Prague- charged for tap water in restaurants-question

30czk is hardly a deal breaker you are basically paying for the jug and the glass,some places charge for tap water some don't. drink from your water bottle I very much doubt anyone will say anything.
me I usually stick to drinking beer

Countries have different practices and you should have the grace and courtesy to accept them.

In the US you’re expected to pay 15% on top of prices as a tip. You don’t have to do that in Prague. A dollar or so for tap water if that’s the general practice seems something not with quibbling about.

You are "expected" to pay 15% tip in the US because in the US the service staff is paid horrible wages. In Europe that is not true, and service if not directly shown on your bill as a line charge is actually part of the price of each item.

This is not a country custom that grace and courtesy require respecting, it is a business model.
Drinks are a high-profit item for any restaurant. Water is charged for because you have not bought a drink and added to the profits. For those of us who don't drink when we are out and who don't care to order flavored beverages, there is no reason why tap (not bottled, not special) water cannot be made available on request. France, e.g., seems to have no problem with this.

In the US you’re expected to pay 15% on top of prices as a tip

If only! Every receipt I received during my recent trip to Florida had a suggested 18% to 20% tip figure at the bottom. I don't wish to be told what to tip and I certainly don't tip a percentage. My typical tips were usually $10.

A meal at a top end Steakhouse in Orlando came to $260, the suggested tip percentage was 18% to 25%. How on Earth can anyone justify suggesting a tip of $65? If that waiter served five tables that night with similar figures (or more considering there were a couple of tables with 6 and 8 diners) where is the justification for earning such money? And where is the justification in fleecing the customer who has already paid significantly inflated costs for their food and wine? Our waiter received $10 which I felt was adequate for the service received.

https://www.radio.cz/en/section/business/more-czech-restaurants-willing-to-provide-tap-water-with-meals-according-to-daily

My son has worked at restaurants. The pay is meager for waiters - federal law allows as little as $2.13/hour. Some states require that combination of hourly wage plus tips must equal the state minimum wage. Waiters generally lose at least 20% of tips to the rest of the support staff, more if the host takes a cut. All tips must be reported by the restaurant and are fully taxed (federal, state, local, FICA) and the hourly is usually not adequate to pay for the taxes withheld. The server is working for their cash tips, and still often owes taxes on it at year's end. A server who walks out after their shift with $100 in cash tips will maybe walk out with $60 after tip payouts and putting money aside for taxes due.

A waiter at a top end steak house works pretty darn hard, and is responsible for all aspects of the service throughout the meal, which will usually be well over an hour. Service for $10 an hour? That's awful cheap labor, and it certainly is not the expected "top-end." Nor is it a livable nor guaranteed wage.

surely it is up to the restaurants to pay their staff properly?

surely it is up to the restaurants to pay their staff properly?
of course it is but this thread has decended into one about American tipping and has nothing to do with the original question.

A meal at a top end Steakhouse in Orlando came to $260, the suggested tip percentage was 18% to 25%. How on Earth can anyone justify suggesting a tip of $65? If that waiter served five tables that night with similar figures (or more considering there were a couple of tables with 6 and 8 diners) where is the justification for earning such money? And where is the justification in fleecing the customer who has already paid significantly inflated costs for their food and wine? Our waiter received $10 which I felt was adequate for the service received

With all due respect. I would neither brag nor broadcast this.

Caro--not in the US. Where it's common place to pay only what they are required to. Which for waiters if they also get tipped is $2.13/hour.

And, yes, Unclegus, this has moved far from "why can't I have a glass of plain ordinary drinking water without being charged ridiculous price ($1 a glass??)". But I just could not in good conscience let that brag about justifiably paying a waiter $10 for a tip on a $260 bill stand without comment. Even Jack Benny would tipped higher.

I also couldn’t leave a $10 tip on a $260 bill. IF he got conservatively $50 per table and he served 5 tables, hes making a living. $250 for an 8 hour shift. No benefits. No holiday or time off pay. No paid vacation. No 401k or retirement. Yes, he’s living quite large. Makes me want to be a waiter.

Remember, not every shift this guy works is probably not as lucrative. Ever hear of a slow night?

Anyway, I would buy the bottle of water. My average trip costs about 4,500 for two of us. If we add in a few waters at dinner, the extra $10 won’t kill our budget.

