The Tipping Saga!

[UKDEB]

Tips are seldom included in the bill unless your party is 6 or more when, conversely, it usually is. You just need to check the bill when it arrives; if the tip is included, it will say so. Doesn't make a difference where it is - Disney, I-Drive, or anywhere else, the premise is the same. Even when you get special deals which indicate that the gratuity is included your server will still 'appreciate' (expect) a tip.

$1 per person per room still seems to be the going rate for housekeeping. Ditto $1 per bag for the bellhop. It's always been the same in the 15 years we've been visiting the US.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Oh the other thing that annoys me is that Disney restuarants add a 20% tip (I think that's the %, anyway) onto the cost of your meal if there are 10 of you or more. Fair enough, I would tip them, but to be EXPECTED to tip really gets on my nerves. And if the service is crap, it doesn't matter, because the waiter(ess) will know they're getting a large tip at the end of the meal regardless!!

A compulsory service charge for groups (normally 6 or more) is very common in the UK as well - I see it a LOT. Doesn't make any different to us, since we tip anyway (whether it is a group 20 of us or just the two of us)...

You will often see something on the menu (in the UK) along the lines of "service charge of 10% made for all groups of 6 or more".

Boo

 

[Boo Boo Too]

I hate the way the whole thing is set up at hotels so that you are forced to tip more than once to have your car parked and your bags delivered to your room.

I don't mind tipping the valet AND the bell-hop.

I do mind tipping the valet, "bell-hop no.1" (who takes the bags out of the car and puts them on the trolley) AND "bell-hop no.2" (who takes the trolley and delivers bags to the room)

Am not a big fan of valet parking anyway... most of the time I don't mind walking AND valets can often take a lot longer to retrieve your car than if you had just got your car yourself (I hate hanging around...).

Boo

 

[UKDEB]

Yes, Boo, that's exactly what I'm saying. I don't mind tipping the valet and the bell hop. I do mind that I have to pay the guy who takes the car away. The guy who gets the bags out of the trunk. The guy who holds the bags because they don't have anyone to take them to the room immediately. The guy who eventually does take them to the room... It strikes me that it's not coincidence that each of these roles is performed by a different individual.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

Yes, Boo, that's exactly what I'm saying. I don't mind tipping the valet and the bell hop. I do mind that I have to pay the guy who takes the car away. The guy who gets the bags out of the trunk. The guy who holds the bags because they don't have anyone to take them to the room immediately. The guy who eventually does take them to the room... It strikes me that it's not coincidence that each of these roles is performed by a different individual.

That's why we tip the valet and the bell-hop - if they use more individuals to do these two roles, then they can pool the tips...

A bit like at a restaurant... often you only have one server, but sometimes you have more (i.e. someone else might show you to your table, drop your meals off or refill your water or whatever)... I would still only leave one 15%/17.5%/20%+ tip... not one tip for each person

I think that the tipping thing I dislike MOST in the US is the "restroom" tip. Have been to a couple of descent/good restaurants (one was in Key Biscayne Miami, the other was in Chicago) and both had "restroom attendants" waiting in the restrooms - trying to be helpful, but with VERY PROMINANT tip jars/plates. To be honest I often don't carry cash in the evening, so I find this embarrassing and unecessary... you pay a good amount of money for a good meal in a good restaurant (and you tip the servers well), it would be nice to be able to spend a penny (without tipping a dollar!) in peace...

Boo

 

[wayneg]

This is not just purely a Brit problem, not tipping. One evening we ate and the server was serving our table plus 3 more very close to us. We were the only Brits there other 3 table were Americans. 2 families left without leaving a tip other family of 4 left $2.
Another evening we were in a Ponderosa a family of 7 dined and all you could say was trashed the tables, piles of food they did not eat, food all over the floor, spilt drinks. It was disgusting to see. They left without leaving a tip. The server called out the Manager and she refused to clear up on her own. He helped her. The family were American.
So, yes I do know it is a big problem with UK travellers but its not only us.

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

I do get the feeling that most americans don't tip, infact a lot of people can't afford to tip. It would be sad if people who saved for years felt they couldn't eat in a disney retaurant because they couldn't afford the tip.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

I do get the feeling that most americans don't tip, infact a lot of people can't afford to tip. It would be sad if people who saved for years felt they couldn't eat in a disney retaurant because they couldn't afford the tip.

I think that most americans probably do tip... ok some don't/wont, but there are people like that everywhere - people who know what is right/proper, but don't do it...

Really everyone should factor the price of the tip into the cost of their meal (if they can't afford the menu prices + descent tip, then they can't afford to eat there... they should eat somewhere cheaper)

I don't think it is fair to eat somewhere that you can only afford to eat at if you don't tip...

Boo

 

[SammieG]

we always tip well in the USA.
If we get bad service we still leave a tip.. but leave it in coins (which they hate) or just a dollar.

Leaving nothing makes them think we dont understand - leaving a small amount makes them hopefully realise that they havent done a good job.

Also, if we have received bad service we will sometimes write on the bill - service slow and server unfriendly.. or whatever the deal was..

then we try to get out really quickly!

 

[mozzman]

this is one of the most important threads iv'e read i did not realise the tax issue on restaurant workers until now and i am sure 60% + of first time visitors to the states dont realise it,its a good job i know as i do tip in england but some times depending on what i have in my wallet determins the tip sometimes a fiver or a ten

 

[cheryl.UK]

First of all let me say that we tip in restaurants 100% of the time in the UK or the US or anywhere else for that matter.

