Help an Aussie in America -or- Assorted Tipping Questions

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hi there

So I’m heading over to the west coast of the United States in a couple days. Travelling with a friend, we’re landing in Los Angeles, grabbing our hire car than scooting the hell out of there. :smiley: We’ll spend time in San Francisco, head slowly towards Las Vegas, then drive our way back to Los Angeles to fly home.

… so I thought I’d brush up on my etiquette, American-style – with the kind assistance of Dopers!

Tipping

From what I’ve read, 15% to 20% is expected for an “acceptable” level of service, more for “great” service. Is my understanding correct?

More critically, who do I tip? Waiters, taxi-drivers and bartenders are obvious ones. What about ordinary shop attendants? Dry-cleaners? Fast food restaurants? Car hire? Bus drivers? Hotels? Do these businesses expect a similar level of reward?

How does tipping work with change? Say I get my hair cut for $20. Adding a 20% tip, I’d like to pay $24 – but I only have a $50 note. How do I convey the amount of the tip to my hairdresser so I can get $26 change? Do people just come out and say what they’re leaving on top of the bill?

How do I tip people when there’s no base amount of money involved in the transaction? – like cleaners and valet parking attendants. How much money do these people get?

Bars and clubs

In Australia, the correct etiquette is to shove money in the direction of your bartender when they serve your drink. They take it and return the correct change. In the US, how does this work with tipping? Since most of the time it’s too noisy to hear the price of drinks, how do you know how much to add on to the price of a drink? Also, the problem with having incorrect change, as above.

Random stuff

What’s a “take a penny- leave a penny” dish?

(From a recent Pit thread) How does one respond to, “wassup?” :wink:

Thanks in advance! :slight_smile:

Narrad

2

What about ordinary shop attendants? No
Dry-cleaners? No
Fast food restaurants? Only if someone brings the food to your car.
Car hire? What do you mean?
Bus drivers? No
Hotels? Yes – Perhaps $3 to $5 for every night you are there. If the concierge makes reservations for you for dinner or theater, tip about $5. I someone brings food or something else to your room, $3 to $5.

(Gee, I hope I don’t find out I’m a lousy tipper.)

3

People in those crazy “other” English speaking countries say “hire” instead of “rent” if that answers your question.

4

Tell the hair dresser the exact amount of money you want back. Just say, “Bring me ack $26, please.” Actually, I would just round it out to an even $25.

I don’t think I ever tip more than 20% in a restaurant, but then I never go any place that has “great” service.

Valet parking attendent – a couple of dollars

At a bar, the bartender will sometimes keep track of how much you owe and you pay it all at once. In that case, I would just give her or him a dollar tip every time he brings me a drink.

If you pay for the drinks as they are brought to you, just add a dollar mentally and tell the waiter or bartender that you want x amount of dollars back. “Just bring me back X.”

Wassup means “What’s up.” That’s just a way of saying hello. In the South we say back, “How ya doin’?” I’m not sure what the appropriate response is in CA.

Take a penny, leave a penny: Sometimes your bill will not come out even but you will need to come up with two or three pennies. You can take them from the penny dish and give them to the cashier. Or, if you get back pennies in a transaction, you can leave the pennies in the dish for someone else to use. It is not required that you do either.

I sure hope that you have fun!

5

Pretty much the same thing here, except after you get your change you peel off an extra one or two and set it on the back of the bar with a little nod. toward them. Bartender tipping is usually in even bills unless you start a card tab, in which case it’s just like a waiter, write the tab in at 15-40 percent(people often tip very generously at bars). Usually one buck for every 3-4 drinks is good if beer, one buck for every two mixed drink that requires work. Or if you know the price and have a bill that you figure is a good tip, just hand it to the bartender after he brings the drinks, say thanks with a nod and turn away(saying “keep the change” is out of date and comes off as condesending nowadays).

For normal cities busses never tip(I can’t think of any situation in which you should tip a city or state employee offhand), But for a special bus like an airport shuttle, especially if it’s a free service sponsored by a hotel a buck or two is appropriate.