Larry totally get it, but this what we are also saying respect local cultures, I would tip in USA because that s what you do, but I don't tip in Europe because we don't do that here. And sorry but, personally I think it looks rather cheap to drink from your own bottle when the amount being discussed is about £1.

And it is even cheaper for a restaurant to charge a dollar for a glass of plain water. Just checked my H2O bills. My water, including my sewer line and such, costs TWO cents - per gallon. And on top of that, the line from some of these same restaurants is that you can't drink their tap water as it is unsafe, water, you can only drink their bottled water. Really??

I can understand not putting water on a table as a matter of course, I cannot understand refusing it.

Perhaps you need to save up a little more money before you go to a different country and culture.
I would be embarrased to try something like bringing my own water to a restaurant. I am sorry if I sound
harsh but when you travel you look to immerse yourself in the area you are visiting. If they charge for water
so be it. Don't sweat the small stuff.

I'd hope the Europeans observe American customs just as Americans are expected to observe European. Paying for a glass of water is quite common in Europe and it's hardly expensive. Bringing in a water bottle seems to be pretty cheap-especially for someone able to afford going to Europe for vacation.

As for tipping, waiters make peanuts in America-not even minimum wage sometimes, and they work their butts off as turning tables is a must, getting people feed and out the door is one of their main jobs. A tip should be at least $26/10% unless they were rude, dropped the food in your lap, etc. A lot of waiters are struggling to make ends meet and may work two jobs. Will get off my soap box.

I know that there have been times that I have been humiliated by a dining companion's tip, and I have slipped in extra when they weren't looking.

I am quite a frugal girl, but while in Germany last fall, I paid for water with every meal. "When in Rome....", right?

I have a friend whose dad is notoriously cheap. They were never allowed to buy a coke or anything while out at a restaurant, because "We have drinks at home!" Well... they had food at home too, but here they were, out at a restaurant. Please just pony up the euro and buy the damn water.

Well, someone has to put the water into the glass or jug. Someone has to put it on the table. Someone has to remove it when you leave. Someone has to wash the glass and/or jug. Someone had to buy the glass and/or jug to have at the restaurant. And a lot of times the jug of water is chilled, not straight from the faucet. All of that costs money.

In the US, the cost of all that is factored into the prices on the menu since water is expected with your meal.. Maybe in Europe the expect you to buy some other drinks which they have a profit factored into. I have no problem paying ~ $1 for water with my meal. Especially if I don't have to tip 18 - 25% which seems to be the norm in most of the US now.

And for me, drinking something I brought with me to a restaurant would be like going to a fancy steak house and eating the McDonald's burger I brought with me. Probably won't earn you any good will with the wait staff.

The tip suggestions are only suggestions. Pay what you want. Americans apparently have difficulties with percentages so need them printed out. :-)

What is the justification? The wait staff doesn't get paid otherwise. Minimum wage in the US has gone up multiple times over the past years. Minimum wage for tipped employees has not. It is the same as it was when I got my first job back in 1976 and both wages were about equal. It is the greedy restaurant owners who are more willing to make enough extra profit to afford an extra car or boat or holiday house in the mountains who have successfully argued with their congress representatives that tipped employees make so much money they don't need their minimum wage increase. Does anyone like this? No one other than the restaurant owners.

With all due respect. I would neither brag nor broadcast this.

Why not?

Who said anything about bragging? It wasn't a brag just simply an anecdote to highlight how ludicrous the tipping situation in the US is becoming. It used to be 10%, then 12, then 15, now 18 to 20 and soon 25% is expected to become the norm, when is it going to end?

A tip is intended to recognise exceptional service. The service that night wasn't exceptional. The service that we received from the young girl working at the pool bar in the resort we were staying undoubtedly deserved the tip which was greater than 20%.

Would that waiter work any differently if I chose the $60 Porterhouse and a $90 bottle of wine compared to the $20 chicken dish and $30 bottle of wine? Of course not so why should I tip more based simply on the value of my meal?

I simply don't understand why Americans feel that it is acceptable for restaurant owners, bar owners etc to pay their staff so little and expect their customers to make up the shortfall all the while they're raking it in.

Note that US minimum wage policies vary by state. Seven mostly western states plus Guam require waiters to be paid the full state or local minimum wage and tips go on top of that.

So the young lady serving at the pool wins and the steak house waiter looses with JC's system. Who had to jump through more hoops to get the meal served correctly? Who had more responsibility, more or fewer tables to turn? How do you judge?

