How to know who to tip?

[s3058]

I'm making my budget and have been reading about tipping. Where I'm from tipping isn't really a big thing. If your taxi ride was 18.50 you might give a 20 and say keep the change. Or if service was great in a restaurant or bar you might give the server or bar staff a few euro.

So my question is how do you know who, and how much, to tip in the us? It seems so complex! I've read it's 20% for taxis and wait staff, a few dollars for housekeeping and a few dollars per bag for anybody carrying your bags? For housekeeping, is that a Disney thing or every hotel your in, and do you give a few dollars a day or wait until the end of your stay and give a lump sum for all the days? Also what if the service isn't actually good? Is it still seen as rude not to tip in that instance? Or in the case where there is a service charge?

TIA for any help I'm totally lost!

 

[kymom99]

If you want consistent advice and not opinions, you can look up Emily post for tipping etiquette. Trip advisor also has tipping advice.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

We always tip 20% at restaurants and bars. I tipped the car service driver 20% so since the car cost $50 each way, we gave him a $10 after each trip.

For the bell hop and the magic express driver, we did $1 for each bag. We had stayed at a hotel after landing so we had our bags when we boarded the magic express bus. I tipped the bell hop who took our bags and then the bell hop who brought them to our room.

We always left the housekeeping a tip at the end of trips at any hotel we stayed at. Then I read here you could have a different person cleaning your room daily so the one on the last day, gets the whole tip. On our last trip, we left $5 daily for a family of 4.

 

[Alesia]

No, you don't have to tip for bad service, but I'm would be absolutely sure that it was the server's fault and not something completely out of their control.

It's really not something that comes up often, though. We eat out quite a bit and I've only had bad service once in the last 25 years.

 

[s3058]

It's really not something that comes up often, though. We eat out quite a bit and I've only had bad service once in the last 25 years.

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I'm definitely hoping we don't have bad service! Just want to know what the polite thing to do is, like o said it isn't a big thing here so it's not seen as rude to not tip a server. It doesn't even signify bad service here, it's more if you have exceptional service you leave a tip.

If you want consistent advice and not opinions, you can look up Emily post for tipping etiquette. Trip advisor also has tipping advice.

I'll have to read that post I've been reading on trip advisor, lonely planet, etc and the general gist is there, I was hoping that people here could provide advice that's more tailored to Disney specifically. Like I wasn't sure about the ME driver.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I have seen a lot of people say that they always tip 20% at restaurants. I start with 15% and advice columns say that is pretty standard. If the service is very good, I will go up to 18-20%. If the service is poor, I will go down to 10%. I would never not tip at all, since server wages strongly rely on tips. Generally, the same holds true for taxi service as well.

For housekeeping, if you leave money, you should bring some kind of envelope and write housekeeping on it. Often the front desk will have something for you to use if you ask. If you just leave money out, many times they will not touch the money because of fear of being accused of stealing. I leave between $1-2 per person per day, but I often skip housekeeping throughout my hotel stays, so I tip about $5 per person on the last day in those cases. As for bellhops, $1-2 per bag is acceptable.

You don't need to tip someone that opens your car door, holds open a hotel door for you or removes your bags from a car. Only tip if they are carrying your bags to your room or providing some more involved service.

And for room service, tips the person delivering the food a few dollars based on how much food they may be delivering.

ETA: We usually tip the ME driver a few dollars per person. If it is DH and I, we would give $5. And any tour guide we would tip based on the length of the tour. Usually $2-4 per hour per person, depending on how good the tour was.

 

[MommaBerd]

I'll have to read that post

You'll have to pardon my giggle...the person's name is Emily Post (It didn't help that there was a typo and her last name wasn't capitalized.) So, to make things a little easier, here is a link: http://emilypost.com/advice/general-tipping-guide/

Also, there is a sticky/pinned thread on the Restaurants forum her on The DIS that discusses tipping.

 

[s3058]

You'll have to pardon my giggle...the person's name is Emily Post (It didn't help that there was a typo and her last name wasn't capitalized.) So, to make things a little easier, here is a link: http://emilypost.com/advice/general-tipping-guide/
.

Thank you.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

And I forgot to add, when you tip at restaurants, you are tipping on the pre-tax value. It doesn't make sense to tip on the tax added cost.

 

[s3058]

And I forgot to add, when you tip at restaurants, you are tipping on the pre-tax value. It doesn't make sense to tip on the tax added cost.

