Hawaii - Tipping in Hawaii

First time to the US (Hawaii) from a country that doesn't tip as a requirement (only for great service at restaurants, etc).

So for a total newbie, can someone please tell me who I need to tip, how much to tip, etc?

I'm not going to go into details that are probably too numerous to address in a post, but tipping in Hawaii should be handled, as you guessed, the same as tipping in the rest of the United States.

If you Google "tipping in the us" you'll find a number of detailed articles on the subject.

I'm not going to go into details that are probably too numerous to address in a post, but tipping in Hawaii should be handled, as you guessed, the same as tipping in the rest of the United States.

If you Google "tipping in the us" you'll find a number of detailed articles on the subject.


+1 ^ Hawaii is like any other state in the US and tipping etiquette should be the same

15% for average service. Scale up or down accordingly for quality of service.

Here is a great link for tipping.

http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

At The Hotel and Restaurants & bars apply to you the most, but it covers everything.......

Thanks everyone! I was told 10-15% which is obviously wrong!

As far as I know, across most of the United States, tips are the main source of income for waitstaff. For the most part, waitstaff are paid well under minimum wage. In some cases, $2.00/hour. Thus, the reason for a 15% to 20% tip. I usually start at 20% and work down. Most say only tip on the product served and do not include the tax. I tip on the total bill because at that point, your only talking a few dollars. (re: Bill without taxes, $100. Total with taxes, $108. Tipping at 20% on $100, tip is $20. Tipping at 20% on $108, tip is $21.60). Not much of a difference.

Also, if you do a tour, even though it is not required, they do push a gratuity. Do you need to do 20%? In my opinion, no. This is not a dinner. Some tours could be $150 per person. If your a family of four, a 20% gratuity on $600 would be $120. That would add up fast if you were to do several tours. Remember this, if you are on a tour, there may be up to 60 people. That is why I only tip up to $20 per person, if an only if, the crew or operator did a good job. Some people don't tip at all. I have witnessed crew members on a boat trip bend over backwards serving "high maintanence" guests. Those guest walk off without even saying mahalo. That is rude.

As far as I know, across most of the United States, tips are the main source of income for waitstaff. For the most part, waitstaff are paid well under minimum wage. In some cases, $2.00/hour. Thus, the reason for a 15% to 20% tip. I usually start at 20% and work down. Most say only tip on the product served and do not include the tax. I tip on the total bill because at that point, your only talking a few dollars. (re: Bill without taxes, $100. Total with taxes, $108. Tipping at 20% on $100, tip is $20. Tipping at 20% on $108, tip is $21.60). Not much of a difference.

It is a state by state issue. Some states do not allow tipped credit, some do.

Hawaii, for example only allows a tip credit of $0.25, therefore the the state minimum wage for tipped employees is $7.00. In CA the minimum wage for tipped employees is $8.00. That is above the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

You can see what each state does in the linked table below.

Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm)

...
You can see what each state does in the linked table below.
Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm)

Thanks, interesting!

Yet people still tip in Hawaii and California the same as any other state. This means the argument "they only make $2.13/hr" is a non-starter. Tipping is dumb but it's ingrained in our culture and only getting worse.

...but tipping in Hawaii should be handled, as you guessed, the same as tipping in the rest of the United States.

I was in Waikiki two weeks ago, and went to lunch at a small ramen joint. The family next to me, from Iowa, leans over and asks "Do they tip here?" Me, being a smart ..., says "Here, in America?" :D They respond, "In a Japanese restaurant- they don't tip in Japan do they?" :p

I was in Waikiki two weeks ago, and went to lunch at a small ramen joint. The family next to me, from Iowa, leans over and asks "Do they tip here?" Me, being a smart ..., says "Here, in America?" :D They respond, "In a Japanese restaurant- they don't tip in Japan do they?" :p

^

I was in Waikiki two weeks ago, and went to lunch at a small ramen joint. The family next to me, from Iowa, leans over and asks "Do they tip here?" Me, being a smart ..., says "Here, in America?" :D They respond, "In a Japanese restaurant- they don't tip in Japan do they?" :p
Love this story!

I'm going to have to try this at an Italian restaurant in New York! Can you imagine the reaction? Or maybe at one of the fancy French restaurants? The French Laundry, perhaps?

I was in Waikiki two weeks ago, and went to lunch at a small ramen joint. The family next to me, from Iowa, leans over and asks "Do they tip here?" Me, being a smart ..., says "Here, in America?" :D They respond, "In a Japanese restaurant- they don't tip in Japan do they?" :p
Nice one. Suggested response: "Yes, 50%." :D

...
You can see what each state does in the linked table below.
Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees (http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm)

Thanks, interesting!

+1 yes didn't know the various amounts were so different

Nice one. Suggested response: "Yes, 50%." :D

^ Furthermore, I guess they have not been to Maui where one will find 80% of hospitality employees to be from the "mainland" U.S. (interesting enough many of the wait staff I spoke to were form SoCal) ...