote the culture of paying minimum wages for jobs like waiters. My final remark would be to refer to to a book Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, who did research and concluded that social and monetary interactions should not be combined! Therefore, I DO NOT TIP, but when I pay my bill, I talk to the service staff politely and educate them about the customs of the country where I came from (now I live in Canada). I really wish everyone had fair salary and an opportunity to grow. I really hope I will not have to pay extra money and evaluate someone who was friendly and nice in money terms. Thank you.
For me as a Swede this seems so weird. In Sweden you can tip if you want to, but it's very uncommon. We almost only tip with "Keep the change" or in a tip jar (which basically is a jar for "Keep the change").
I can't speak for all tip-jar places, but back when I was a barista, I expected tips less from regulars (though they were usually great and threw one in) and more from the new people because I usually took extra time to help them (explaining drinks, recommendations, possibility even taste testing) and tried to make it an experience for them; there was nothing worse than spending 20 minutes of my already busy day describing every drink option, making several complicated drinks, and then not getting tipped. Here's a tip; if you're not a quick in-and-out customer, please tip. And, of course, even if you are, if your barista is fantastic and makes you some great coffee, please tip... most of us are poor college students struggling to feed ourselves and the tips I make that week might be next week's grocery money.
TIP YOUR WAITRESS! Our job SUCKS, we get AWFUL pay - please please please leave a generous tip. Thank you.
Wouldn't the proper capitalist solution be to quit and find an employer who doesn't screw you over?
wow, i'm sure waiters are the only ones whose job sucks and is underpaid ... it's the greatest injustice in the world
Martijn van de Streek plus sue every employer who offers you a legal contract with lower than minimum wage
DakuHonoo yeah, but you have the chance to be a really nice person and help out a little bit :) it's not hard, just showing a little decency and generosity towards people who are, in fact, hard-working! and if you can't afford it, well, no big deal, just be polite and kind and it might just make somebody's night! :)
Martijn van de Streek I'm 19. I'm a university student. I'm up to my neck in student debt. I simply cannot afford to not be working. Do you honestly think that I didn't go round every place of employment in my town with my CV?? There ARE no other places to work. I have to suck it up. I am simply asking that people who are ALREADY paying to eat out tip generously.
Even if you go inside to pick up the order at certain places aside from Chinese food restaurants or pizza places, it's likely that a server or a bartender had to put your order together in the kitchen and prepare your takeout bag with napkins, utensils, sauces, etc. which takes away from time these people could dedicate to a paying table. It's more work to put those orders together than most may think, and still deserve a tip even if you come in! I would agree, however, that it can be lower than if you get curbside service. Don't leave nothing though!
I find the need to tip people weird.
Isn't it the responsibility of the boss of the employee to pay the employee fair?
and if that costs too much, he can raise the price of the food/other stuff, too include the regular tip.
I have not tipped a single time in my life(But I live in Belgium where what I describe actually happens)
samramdebest as a hairdresser in New York we dread anytime Europeans walk into the salon and make sure they get the most inconvenient appointment available or don’t even take them at all. In the States, the bigger the tip, the better the service. Waiters will even spit in your leftovers if you tip them poorly. So be careful in America. You tip 20% ALWAYS
OK so, I order food a lot for my office, usually sandwiches or burritos or something, and the total comes to about $300 (to feed 30ish people). Do I really need to tip the delivery guy $45? Seems like a lot.
if its catered to you, at least 20! remember they pay their own gas usually and prep the food and supplies. they sometimes get a gratuity of like 10% of the order so $20 is good
I read that as orifice...
Well, he did have to carry 10 times more sandwiches or burritos than normal...
ThePowerOfJessa Would you? I've got a link if you're interested...
Yes, why would you expect the rule to be different? Especially a single delivery person bringing in food for 30 people?
Always give an Uber driver 5 stars if they get you to your destination.
Barista - if your drink means measuring loose leaf tea into a tea bag, steeping tea, adding flavor shots, and steaming milk or some other complicated process you need to tip a dollar. Pay attention to how complicated your drink is!