This whole tipping scene is one of the reasons I rarely go to restaurants in the States but wait until I'm overseas.

As for the water--yes bottled water is commonly sold all over Europe, but tap is usually free in countries that serve tap. If it isn't in the Czech Republic, I guess you just go with the flow.

Here's an interesting article about tipping from our local public radio station, KUOW, here in Seattle.

The minimum wage here is $15/hour, though smaller businesses can pay less for now.

Some people think that because servers are making that much, tipping should no longer be required. And some restaurants in Seattle have eliminated tipping.

My boyfriend is a server in a high-end restaurant that is popular with tourists. He makes $15/hour. Last Sunday he worked both lunch and dinner shifts and had about $4,000 in sales at his tables over 8 hours. He has to pay a percentage of those sales to food runners, bus people, and bartenders totaling 4.5%. And he has to pay that regardless of what he actually receives in tips. So when you tip him $0.46 on a $200 check (that actually happened to him), he still has to pay the other staff $9.

He tells me that tourists from other countries routinely undertip, and that all the servers at this restaurant are dealing with this. He still makes decent money, because many people do tip him appropriately. On a typical day he takes home about 7% or 8% of his sales, plus his $15/hour. He gets no benefits at all.

(Incidentally, he also says that a lot of tourists from some parts of the world are extremely rude to servers. They wave their arms and yell and are demanding and unappreciative, and then don't tip on top of that, which is adding insult to injury.)

I think it's a fair argument to say that there shouldn't be tipping at all, or that the tip should be lower if the server is making $15/hour. But we're talking here about a cultural phenomenon. Wherever you are, you should try to learn the local customs and you should abide by them. If you don't like them, being rude or is not an appropriate response. I would never bring my own bottled water to a restaurant unless I knew that was customary in that part of the world.

And I would never tip less than the amount that is customary. If I can't afford to add on 20%, or I can't afford 30 czh for water, I can't afford to eat there.

No doubt JC has problems tipping. Always rails about it. I would hope nobody listens. It is my money and if I wish to give it I will. I just wish I could go to restaurants in his area and tip like crazy. It could change the whole culture of the world. Just imagine waiters making the big bucks. LOL

Evidently I don't have a problem tipping as I've already pointed out. I have a problem with arbritary percentages but more importantly with American's acquiescence to an insidious and deplorable practice of chronically underpaying staff and expecting the customer to bear the burden of paying their staff. If only you spent more effort castigating and taking action against such practices rather than taking potshots at me it might go some way towards changing things for the better.

If you think you're being altruistic by tipping wait staff big then think about those other poorly paid workers working tirelessly behind the scenes or in less obvious sectors who never receive tips but for whom without their work you would suffer considerable problems.

As for coming to my city and tipping big.....why not, no-one's stopping you!

So the young lady serving at the pool wins and the steak house waiter looses with JC's system

Isn't that what tipping is about? A tip is intended to reward good service not a compulsory fee.

The young lady at the pool provided exemplary service, the waiter at the steakhouse didn't therefore their tips reflected this.

Yes, next time I go to a higher end Steak House, I'm bringing my own steaks. Why not?

Paul from NYC wins the internet today. Hilarious.

If you think you're being altruistic by tipping wait staff big then think about those other poorly paid workers working tirelessly behind the scenes or in less obvious sectors who never receive tips but for whom without their work you would suffer considerable problems.

Like me, for instance! I'm in the service field, (in a less obvious sector) receive (mostly) crappy pay, dont get tips, and while I think my customers wont suffer considerable problems as you put it, they would sure miss me if I went 'poof.'

Here, here Judy. Well said for the people who are “behind the scenes” but needed.

With all due respect. I would neither brag nor broadcast this.

Why not?
Who said anything about bragging?

I stand behind my reply. A $10 tip on a $260 tab is less than 5%. I surely wouldnt broadcast that. How do your dining companions feel about that??

Is this still the $1bottle of water thread or the new tipping thread? Oh. Both? Ok.

OK, we just buy a bottle of water with meals on Europe -- but we get sparkling water so it feels "special." But I do like ordering "un carafe de l'eau" in France for free.

if I was JC's dining companion I would be very happy with that.

I would not worry about paying a nominal charge in a country where meals are relatively inexpensive anyway. If a sit down restaurant, I would not drink out of your water bottle. For very casual, order at the counter type place it would probably be OK.

