By Doug Stallings
Fodor's Editor
The first time I traveled to Europe, I fretted about how tipping worked (of course I didn't bother to consult a guidebook or do any research first). And I'm always surprised at how much people worry about tipping practices, especially when they travel abroad. In a way, it's amusing since Americans are generally considered to be the most generous tippers in the world (and of Americans, New Yorkers are generally considered to be the most generous).
The first (and most important) piece of advice that I can give anyone about tipping is that you absolutely have to do your homework. So many people just set off on a trip without learning anything about the place. Why would you not want to know what people expect in terms of tipping? Just remember to do your homework and it will all become less stressful.
Five Simple Rules to Help You Be a Better Tipper
1. The magic number is 15. One simple number that will get you far almost anywhere in the world: 15, as in 15%. In almost any situation, if there's no service charge, a tip of 15% will work. It might also be considered exceedingly generous, so check on the norm in your destination. True, in major cities in the U.S. that number is edging up, so 18% is considered the baseline in New York for a reasonable tip, but almost anywhere in the world you won't be spat upon or called dirty words if you tip simply 15% (assuming there's no service charge).
2. The other magic number is 1. That's $1, or rather the equivalent to $1 in the country where you are traveling. This is the amount you give when someone does something for you. So if you are in India, 50 rupees will work for a bellman; in Europe, 1 euro will work; in Britain, it's a pound (remember that everything in Britain costs 1.5 times as much as in the U.S.); in Thailand, it's 50 baht; in Egypt, it's about 5 Egyptian pounds Round up where necessary and where it helps you find a suitable coin or bill for the task.
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- groups:
- Culture, WTF, Random, Geek Out Culture
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- Highr0ller
- added this
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Tipping "Don'ts"
1. Don't stiff the staff on your cruise ship. Cruise staff depend on tips for their livelihood. Even if you think the head waiter didn't do anything for you, it's not ok to strike his or her tip from the roster. That person might have a family back home; he or she certainly needs to live. It's kosher to add but not subtract from the suggested amounts.
2. Don't stiff your server, even if the food is bad. Whether you are in a diner in Missouri or a restaurant in Istanbul, the quality of the food should not affect your tip. Your server is the one who brings the food to you, not the one who makes it. It's important that you don't confuse the two things. The only time it is appropriate to stiff a waiter is when he/she is being rude or ignoring you, and even then I'd probably tip 15%.
3.Don't refuse to tip on principle. Yes, it's probably wrong that most of the service personnel in the world aren't paid a living wage. That doesn't make it ok for you to withhold your tip. Where tipping is the norm, do it. Argue the principles when you get home.
4. Don't be miserly. Yes, in some countries, the average daily wage is a dollar or less, but for you, that dollar is just a dollar. I know there are people who think Americans are ruining the world by tipping too much, but if you can afford it, why hold back. (There, I just contributed to tip inflation all over the world, and I'm not sorry.)-
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- Highr0ller
- 7 months ago
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yeah, what he said!!!!
i have a problem over tipping, especially if it's a place where i am a regular.ps- without servers, we would be going in the kitchen and fighting with the cooks, and if you have served tables before, you know fighting with line cooks is not for the weak.
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I normally give the person the rest of my change along with a tip of like 5 dollars.
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Tips not only assures you good Service. It adheres to better overall service in the establishment. Uitimately everybody benifits...Usually!
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I'm going to disagree with many of these statements.
1) If the food is bad, I'm not going to tip 15% in many cases, because it should be noticable to a server that the food is not up to par when he/she brings it out. This is especially true if he/she recommended the dish.
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- good_stuff
- 7 months ago
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What pisses me off is when several of us dine at the same table, and you have some cheap ass, I wind up tipping extra to make up for the moron. Or I just put my 20% under the edge of my plate or glass. I've been a chef for about 12 years, servers get tipped for SERVICE, not the quality of the food. You don't like the meal, take it up with the manager or the chef. Don't be a coward and stiff the server.
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- allIknowis
- 7 months ago
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alllknowis has it right. As servers we will ask how everything is tasting and when you say fine then we assume it's fine.
If it doesn't taste good say something when I ask you; not when you've finished it because then we assume you just want a free meal.
Also, most servers take it personally when the tip is bad and it makes the day just that much harder to get through.
Oh, and we're not your slaves so treat us with respect. I was once called "hey monkey" and that is just unnecessary.
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I always tip but tipping is NEVER required. That is the entire point and definition of a tip is that its extra. Do your Fing job and if you want something that is more constant pay then get a better one. It amazes me that the same people who can see the potential draw backs to working a job that's based on commission still fail to see that if you take a job based on tips you are not entitled to them.
