Can someone give me advice on how "tips" work ?

Question

In Australia we don't give out tips. We simply pay for the service and that's it. I'm thinking of visiting New York at the end of the year and eventually moving there.. Can someone give me a guide on what to do and not to do in terms of giving people tips ?
Eg, am i giving out tips to everyone that has done me a service ? Who do i not have to pay a tip to ?
What happens if you forget to pay a tip ?
How much is an appropriate sum to give ?
What other countries do 'tips' ?
.. All the fundamentals i guess ? Anybody got some good guidelines i can go by .. i would appreciate it.

Q Scenario : If you're sharing a cab with a couple of friends to the same destination - do you each tip the driver seperately ?

Answer 1

If you are comming to NYC, remeber to always look at your bill. Some places have been tacking on an illegal gratutidy of 18-20% automiatically on the bill. New York law states that can only happen if you have a party of 8

Answer 2

Well, normally you would tip food servers, waiters and waitresses, 15 to 20 percent of the bill.

Pizza delivery people, many tip anywhere from a dollar to 10. Depending on the time it got there and how much ordered. Like for a big party, or just a small family.

If you take a taxi cab somewhere. I don't know what the amount for them is. I don't take cabs.

Doormen....don't use them either, so I don't know.

Hair dressers

Mostly, I'd say if you are going to be in New York, it would be the waitresses and taxi's.

Hope this helps alittle.

Answer 3

It depends on the service you're recieving..
For drinks at a bar- You should probably give at least a dollar per drink. If it's $3.50.. Give them $5.00.

For dining. I think the standard is 15% of the bill.. not too sure.

Pizza? 3-5 dollars..

Just give them a decent percentage of the bill, I usually do about 20-25%.. That should almost always work..

BTW- You don't give out tips to everyone.. Certain jobs give a lower wage because tips are expected. People in the U.S. know this but it might be hard for you to separate the two. For what you'd be visiting for, you should tip for--- Cab rides, waiters/waitresses, any kind of delivery, bartenders, and some others but I think those are the major ones...

Answer 4

Tips are associated with the service industry such as restaurants, salons, bars etc. because people working there don't make good salaries so I do tip according to service and usually it's between 15 and 20%.

If you forget to tip, nothing happens except the person serving you probably gets a bit upset.

As far as other countries, Jamaica is the only one I visited outside the US and they expect a tip on the last day of your visit. And in my experience I was happy to tip because I received excellent service! But even in the US, example Las Vegas, if you don't tip everyone, you won't get good service, in my experience.

Answer 5

Generally, you provide a tip to anyone who provides a service. This includes wait staff, nail/hair stylists, grocery baggers, cab drivers, someone who carries your luggage to your room, hotel maid, etc. You don't need to tip people like a sales clerk at most stores. If you forget to tip, nothing bad will happen except those people will be upset with you. If it someone, like the bellboy, who you may run into again, they will be less likely to service you. An appropriate amount is 15% of the bill. When I was in both Mexico and Canada, we left tips. I don't know if the citizens of those countries do, but as visitors, we did.

Answer 6

cabs, porters and skycaps (at airport), waiters & waitresses

If you forget...you may get dirty looks....in NYC you may get an informal lecture on local customs....

Don't tip owner of business. I have heard you are supposed to leave something for maid at hotel who makes up your room, but I never have.

15% seems to be established minimum in restaurants & probably cabs too. If you go out with group of >6, many restaurants will add 18-20% to your bill--so check to make sure not included, before you add any more! If stellar service: more. If sub-standard: don't feel bad about reducing appropriately.

and if you share a cab with friends...add your individual tip $ when you are putting $ together to pay....give all $ at once

Answer 7

15 - 20% for restaurant meals, salon services, bar drinks, and cab rides, a dollar or two a night for the chambermaid, a dollar or two for porters. Those are the essentials. But be warned: people who don't traditionally receive tips may try to shake you down. Also, you don't tip if you're a guest at a catered affair. So if you see a tip jar at a retail store, or on the bar at a wedding reception, ignore it.

Answer 8

I know you guys don't tip, cause I worked at the CN tower.
But I understand it is not your fault, that is your culture.
Tip 15% Restaurants. Before Tax. Do not tip on top of tax.
Tip Taxi drivers-depends on the service.
Tip in bars, leave change or a buck per drink.
Tip to get into clubs (skipping lines aka cue) be discreet.
Tip door men who carry your luggage.
I hope this helps.

Answer 9

15% Of the bill is the appropriate tip amount.

Answer 10

"Please advise" is the correct way to say it. Advice is a noun and advise is a verb. Therefore, you would say "please advise" instead of "please advice" because that would not make sense. If you wanted to use advice to say something, you could say "please give some advice" or something like that. That would be the appropriate way to use "advice."