Originally Posted by
Often1
All depends where you are. I tip or don't in accordance with local practice. It's not fair to say that if you're from Western Europe where a tip is small and added for outstanding service that you don't need to tip in the USA where it's part of the process and expected.
I don't judge other societies for their choices.
That said, if you don't want to trip the bellman at a hotel in the USA, don't use him. If you don't want to tip the waiter at a restaurant, eat take out. The token booth attendant for the Subway in NYC doesn't expect a tip, but the cab driver does.
+1
That's what I do when I'm in the US, I put in my bags in and out of an airport shuttle, I eat only take out, I don't use bellman.
I don't like the fact that a hotel is offering something like 'complimentary' shuttle, when it's not really complimentary. I saw shuttles with big writing inside it saying 'We appreciate your tips' or something like that, then it's not as 'complimentary' as it really should be.