I've noticed a lot of people use level up for coffee. Know that 1) the app reads "customer will tip cash" if you choose not to tip, and 2) Customers who change their tip to 50% when getting something small like a coffee or a cookie are remembered as angels.
Don't forget the outdoor service industries like guiding, zip-lining, etc. They keep you safe while also entertaining you. Tip values vary widely since it's a much newer thing - I think 5-10% per event cost is reasonable, divided among guides. Also, I think delivery drivers should be tipped more, like $5.
Easy tipping tip if you can't do the math in your head: take off the last digit, then double the amount of the first digit. For example: bill of $35=$6-$7 tip for a total bill of $41-$42. It's essentially a 15%-20% tip.
Whew~It's a ton to keep track of so basically when I go outside/travel I need a lot of change. Good to know!
9878710783
I used to think tipping in Australia was illegal until I got tipped myself. It's just not done here! But this video was super useful for when I'm going to America :)
Have you guys watched Hank's video on how to tip from way back when?
It's pretty good as well!
Please, please, please remember to tip delivery drivers and servers. As someone who works in a restaurant and has worked as a delivery driver, I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see people who work their butts off and a ridiculously small tip or none at all
Tried to tip the same way I am used to in North America when I went in Switzerland... the waiter had big round eyes when they saw how much I gave him =3 (I did enjoyed the service too)
I believe it would be simpler for a "no obligation" service with adjusted wage (and service cost). I do hate the minimum tip principal...
This is SUPER useful. And as a server in a restaurant myself I appreciate this as well!
Wow, it's super different in Canada... This is good to know, there's a lot more tipping in the US. We accidentally got a bell hop in New Orleans mad at us on a trip because my dad only tipped $5 and they were expecting $20 (5 bags).
My parents retired from professional jobs and now are ski instructors at a resort about an hour from here. My dad was, at first, taken aback by the idea that his students or their parents would tip him. Now he sees it as a nice source of loose bills as opposed to $20s from the ATM.
I've always been confused about whether or not to tip hotel-airport shuttle drivers, and if so how much. Any help?
Is it true you don't have to tip, say, the owner of a hair salon? I mean if they do everything from wash to syle, since they're the owner? And, what to do in a similar situation when your stylist is part owner of the biz??? Question from Canada
The only reason you should be tipping less than 15% at a restaurant is if you think the service was so awful the server does it deserve to be able to pay rent and utilities, medical bills, or, you know, groceries.
Always tip at least 15%, people. And that's for bad service - definitely at least 20% for average service.
I'm gonna say, as a server, unless you were very dissatisfied with your service, you should always tip at least 15%. A lot of wait staff work for an hourly wage that is half of the minimum wage. If you can't tip that much on a food bill, perhaps you should not being eating in a restaurant or you should get take away. (It can seem like an easy job from the outside but there's more to it than you can see.)
I think my biggest gripe with tipping is just the awkwardness of it. Tipping after eating is easy because you just put the money on the table, but with something like the hair salon you have to do it right in front of them at the counter (and to make things worse they never directly ask for a tip, so you have to awkwardly bring it up yourself like "so here's the amount for the cut... and here's the amount for your tip..." as they stare at you. :\
This is what makes travelling in america a constant stream of awkward for me (british person).
at home I only tip waiters, hairdressers and taxi drivers. usually 10% or rounding up to the closest £5. and i think that's more than most people do.
The question I have that no one covers.. do you add the extra money on top of your bill, hand over that money and the person will assume the extra is their tip? or do you have actually tell them you're tipping them this amount so they don't give you back change?
Ah, the tip dance! At least in the US, the polite thing to do is to not point out that the tip is the tip. If you want to save the person you're tipping a trip, then you can say you don't need any change.
To me, tipping is such an odd concept. I come from a country where tipping is uncommon, seeing as people are actually paid a reasonable amount of money to do their job. I doubt people tip unless they're at a fancy restaurant, or alike.
Sure, I can see that paying waiters based on their service encourages them to do a good job, but the fact that they primarily rely on tips seems terrible to me.
Visited Scotland with some of my mates a year back, and we tipped like crazy because we didn't know what was expected.
As someone who's not familiar with this concept, a video like this seems very intimidating, seeing as there're so many things to keep in mind if you want to be seen as a decent human being.
