Tipping in USA

[hopeishere]

I hate tipping it makes me feel awkward and I think you should just pay people properly but I get it's the norm in America.

Few questions:
Taxis - if you pay by card can you add a tip?
Bars do you need cash? I read it's $1 a drink?
Tour guides - how much should we tip them?
Porter $2 per bag?

Thanks!

I think it's awful that the US has no minimum wage. It's a good way for businesses to take advantage of everyone. These are the sorts of reasons why I wouldn't want to live in America.

The women that worked on your nails only received $4 for the service. That’s why you were confronted.
Tips are not an optional extra, they are remuneration for services rendered.

You can specify zero and proceed.
But people depend on tips and they're taxed based on estimated tip income, so it's best not to leave a zero.

you know all US states have a minimum wage now?

so the old line of servers being paid nothing except tips is bollocks. They get paid and then still expect 20% for handing you a take away coffee cup. We stopped paying when we went last year. It was just so grabby and we were fed up by the end of the holiday

@dylexicdementor11 I don't believe that for a second.

@Birmingbacon Is that recommended or the law? It’s a better way forward if it’s an obligation on owners. How can a tip (described as a tip) be 100% a wage? It’s awfully think this could happen. We are intending to holiday in USA next year. I’m not on a tight budget but it’s a considerable extra cost.

Every single state has a minimum wage, see the above post with wage by state.

Each state sets its own minimum wage.

In addition, cities can and do set their own minimum wage. In most cities, the hourly wage is usually higher than the minimum, thanks to market forces. The minimum wage where I live is officially $16 per hour, but most employers of entry level or unskilled labour pay higher.

Minimum wage has nothing to do with wages for servers/ wait staff. You are misinformed.

Well done you for stiffing people who are, contrary to your belief, receiving far less than minimum wage, and depending on tips. It's not an old line, and it's not bollocks. They depend on tips in all but a small number of cities.

Costs are high. A restaurant is a symbiotic system. Servers and bus staff make their income from the customers, and the restaurant owner makes his or hers, pretty much separately.

This article might help. If you can’t afford to tip don’t go. https://www.ef.co.uk/blog/language/things-no-one-tells-you-about-tipping-in-the-us/#

I was prepared to tip in restaurants but I was shocked when it was also expected in Starbucks for getting me a coffee to go!

Puts me off going to Florida tbh

Sneaky resort taxes as well

Many people don't tip for take-away coffee (including Americans). You can select "SKIP" when presented with the iPad pay option.

Don’t go if you can’t afford to tip. It’s not just a cultural quirk, it’s part of the pay structure.

Less than 20% will not go down well.

It's ridiculous though, the cost of everything has gone up so much

Sounds like the restaurant owners are exploiting the tourists and their staff

Servers do NOT get the prevailing minimum wage whatever state they live in. Same for farmworkers and other classes of employees. It's the idea of cheating the low hanging fruit--you are willing to pay for airfare set by giant corporations and hotel room rates set by giant corporations but you mistreat the individual actually working right in front of you. You are free to be that kind of person but this might be an opportunity to consider your ethics and morals.

one of our children has worked in USA and been tens of times we have also been many times - they expect 20% at least but its a no thank you form us - at best we pay 10% and even paid zero, they mutter stuff in their mouths - best not to go back to the place.

Yeh, the audacity of them, wanting to make enough money to live. If you can’t afford to tip reasonably you can’t afford to go.

I said I could afford it! I’m not a budget traveller.

I don’t get the disconnection between an owner of a restaurant snd service staff. Having said that, I don’t agree with the service charge here unless it’s a bigger party. Essentially a kitchen must get its food to a table so factor in the cost of paying these staff. We don’t tip hospital porters do we? Or shop assistants that bring us a pair of shoes to try on? I do tip in the USA as required but we should abolish it here. Charge what needs to be charged!

Waiters' wages are mostly tips. They are paid stupidly low, in some cases 2-3$ / hour and the bulk of their wage is the tip.
When dining out, keep in mind that 10-20% needs to be added. It is not the law, but human decency.
Very different from Europe where you throw a few coins.

What you actually do there is give British tourists a bad name.

What you don't do when you stiff the servers is advance their welfare.

Nothing like a high horse that costs you the bare minimum though...

It sounds like 10% isn't enough

If you want restaurants then you have to pay what they are asking.

Money in, food out...

Contrary to the suspicions implied by many on this thread, restaurant margins are often very small.

Well said.

Do you not think the restaurants are now very expensive already though without factoring in tips?

If I do go this Summer I would rather self cater