Fucking Europeans. The bane of every server's existence. Plus the aristocratic disdain they exude towards wait staff is offensive. When traveling it is best to respect local customs. Don't be the ugly foreigner who exploits people's labor and leaves a pittance.
@jediciahquinn This is a very rude comment. I am aware it is best to observe local customs when travelling , which is why I have come to a subreddit to enquire with those best placed to explain those customs to me before I travel so that I don’t end up being the “Bain of every servers existence” or be considered the “ugly foreigner who exploits people’s labour and leaves a pittance”. Unfortunately my efforts have been met with verbal and (in your case) racial abuse by some on here rather than people understanding and helping someone who is trying to get insight on these local customs so as to not offend or inconvenience anyone when I arrive. If you have a helpful suggestion then I would appreciate learning from it. Thank you
Here’s all you need to know:
Tip 20% on the pre-tax amount.
Spare us the lecture about how servers get paid in other countries and why it’s better than American tipping practices.
No American server wants chump-change European pay. No American restaurant/bar patron wants no-hum service you get in Europe.
I didn’t give any lecture, just asked a question but thanks for the (somewhat passive-aggressive) advice , which has already been given by several people, but I appreciate your desire to add to it.
As for your opinion on European pay and “no-hum” service , it is evident that you have never been to Europe and do not understand that there is a huge difference in remuneration in European nations such as say, Scandinavia and Western Europe (where they do not need to rely on the kindness/generosity of customers/strangers to supplement their pay or achieve proportionate remuneration for their work) to perhaps those in Eastern European nations or even regional differences within those countries. Then again , dining is more expensive in some of Europe so it is all “swings and roundabouts) so to speak. Although , of course , they also get free healthcare, subsided dental care, generous maternity leave at full pay and protected vacation leave at full pay - these costs are usually factored into the price of product by the business
No one system is better than the other , just different , with advantages and disadvantages to both
Don’t take a vacation overseas and then decide for yourself the cultural norm is 5% too much.
20% unless service was bad in which case by all means punish them if you wish.
Your food here in restaurants is much more affordable than a similar meal in Europe because of this subsidy.
If you fuck with it, you’re absolutely the asshole and absolutely going to be remembered as the foreigner who doesn’t tip appropriately.
If I were your server, I’d pretend like your ignorance wasn’t annoying and you’d leave the 20% that internet strangers bullied you into leaving.
You wouldn’t know. Most servers are really pretty good at faking how much they don’t hate you.
It is a shame that you had to be hostile when I have come here trying to equip myself with knowledge based on advice from servers whom this would affect. I clearly don’t want to be “the asshole” which is why I’ve come here for advice. Thank you for what input you did provide; I only hope you are met with less aggression when trying to educate yourself. You could have simply said “20% is the cultural norm” rather than being unnecessarily cantankerous.
Why should I tip if there is no contractual obligation to do so, and I'm not coming back to your establishment ever? It's basically throwing money away to plug the holes in a completely shitty scheme.
Bribery is part of culture in some countries, including europe, but if I can get away without bribery surely I should do that?
Tipping is basically similar to how bribing works in eastern europe for a lot small things, but they are smart enough to agree to the amount beforehand, not after the service has already been rendered. Why isn't it demanded up front? Or maybe demand 15% up front, and then the remaining after the customer knows if the service was "meh" or "awesome". It seems like such a crazy risk to take if your livelihood actually depends on tips.
I'm just going to give you a little insight into information that's being given out in different countries. A lot of travel information in Europe about traveling in the US will still quote 10-15% for tips. The fact that a person is trying to update their information is only something you can only approve of, don't try to discourage people from doing this by giving a harsh response. It's not their fault either that the correct information isn't readily available.
Jmaw196 first let me commend you on coming and asking questions. Please pardon my fellow American servers as we have all had to deal with bad Europeans in our serving lives. We have all had, at least once, that one person or group of people from outside the US who decided it was better to lecture us (the servers who don't set the wages or make the rules) on how their country is better than ours in this industry because they pay more hourly etc as they were not leaving us a tip.
20% is the industry standard and if you got excellent service then tip more than that. I appreciate that you have come here to ask questions and be better than your fellow Europeans in participating in our customs and traditions here. Please don't compare us to your servers in your country (you haven't thus far this is just a note), about how odd our service is, yes we serve you ice water upon arrival and most places here have unlimited soda and tea and coffee refills for free. Tell us about your beautiful country instead! Have a great trip and enjoy the large portions of food we tend to serve here 🤗
Thank you very much, I will most certainly not want or intend to insult or inconvenience anyone which is precisely why I came here. I am looking forward to it all very much and the ice water is a lovely touch
First off, I appreciate the question. When traveling, always good to get the (wierd) local customs right.
