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bello
02-02-2014, 13:22
Hello everyone,

I am from Germany and never was in the USA.
I heared that it is very much standard to tip someone for any kind of service they do for you. So this is different in Germany, most of the time you pay the price on the list, which includes the wages for service.
How does this work exactly in the US? How much tip should i give? And in what situations should i give? is it really ANY service? like buying a coke in a gas station?

Thank you and see you on the Trail

Weather-man
02-02-2014, 13:32
Hello everyone,

I am from Germany and never was in the USA.
I heared that it is very much standard to tip someone for any kind of service they do for you. So this is different in Germany, most of the time you pay the price on the list, which includes the wages for service.
How does this work exactly in the US? How much tip should i give? And in what situations should i give? is it really ANY service? like buying a coke in a gas station?

Thank you and see you on the Trail

Hi. As a matter of background my spouse is German (from Bad Tolz) and I myself have spent about 8 years living in both Tolz and the Stuttgart area. This question often is reversed when Americans on their first visit to Germany leave what they consider to be a normal tip and the waitress is confused by the large amount of money.

Here in the States I use a 20% rule for good service in a restaurant. If the service is outstanding then perhaps I leave a little more, if bad service a little less. If horrible service I normally won't tip and will also speak with the manager. Waitresses here aren't paid a normal salary in most states but rather a "waitress" wage which can be around $2 per hour. So this being the case their real salary is generated wholly by tips. In Germany of course the Severs make a good salary and the tip is "trinkgeld"

No, no tips are required in stores or gas stations. I hope this helps and I also hope that you enjoy your visit. I spent 3 weeks in Augsburg and Passau last summer and I miss Germany dearly.

hiker33
02-02-2014, 14:04
Weatherman answered the restaurant issue well. Other areas where a tip is appropriate are taxi drivers, who should get 10-15% of the total fare, and bellhops who carry your bags to the hotel room. They typically get $1 per bag.

My wife is not German but lived in Kaiserslautern for three years. Enjoy your visit.

Hill Ape
02-02-2014, 14:07
for tableside service, tip. but for fast counter service, don't tip. 20% if you're in a large party, some places include the tip in the bill, if so you would not tip twice.

Hill Ape
02-02-2014, 14:22
I should have punctuated that better, its reads a little wrong. What I meant was 20% is a standard tip. But if you're in a large party, sometimes its on the bill.

MDSection12
02-02-2014, 14:25
It can get confusing, even for us Americans. Twenty percent is a good rule for a table-side service restaurant. For bartenders I usually do about fifty cents per drink. For delivery guys I do about five dollars. For taxi drivers a couple bucks is fine, unless it's an unusually long drive. For bellhops, who carry your bag to the room, a dollar a bag is probably fine. I can't think of any other common times to tip.

Tuckahoe
02-02-2014, 14:47
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-s606/United-States:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html

bello
02-02-2014, 15:22
thank you very much.

what is about the hostels along the trail?

Slo-go'en
02-02-2014, 15:29
thank you very much.

what is about the hostels along the trail?

Some have a set fee which covers it all. Some are donation based with a suggested mininum donation, typcially 5 or 10 dollars. If you want to donate more that is welcome as some hikers will not donate at all.

rickb
02-02-2014, 16:31
It can get confusing, even for us Americans.

Case in point the AYCE (All You Can Eat) restaurants so beloved by thru hikers.

While tipping less than 15% would not be something most people with taste, culture, breeding and social sophistication would consider in a regular restaurant where a waiter comes to the table and takes your order-- many of these same people will leave a feeble tip if there is a buffet. Sometimes just a couple bucks.

One could argue whether that is right or wrong away from the Trail, but I would suggest that a hiker should always leave 15%+ for an AYCE Buffet. For obvious reasons!

peakbagger
02-02-2014, 17:13
Hostels along the trail have an issue in the US with charging for a stay. Most hostels are not affiliated with any known group, its just a different name for a place to stay. If they charge, they have to have commercial insurance and generally they will need to make major expensive upgrades in order to get the insurance. So many work on a donation basis hoping it will protect them from getting sued if a guest is injured. That is questionable but they do it nevertheless. At those establishments please pay their recommended donation and if you find their services useful consider putting in a few extra dollars for the many thru hikers who do not.

Feral Bill
02-02-2014, 17:18
Case in point the AYCE (All You Can Eat) restaurants so beloved by thru hikers.

While tipping less than 15% would not be something most people with taste, culture, breeding and social sophistication would consider in a regular restaurant where a waiter comes to the table and takes your order-- many of these same people will leave a feeble tip if there is a buffet. Sometimes just a couple bucks.

One could argue whether that is right or wrong away from the Trail, but I would suggest that a hiker should always leave 15%+ for an AYCE Buffet. For obvious reasons!
Who would the tip go to? Most buffets I have eaten at have no servers. With some that have limited service, I tip as seems appropriate, but it is confusing. No one will complain if you over-tip.

Second Half
02-02-2014, 17:28
Who would the tip go to? Most buffets I have eaten at have no servers. With some that have limited service, I tip as seems appropriate, but it is confusing. No one will complain if you over-tip.

It would go to the people who bring and refill your drink, clear your dirty dishes, bring you the check.

Tuckahoe
02-02-2014, 17:49
From the link I provided...