I stand behind my reply. A $10 tip on a $260 tab is less than 5%. I surely wouldnt broadcast that. How do your dining companions feel about that??

The cost of the meal is irrelevant. If the meal came to $100 then the tip would be 10%, a widely expected percentage in Europe if choosing to tip. The waiter would have worked exactly the same, the cost of the meal has no bearing on him other than the fact he's going to try and persuade you to opt for the more expensive cuts. This is the point I'm making!

The man running the Mexican tacos place who was one of the friendliest and sincere people I've ever been served by and who, and his colleague, went above and beyond what was expected received a tip that amounted to roughly 50%. I gave the tip not based on the value of the meal, obviously it was relatively inexpensive, but based on his service.

As for my dining companions, my kids couldn't care less and my wife was in complete agreement if that's in any way relevant.

JC - your behavior towards that server was rude and disrespecting local custom. I find it shocking behavior from someone who so adamantly advocates for traveler's abiding to local tipping customs in Europe. Are you just simply trying to make a point? Note - I live in Europe and have advocated many times on this forum that travelers only tip a small amount, if anything. I am also someone who made their living waiting tables in the US, so strongly advocate for a minimum of 20% tipping in the US. Just because you do not agree with local custom does not mean that that server should pay the price. Please adjust your attitude or travel elsewhere.

Emily, do all Americans tip 20%? I find that hard to believe.

I tipped. I was in America and I tipped as is customary. I tipped an amount that I considered was appropriate according to the service we received. I certainly wasn't going to pay 20%, that would be an absurd amount.

Was the 50% tip to the man in the taco restaurant insulting and rude? Or what about the girl at the pool bar? Or the other examples I can give where the tip was above the arbitrary percentage?

And please refrain from telling me where I can and can't go, I'll travel wherever I want.

Yes, all Americans tip at least 20%. In some places, 25% is even standard. If you want to tip more, then all the better - it is welcome and not rude. It is absolutely the custom and every American takes these costs into account when choosing where to dine. If you do come again to the US, then please don't be the ugly tourist or else someone will eventually spit in your food or worse.

How can they know to spit in his food (I wouldn't, he's too nice a guy) until after the meal when they see the tip?

Why is 25% the rule in some places? Who makes up these rules? Why stop at 25%? Why not make it just double the bill? That would make it so much easier. $150 for the restaurant and $150 for the server? So easy, no math involved. Simples.

so JC becomes the ugly tourist by not tipping at 20% in the US but any American tipping anywhere in Europe at 20% is a generous soul and not an ugly tourist.

I am surprised that someone on the CZ restaurant staff didn't tell you to put your water bottle away since you didn't buy it from the restaurant. That happened to me once. On my first trip over in 1971, I went into this small restaurant in Germany, (Gaststätte), brought my own bottle drink (some sort of soda pop) in a bag, and during the meal took it out. A staff person walked over to tell me to put it away since I had not ordered that bottle when ordering my dish. Obviously, I wasn't going to do that again.

I don't go to steak houses here, but if I did and if the bill came to $265 for my party before tax, I would have, at least, left $50 for the tip...no question about it.

Nigel - I once got stiffed by a customer and I chased them into the parking lot alongside my colleagues. Trust me, waitstaff remember faces and not nice things will happen if he were to return to that steak place. As for the tipping amount, 20% is an absolute minimum these days. You can go above if you feel that the service was exceptional. In larger cities, like NYC, 25% is considered the minimum because cost of living is so high. Who makes these rules? The culture does.

Unclegus - I would definitely describe an American who leaves a 20% tip in Europe as an ugly tourist - and have done so several times on this forum. Again, I am simply advocating that travelers educate themselves on local customs and abide by them.

Nigel - I once got stiffed by a customer and I chased them into the parking lot alongside my colleagues. Trust me, waitstaff remember faces and not nice things will happen if he were to return to that steak place.

It's a pity you didn't stand up to your boss like that for not paying you a decent wage. What were you going to do ganging up on that customer, try and extort more money? Assault them? Talk about disgusting behaviour! Believe me, there would be no chance anyone would return to your restaurant if that is how you treat your customers.

Anyway, there's no chance I'll be going back to that restaurant, the food wasn't very good. Plus I'm unlikely to return to Orlando, the kids have done Disney now and there's nothing else there really. I also have no immediate plans to return to the US for a number of reasons, being threatened by a waiter for not paying what they want you to pay being one of them.