BUT... some of these posts have got me thinking. We too have experienced waiters who clearly did not expected us to tip and so prompted us. So maybe...next time we go we'll leave our customary 15-20% but then give them a real tip,written on paper. Perhaps something along the lines of,

'Thank you for your service. As you can see I have left a tip. Before you prompted me I already intended to leave one. Your prompt was unnecessary and, some might argue, rude. A few British people may well have forgotten your tip in the past. Many many more will have refused after experiencing your assumption that they would leave without doing so. Most British people would see this as rude. May I politely suggest that you refrain from this practice. In the long run you will find that your tips will increase.'

 

[Richard Bruvofetc]

'Thank you for your service. As you can see I have left a tip. Before you prompted me I already intended to leave one. Your prompt was unnecessary and, some might argue, rude. A few British people may well have forgotten your tip in the past. Many many more will have refused after experiencing your assumption that they would leave without doing so. Most British people would see this as rude. May I politely suggest that you refrain from this practice. In the long run you will find that your tips will increase.'

Brilliant.

 

[feistyblue]

I've been bought up to tip well in restaurants when it's deserved and for that to be based on service not food. My parents always tip around 30/40% and I (being less wealthy!) tend to tip around 15/20% here and follow the 20% rule in the US.

But, if I get bad service here I either don't tip or make it smaller. DP waitressed as a student and has a real thing about tipping so sometimes sneaks some extra in when we leave and then tells me! That makes me mad as I believe in rewarding good service not bad!

Claire

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
I have been visting the USA most years since 1980 and have no problem tipping for good service. What I do have an issue with though is the percentage rule. I have eaten at many Disney locations and the service has varied from excellent to poor. However because the food is so much more expensive than for example Sizler or Ponderossa the amount of tip in cash terms is much more. In most cases I really can't say that the server at Disney worked any harder then the server at the lower priced places. And don't even get me started on a percentage tip if you have a bottle of wine with your meal...!!

Mick.

 

[jna]

Can you add the tip to the bill and include in the credit card payment, as you can in the UK and France as another example?

 

[UKDEB]

Yes, you can, jna, and that's what we've done traditionally. Recently, we've started to leave the tip in cash for a couple of reasons. The first is that I think the servers prefer that - it ensures they actually receive it and that they get it there and then. Secondly, if you add the tip to the credit card bill, you will end up with loads of outstanding unmatched authorisations. Authorisation is sought for the amount of the bill pre-tip, but the payment is processed post-tip. Because the two don't match, the authorisation then remains outstanding for up to a couple of weeks. Over the course of a trip, that can soon eat in to your available credit.

 

[Lizzybear]

I think that most americans probably do tip... ok some don't/wont, but there are people like that everywhere - people who know what is right/proper, but don't do it...

Really everyone should factor the price of the tip into the cost of their meal (if they can't afford the menu prices + descent tip, then they can't afford to eat there... they should eat somewhere cheaper)

I don't think it is fair to eat somewhere that you can only afford to eat at if you don't tip...

Boo

Agreed. I know some wouldn't but I think if you can't afford or don't want to pay for the service then eat somewhere cheaper or don't eat out at all.
I do tip over here, just not as much as in the US.

 

[jna]

Yes, you can, jna, and that's what we've done traditionally. Recently, we've started to leave the tip in cash for a couple of reasons. The first is that I think the servers prefer that - it ensures they actually receive it and that they get it there and then. Secondly, if you add the tip to the credit card bill, you will end up with loads of outstanding unmatched authorisations. Authorisation is sought for the amount of the bill pre-tip, but the payment is processed post-tip. Because the two don't match, the authorisation then remains outstanding for up to a couple of weeks. Over the course of a trip, that can soon eat in to your available credit.

Thanks very much. A very useful answer for us where the unmatched authorisations are concerned. We'll stick to cash for the tips to make life easy.

I must say that it does annoy me to be prompted to leave a gratuity and I do like Cheryl's little 'tip'. I remember the old saying 'ask and you don't get'. Think I might take a couple of pre-printed slips on those lines with me for use in circumstances where waiting staff are far too pushy.

 

[carolfoy]

What I don't get is how everyone thinks that Brits don't know about tipping, I can't honestly believe that so many brits go there without reading ANY literature, every american holiday brochure mentions the tipping culture, every guide or book from WHsmiths mentions it. I think Americans beleive these people don't know where as they probably just either can't be bothered or are too mean.
and I go along with the majority - tip when service is good, don't when bad.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

What I don't get is how everyone thinks that Brits don't know about tipping, I can't honestly believe that so many brits go there without reading ANY literature, every american holiday brochure mentions the tipping culture, every guide or book from WHsmiths mentions it. I think Americans beleive these people don't know where as they probably just either can't be bothered or are too mean.
and I go along with the majority - tip when service is good, don't when bad.

To be honest, I don't tend to read a guide book on each country that I go to (which has been a lot over the past few years - just don't have time).

I have ALWAYS known about tipping in the US because have travelled there, with my parents, from an early age.

There are lots of things that seem common sense or common knowledge to me, but are actually not... it is a mistake to judge other people by your own levels of intelligence, knowledge, education and awareness

Boo