The rule I have always heard from other, experienced travelers is $2-$3 US per day. Of course, this presumes average room conditions. I left $20 once for a maid in a suite where I had hosted a cocktail party the previous night.




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Brian

I'm making you feel guilty? Not possible. Perhaps it's your conscience.



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Brian

No tip is expected for housekeeping in the U.S.

QL

Not entirely true. Many Taxi cab drivers, Shuttle bus drivers, Tour bus drivers are paid on a commission basis. During slow times, they do not earn minimum wage.

[This message has been edited by debua1k (edited 05-20-2003).]

Had to weigh in on the question of whether a tip is completely voluntary or "required". If you look at it from the perspective of some countries/restaurants where there is "service included" - i.e., no extra tip required, because the payment for the service is included in the cost of the meal, but you might leave an extra few dollars/francs/euros for "above and beyond", then you've got to see that where service is NOT included (like most US restaurants), that means you should be "paying" for it, by adding a decent 15% in the event of normal service, and more for "above and beyond". In my opinion, absent really egregious service, the minimum tipping is compulsory, not optional.

As for chambermaids, there it is, in my opinion, completely optional, because that's all part of the hotel charges, but that shouldn't stop someone from tipping additionally where you've had good service - those ladies work super hard at a tough job for pretty small pay. I HATE housework, so I usually leave a few dollars a day in appreciation.

What I don't get, though, is the "need", especially in the US, to tip a doorman left and right for doing something as simple as summoning a taxi off the nearby taxi rank!

Just my 2 cents.

As an English guy who works mostly in the US I am getting more and more fed up with tipping becoming expected. If I have good service I do tip if the srvice is crap I wont. Also why 20% for a meal?
If I ate at a family resteraunt for $30 and the service was great the $6 would be fine by me as it was last week. Also last week Myself and my wife had a fine meal with average service in LAS that cost $750 with lots of good wine but as the service was average should I still leave 20%? That would be $150 for what? I left $20 because the service was only average and nothing more even if it was great should I leave $150.

One bell boy last week provide fantastic info for us last week in Scottsdale and got a $20 but another did nothing to help so got nothing.

I do tip and will continue to tip but only when I feel it is warranted but I hate been made feel that I have to.

Here here. I agree 100%. I will only tip if the service warrents it. I have been known to leave 0% if the service is crap but I will also tip generously if the service is exception.

I don't tip housekeepers in hotels - I pay for and expect a clean room. I don't leave money in those tip jars. I will probably tip more percentage-wise (sometimes even i dollar terms) in a diner or other homey restuarant where the waiters are kind and try to make you feel comfortable than at a more upscale place with mediocre servce.

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http://www.benjaminwagner.com
Great music!

No, I don't feel guilty. I was responding to your condescending post at the top of this thread.

Bottom line: people who tip out of generosity and kindness, realizing that others are not as fortunate, esp. due to downfalls, should be congratulated.

However, at the same time, people who do practice extra tipping should not EXPECT anyone else to do the same, or should not look down on those who don't share the same level of kindness as they do.

If they do, there's a problem. Simple as that, no?

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When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!

I won't necessarily look down on people who don't practice a high standard of kindness; however, I do feel it's unfortunate.

The situation is a bit worse than that (well, worse if you've ever been employed as waitstaff http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif ). Anyone who is classified as a tipped employee can be paid as little as $2.13/hr. The U.S. Department of Labor has a brief explanation on this page.

I only meant hourly or salaried employees. Sorry. I was not including commissioned workers, sales people, self-employed, etc.

I for one do not think tips are ever warranted for self-employed or commissioned workers. Their income is dependent on their own generated sales, not some unnamed fee extracted from the customer. This is why I always demand a "final price" from a hired car service. Likewise, I would not quote my customers a rate and then imply that I expect a gratuity on top of that.

Being a Brit too, tipping culture is something I am always a little uncertain with.

There is a metaphorical limit as to the limit of tipping. As Chris said he took he wife out for a $750 meal, surely any standard of service doesn't warrant a $150 tip!

$50 is the most, and the limit to what I would leave. If I take my girlfriend out for a nice meal and spend say $300 I would rather leave a $20 tip and buy a nice bottle of wine on the way home.

I can see this from both sides of the argument having worked in a £50 a head restaurant. We never really expected tips above £30 for a table of 10 even though IMHO we did provide good service.




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'There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror'
Orson Welles (1915–1985)

The employer is required to make up the difference between wage+tips if it is less than standard minimum wage.

That is, the tip-dependent minimum wage could be zero, and the employee is still guaranteed at least the standard minimum wage.

Right, so now my tips are going to come down to 6%!!? Oh please. I understand that there are cultural differences and that people from countries where service is included have a difficult time justifying the 15% in their minds (forget 20%!). And another above poster does not want to tip 20% for average service for a $750 meal? That poster tipped @6% too! Sheesh! When I visit other countries I try to follow their customs even though I don't care for them and even though people visit my country and appraently do not follow ours.

Tipping food and beverage workers is not a "custom" here. It is a traditional work practice. A tip for a bartender or a waiter is a WAGE. That fact that some people cannot or will not get their mind around that and perhaps, even disagree with it, does not change the reality.

If you would like us to "band together and unionize", then your $750 meal will now be $900.

*whew*

I am getting upset and that is bad for my Karma.

I apologize if I ranted. It is funny how sensitive we (myself and some above posters) are with out money. We have a saying among waiters (I shouldn't say this 'cause a FEW will contradict it and flame me and I am a sensitive guy who can't take the flamimg but...) but here goes: "The bigger the car, the smaller the tip."