JC - You just really don't seem to understand. That's too bad. Laws in America dictate minimum wage - not some minimally educated restaurant manager. I do vote, however, for candidates that I hope can make positive change for the workers in the US. That is my outlet.

Oh I understand alright but there's no law that states that an employer cannot pay more than the minimum wage. But why would unscrupulous employers pay a decent wage when customers continue to prop up the wages without complaint?

So about that charge for tap water.......

Yes, that charge for tap water... where did this thread go so far off the rails? Buy the water. It is a extremely minimal add on to your vacation.

No, not everyone in the US always tips at least 20%. Some still tip only 10%. I usually tip a bit more, depending on service and how much I enjoy the overall experience.

Stiffing the wait staff by walking out and not paying is not the same as not tipping. First, that is illegal and the person doing so should be arrested. But, I feel any waiter who chases me out of the restaurant because I did not leave a tip, whether it was intentional or accidental, has guaranteed that first, I will never enter that restaurant again, and if they press the issue I will call the police.

And yes, there is no maximum wage. Employers are free to pay as much as they want. It's just that none of them want to pay a penny more than legally necessary in the restaurant environment. Why? Costs are high, especially in chain places where they are required to buy everything from the company at substantial markups and can't save a bit here or there by buying things like fresh produce from local sources where they can take advantage of seasonally low prices. Many of the chain restaurant owners have loans to pay as well as paying themselves the salary they feel they deserve. All of this leaves little funds left for paying the employees. One chain in Chicago has 3 franchise owners who sell their shops to each other every couple years and since that means the employees have a "new" owner all have to reapply for their current position and get "rehired" at minimum wage again wiping out any raises they may have received. All perfectly legal. But still no excuse for not paying a proper salary.

If I thought a server in a "sit down" restaurant deserved less than a 4% tip, I would bring the poor service to the manager's attention.

Otherwise, you're just taking advantage of someone with less power than you at that place and time.

In Prague, I would skip the water and order a beer!

If I thought a server in a "sit down" restaurant deserved less than a 4% tip, I would bring the poor service to the manager's attention.

I don't know how many times I have to repeat it but I don't tip in percentages. I tip according to the service I've received. I found $10 to be adequate. I'm sure he would rather I paid more but wouldn't we all? Personally I'm not happy with my 1% pay rise but hey ho.

If people put more effort into lobbying for fair pay for service industry employees instead of lambasting those who choose not to slavishly follow the arbritary percentage system then perhaps we wouldn't be having this debate.

I don't tip in percentages. I tip according to the service I've received.

I agree with you, JC, that we should tip according to the service we've received. I also agree that it's silly that the same service level warrants different tips because I ordered a cheaper bottle of wine or a lower-priced entree.

And I agree that restaurant workers should be paid fairly and appropriately by their employers, and that the cost of service should be built into the price we pay at the restaurant.

I also agree that substandard service should be penalized by leaving a minimal tip. But I would never do this without letting the server and or their manager know the reason. (I wouldn't talk to the manager unless it was something egregious.)

In the USA, though, the percentage is the standard way of calculating restaurant tips. There is no concept of a "cap" or highest possible value the service might be worth. $10 on a $260 check is like a slap in the face. Leaving a tip that small is an indication that the service was horrendous or that you are an ignorant boor who either doesn't understand our customs or understands them and is just a jerk. Probably the server thought the latter, unless you explained the reason you didn't leave an appropriate tip.

Because the thing is, JC, your determination of the value doesn't set the actual value, which has been established by custom and tradition. Your self-righteous approach isn't solving anything or helping to make the situation better. It's just pissing people off for no legitimate reason.

EDIT: I apologize for writing a post that is not really relevant to this forum's purpose, to assist other travelers. So in that spirit, I'd like to bring this around to that.

When you travel in a place where you are not familiar with local customs, whether you are from the US going to Europe or from Europe going to the US (or from anywhere going anywhere), if you don't act in accordance with local customs, it can upset the locals, and this can lead to them not being kind or respectful to you or to other future travelers from your homeland. We should dress in accordance with local customs out of respect. We should speak at a volume level that doesn't offend locals. We should say "Hello" and "Do you speak English?" in the local language before assuming they do. And we should tip in accordance with local customs.

Treating people kindly isn't such a burden, is it?

