# Tipping a flat amount **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203 "2013-07-11T04:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/81 "2013-07-13T21:05:09Z")
**Dave Hartwick** , I understand you wanting a simple method for calculating tips in American eating establishments, and you believe the “flat rate” method is the only easy way to go—but it’s not. I’m going to describe the tip calculating method that virtually every American learns from the age of ~5. Let me describe it to you: Let’s say you order a meal and the total comes to $100. In your head, calculate one-quarter (i.e. 25%) of that amount. If you did this correctly, you should have arrived at the correct answer, $25. However 25% is too great an amount to tip your waitress (unless side-dish services of a sexual nature were included), so you need to plug the $25 into the simple 25% to 18% tip reduction formula that virtually every American (and many baboons) can do in their head: e^{ix} &{}= 1 + ix + \frac{(ix)^2}{2!} + \frac{(ix)^3}{3!} + \frac{(ix)^4}{4!} + \frac{(ix)^5}{5!} + \frac{(ix)^6}{6!} + \frac{(ix)^7}{7!} + \frac{(ix)^8}{8!} + \cdots \[8pt] &{}= 1 + ix - \frac{x^2}{2!} - \frac{ix^3}{3!} + \frac{x^4}{4!} + \frac{ix^5}{5!} - \frac{x^6}{6!} - \frac{ix^7}{7!} + \frac{x^8}{8!} + \cdots \[8pt] &{}= \left( 1 - \frac{x^2}{2!} + \frac{x^4}{4!} - \frac{x^6}{6!} + \frac{x^8}{8!} - \cdots \right) + i\left( x - \frac{x^3}{3!} + \frac{x^5}{5!} - \frac{x^7}{7!} + \cdots \right) \[8pt] &{}= \cos x + i\sin x \ e^{ix} = r (\cos( heta) + i \sin( heta))\ i e ^{ix} = (\cos( heta) + i \sin( heta)) \frac{dr}{dx} + r (-\sin( heta) + i \cos( heta)) \frac{d heta}{dx},. Admittedly, the 25% to **15%** tip reduction is significantly more difficult than this to master, so stick with 18%, cheapskate. Also, you should be aware, it is customary for American males to offer what are known as “lookin’ good” tips to visually attractive females they see walking down the street, and this is a flat rate, $20. When you see an attractive lady, walk up to her, wink, wag the $20 in front of her eyes and say, “how ‘bout a little sumpin’ sumpin’?” The lady will appreciate your tip and will consider you a gentleman. I hope this helps. Enjoy the USA. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/82 "2013-07-13T21:59:44Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Can you clarify a point, though… not all Teamsters work for the same company, so why should it matter if there are only a relatively few servers at any given restaurant? What’s preventing them from unionizing across the industry instead of just within a single business? Isn’t that how most unions work? They may eventually organize an entire industry , but it’s employer by employer. Even the trade unions don’t represent every single person working in that trade. For example, they may represent the (plumber, electrician,bricklayers) working on new construction , or those who work for organizations large enough to employ a number of tradesmen fulltime but not the electricians who work for the small shop that I hire to put two new outlets in my house, or the plumbers who replace my faucet. Not because they can’t, but because those who work in small businesses often don’t want to be unionized for a variety of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/83 "2013-07-13T22:58:09Z")
> [@Macca26](#): > > From my experience at mom & pop establishments, owners treat flaunting the law as though it’s their job. Nitpick: Flouting. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/84 "2013-07-14T05:39:26Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > When I was first in Japan, one of the other foreign guys in my group had gone out to dinner on his own one night. He told us later that he’d left a tip (not realizing this wasn’t the custom), and the server actually ran outside after him to return the money he’d “forgotten” on the table. > I know you don’t tip cab drivers in Japan, and off the top of my head I can’t think of any other kind of service worker who’d normally be tipped there. We hit the Hard Rock Cafe that’s in Tokyo’s Ueno Station, and the wife was concerned that maybe we should tip there since it’s the Hard Rock. But no, I held firm, no tipping anywhere, anytime, not even there, and I was right. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/85 "2013-07-14T14:52:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > … no tipping anywhere, anytime, not even there, and I was right. Definitely a simpler system. