I found a great article today on tipping. It is from a British perspective (so unfortunately it leaves out that country but you can see my previous
article on my guesswork of British tipping) but I thought I would share. I always find tipping extremely confusing as it is different everywhere you go. Here are a few samples. You can find the original article from Yahoo! Travel UK
here.
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Australia and New ZealandTipping is not widely expected, and may even cause [offense] to some. However, tipping in restaurants is becoming more common, and a 10% tip for good service will be appreciated by restaurant and bar staff. Taxi drivers and hairdressers do not expect a tip.
EgyptOne of the first words I [learned] when I went to Egypt was ‘
baksheesh'. Literally meaning ‘spread the wealth', this is Egypt's monetary way of saying thank you for services rendered. Tipping is discretionary, but a couple of Egyptian pounds . . . here and there goes a long way. Porters, tour guides and waiters all appreciate
baksheesh, and whether it's for a meal or for someone carrying all those purchases you made in the souk back to the hotel, every penny counts. Remember to carry round small change and ask for small denominations when changing your money. Small bills are a prized possession in Egypt because, obviously, no one gives change for a tip. One exception is taxi drivers, who, as my Egyptian friend says, are usually rude anyway, and will probably try to rip you off. So, needless to say, don't tip them.
FranceService is included by law in France, and your bill may state '
service compris' to indicate this. In any case, it is polite to round up the bill to the nearest euro, or to add 10% for exceptional service. Taxi drivers and porters will always appreciate a couple of Euros for efficient service. However, watch for signs that say ‘
Pourboire Interdit', which means that tipping is forbidden.
GreeceIn Greece, although a service charge is automatically included in your bill when eating out, this does not necessarily mean that it will go to the waiters and waitresses. So, if you're satisfied with your meal, a tip of 8 - 10% is customary. Bear in mind that during the Christmas and Greek Easter holiday periods a service ‘bonus' of 18% will be added to your restaurant bill as a holiday extra for the waiters. When [traveling] around, rounding up your taxi fare to the nearest Euro is also the norm.
GermanyAlthough a service charge is included (appearing on your bill as ‘
bedienung'), it is the norm to tip up to an extra 10% of the bill, especially in upmarket restaurants. One word of advice. Never say ‘
danke' unless you are really appreciative of your meal, because more often than not, this will be interpreted by the staff as a signal to keep the change. In addition, hand your tips to the staff when paying the bill instead of placing it on the table as you leave . . . In taxis, add a Euro or two to the total to keep the cabbie smiling.
ItalyWhen dining in restaurants, a 10 - 15% service charge (
coperto) may already be included in your bill. If that is the case don't feel obliged to add any more, and if not, a 10% gratuity is sufficient. In many Italian cafés, you will often pay more to sit down and enjoy your coffee or gelato ice cream rather than standing at the bar anyway. So, if you do sip your coffee or hot chocolate while sitting down, an extra €0.50 is a sufficient tip (you won't find better hot chocolate than in Italy, but that's another story). Smaller trattorias and pizzerias don't expect a gratuity, and tipping a small family-run business may even cause [offense]. Taxi drivers also do not expect a tip. When I attempted to leave one in Florence my friend practically slapped the coins out of my hand. Again, however, rounding up to the nearest Euro is fine, or if your cab driver helps carry your bags you may want to extend this to a couple of Euros.
JapanThe Japanese are pretty clear cut when it comes to tips. Any monies left are more likely to cause [offense] than gratitude. The number stated on the bill is what you should pay. No more. No less. Nuff said.
SpainService charges are included in the food prices on the menu in Spain, and tipping is a matter of personal choice. Most people leave some small change if they're satisfied and 5% is usually plenty. It's common to leave small change at bar and café tables, or if you eat tapas or sandwiches at a bar - just enough to round the bill to the nearest Euro.
[And for an interesting bit, here's what they say about US!]USATipping is serious business in the States. Many service staff get no more than minimum wage, and rely on tips to supplement their income. One of my colleagues (whose name shall remain anonymous) was actually chased out of a diner because they didn't leave a big enough tip when eating. So, tip generously, and often. You should leave a 15% minimum tip in diners, restaurants and cafes, and if service is really good then 20% is more the norm. In bars, slipping the bartender around a dollar per drink will ensure that service will never be a problem. And finally, when out and about in the States, tipping an extra 15% to your taxi driver is the norm.
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Having been a waitress for a bit (it's a job I believe everyone should work at once along with some type of customer service position like a clothing store), in the US it is
EXTREMELY insulting to get less than 15%. That means, to the waiter/waitress, that you did not do a good job (but, of course, if they were terrible leave them 10% or less). Servers can get extremely upset about it.
The only one I'm not sure about is $1 for every drink at the bar. That's a bit ridiculous. I do about every other drink or every couple of drinks (but always for the first one). Drinks at bars are already ridiculously expensive.
*some words have been changed - marked with [] or italicized.