Zenyl samramdebest as a hairdresser in New York we dread anytime Europeans walk into the salon and make sure they get the most inconvenient appointment available or don’t even take them at all. In the States, the bigger the tip, the better the service. Waiters will even spit in your leftovers if you tip them poorly. So be careful in America. You tip 20% ALWAYS
My tip would be to move to a country where staff have a reasonable minimum wage so people don't need to tip unless it's for really good service
I wish tiping was like this is more common where I'm from (the Netherlands). Not just because I am a waitress and me and my coworkers party when we get as much as 10 euros a night, but because it is nice to show people you appreciate what they do for you...
At coffee shops with tip jars, if you are buying something that is not just drip coffee or tea, $0.25 a drink is not much to ask for but goes a long way in the scheme of things!
catch phrase idea: happy adulting
What about photographers? I had one at my wedding and I remember giving him about 10% the day of as a thank you for his awesome service and professionalism. He worked for himself and was pretty much a one man operation so I assumed the price he charged (which was not cheap) was his legitimate need for his salary and the 10% was just nice from me. But i still worry about it sometimes, and I wonder if tipping in this case is standard and I didn't tip enough.
I was all set to say thanks for the video .... until you got to the "Waitstaff" portion.
5-10%. Really? Sorry, but that is insulting. As a waitstaff person, I will tell you that the majority of my paycheck is my tips. I get less than $3/hour pay with the rest of my income coming from my tips. Industry standard has always been 15% of the total bill or double your local sales tax. Yes, exceptional service does usually earn a higher tip percentage (usually between 20% to 30%), as does service to a larger party (usually considered groups of 8 or more in most restaurant locations and carries an 18% gratuity standard).
By suggesting that a standard "acceptable" tip be between 5-10%, you are really doing your server a great disservice.
Not trying to put you out, but definitely think it needed to be brought to your attention.
Hi, Benjamin! Thanks for commenting! Maybe this wasn't as clear as we'd intended: We're not endorsing 5-10% tips. The reason we said 5-10% minimum is that we wanted to make clear that in America, we personally feel you should not NOT leave a tip. We're not passing judgment (we're just here to give information and hopefully some chuckles), but some people regularly leave 0% if their experience isn't above average. So we agree with you that 15% is standard ("for average service," as we put it); we just wanted to stress that we feel you should always leave *something*. (I've worked in a tip-reliant restaurant position, so believe me, I am a fan of leaving at least 15%. :] )
Thanks again!
- Mike
and whose fault is it that you're working under the minimum wage? yours and the people's who tip ... i'm sick of this american tipping - can't you just organize and say no to lower wages? can't you sue everyone who'd give you a contract where you get below minimum wage? sure you can
DakuHonoo No, you can't sue them because it's not illegal. There is a separate minimum wage for waitress and such who work for tips. I believe in my state it's $1.85/ hour.
Trisha Pistella that's sick
I heard, but do not know if it is true, that though the basic wage is lower, if after tps are added, the income is less than minimum wage then the restaurant has to make up the difference. If that is the case, then surely the american tipping system is a way of the customer subsidising the restaurant. That being said, just give a *expletive* tip. Don't penalise the waiter/waitress for the restaurants *expletive*y policy.
Ok so the excuse for having to tip in America is that usually the people you're tipping get very low wages right? Does this mean that the cost of the service you are receiving is low also? Does this mean that customers are paying most of the persons weekly wage? This is a genuine question, I'm from Ireland and maybe moving to US next year, is there's anyone from Europe or preferably Ireland who has lived in America who can clear this up for me?
Can you talk about the actual tipping procedure? This one time I was eating alone and paying cash and they gave me a folder thing and I just had no idea how to handle it.
I find tipping so weird... I'm from Australia and it's practically non existent here. I'm curious to know, are children expected to tip if they use services that require at tip?
When I was on holiday in America there was a juice stand in a mall so I bought a drink and as I walked away my friend said to me "Here in the US we tip" and tipped the staff member on my behalf. Am I wrong for finding that a little stupid because it wasn't a wait on service? She literally went to a machine, pressed a button and out came my juice? Nothing tip worthy? And if that's the case, should I, who works as a nurse, be tipped for looking after people's health? Because surely that is more tip worthy than pressing a button?