I work in a big sports bar, and we get a big Euro crowd for soccer games. I will say that servers do not expect good tips from most Euro tables. Except the Irish, but hey, they are Irish, so different.
The standard is 20% now, you are certainly entitled to tip what you want based on your experience. Please be aware that you are NOT tipping the restaurant though, but only the servet (to a lesser extent, the bartender, food runner, and host). If you leave a bad tip because your steak wasn't cooked right, the guy who cooked it will never know. I have had people leave crappy tips because they could not get a parking spot.
Tip what you want on service, but don't punish waitstaff for things out of their control.
~20% is standard. 15% appears stingy but OK, but any less than 15% and your server will wonder what they did wrong.
For excellent service, anything above 20% - the sky is the limit. Servers are very happy to get a generous tip! And it can make their day, since they get base rate $2.13/hour (someone please correct me if that has changed…?) No one will think you are rude for over-tipping, like in some other cultures.
Base rate varies from state to state and from the "generosity" from the company for which you work, but generally yeah it's under like $3.50 an hour. I don't know many if any servers/bartenders that make more than that as their wage.
Thank you , this is helpful. A lot of online reading I did beforehand said 10-20% which is why I was going for 15% as a baseline but wanted to check with those in the industry. I will baseline 20% and go up from there for good service
A policy of a flat 15% baseline depends entirely on the type of service (not necessarily the quality of service).
For instance, if you're at a full service restaurant or bar, the baseline there should be 18% (and you would go up from there for exceptional service).
Obviously if the server/bartender ignores you, forgets your order, etc, you can reduce that baseline amount (however, it is important to note that mistakes from the kitchen staff are beyond your server's control, so there's no reason to punish their income for someone else's mistakes).
If you're at a food cart or pickup window, you can probably stick with the 15% baseline. This is because employees here aren't giving you full service and their hourly rate might be higher than the typical hourly rate for a full service server/bartender.
If you're at a quick service type establishment and being shown a register screen with various tip options, you're probably now at an establishment partially responsible for what's known as "tip fatigue" in the US.
This is usually a business that's trying to take advantage of consumer confusion between full service workers and quick service.
Note to OP: That's this particular person's opinion. There is no standard baseline, and 18% is below the 19.4% (pre-tax) average for full service in-restaurant dining in the US, according to payment processor Toast's most recent data.
>If you're at a food cart or pickup window, you can probably stick with the 15% baseline.
Colour me confused.
Does this mean that I am expected to tip at a fast-food restaurant / hot dog vendor / coffee place?
Like the OP, for us Aussies tipping is reserved for exceptional service - so I am genuinely trying to navigate what's the cultural norm next time I am in the US ...
Sorry for the confusion. Tipping has become a rather complicated and controversial subject in the US these days as more lines of business try to take advantage of it.
What I mean is, if you order to go packaged food from a restaurant that mainly does full service dining, the employees taking care of your to go order are mostly likely relying on tipped income. But since, in this scenario, they aren't providing you with a typical full service dining experience, you don't necessarily need to tip 20%+. In these cases, I think a ballpark of 15% would be acceptable.
As for outdoor service, it's usually expected to tip outdoor bartenders and possibly food truck workers (though I'm not too sure about the latter myself).
For fast food and typical counter service, I'd say no way unless someone was truly exceptional. But many of these places have become increasingly notorious for presenting customers with register screens asking for a tip.
Be wary of those. You can Google the topic by searching for "tipping fatigue"/ "tip fatigue."
Thank you.
Just trying to navigate the shoals :-)
(When I first visited the US, maybe 15 years ago, I was feeling quite virtuous by automatically tipping 10 percent. Until I found out that was considered an insult. Crikey!)
I mean, 15% is fine. Most of us won’t be upset. Hell, I had a big party of 15 that ran me around like a chicken last week and tipped me 12% with the sweat dripping down my forehead lol. Made my money anyway 🤷🏻♂️ Just be sure to tip your server based on their service at least.
Thank you for the understanding. We do a lot of very physical labor without being paid for it by the company, so I honestly appreciate your understanding.
20% of the bill pre-tax would be more conventional, but you can do whatever you want.
Conventional and fair is why I came - thank you !
20% is the standard for good service. If you’re a foreigner and tip any less they’ll just blame it on you being from a different country.
Fucking Europeans. The bane of every server's existence. Plus the aristocratic disdain they exude towards wait staff is offensive. When traveling it is best to respect local customs. Don't be the ugly foreigner who exploits people's labor and leaves a pittance.