If car hire means taxi then yes deffinately tip, although Denver is not a taxi town so I can’t help with the ettiquite much there. If car hire means car rental desk then no tipping is required.

6

Good for you, Narrad for taking the time to learn local customs. Too bad you can’t make it to the East Coast!

Have fun!!!

7

Sounds like you have a great trip planned!

"From what I’ve read, 15% to 20% is expected for an “acceptable” level of service, more for ‘great’ service. Is my understanding correct?"

Yes.

"More critically, who do I tip? Waiters, taxi-drivers and bartenders are obvious ones. What about ordinary shop attendants? Dry-cleaners? Fast food restaurants? Car hire? Bus drivers? Hotels? Do these businesses expect a similar level of reward?"

Ordinary shop attendants, dry-cleaners, fast food joints, bus drivers (unless said driver is conducting a tour) - No tipping needed. You’ll see fast food places with tip cups by the register, but IMHO unless you’ve given the counter person a complicated order there isn’t any need for a tip.

Car hire - if you mean a taxi cab rather than a rental, you do tip. I usually round up the fare to tack on about 15-20%, plus $1 per bag if the driver is handling luggage. Car rentals, like from Hertz - none needed.

Hotels - If you’re staying in a place with bellhops, etc., then definitely tip the guy who brings your bags to your room. I usually tip these guys $2 a bag, more if they are especially helpful in some way. (I once tipped a guy $10 for getting me a better room when the one I was slated for should have been taken out of service for repairs.) If a doorman gets you a cab, $2-5 is fine (depending on how swank the place and how generous you’re feeling.) If you stay in a hotel for a couple nights or more, $2-3/night left on the bureau for the maid service is good form.

"How does tipping work with change? Say I get my hair cut for $20. Adding a 20% tip, I’d like to pay $24 – but I only have a $50 note. How do I convey the amount of the tip to my hairdresser so I can get $26 change? Do people just come out and say what they’re leaving on top of the bill?"

If you’re in a place where someone like a hairdresser could reasonably expect a tip, they will likely give you your change of a $50 in a series of bills that would make it easier for you to leave a tip, e.g., $30 might be given back to you as a $20, a $5 and five $1 bills. If not, you can simply ask them to give you change of a $10 bill (or whatever size bill you need to break).

"How do I tip people when there’s no base amount of money involved in the transaction? – like cleaners and valet parking attendants. How much money do these people get?"

I have personally never tipped a cleaner, but then I seldom have things dry-cleaned. Parking lot attendants, I tip like bellhops - a couple of bucks is fine, usually, unless you’re in a really swank place and have asked someone to look after your Lamborghini. :slight_smile:

Please note that at the airport, the baggage handlers at the curb (who get your bags in from the curb to the check-in desk) will also expect something. $1 or $2 a bag is fine.

"In Australia, the correct etiquette is to shove money in the direction of your bartender when they serve your drink. They take it and return the correct change. In the US, how does this work with tipping? Since most of the time it’s too noisy to hear the price of drinks, how do you know how much to add on to the price of a drink? Also, the problem with having incorrect change, as above."

If you’re in a noisy, crowded place, hand the money to the bartender directly and wait for change back to see how much it’s cost (you can try shouting to ask the price, but I find that seldom works). Figure somewhere around $5 per cocktail, a bit less for a beer. Leave your tip on the bar, shoved toward the bartender’s side - they’ll pick it up when they get the chance. If you’re someplace quieter and in the midst of conversation with your friends, you can just put put your money down on the bar after you give your order. The bartender will tell you if it’s not enough; otherwise, he/she will just take your money and put the change back next to you. For a few rounds of drinks, it’s not uncommon to put, say, a $50 down and let the bartender keep tapping that money until you’re done. Tip money should again be pushed toward the bartender’s side, so they know it’s meant for them. If you need change, you can just ask for it - believe me, they won’t mind!

"What’s a ‘take a penny- leave a penny’ dish?"