I don't know, this whole tipping business is ridiculous. Staff shouldn't just expect a tip when it's at the discretion of the customer.
(sponge bob starfish guy pointing to a direction) why don't we take the expected tips
(sponge bob starfish guy pointing to the opposite direction) and make it part of the original wage
and eliminate tipping altogether?
(i'm not american, obviously, and i hope this injustice of less-than-minimum-wage gets fixed for everyone suffering it)
The problem is that waiters and their employers don't want it fixed. As a waiter with the current system you can easily make double or triple minimum wage using the social pressure inherent to the current system
Bass M. i guess they'd have to abuse drunk customers after such revolution, like everyone else
lol Pretty much yeah
Bass M.
i did not know that was possible! thank you for informing me ^^
Putting this into my "Tips" folder/playlist.
No, I want to know how to tip literally. Like do you hand the person their tip or do you include it with the bill. i really don't know. I want to avoid being awkward.
It's appropriate to tip for a massage if you're going to a spa or similar place that hires multiple masseuses. If you're going to a sole proprietor or massage therapist, my understanding is you don't tip.
This is a great topic for a How To Adult. I think it's weird that we are practically the only country that does this. That shouldn't mean don't tip though.
Thank you for this, it'll help a lot when I go to the states in May. Tipping in the UK is generally only on people who were actually good, rather than everyone (ie. I tip all my servers unless they were dicks, and my hairdresser who is awesome as standard. Anyone else, it depends). Hopefully I don't look like a total asshole or tightwad in the States, though as a poor student I doubt I'll be in many places I can tip.
As a poor student, I can tell you I tip at restaurants, delivery drivers, and hairdressers. Everything else here I'm too poor to use xD No cabs and fancy hotel concierges for me!
Another poor student here...I find you have to work the expected approximate tip into the bill when you're thinking about where to go. Fast food and takeout resolve the tip-cost issue though! I tip hair stylists and delivery drivers too, but I've never tipped my massage therapist (but I've usually gone to somebody who has her own practice and I feel that she charges whatever she deems appropriate...but that's more a situation where if I was a regular a Christmas gift/bonus would be in order instead). As for hotel staff...I'm too cheap to stay in places with people who actually help you!
So...tip your taxi and your restaurant server. Should be all you need to know :)
I agree. My rule is if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out/ get delivery.
fast food or local grocery sounds like it'll be my thing then. I'm there for a conference, so I just need to find evening food. I hope there is a grocery in walking distance, I'm trying to lose weight and we all know fast food doesn't work for that
my hotel maid colleagues almost never get tips ( not even if the guest leaves )
Do you tip at food trucks?
Seeing it from my German perspective this seems like a huge money waste. Do you also tip at places like McDonalds?
5% for a restaurant meal is TOO LOW! This gets shared (usually) between as many people as line cooks, bussers, host/ess, and your servers. 10% is the general minimum and I've heard that many servers take 10% as a comment on poor service. 15% (at least in Canada) is a good rule of thumb...personallyI also tend to tip higher percentages on smaller bills (oh my sit-down lunch was only $10? $2.00 tip probably appropriate)
Putting all these together made it especially bizarre why some get tipped and some don't.
The tipping for waitstaff seemed high to me. I always thought it was 10-15% for decent service, 20% for good and anything above is a high roller.
Assuming you're American, 10% would be very stingy for decent service. 15% minimum is generally the standard.
I've never left anything lower than 20%, but I was definitely way off with this comment, haha!
If you know the servers have to split tips with bussing staff or bartenders, maybe tip a little more.
Can someone please explain to me the point of tipping? I live in Australia and we don't give tips (unless the establishment has a tip jar which is rare and even then it's only optional). If you already paid for your service, the employee is getting paid for their work, why is it necessary to give extra?
Because in the USA waiters only get paid 2 US dollars / hour. Which is 2.5 Australian dollars or 1.3 Great British Pounds. In other words, not enough to live on without tips!
