The law is also quite interesting regarding the payment of Social Security and Medicare taxes on tip income -- in particular, the employer half of those taxes. If anyone is interested -- that may be wishful thinking -- send me an e-mail. It's not worth posting here.

Bruce

Empress: Back to top. Leave him or her a couple of bucks. I always leave 20-30% usually two-three bucks on bfast.

I usually leave a couple bucks for free meal. 2 loonies on the pillow for the maid too ( greenbacks in the US). Also the RoomService people get the short end of the stick as people assume that the Service Charge $2-3 on the check is a tip. It is not.

When I'm not sure, I ask. Staff are always great at telling me when it's included of not.

I tip normal for OK service (15-20%), but give me poor service and watch out. Can you say Zero. I think that's a fair deal.

I'm happy to part with a couple bucks for an enjoyable experience. If others want to blow the issue out of proportion they can.

What's a couple of dollars, tho ..... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cool.gif

i generally will leave a $1.25 tip for breakfast if eating alone in these parts. since an average breakfast tab here is $5 or so, it's a generous 20%. life is fairly cheap here, so it goes farther than you think.

on a comp Hilton breakfast, i've traditionally left $2-$3. and yeah, i do love how it is in France; i always am very amused when the table-full of 'merrikuns leaves 20% over the bill. i got to explain that to a very confused French waitress once. given how boorish the group was, though, i think she almost deserved hazard pay.

We are all in the same boat. For years in the US, we left 10% without thinking. A friend who worked as a watiress put us wise one day (let's face it if you are foreigners abroad, people automatically expect that you don't know local custom and practice and make allowances). We were less amused to be presented with a bill (in Charlston, South Carolina)in an establishment where the food and service was dreadful which read "15% gratutity NOT included. I am not making this up. We wrote back "15% Service NOT provided". I was furious! I might add that this conduct was not, from his accent anyway, local and was in stark contrast to the courtesy and friendliness everywhere else.