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/86 "2013-07-14T15:22:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Tangential question: In countries where it is not customary to always leave a tip for the server in a restaurant, are there other people whom it is the rule to tip (in other situations), or is tipping just not part of the culture at all? In the UK there are mixed ideas about tipping. For example, we almost never tip when buying drinks at a bar. We might, if the bar person seems friendly, offer to buy them a drink (euphemism for a tip) on a second or subsequent purchase. Incidentally - giving someone a drink is a common expression for giving them a tip, and that might be for helpful delivery drivers (they do exist) or even the dustman. In restaurants we only ever tip at have wait service. McD’s, Subway’s or Fish and Chip shop staff would assume you were bonkers or drunk if you tipped them. Even in a restaurant we will generally only tip for above standard service, and then around 10% is normal. When our kids were small we often ate out and most places would try hard to accommodate them. We frequently asked for an empty plate for a little one so that they could share our food, and in these circumstances a more generous tip was fully justified (but not always expected). About the only people who absolutely demand a tip are taxi drivers, 10% or a simple rounding up is fine, but you might get called a tight bastard or similar if you stiff them. I believe that even Australians tip taxi drivers. Some hairdressers expect a tip, but not all. I have my hair cut at a national chain which has a no tip rule. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/87 "2013-07-14T16:53:25Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Obviously, seeing how the practice offends me, I’ll try to avoid going to places where tipping is expected. Enjoy your Mickey D’s. They do serve all three meals, and you won’t be annoyed at those people earning a living. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/88 "2013-07-14T17:16:30Z")
> [@Tibby or Not Tibby](#): > > **Dave Hartwick** , I understand you wanting a simple method for calculating tips in American eating establishments, and you believe the “flat rate” method is the only easy way to go—but it’s not. I’m going to describe the tip calculating method that virtually every American learns from the age of ~5. Let me describe it to you: That’s too complicated. I like the New York State system better. Tax is 8%, so I double the tax and throw an extra dollar or two on top of it. Bam! Comes out to 18-22% of the bill every time. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/89 "2013-07-14T20:03:15Z")
I hate the practice too, but I keep in mind that the wait staff do not have the power to change it. So I tip either 20 percent or a minimum of 5 dollars, depending upon the bill. There have been maybe four times when I’ve left less or nothing, always the result of pure rudeness on the part of the server. ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/90 "2013-07-15T11:54:23Z")
tip $10 minimum, always it also discourages you from buying unhealthy snacks whilst out and about too ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/91 "2013-07-15T12:47:34Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I hate the practice too, but I keep in mind that the wait staff do not have the power to change it. So I tip either 20 percent or a minimum of 5 dollars, depending upon the bill. There have been maybe four times when I’ve left less or nothing, always the result of pure rudeness on the part of the server. I’ll also point out that giving them an explanation up front is not likely to ingratiate you to your server. No one is going to appreciate a lecture on something they can’t do anything about anyway. They’ll likely interpret it as “Oh, he’s going to be a cheapskate no matter what I do,” and give their best attention to another table who might tip them 20%. That happened occasionally when I was serving – not a lecture about tipping per se, but if the first thing out of their mouth was complaining about the wait when it was plainly visible that the line stretched down the block (and what exactly am I supposed to do about the line, anyway?), he was basically telling me I wasn’t getting a tip no matter what, so I should focus my limited supply of attentiveness toward better prospects. That guy got the bare minimum – I wasn’t rude, but I didn’t go out of my way, either. (And he did continue to complain to me about things over which I had no control, and he did tip me a few pennies, so I’m glad I didn’t bend over backwards for him. I gave my party of 15 more of my limited time, and they did tip well.) As I said before, if you want to try to have an actual impact on the tipping practice, you’ll have to actually talk to management. And good luck with that – they won’t change until forced to by law. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/92 "2013-07-15T12:54:46Z")
> [@eltro102](#): > > tip $10 minimum, always > it also discourages you from buying unhealthy snacks whilst out and about too You tip $10 at the 7-Eleven too? Places where it is customary to top are more often the kinds of places people go for meals, not snacks. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203/93 "2013-07-16T03:29:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > You tip $10 at the 7-Eleven too? > > Places where it is customary to top are more often the kinds of places people go for meals, not snacks. At one 7-Eleven here in Bangkok – one that’s located in a popular tourist area – the manager actually did put out a tip jar! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping-a-flat-amount/663203.md?page=4)