Thank you! I didn't know that. I just assumed it was a % of your total bill

 

[1st*toright]

Other people we tip- Bibbity Bobbity Boutique or Pirates League or any spa services, we tip 15-20% of the cost of the services. We generally give bellman $1 or $2 for getting us a cab (or a little more for valet). If housekeeping or bell services bring something to our room, we generally tip ($1 or $2 if its extra towels or something, more for package delivery).

Most of these tipping rules are pretty consistent across US hotels/restaurants. I don't do anything different at Disney than I would anywhere else.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

When we tip at restaurants, we almost always tip on the post-tax cost of the meal. I can't remember how it works in Florida, but in our state alcoholic drinks are taxed differently than food. Just to make it easier on myself, I go with the post-tax amount on the check.

Some US restaurants will print a tipping guide at the bottom of the check when they bring it to you for your signature. You can leave a tip in either cash or add it to the credit card total, but I have been told that most servers prefer a cash tip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

At WDW, the following are tipped positions - Bell Services, Food & Beverage Servers and Valet Parking. No others require tipping.

 

[gottalovepluto]

And I forgot to add, when you tip at restaurants, you are tipping on the pre-tax value. It doesn't make sense to tip on the tax added cost.

Truth! Sometimes the auto calculated tip suggestions include tipping on the tip which is not expected so be careful.

 

[gottalovepluto]

At WDW, the following are tipped positions - Bell Services, Food & Beverage Servers and Valet Parking. No others require tipping.

OP, this is important above! FWIW other positions can get fired for taking cash tips so don't try.

 

[Westcoastwild]

There's no agreement on tipping, even among Americans.

I don't tip taxis unless it's change or they helped me with my bag.

Ditto with valet. I'm not usually in a hurry to go somewhere and short of wrecking my car, there's not much they can do to devalue "her". I drive the car for sentimental reasons not because it's comfortable or attractive. And many hotels I've stayed at require valet parking.

I don't tip housekeeping because I honestly never figured out when to tip. Or if it made any difference.

I may or may not tip 15-20% at a bar. Usually only put a few bucks in the tip jar because they don't usually do anything except pour a drink and put food down in front of you. Same with coffee and counter service. I might throw change in the tip jar, or possibly, if it was out of this world coffee art I'll tip on my card. But not frequently.

On the other side, I usually tip 20% minimum for table service. I mean they've got to make me really mad to tip less. It's happened but rarely. And I tip for hair salon and waxing and nails because tipping makes a difference there.

someone mentioned upthread that you'd better be sure that it's the waiters fault and also that bad service is pretty rare. I agree on both accounts. Multiple screw ups or you never see your server- that's a server problem. If it's just taking a while, it likely is a kitchen problem.

I think honestly the last time I was angry enough to not tip was trails end during the weekend brunch. When I have to walk up to the counter because the server hasn't resurfaced in 20 minutes, that server isn't getting a tip. Especially since drink refills and plate clearing are literally the only jobs a server has at a buffet. But that was 9 months ago, so very infrequent went you consider I eat out a few times a week.

 

[DisneyHardin]

@Westcoastwild hit the nail on the head about there being to consistency. I tip well at restaurants, but not too many other places. Someone said something a while back about tipping the guy who delivered their new appliances and I was shocked. It would have never in a million years occurred to me to tip him. A guy I work with used to work for the cable company as an installer and he was telling me about the nice tips he used to get. Again, that is not someone I would ever have thought to tip.

 

[Westcoastwild]

@Westcoastwild hit the nail on the head about there being to consistency. I tip well at restaurants, but not too many other places. Someone said something a while back about tipping the guy who delivered their new appliances and I was shocked. It would have never in a million years occurred to me to tip him. A guy I work with used to work for the cable company as an installer and he was telling me about the nice tips he used to get. Again, that is not someone I would ever have thought to tip.

That's just odd. I sort of understand the washing machine if they...I don't know...cleaned up the mess they had after the installation, was polite, made sure I understood how to operate it. You know, above and beyond, good old fashioned local service. But cable company? Seriously? I mean they charge for everything and then you have the added resentment generated by constant telemarketing and price raises and dealing with them every single month. Maybe if it was a nice company and not COMCAST....nah, I still have to pay an installation fee and be home "between 10-4" on the off chance they will grace me with their presence. I wonder if those people tip plumbers and electricians