Originally Posted by
GUWonder
The restaurant and bar/coffee-shop staff around Manhattan often complain about most Europeans not tipping them and they say that is why they serve visiting Americans and other known locals better than and before the visiting Europeans. These complaints often come from service staff who are immigrants themselves from many of those same European countries with which they have complaints.
Which may perpetuate the situation? Sort of pre-empting the anticipated lack of tip on behalf of the service staff, and maybe guaranteeing no tip from the non-American customer due to the lesser and later service provided.
It's really a 'when-in-Rome' thing. Tip according to local custom where it is expected, and most certainly do NOT tip in a place where it is not the custom and is not expected. With minor variations in each case.