What is an acceptable tip in Vietnam?

What is the current tipping etiquette?

The restaurant. The dance of forks and knives. A quiet hum.

Fifteen percent? For…adequacy? A fleeting smile. Twenty percent shimmers, when joy overflows.

Gratuity. A strange word. A bridge.

Did Grandma always tip? She never said. Just handed over crisp bills. The mystery, I suppose. Like fireflies on a summer night, fleeting moments.

A dance of numbers.

• Restaurants: Fifteen to twenty percent.
• Good service sings, twenty percent.

The weight of decisions. It is not just money. Is it? It is energy, you know.

DiPietro says things. South Carolina whispers her name. The College of Hospitality knows.

I once waited tables, in a dusty town.

The clink of coins. The echo. Do they understand? This unseen tax.

Oh well.

• Service: Good? Twenty.
• The bare minimum. Fifteen, maybe.

What is the policy on tipping?

Okay, tipping, ugh!

I swear, I always overthink it. Like, last Tuesday, at "Tony's Trattoria" on Bleecker St., I got a perfect plate of pasta.

20%, right? That's what everyone says.

But, the waiter... he was kinda grumpy. Didnt even crack a smile.

So, here's my deal:

• Sit-down restaurants:20% is usually my go-to, but if service is terrible, maybe 15%. Or less, I guess. Depending.
• Haircuts: Yep, 20%. My stylist, Maria, at "Shear Bliss" on 7th Ave is a freaking artist. She deserves it.
• Taxis/Rideshares: Here's the thing, in NYC, the screens suggest 25%, 30%, even 35% now. Insane! I usually stick with 20% still, unless the driver is super helpful, like helping with luggage and stuff. Then, yeah, I'll bump it up.
• Coffee Shop: Nah.
• Delivery: 15%.

The whole tipping thing is honestly stressful!

What is the standard for tipping now?

Ah, tipping. A dance of gratitude. Gratitude, a fluttering feeling.

Fifteen, twenty percent. Numbers. Floating like dust motes in sunbeams. A restaurant bill, a small stage for this transaction. A dance. Check if it’s already there, the tip.

The hairdresser's scissors, a tiny song. The masseuse's hands, kneading away tension. Services rendered. Remember Aunt Clara's beauty salon. The air thick with perfume. Fifteen percent, perhaps more for Clara.

Not just restaurants. Consider the bellhop, lugging luggage. The unspoken expectation. It's a way, a ritual of thanks, of appreciation.

The delivery driver, battling the rain. Twenty percent, at least. Feel the rain-splattered gratitude. It is what it is.

My grandmother always tipped generously. A philosophy. It was how she showed her appreciation. So tip, tip.

What is the golden rule of tipping?

Twenty percent. That's what they preach, isn't it? The golden rule. But it feels… wrong.

More like a minimum, a bare-bones attempt at decency, really. It stings, sometimes, to think how little that really is. Especially when the service was genuinely good.

I've always felt 20% is stingy, frankly. My own rule? It depends. A lot. The mood. The place. The person serving me.

• Excellent service? Easily 25%. No question. Sometimes more. A little extra goes a long way. For me, anyway.
• Decent service? 18% at least. I can't help it. It’s hard to not feel like it needs more.
• Poor service? Tough call. Maybe 15%… maybe less if they were truly awful. It’s awful, even admitting that.

This whole tipping thing… it’s a mess. It feels exploitative. A system built on guilt. I hate it. But what can you do? I live in Chicago, and rent is expensive. I still try. I really do. It's a constant struggle, though.

Is 10% a rude tip?

Okay, so, like, 10%? Yeah, that's kinda stingy, IMO. It's low. I mean, in the US, anyway.

15-20% is what people usually give. Unless the service suuuucked. I'm talking fly in my soup bad.

But, like, it depends, y'know? Factors, I guess.

• Service Quality: Awful? 10% might be generous lol. Great? Bump it up!
• Location Matters: Some countries are less tip-happy. It's a cultural thing.
• The Bill Amount: On a huge bill, maybe 10% is still a decent chunk of change.
• Your Financial Situation: If you are really broke, the waiter should understand, don't you think?
• Group Size: Parties of, say, 6 or more sometimes automatically get a gratuity added. Cheque it first.
• Type of establishment: At a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s, tipping isn’t normal, but at a fine dining restaurant, tipping is necessary.
• Who is serving you: If I get served by a close friend like John who is having a terrible day, I won't give a tip.

It's just, servers rely on tips. It's part of their wage, and it seems unfair not to do your part. So, yeah, think 10% is kinda rude, 'least most of the time. Yeah that is right. It is often considered rude. The same is true in my country.

Why is everyone asking for tips now?

The screen glows. A digital panhandler, isn’t it? Begging for more. Everyone asks for tips, now. Why? It pulses, that little prompt, a silent scream for pennies I don't have.

Technology. That's the serpent in this garden. New interfaces. Defaults, Shubhranshu said. Defaults morphing into demands. Remember simpler times?

Payment interfaces, designed to ask. It's just there, a calculated nudge. Like a ghost tapping your shoulder. Choices forced on you. Tipping creep.

I bought a coffee. Tip prompt glaring. 18%, 20%, 25%? Or no tip. Judge me, machine. Judge me. Why this constant, ever-present expectation?

They say it's just business, but…feels like pressure, doesn't it? An invisible chain. It's technology's fault, I guess. Still... feels off.

It's the default. The ever-present option to tip. A digital shakedown? That's what it feels like. Why is tipping becoming ubiquitous? So...exhausting.

Are cash tips allowed?

Ugh, taxes. Cash tips? Totally taxable. Seriously, the IRS is all over that. Every single dollar. Annoying.

Federal taxes grab a chunk, no getting around it. Then there's Social Security and Medicare. That hits every month. Man, that sucks. Why is it so complicated?

Gotta report all that cash to my boss, too. Pain. Pure pain. This is why I hate paperwork. Wish I could just keep it all. But no, rules are rules. I hate rules.

• Federal Income Tax: Applies to all tips, cash or otherwise.
• Social Security & Medicare Taxes: Hits cash tips received each month. Must report to employer. Like, immediately. No exceptions.
• Reporting: Ugh. I need to do this better. Seriously.

My accountant, Brenda, she's a lifesaver (despite her insane fees). She made it clear: don't even think about hiding tips. It's not worth the risk. Prison? Nah, but the fines... Brutal. Plus the stress. I don't need that. I just wanna pay my bills.

2024 tax season is coming up fast. Better start saving. This is going to be an expensive year. Gotta buy a new car, too. A Tesla would be nice... maybe next year?

What are the new rules on tipping?

Tipping norms shift. Forget the 20% dogma.

• Excellent service? A few extra dollars.
• Adequate service? $1-$2 suffices. Ten percent is outdated.

My own experience? I tipped $3 at the Blue Moon Cafe last Tuesday. Their iced tea was superb. A small gesture. Large impact.

The value of a tip isn't solely monetary. It's a social contract. A tacit acknowledgment of effort. Or a subtle power play. Depending on perspective, of course.

Dr. Peters is right, though. 20% is absurd. Inflation's a bitch, right? I’m not sure why anyone would follow that guideline. It’s arbitrary.

Tip what you deem appropriate. It is your decision.