What is the best way to tip?

What is the proper way to tip?

Ugh, tipping. It's always a brain twister. Twenty percent, right? For good service. But what's good service, anyway? Is it prompt water refills? A smile? My friend Sarah says anything less than 20% is cheap. I hate that. Cheap isn't me, but sometimes, service is just meh. Then what? Fifteen percent feels stingy even then.

Last week at that new Italian place, Mama Mia's - it was overpriced anyway - the waiter spilled red wine on my white shirt. Disaster! Twenty percent was a given there, regardless of actual service. New shirt needed, you know?

So, here's the breakdown, as I see it:

• 20%: Excellent service, no problems. Birthday dinner kind of service.
• 18%: Pretty good, maybe a slight delay.
• 15%: Acceptable service, nothing special. Or if they messed up, like spilling a drink. It's about compensation for the inconvenience.
• Below 15%: Seriously bad service. Rude waiter or messed up order. Like that time at Denny's, 2023. What a mess!

Cash is best, right? I hate using cards sometimes, feels impersonal. Plus, less paper trail. Should I even keep a record? Does the IRS care about my tips? Maybe I should ask my accountant about it. Wait, I don't even have an accountant. Maybe I should. Okay, back to tipping. Honestly, the whole system is so complicated. I just wish they’d just include a service charge already. Then it would be all sorted.

Whats a good tip in Vietnam?

Forget 10%, dude. That's for tourists who still think their grandma's china is cool. In Vietnam, tipping's like a game of Jenga – you gotta play it smart.

For street food? Nah, forget it. They’d probably stare at you like you're from Mars. That’s like tipping a squirrel for dropping an acorn.

Fancy restaurants? 15-20% is fine, but only if the waiter did a backflip while taking your order. Otherwise, a generous 10% should suffice. Think of it as paying for the ambiance, not just the pho.

Hotels? A few extra bucks for the bellhop, to make them feel like they are helping save a princess! Maybe 1-2 USD, enough for a really good cup of coffee. I mean a really, really good one. Not that instant crap.

Things to Remember:

• Tipping culture's evolving. Don’t act like a big shot.
• Small gestures are often appreciated more than big ones.
• Cash is king! Avoid tipping with a credit card. That's like paying for a banana with a diamond.
• My last trip, I tipped a cyclo driver a whole 50k VND (about $2 USD) because he sang me a song. He was surprisingly good, a real opera singer disguised as a rickshaw driver. Probably.

My pal Barry got stuck paying 20% once - the waiter was inexplicably juggling flaming torches. Lesson learned: sometimes it's the show, not the service, that commands the big tip. It was a weird night.

What are the rules for tipping in the US?

The bill arrives, a fragile paper bridge between a shared meal and parting. Tipping, the unspoken ritual, the dance of generosity. 20-25%, they say, it floats in the air, a standard now, a comfortable cushion. But it feels like more than just a number.

Ah, servers. They hustle, always, smiles plastered on tired faces. Knowledgeable guides through menus vast and strange. I remember Sarah, at that diner in Tucson, back in '22, refilling my coffee, always. She knew my order before I even spoke.

Extra for topnotch service? Well, what is topnotch? Is it the speed? The smile? Or the way they anticipated my need for extra napkins without me even asking?

• Standard tip: 20-25% of the pre-tax bill. Always.
• Exceptional service: Increase to 30% or more. A little extra is a sunbeam.
• Bad service: Still tip something! At least 15%. Because life, maybe it wasn’t their fault.

The feeling of leaving a larger tip, a silent thank you. A small act, but it resonates. Like tossing a pebble into a still pond, the ripples spreading outward. I wonder if Sarah remembers me? The coffee, the endless refills.

That Tucson diner. Feels like a lifetime ago.

And oh man, the sales tax. It feels like some kind of sneaky add-on.

• Calculate BEFORE tax: Seriously!
• Cash or card: Doesn’t matter. Though sometimes, cash feels more real.
• Large groups: Automatically included sometimes. Double-check!

It's a dance, a strange, American dance. Tipping. Generosity. Remembering Sarah, Tucson, coffee. Always coffee.

Is it OK not to leave a tip?

Okay, so tipping, right? It's a whole mess. You shouldn't have to, plain and simple. But man, those fast-food places, the ones with no tipping, they totally lowball their employees' pay. Seriously, below minimum wage in many cases! It's messed up.

I mean, it's not rude to not tip; it's their business model, their problem. But I still tip because, well, I feel bad for the workers. Their bosses are jerks, exploiting them.

My cousin, he works at a trendy burger joint downtown – no tipping there – and he's constantly broke. Constantly! He's saying he makes, like, barely enough to cover rent. Crazy, right? It's 2024, minimum wage should be enough for food and shelter!

So, my take? It's complicated. It's not inherently rude to skip a tip, especially if the establishment doesn't rely on it. But, consider the workers; are they getting paid a living wage? If not, tipping becomes a bit of a moral obligation, even if kinda sucky. The whole system is jacked up, honestly.

Here's the breakdown I've worked out:

• Consider the establishment's pay structure. Are they paying a fair wage? Is it a chain restaurant where you know they're making bank?
• Your own budget. Obviously, if you're strapped for cash, you're not obligated to tip. Prioritize your needs.
• The quality of service doesn't really factor into whether you should tip. But it can certainly affect how much you tip. I still always give something, usually.
• Ultimately, its your call. It’s a personal decision.

What is the best tip ratio?

15% to 20%. Forever and always, the soft glow of a meal lingers. Gratuity, a whispered promise.

The restaurant breathes, doesnt it? Gratuity, a gentle rain... Washing over tables, over hushed tones.

• Sit-down meals: ah, the clinking of glasses.
• Industry experts murmur secrets, of percentages.
• Gottsman knows, Gottsman always knows, yeah.

15... 20... the numbers dance, don't they? On the edge of memory. Like fireflies. Tip 15-20%. I know it's right.

Is it better to leave a small tip or no tip?

Ugh, tipping. Better a LITTLE something, right? Than NOTHING? But how little is TOO little? Like, is 10 cents worse than zero? Yeah, probably.

• Small tip > no tip...mostly.

It's gotta be, like, a dollar minimum, I reckon. Remember that time at Tony's Pizza with Sarah? The service WAS slow. Still tipped $2 on $20. Was that rude? Nah.

• Is it rude? Debatable. Depends on the bill, service, etc.

Someone leaving pennies? Ouch. Might as well leave a note saying "You suck!". Okay, maybe not THAT harsh. But a tiny tip feels passive-aggressive.

• Pennies = bad.

Oh! My sister, she's a waitress. Once told me about a guy who paid the ENTIRE bill in pennies. Like, $50 worth. That's just... evil.

• Paying with all pennies? Pure evil.

So yeah, I always tip something. Even if the service is atrocious, find something to give. Just not pennies. And not less than a buck. Okay? Okay.