Australia did a wise thing in abolishing their $.01 coin. We haven’t yet, and sometimes pennies can accumulate like rabbits (it seems) in your wallet. The “take a penny - leave a penny dish” is meant for people who don’t want the pennies in their change, as a goodwill gesture towards the next poor sap who has a bill of, say, $2.36 and no pennies of his own. Said poor sap can take a penny from the dish and thus avoid getting back four pennies he doesn’t want either. :smiley:

"(From a recent Pit thread) How does one respond to, “wassup?” :wink: "

“Not much, man, how 'bout with you?” :smiley:

Have fun!

8

The general rule of tipping in the U.S. is that it is reserved for those who provide a personalized, non-administrative service, especially if that service is seen as a “perk” or amenity. The clerk who checks you into the hotel (or almost everyone who works behind a counter) isn’t tipped, the bellhop who handles your bags or the room service waiter is.

There is no one associated with car rental (hire) who would be tipped except for the driver of a courtesy shuttle bus, who would likely handle your baggage for you. If s/he does, then they should be tipped like anyone who deals with luggage, $1 a bag. If the shuttle driver does not handle your baggage, a dollar per person in your party is a more than sufficient gratuity, if you feel that one is warranted at all.

At the hotel, your maid will appreciate $3-5 for every time they’ve serviced the room. If you skip maid service on two of the six days that you’re there because you’ve slept in or what have you, you’re not obligated to tip for those days. This tip should be left on the day that you check out; if you stay in a nice hotel which provides stationery, you can use one of their envelopes and address it to “Housekeeping” and place the tip inside so that there is no question of your intent. This isn’t necessary, by any means, it’s just a nice way to do things.

Oh - you should be aware that many American hotels, especially in the western desert areas where you’re going to be, are practicing conservation and ask that you plan to have your bath and bed linens replaced only every other day or so. This helps to greatly reduce the amount of laundry which must be done, as you can imagine, so take note of any signage in the hotel bath regarding such policies.

9

I think tlw nailed it pretty well in his first sentence. I would just add:

restaurant: Most people just tip 15%. I’ll only tip that if I got annoyed at the service. Otherwise 20%

Hairdresser: For some reason I see the “Just give me back X dollars” as a bit indelicate. I usually reserve this line for smaller tips where change will be involved. I suggest just taking all the change and giving the hairdresser bills. This is what they will expect so don’t think you’re making them uncomfortable wondering if they will get a tip.

10

Thanks for the help, everyone!

11

As mentioned on this site, you should leave $1-2 every day for the maid service. Typically in larger hotels the maids will clean different rooms every day, so if you wait until the end of several days, they will not all get the money. I have always just left the money on the pillow I slept on, they don’t miss it there.

The link has information on general tipping practices in the US, with further links to other place for information.

12

I just met a fellow recently who was returning to Austria in a few days. He asked me about tipping and complained about it here in the US. It simply isn’t something he was used to and he felt vaguely like he was being ripped-off in that he expected to pay what was advertised but is then stuck with paying extra. I explained to him that most wait staff (waiters, bartenders) get paid VERY little in salary ($2.01/hour which is actually below minimum wage but they exp3ect tips top make the difference). Their whole income is pretty much tips. When I was a waiter my salary paid my taxes. Theoretically your meal price is lower since the restaurant had less overhead in the wages paid to employees. Once I explained that to him he felt much better about the whole tipping thing.

Technically you do not need to tip on the tax portion of the bill. If a meal costs $100 the final bill might be $110 with tax but you need only tip on the $100. Not a big deal unless your bill is significant but there FWIW. Also know that most restaurants automatically include a tip on parties of 5-6 or larger. This is usually printed on the menu. Your waiter will not point it out and hope you tip again. I did this as a waiter…if asked I’d tell you the truth that the tip was included but if you decided to not ask or read the menu closely then I was happy to take what amounted to a double-tip.

[sub]NOTE: If you don’t like figuring 15% in your head an often simple way is to double the tax listed on your receipt. Depending on the state this will change but if sales tax is 7-8.5% where you are then doubling that amount gets you the tip easily. Round up or down to allow for the slight miss on a perfect 15% and you’re close enough.[/sub]

13

Are people still saying that? (i.e. beer commercial style)

I would reply by saying “nada” as in Spanish for nothing.

