Let's look at this from the other side - how many Americans don't go handing out huge tips to anyone and everyone when abroad?

Tipping is fine, when the servers are the recipients of the tips, because it serves as an incentive for good service. But saying that the tip is 15 - 20% is essentially the same as adding 15% to the food price, and then saying the tip is 0 - 5%. If the range is only 5%, doesn't matter where you start at, and starting at 0% brings it in line with the rest of the world.

Those Americans who take the trouble to determine what the convention for tipping happens to be in the country which they visit.

No, it is not essentially the same. Servers in American restaurants are the recipients of the tips (usually split with busboys). Restaurant owners are not.

Why do you believe you have an obligation to bring tipping practice in the U.S., "in line with the rest of the world"? When I visit the U.K., should I drive on the right so as to bring driving practice in line with the rest of the world?

I have seen, too often, tourists from many different countries who, when they travel internationally, spend their time complaining about how, "It's not like home, here," and, "WE do things differently," and so on. Such people are endlessly, annoying, both to the locals and other foreign travelers and, frankly, should simply stay home.

I could not disagree more. Let's take smoking as an example. In China, it is perfectly acceptable to smoke indoors at almost any venue. It is not uncommon to see a Chinese person in a restaurant with a lit cigarette in one hand while eating with chopsticks in the other. Would you accept such a person insisting on doing the same in a restaurant in the U.K.?

And I'd respectfully suggest you spend it in a country where tipping is not the norm, but avoid the U.S.

I meant that the 15% added to the food bill be used to supplement the wages, and then additional tips serve as incentive for good service.

I don't think there's any obligation to bring tipping practice from other countries to the US, but if it did work the way I'm saying, it wouldn't lead to all the ill-effects mentioned.

I can see why a fixed 10% service charge can lead to dismal service sometimes, but also why there will be more people trying to under tip than over tip.

After a customary airing on the BAEC forum, it is time to move this discussion over to TravelBuzz!

Prospero
Moderator: BAEC forum

My personal rules for international travel
 

I have posted these a number of times on FT, but given the direction this thread has taken, I believe it is worth posting them again:


I'm always going to be perceived as a tourist. The important thing is to not be perceived as a stupid, offensive, inconsiderate tourist. Three rules for world travel:

1. Always remember that I'm a guest in someone else's home. Act like a guest.

2. If in doubt, ask. I'd rather appear a little foolish for asking a silly question, than be inadvertently rude and boorish by doing something offensive.

3. If I'm going to err, I will err on the side of generosity. It is better to over-tip than under-tip, overpay than underpay. I don't haggle to the last penny, don't express outrage at prices, don't compare the cost of things overseas to what I pay at home.

Postscriptum: I learn the rudiments of politeness in the language of the country I am visiting, i.e. learn to say, "hello," "goodbye," "thank you," "please," and "excuse me" in the local language.

I've followed these rules every time I've traveled internationally and I've never, not once, had any problems anywhere.

Don't worry about being a tourist. Worry only about not being a rude tourist.

Discussing whether tipping is or is not a preferable practice is like comparing communism to capitalism, representative democracy to participatory democracy, socialism to a free market economy, and other topics of intellectual interest, perhaps worthy of debate, but certainly arguable. This is a travel website and this thread began with an inquiry about tipping practice in the U.S. That is not subject to debate -- it is what it is and, notwithstanding efforts to defend refusals to tip in the U.S. by foreign visitors, it remains rude not to do so, from the standpoints of both accepted restaurant etiquette in the U.S. and the broader perspective of international visitor conduct.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=14246675
 

I agree - there's a big difference between those that endlessly whinge about stuff (and we certainly get that in the UK too. I wouldn't dream of being so disrespectful.

No I wouldn't because it is against the law (as is driving on the right in the UK from your earlier example). If it was illegal not to tip 20% in the US then I would be happy to comply. Conversely, if I went to a restaurant in China ... as I have many times ..... I would have to accept that they smoke at dinner (I would be silently not very happy about it though).