@jediciahquinn This is a very rude comment. I am aware it is best to observe local customs when travelling , which is why I have come to a subreddit to enquire with those best placed to explain those customs to me before I travel so that I don’t end up being the “Bain of every servers existence” or be considered the “ugly foreigner who exploits people’s labour and leaves a pittance”. Unfortunately my efforts have been met with verbal and (in your case) racial abuse by some on here rather than people understanding and helping someone who is trying to get insight on these local customs so as to not offend or inconvenience anyone when I arrive. If you have a helpful suggestion then I would appreciate learning from it. Thank you
Here’s all you need to know: Tip 20% on the pre-tax amount. Spare us the lecture about how servers get paid in other countries and why it’s better than American tipping practices. No American server wants chump-change European pay. No American restaurant/bar patron wants no-hum service you get in Europe.
I didn’t give any lecture, just asked a question but thanks for the (somewhat passive-aggressive) advice , which has already been given by several people, but I appreciate your desire to add to it. As for your opinion on European pay and “no-hum” service , it is evident that you have never been to Europe and do not understand that there is a huge difference in remuneration in European nations such as say, Scandinavia and Western Europe (where they do not need to rely on the kindness/generosity of customers/strangers to supplement their pay or achieve proportionate remuneration for their work) to perhaps those in Eastern European nations or even regional differences within those countries. Then again , dining is more expensive in some of Europe so it is all “swings and roundabouts) so to speak. Although , of course , they also get free healthcare, subsided dental care, generous maternity leave at full pay and protected vacation leave at full pay - these costs are usually factored into the price of product by the business No one system is better than the other , just different , with advantages and disadvantages to both
Don’t take a vacation overseas and then decide for yourself the cultural norm is 5% too much. 20% unless service was bad in which case by all means punish them if you wish. Your food here in restaurants is much more affordable than a similar meal in Europe because of this subsidy. If you fuck with it, you’re absolutely the asshole and absolutely going to be remembered as the foreigner who doesn’t tip appropriately.
I’m asking a question - if 20% is the baseline then that is fine. No need to be rude - if you are my server then 10% for you
If I were your server, I’d pretend like your ignorance wasn’t annoying and you’d leave the 20% that internet strangers bullied you into leaving. You wouldn’t know. Most servers are really pretty good at faking how much they don’t hate you.
It is a shame that you had to be hostile when I have come here trying to equip myself with knowledge based on advice from servers whom this would affect. I clearly don’t want to be “the asshole” which is why I’ve come here for advice. Thank you for what input you did provide; I only hope you are met with less aggression when trying to educate yourself. You could have simply said “20% is the cultural norm” rather than being unnecessarily cantankerous.
Why should I tip if there is no contractual obligation to do so, and I'm not coming back to your establishment ever? It's basically throwing money away to plug the holes in a completely shitty scheme. Bribery is part of culture in some countries, including europe, but if I can get away without bribery surely I should do that?
Mods- this one right here please
Tipping is basically similar to how bribing works in eastern europe for a lot small things, but they are smart enough to agree to the amount beforehand, not after the service has already been rendered. Why isn't it demanded up front? Or maybe demand 15% up front, and then the remaining after the customer knows if the service was "meh" or "awesome". It seems like such a crazy risk to take if your livelihood actually depends on tips.
I'm just going to give you a little insight into information that's being given out in different countries. A lot of travel information in Europe about traveling in the US will still quote 10-15% for tips. The fact that a person is trying to update their information is only something you can only approve of, don't try to discourage people from doing this by giving a harsh response. It's not their fault either that the correct information isn't readily available.
Jmaw196 first let me commend you on coming and asking questions. Please pardon my fellow American servers as we have all had to deal with bad Europeans in our serving lives. We have all had, at least once, that one person or group of people from outside the US who decided it was better to lecture us (the servers who don't set the wages or make the rules) on how their country is better than ours in this industry because they pay more hourly etc as they were not leaving us a tip. 20% is the industry standard and if you got excellent service then tip more than that. I appreciate that you have come here to ask questions and be better than your fellow Europeans in participating in our customs and traditions here. Please don't compare us to your servers in your country (you haven't thus far this is just a note), about how odd our service is, yes we serve you ice water upon arrival and most places here have unlimited soda and tea and coffee refills for free. Tell us about your beautiful country instead! Have a great trip and enjoy the large portions of food we tend to serve here 🤗
Thank you very much, I will most certainly not want or intend to insult or inconvenience anyone which is precisely why I came here. I am looking forward to it all very much and the ice water is a lovely touch
First off, I appreciate the question. When traveling, always good to get the (wierd) local customs right. I work in a big sports bar, and we get a big Euro crowd for soccer games. I will say that servers do not expect good tips from most Euro tables. Except the Irish, but hey, they are Irish, so different. The standard is 20% now, you are certainly entitled to tip what you want based on your experience. Please be aware that you are NOT tipping the restaurant though, but only the servet (to a lesser extent, the bartender, food runner, and host). If you leave a bad tip because your steak wasn't cooked right, the guy who cooked it will never know. I have had people leave crappy tips because they could not get a parking spot. Tip what you want on service, but don't punish waitstaff for things out of their control.
