20% is my norm. Sometimes more (25%) if they were extra good. Sometimes less (15%) if they weren't very good.
I'm a college student and usually low on cash. I tip 10% plus any change so it can be rounded to the nearest dollar.
Depends on the situation. If I'm out and buy a round of drinks and the tabs a $100 bucks.... I'm tipping maybe 5-10% If I go out and have dinner at a nice restaurant i'll tip around the standard 20% If I eat or get carry out at a local mom and pop spot (Teriyaki, Thai, sushi, Mexican etc) I have no problem tipping 30-40% since they know me, the service is good and quick, the food is good and cheap for the most part and I like supporting a local small business owner.
I always tip based on how good the extra service was. It varies from 15% to 20%, with a minimum being 2% no matter how much the whole bill was (even if it was just coffee). My method is to get 10% of the entire bill and double it for 20% (if it's 58.50, then tip is 5.85 times two = $11.70).
American tipping "culture" has gone completely insane. It has become something that stresses people out. Service should just be included in the prices, and if service is really good, people should tip if they feel like it. 20 % is crazy. It's like tipping inflation. People do it because they don't want to appear as cheapskates, and this is of course promoted. It helps companies to keep wages down. I remember that 10 % used to be the norm, then 15 %, now 20 %. I am a generous tipper and I do tip like it is customary, and more, but still, I do think it is simply crazy. Nowadays it is more like bribing the service provider so that you get decent service, when they should give you decent service regardless of how much you tip. And American travelers are spoiling it for everyone else elsewhere around the globe. It is annoying.
I worked a ton of service industry jobs when I was younger. I don't make that much money but I always tip 25% or more. When I was a drinker, I tipped at least a dollar a drink.
Ha. Typical German response. :grin: You guys don't tip. But your waitstaffs make a lot more hourly than ours do, so tipping necessary. Or at least that was the case when I lived in Germany in 10 years ago...
This isn't said enough. I really don't know what constitutes good or great service. I dont expect my waiter to do anything more than maybe answer a question about something on the menu, bring out the right food while its still hot, and refill my drink. That all seems pretty standard to me.
I personally do tip...a lot. But I lived in several countries and I see the differences, and I think that the American tipping system is going through sort of an inflation. I think it has spiraled out of control. A tip is supposed to be a voluntary recognition of good service, but if it is quasi-mandatory and if you don't do it (or don't tip enough), you get an openly hostile reaction, then why not just include it in the price? I am in Japan right now and when I wanted to tip the bellboy who helped me with my very heavy suitcases (traveling for 6 weeks), he steadfastly refused. That was strange to me (even though I knew that this is the way it is in Japan).
I don't base my tip on a percentage. Usually my tips are around $5, and usually we eat for $20-$25. If we go somewhere nice I usually tip around $10, and if we go somewhere really expensive where the service is stellar I might tip $20-$25. Ultimately as a percentage it probably comes out around 20 - 25%.