Whilst I am sure that some would like to be able to exclude anybody from their country that doesn't 100% buy into everything that that country stands for wouldn't that rather hamper the sharing of views, influence and other things that result in richer more international cultures. I shall hope for, and no doubt receive, a warm welcome from your countrymen when I visit the US in just a few weeks and they will receive the same in return.

I agree with everything you say in your 8.12 pm post. The only point of divergence is that I somehow don't think it is right to have very precise rules for tipping percentages for various job roles etc. A tip is supposed to be a gratuity .... freely given. I guess we will have to agree to differ on this.

Generally speaking, tips are accepted. 15% is standard.

People to tip:
Taxi drivers, restraunt wait staff, maids, bellhops, SOME shuttle drivers (generally not corporate ones or airport ops ones, although they WILL take tips! Depends on the service they render..for example, inter-terminal buses, don't bother..off airport parking, tip) bartenders, delivery staff, valet drivers, and porters.

People NOT to tip:
Hotel desk clerks, ticket/gate agents, fast food workers, parking attendants, information booth attendants.

In the US, tipping is generally based on quality of service. If the service is horrible, by all means do not tip. This is why they call it "gratuity", and it is designed to motivate staff for better service performance. Therefore, if the customer service was particularly bad (rude, incorrect, excessively long) then do not tip. Another example is the amount of service rendered..some shuttle drivers will load and unload your bags..others will not. If they don't a lesser tip or no tip is warranted, but if they do, throw them a few more bucks.

Unlike Europe, gratuity in the US is NOT automatically included in your restraunt bill UNLESS you have a party of 5-8 or more, at which point 18% is automatically added at most establishments.

You will not be required to tip for services you do not use. For example, if you leave the Do Not Distrub sign on your door and do not use the maid service, tip is not required.

Generally, for non-restraunt tips, 2 to 4 dollars is the general range. This would apply to valet's, maids (2 dollars per day you stayed, in cash on your night stand), shuttle drivers etc. Cabbies and waitstaff get a percentage of the total bill.

Oh, I couldn't agree more! ^

We had the misfortune to holiday [many years ago] with another couple in Malta. If she said once more "It's not like Spain" she was going to die! ;)

The World is not a uniform thing, as you noted earlier. What is right in one place is wrong in another. Over the years I've learned to enjoy sitting in a bar with friends, drinking pseudo-beer and watching pseudo-rugby on the enormous [and silent] TV behind the bar ... it's different, and that's the appeal of World travel and other cultures. And if tipping is required, that's what I do - painlessly, and with good grace.

This thread started with a simple question -- what are the appropriate tips in America? This question has been answered very well. The OP now has that information and can do with it as he or she wishes. Why that simple information keeps getting turned into a debate about whether American tipping customs are to the liking of various visitors is beside the point, and certainly of no relevance to the question that was posed.

Indeed and for the record, "he".
Wow -- I had no idea we'd have this going back and forth.

Whilst I fundamentely disagree with the 'policy' of tipping under/average performance/service -- I will respect it whilst in America and will follow the advice given to me by our American friends.

I will tip accordingly and I want to thank all the serious answers -- I'm a little embarressed at some of the 'non American' answers which in certain cases I feel at best are insensitive and at worst, offensive.

Looking forward to LA and BH!:)

I don't think this tactic is going to work at the more upmarket establishments - will likely lead to embarassment, as this would certainly be against corportate policy.

I for one cannot bring myself to tip in a restaurant where I am not served at a table, or in a "coffee" queue. I see the tip jar/box/can there but find the whole notion of tipping in these circumstances ludicrous.

Let me turn the question around, in a way.

Being a typical European, I'm rather confused by US tipping practice. But I understand it is the custom and try to comply. Now, I'm very uncomfortable with grading people and the service received. In a way it feels that I get the responsibility of being a restaurant manager when trying to enjoy my meal.

So this is what I do: I always tip 20% and treat it like a tax.

The question is: Have I found an acceptable solution to my "problem", or could this somehow be offensive to someone?

I think it had expanded out in the 11 pages well before my post that you selectively quote. What I was responding to were some earlier comments along the lines of "if you don't like it, don't come here" and, having done so just sharing the reason for my view. Such a contribution wouldn't be frowned upon on the board I frequent most often (and where this thread was originally).