IS AMERICA TIPPING YOU OVER THE EDGE?
The US faces rampant ‘tipflation’ — here’s how much you should pay...
next time. If you have opened a tab, a tip of 15-20 per cent of the bill is standard. Meanwhile, if you eat food at the bar, tip the bartender like a restaurant waiter — 1520 per cent.
HOT DRINKS: COUGH UP
WHEN buying a takeaway coffee/tea, you may be asked if you’d like to add up to a 20 per cent tip on the cardreader. Outrageous! Don’t feel embarrassed to decline, even with people queuing behind.
The difference between this situation and a bar is that these employees ought to be paid a reasonable hourly wage, although some people do tip $1 for a latte in cities like New York.
TAXIS: DRIVING A HARD BARGAIN
DO TIP in cash, 15-20 per cent is usual with standard cabs (another reason to make sure you’ve got a pocket full of smaller notes). Tick the boxes for tips when using apps such as Uber and Lyft.
TAKEAWAYS: IT’S UP TO YOU
WHEN picking up a takeaway, a tip is not, strictly speaking, required — and will seem extremely odd to most of us over here.
However, over there, if the server has bagged your order, added utensils or carried the food to your car, then a tip is a nice gesture: maybe a dollar or two. Let’s hope it doesn’t catch on here.
BREAKFASTS: BUFFET ETIQUETTE
DURING breakfasts where you serve yourself (or at any buffet), tip attendants refilling water glasses or clearing dishes $1 to $2.
TOUR GUIDES: DOLE OUT THE DOLLARS
ON SHORT walking tours of less than two hours, tip $5– $10 per tour guide.
For tours of up to six hours, the tip should be at least $10-$20, or more if it’s been especially good. These guys really do rely on their tips to make a living.
SALONS: PAY TO BE PAMPERED
SOME salons do not allow gratuity. Others may include it in the bill. If a salon does allow it and it is not already included, tip between 15 and 20 per cent.
WHEN IS A TIP NOT CLASSED AS A TIP?
WHEN it’s a ‘service fee/ charge’. In both bars and restaurants, a ‘service fee/ charge’ may be added to your bill. While this may look as though it’s a tip for the waiter, it’s not.
The fee/charge goes towards the wages of the front-of-house staff, kitchen workers and managers. So do tip your waiter as per usual (see above).