By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger
It is time that European travelers learn to tip when traveling in America.
“They don’t tip in England (or wherever),” is one popular phrase. But they are not in England or their home country when they cross the pond. They are over here and they need to learn the American custom of tipping.
Not all European travelers are this way but some are, and it drives those in the service industry crazy. Servers, bartenders, hotel bellhops and even tour guides, feel stiffed when they are not tipped. Tips is how they make their money. Most are at or barely above minimum wage ($20/hr) in salary and often have to work two or three jobs. Without tips, they would not be able to have any kind of life outside of their job(s). And life is about more than just working to pay bills. It’s about, well, living.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? Well, when in America, do as the Americans do and that’s tip for service.
How much to tip? Here’s a guide. And I must also point out that not all service people deserve a tip (this is less than 10%, tho and I’ll address that later in the article).
A Guide To Tipping In America
• Waitresses/waiters in restaurants: 15-20% of the tab. Pro’s Tip: If you’re part of a group of more than six, check to be sure a gratutity has not already been added to the tab.
• Restaurants With A Counter To Pay And Pick Up Your Food: Generally speaking, $1-2 or loose change from the purchase. Example: if you get a sandwich from a restaurant with a pay and pick-up counter that costs $10.50, toss the extra 50 cents into the tip jar.
• Fast Food Restaurants: No tip is necessary
• Bartenders: $1 a beer, $1.50 per mixed drink, or $15% of the tab. Pro’s Tip: Most bars in America are “free pours” meaning that there is no device on the bottle that measures the amount of alcohol is poured by the bartender. If you’re going to be a place for a while, tip at least $2 on your first drink. This will get his/her attention and that will come in handy if/when things get busy later.
• Tour Guides: $10-15%
• Bell Hops: $1-2 per bag
• Not sure? $10%
When Not To To Tip In America
There are circumstances when tipping is not necessary in America. This is a rare occurrence, but it is when the service from the person is unaceptable. This could be when y0u get a completely inattentive server, a rude server or someone who is just going through the motions.
The whole idea of tipping is to reward service, and some service is not worth rewarding.