To think the US tipping culture is completely alien to British people

[Butterflyfluff]

Inspired by a thread about spending money in NYC but it’s what puts me off going to US or Caribbean again.

It seems everything has to be tipped

• All food servers
• Toilet attendants
• Room cleaning each day
• Every drink service, even in an all inclusive hotel
• Meal, even in a buffet where you serve yourself
• Basically anything where someone else is doing something for you

Why is this so ‘expected’?

No idea but following for interest. I also think it’s completely crazy and it seems that if you don’t tip enough let alone not at all, great offence can be taken by the server/establishment. Doesn’t really seem optional does it?

I think these people are paid terrible wages and also taxed on assumed tips. In the uk whilst not great the minimum wage means these people are all earning the same as lots of other jobs. I think the expectation should
be employers pay proper wages tbh.

Because they are taxed on the tip (“expectation of the tip”).

Because they don’t pay a decent wage.

I still refuse to tip over there.

Do people really not tip in the US this is how their wages are made up because of how the tax system works, whereas here tips are over and above .

Can someone explain how you can be taxed on the expectation of a tip? Surely they’re taxed on actual earnings?

Yep, i hate it. I hate the obsequious service it represents, i hate that it means companies can pay slave wages.

I was in NYC city a few years ago, had a nice meal which came to just under $100 - we left $110 which I thought was a generous tip but the manager came to speak to us before we left to ask us what was wrong with the meal, had anyone offended us. I genuinely had no idea, I laid another $10 down and ran out of there, still not sure if that was enough!

Serving staff are paid on the expectation of at least a 20% tip. From the tip you leave one waiter, they have to give some of it to staff who can't earn tips - say, a dollar to each kitchen member, a dollar to the bar staff, a dollar to the maitre d. If you don't leave enough tip to cover these payments, then they still owe them and it will come out of other tips.... if you don't tip, you are actually costing them money.

There's no way I would ever eat out in the US and not pay a decent tip, factor it in when you decide if you can afford to eat somewhere or not.

USA is meant to be land of opportunities etc but they do treat their servers like shit, that said there is a few who make a Damm good loving out of tips.

In the UK tipping is considered to be a gesture of appreciation on top of the tippee’s wages, whereas in the US it’s understood that the tip is essentially covering a structural shortfall in wages.
What’s interesting is that the average British person can intuitively view the US system as unfair and yet take the government’s side against public sector workers who strike for better pay.

Most people in Europe don’t understand the American tipping thing. not just Europe actually. Tipping is considered quite insulting in Japan, for example.

If you visit the US though, you do just have to go with the local custom and tip though. Because that’s how things are done there.

That sounds really complicated ,why not just build it into the price of the meal and alter the pay accordingly, surely that would be more simple?

In the Caribbean do you tip even if AI?

I hate tipping in the UK - I particularly detest and object to 'service charge' being added on to my bill without question. I challenge it every time. I think if I want to tip it's up to me, not something added on regardless of service given.
In the US the servers wages are low and they depend on tips.

I can't stand it. They have the cheek to call it a tip when it's calculated and demanded on the bill.

I was in America recently and I had to make the decision to only tip where I felt it was deserved in the end. I had a someone in the hotel bring some more towels to the room and stand with his hand out for a tip, how can people afford to keep giving money away constantly.

I also noticed how many people were desperate to carry my bags (with expectations of a top), at least 6 different people from getting off the plane to going into the hotel room!!

Couldn't agree with you more @x2boys its ridiculous. There's also sales tax and state tax and other taxes that get added on all over the place, makes it hard to work out what things cost!!

People on Mumsnet are always saying nurses in the UK are paid plenty for the work they do.
40 years as a nurse = £15 per hour
Housekeeper at Disney $17 per hour

Yep! It’s expected any time any server brings you anything

They have to declare tips but if you’re failing to declare at least 8% in tips of all food and drink sales then the IRS will pretty much assume that you’re fiddling your taxes and come after you. It’s not worth it so even if you didn’t make the tips you’d declare them anyway. As pp said you often have to share tips with back room staff as well so you can see how someone failing to tip especially on a big order can fuck up your day.

I wouldn’t mind so much if the prices were higher and the tip was genuinely to reward good service, as it is the UK

This expectation that a tip is required otherwise they’ll clean your toilet with your toothbrush just really puts me off going ever again

That makes you incredibly arrogant and rude. Different country; different culture.
As they say, "When in Rome..."

I was getting £15 / hour as a nurse 8 years ago and that was basic pay ,it was significantly more with shift allowances ,weekend/ night enhancement, s ,I'm not saying it's well paid for responsibility, s but ,the pay structure is not as basic as it seems.

I live in the US and definitely don’t tip for all those. However, some of the servers are paid incredibly low wages (one nearby restaurant was hiring for $2.17 an hour). I tend to tip around 15% and I’m aware that’s still low on the American scheme of things. Will tip more or less depending on how good the service is though.

@x2boys last year working in a vaccine centre band 5 £13.42 per hour. I’m on holiday atm or I would photo it.