That's crazy! Here the minimum wage is $5 something an hour and that's for 15 year olds at their first job. Thanks for explaining it to me.
If I do end up moving to America I am going to need to memorise this video, or go round with a sign that says "If I don't tip enough, tell me, I'm not trying to be rude, I am just a confused English girl"
A little reminder about American Tipping Culture for the foreigners who are a bit confused and surprised by it.
The federal minimum wage for tipped positions is only $2.13/hour. Although most wages around the country is around the $4-$5 range.
You're not just 'paying' someone for a job they're already being paid for. These tipped positions are designed so that tips are considered part of the employees wages. They're also taxable.
Why not pay the employees a livable wage? Well, restaurant industry lobbyists have made sure that doesn't happen anytime soon. It's also been so ingrained in our culture that many aren't willing to part with tipping. You know how stubborn Americans are.
How to tip:
1) Go to sensible country.
2) Don't.
I'm from Costa Rica and we don't tip, I know it's weird, but is just not expected, and a lot of times in restaurants the tip is kind of include, saludos
👑 (dftba)
That Anything Goes reference though!
This is only true for America. In Japan we don't tip. I've tried and people usually refuse. That's because in Japan, more people make a living wage and so tipping is not necessary. I much prefer the Japanese system. I think the employer should pay their employee a living wage, so that employees aren't dependent upon customers who might or might not tip no matter how well they do their job. Japan has (arguably) the best service in the entire world too, so it's not as though it negatively affects the quality of their work to not have tips. You will always be greeted with "いらっしゃいませ" (welcome) and kindness and patience--- even if you're crying like an idiot because you're trying to understand the terms of your mobile phone contract and it's all in Japanese and you're afraid to make a mistake. Not that I would know. Japan's not a perfect society by any means, but I think this is something that Japan does better than the US.
Also, hospitals are MUCH cheaper, because the national government regulates how much hospitals can charge for all procedures. The US needs to get on that! I sprained my ankle in Japan and only paid $20 for all the doctor's visits, x-rays, and medicine. In America, my x-ray alone cost me $100...
for wait staff I make sure I tip at minimum $2 per person who ordered food
Why do we tip for haircuts?
Here's a tip, don't tip!
Are they brother and sister?
This makes me extra glad that we don't generally have tipping in New Zealand!
Hey! As a person in the wait staff, 30% is a crazy amount to tip. Like, totally crazy. 20% is really nice, 15% is about what we expect.
I have a friend who is nothing short of stupid who tips 35%
That is actually crazy, it's super nice of him but wayyyy beyond what we expect.
+loserlainnie well hes actually extremely cheap, except with tipping cause he use to deliver
I will not tip at a buffet,if I gotta get up and get everything,when you never see a waiter,,forget it!!!!!!!
Oh man, if only people actually tipped even the minimum recommendation. I would be a happy gal.
I love how many of these images were from Disneyland.
I take issue with the tip jar advice- as someone who worked as a barista for many years, if you get an excellent, hand crafted espresso drink, to be a good person, you should tip a dollar.
As a college student who's spent 5 years paying her way through as a waitress the 5% minimum you suggested for wait staff is the most insulting thing I have ever heard. Servers get paid usually around $4.25-$6 an hour at your average restaurant. Your tip, the barest minimum, should always be at least 15%. I tip, as someone who has been in the service industry for this long, minimum of 20%, and 25% if the service is exemplary. Additionally, always factor in, when assessing the quality of your service how busy the restaurant is and how many tables that server is taking care of at the same time. Also remember that 90% of the time if your order is late or incorrect in some way, it's the fault of the kitchen staff, not your server. Also please remember that especially in rural locations, there are extremely gendered and rigidly self-perpetuating divides between front staff and kitchen staff, and there is a very high possibility that your servers are already dealing with a lot of disrespect from the kitchen staff and management.
Wow you guys tip so much in the States. Literally no one tips in the UK apart from at a sit down restaurant, and then it is only 10%. I think if you tried to tip a hairdresser they would look at you like you were insane...
Tipping has always felt strange for me living in a country where it isn't a thing at all. To me it feels like one small step away from a bribe for service which should be the persons job as it is.