For buffet restaurants, tipping servers who clear multiple dishes and provide drink refills are recommended. Some persons may tip buffet servers $1 per diner, others as much as 5 percent of the total bill, depending upon the level of service provided. Buffet servers may not take orders or bring out food, but they do work hard keeping your table clean of the empty plates after multiple trips to the buffet line. In addition to this, they often help to keep the buffet line stocked and clean, and they make coffee, brew tea, etc. Remember that the minimum tip for any server should be $1 per person. Do not leave only 75 cents for a $5.00 buffet! As always, if you feel you have not been well-served, adjust the gratuity down. If a tip has been added to your bill beforehand because your party was 6 or more, but the server was inadequate or rude, inform the manager immediately before you pay your bill that you want the tip adjusted.


This was the general rule that I usually followed.

Feral Bill
02-02-2014, 18:18
From the link I provided...


This was the general rule that I usually followed.

That makes perfect sense. Washington minimum wage includes servers, which with tips makes a fair wages, and results in the same, professional servers being in place year after year. Well worth it for me.

Tuckahoe
02-02-2014, 19:38
I can appreciate the confusion with regard to US tipping practices; who to tip and who not to tip. I find that very often foreign tourists may lean to over tipping or offering tips to those not usually tipped. It happens to me often and I all to often see how flustered and frustrated they are when I decline the tip.

So, you may encounter some in your travels here who are not tipped, and will decline. Dont be too upset with them.

bigcranky
02-02-2014, 21:27
I worked my way through college in various restaurants, and had a lot of low level jobs when I was young, so I tend to tip well for all kinds of service. Many people don't know (or want to acknowledge) that tipped employees are getting paid much less than minimum wage (which isn't exactly a lot of money anyway.) I put a buck or two in the tip jar at coffee shops, tip at least 20% for sit-down service in a restaurant (with a minimum of $2 even at the cheap Mexican place where I often eat lunch), tip the delivery guys when they install a new appliance, leave $5 per night for the housekeeper at the hotel, etc. I'm not even close to well-off, but I can afford a few extra bucks and I know from experience the difference it makes.

bello, that link has good information.

BuckeyeBill
02-02-2014, 21:43
One thing that hasn't been mentioned, is tipping the owner of a business. Normally no tip is required in such a case.

George
02-02-2014, 21:46
for a hiker there is only 2 common situations were a tip is likely appropriate: restaurants - that has been well covered

the other is when you get a ride: hitching or other - look at the situation, if the provider is of common means offer and maybe insist on giving compensation - I usually say: let me buy some gas, at least a dollar per mile is in order

Don H
02-02-2014, 21:52
I keep a $5 on hand when hitching and always offer it. Most won't take it but it's nice to offer.

Marta
02-02-2014, 22:04
A small, but important point: whether tipped employees are paid less per hour depends on the state. In Montana, tipped employees have the same minimum wage as anyone else, currently $7.90. On federal land, federal wage laws apply, and the minimum wage for tipped positions is less than $3/hour.

That said, no one is going to try to calibrate their tips according to the local minimum wage. Horrible service = zero. Good service = 20%.

Another group of minimum wage workers you might want to consider is the motel housekeeping staff. Especially if you've gotta bunch of hikers in the room and have made a mess of things, leaving a few bucks for the housekeeper is very kind and thoughtful.

bigcranky
02-02-2014, 22:05
I keep a $5 on hand when hitching and always offer it. Most won't take it but it's nice to offer.

Yup, I always do this too, and very few people accept.

Jack89
02-02-2014, 23:14
Hi. As a matter of background my spouse is German (from Bad Tolz) and I myself have spent about 8 years living in both Tolz and the Stuttgart area. 1st of the 10th?

Tuckahoe
02-02-2014, 23:15
I worked my way through college in various restaurants, and had a lot of low level jobs when I was young, so I tend to tip well for all kinds of service. Many people don't know (or want to acknowledge) that tipped employees are getting paid much less than minimum wage (which isn't exactly a lot of money anyway.) I put a buck or two in the tip jar at coffee shops, tip at least 20% for sit-down service in a restaurant (with a minimum of $2 even at the cheap Mexican place where I often eat lunch), tip the delivery guys when they install a new appliance, leave $5 per night for the housekeeper at the hotel, etc. I'm not even close to well-off, but I can afford a few extra bucks and I know from experience the difference it makes.

bello, that link has good information.

Hey BC, W&M rght? Any places I might know today?

Odd Man Out
02-03-2014, 00:12
Another service a long distance may be tipping for is hair cutting. For that I usually tip as I would at a restaurant. I have no clue what others do. As pointed out, it's highly variable.

Lemni Skate
02-03-2014, 14:17
haircuts....not a big issue for most thru hikers...but if you happen to get one, tip.

Coffee
02-03-2014, 15:00
20% is a good rule of thumb. Going with 20% rather than 15% is a really small difference on a $10-15 restaurant check. I've heard it said on occasion that tipping really well is only necessary if you intend to be a repeat customer but that's just wrong on the trail. But even if a hiker personally will never revisit a town again, the hikers behind him on the trail will so it is important to tip well to keep a good vibe going IMO.

Happy44
02-03-2014, 16:38
heres a general rule to follow op, if someone provides you service you tip them, they have the choose to accept or not but offering is on your side! if your poor 8-10% is plenty and if your rich 18-25% is plenty, but if service is bad zero is fine! tips dont have to be money either, offering your time is ok also, is all about the kindness :) i hope to see you on the trail this year!