Alternatively, if you can beat them to the punch, say “howdy”. That is cowboy speak for “hi” and “how are you doing” all wrapped into one. Some people will take it for simply hello, others will take it for a query into their well-being, so don’t get flustered if they just say “good”. The benefits of howdy are that it is not trendy, it’s short and sweet, and it’ll sound great with your Aussie accent.

14

Quick run down:

Wait staff - 15% is standard, 20% for great service.

Bartender - a dollar a drink, unless it’s something really complicated, then two.

Dry cleaners - nope

Fast food - nope, but sometimes they’ll have a little tip glass around the register. Feel free to ignore it.

Hair dresser - two bucks for a guy. I dunno about girls.

Shuttle service (like SuperShuttle or something) - five bucks

Taxi (short distance) - two bucks

Food delivery (normal order for a few people) - two or three bucks. Depending on how complicated/far it is to get to your place.

If you have a large bill, just tell them how much you want back. So say the pizza guy delivers a pizza and it costs 12 bucks even, if you only had a 20, you’d just say give me 6 back.

Oh yes, at Vegas - you need to be tipping the waitress bringing you your free alcohol. Just give her a dollar chip every time she comes around. And you need to be tipping your dealer, as well. Provided you’re winning. You don’t need to give the dealer a cut of every hand, but if you are winning frequently, it’s good karma to throw him a five or ten chip (depending on the stakes). Unless you’re having a really good time at the blackjack table (and I’m not talking just winning - I mean, everyone’s being social and joking and having fun) then I tip more generously if the dealer is a part of that, whether I’m wining frequently or not.

You should also tip the craps guy, but I’m not sure how that works. I usually just copy the guy next to me if I’ve been winning.

15

Having worked as both a fast-food restaurant clerk and a valet, I can agree with what people have said. On a few occaisions as a fast-food clerk, I was tipped, and it was a very strange experience. The dollar was not worth the awkwardness.

As a valet (at fairly nice events; a fundraiser at the polo grounds was the last thing I worked, so tipping scales are may be different than restaurant/hotel valets), a dollar or two is normal, five is not unheard of, anything more that is pretty rare. Giving change as the tip (i.e. 8 quarters) or saying anything to the effect of “take extra care of it” won’t change the quality of our parking/retrieval job, but it will give us something to bitch when nobody’s around.

16

Tip jars seem to be most common at non-chain fast food places and coffee shops, smoothie shops, delis, etc. The common denominator, if there is one, seems to be that the person taking your order also has a hand in putting together your latte, smoothie, sandwich, or whatever, rather than just picking it up from the assembly line. It’s your call. I probably wouldn’t tip someone who just smacked a scoop of ice cream in a dish, but I might if I’d asked them to put together the Baskin Robbins Silly Movie Tie-In Sundae of the Month.

17

Never feel like you should tip more than 20%. That is highly unusual.

For most transactions, there is a cost, you pay cash for the cost, you get all the change back. Then you tip out of the change or your other cash. You don’t “convey the amount of the tip”. You just go find her and give her the money. If you need change, ask for change.

18

Just had two situations in a row where an 18% gratuity was added to the bill. The service was good and I probably would have tipped between 15-20% or so. Drawing a line through the tip portion of the credit card bill seemed wierd, but adding an addtl 2% to bring the tip up to 20% seemed wierd too since it was so little. Oh, and BTW, the bill was folded such that the included gratuity was not obvious - this kind of pissed me off.

How do others handle this?

19

DanBlather, with parties of say, 8 or more, its standard for them to to add the tip to the bill, and to make it higher than the average tip.

If it was just you and your mate… Erk. I don’t know what to say.

20

OK, call me crazy, but I have never used a bellhop or a porter at an airport. And thus, never tipped one. Can someone explain to me what the point is? If you’re not elderly or handicapped, and you’ve got more luggage than you can carry into an elevator, you’re packing too much.

Also, I don’t tip valets. Call me stingy, but if I have the choice, I’ll park myself, and if I don’t have the choice, I’m not going to pay for the “luxury” that’s forced on me.