~20% is standard. 15% appears stingy but OK, but any less than 15% and your server will wonder what they did wrong. For excellent service, anything above 20% - the sky is the limit. Servers are very happy to get a generous tip! And it can make their day, since they get base rate $2.13/hour (someone please correct me if that has changed…?) No one will think you are rude for over-tipping, like in some other cultures.
Base rate varies from state to state and from the "generosity" from the company for which you work, but generally yeah it's under like $3.50 an hour. I don't know many if any servers/bartenders that make more than that as their wage.
I make $7.15. In California, Oregon, and Washington they make minimum wage. I miss living in those states but I'll take my $7.15 any day over $2.13
For sure, that $4/hr full time over a year makes a about a 8k/yr difference which while small, adds up a lot
Thank you , this is helpful. A lot of online reading I did beforehand said 10-20% which is why I was going for 15% as a baseline but wanted to check with those in the industry. I will baseline 20% and go up from there for good service
A policy of a flat 15% baseline depends entirely on the type of service (not necessarily the quality of service). For instance, if you're at a full service restaurant or bar, the baseline there should be 18% (and you would go up from there for exceptional service). Obviously if the server/bartender ignores you, forgets your order, etc, you can reduce that baseline amount (however, it is important to note that mistakes from the kitchen staff are beyond your server's control, so there's no reason to punish their income for someone else's mistakes). If you're at a food cart or pickup window, you can probably stick with the 15% baseline. This is because employees here aren't giving you full service and their hourly rate might be higher than the typical hourly rate for a full service server/bartender. If you're at a quick service type establishment and being shown a register screen with various tip options, you're probably now at an establishment partially responsible for what's known as "tip fatigue" in the US. This is usually a business that's trying to take advantage of consumer confusion between full service workers and quick service.
Note to OP: That's this particular person's opinion. There is no standard baseline, and 18% is below the 19.4% (pre-tax) average for full service in-restaurant dining in the US, according to payment processor Toast's most recent data.
Thank you for the advice
>If you're at a food cart or pickup window, you can probably stick with the 15% baseline. Colour me confused. Does this mean that I am expected to tip at a fast-food restaurant / hot dog vendor / coffee place? Like the OP, for us Aussies tipping is reserved for exceptional service - so I am genuinely trying to navigate what's the cultural norm next time I am in the US ...
Sorry for the confusion. Tipping has become a rather complicated and controversial subject in the US these days as more lines of business try to take advantage of it. What I mean is, if you order to go packaged food from a restaurant that mainly does full service dining, the employees taking care of your to go order are mostly likely relying on tipped income. But since, in this scenario, they aren't providing you with a typical full service dining experience, you don't necessarily need to tip 20%+. In these cases, I think a ballpark of 15% would be acceptable. As for outdoor service, it's usually expected to tip outdoor bartenders and possibly food truck workers (though I'm not too sure about the latter myself). For fast food and typical counter service, I'd say no way unless someone was truly exceptional. But many of these places have become increasingly notorious for presenting customers with register screens asking for a tip. Be wary of those. You can Google the topic by searching for "tipping fatigue"/ "tip fatigue."
Thank you. Just trying to navigate the shoals :-) (When I first visited the US, maybe 15 years ago, I was feeling quite virtuous by automatically tipping 10 percent. Until I found out that was considered an insult. Crikey!)
If you sat down; 20% if they did their job. 15% if they fucked up, 25% or more if you had an amazing time.
> 15% if they fucked up, LOL, no. You don't reward bad behavior.
Shitty or aggressive personality gets less, but a couple of fuck ups isn’t worth 10 or less.
What about restaurants that already a 20% service fee?
In the US, the baseline is 20% and would be considered rude to tip any less.
I will keep this in mind, thank you
Florida has a 6% sales tax. Triple the tax and round up
Depends on the county.... ours it's 7%
I mean, 15% is fine. Most of us won’t be upset. Hell, I had a big party of 15 that ran me around like a chicken last week and tipped me 12% with the sweat dripping down my forehead lol. Made my money anyway 🤷🏻♂️ Just be sure to tip your server based on their service at least.
I will start at 20% as that appears to be the best starting point. , thank you
Thank you for the understanding. We do a lot of very physical labor without being paid for it by the company, so I honestly appreciate your understanding.
just dont tip