Your self-righteous approach isn't solving anything or helping to make the situation better. It's just pissing people off for no legitimate reason.

There's nothing self righteous about it. He got the equivalent of over an hours wage for a waiter in the UK for just over an hours work. There was nothing outstanding about his service, in fact we made his service easier for him. You disagree with the concept of a percentage of the meal tip yet you then deride my tip based on the percentage of the meal!

If I tipped him 20% of the bill, $52 and lets just say the other five tables also tipped the same that's $312 plus the pittance from his wages. That's more than an Orlando police officer makes on average in an eight hour shift.

He received a tip, a tip commensurate with the service provided. The value of the meal is irrelevant, the percentage is irrelevant and nonsensical. Was it insulting? Not nearly as insulting as potentially earning more than a police officer risking their lives to protect the public.

Did I never leave a tip during my time eating out and at bars in the US? No.

Did I leave a tip that exceeded the arbitrary percentage? Yes, on several occasions whenever the service was exemplary.

Did I tip more than I would at home or elsewhere? Yes, absolutely and on every occasion.

Have I demonstrated hypocrisy in my insistence that cultural norms be adhered to? No, I've tipped much more than I would otherwise and as others have already pointed out, adhering to the suggested percentage is not something that is compulsory nor indeed followed by all Americans. Evidently some will disagree and whilst Emily from Vienna is quite resolute in her insistence that it is the norm she is clearly somewhat partisan and I'm unlikely to use the view of someone who aggressively confronts customers who refuse to adhere to her perception of what constitutes a tip as a barometer of what is generally acceptable.

Treating people kindly isn't such a burden, is it?

We treated him with respect, courtesy and genuine sincerity. Throwing money at someone isn't a demonstration of kindness particularly when it's so often used as an excuse to treat such staff as nothing more than servants at your disposal. Altruism isn't defined by chucking down a couple of 20's after your meal.

"They kew who they were aand how to get even"., That is disgusting/

IMHO, leaving a tip that reflects a minimum percentage (15-18%) of the bill is part of the social compact of being in the USA and dining in a restaurant with table service. You know that your server is relying on tips for most of his income. It is his job to bring you the food and it is your job to leave a decent tip. Few things make me as angry as somebody leaving a skimpy tip just because they can. If restaurants in the States paid waiters and the staff who take a share of their tips a decent wage, most of us couldn't afford to eat out.

If you don't buy into leaving a decent tip, then America is full of places where you can get food without having to leave a tip.

In the US the percentage of tip i leave depends in some part on where I am, say a diner vs a white table cloth restaurant. Of course, the percentage of the tip is prior to the tax added on. If it's that occasional splurge at the white table cloth restaurant when I am eating solo with the bill amounting to $55, then that tip based on before tax is between from $10.50 to $12.

At a diner the percentage I leave is from 15% to 18.5%...just depends if I found the service satisfactory or beyond vs just perfunctory.

My daughter was a waitress at a pretty nice restaurant in town with a few cheap people who would come in for friday fish fry. They knew who they were and how to get even.

That last sentence says it all really. You seem proud about it!

just wondering how the OP got on with drinking his own water at restaurants in Prague,would be nice to know.

If restaurants in the States paid waiters and the staff who take a share of their tips a decent wage, most of us couldn't afford to eat out.

How do they manage it in Europe?

if US restaurants upped their prices by 15% to cover paying their staff a decent wage and told customers not to tip then how would you not be able to afford to eat out.

So......when you ask for tap water in Prague, do you also need to ask for ice or is that an uncommon request?

JC and Uncle Gus - What I left out of my comment, but included in my thought, is that a "decent wage" also means health insurance provided by the employer. I should have said "decent compensation package". Restaurant prices would go up by more than 15% if staff started receiving health insurance benefits.

well that's a whole other kettle of fish,maybe it is time for the USA to adopt some sort of social healthcare like we have in the UK and majority of European countries.
It is hard enough trying to decide what to tip someone without having to see if they are getting a healthcare policy through their employers.
for a country supposed to be first world it sure as heck treats it citizens like many 3rd world countries do.

Traylaparks - This article makes interesting reading particularly the example of the restaurant that managed to provide benefits including healthcare to their staff and by only raising prices by 15% and eliminating tipping.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-limitations-of-american-restaurants-no-tipping-experiment

"If you don't buy into leaving a decent tip, then America is full of places where you can get food without having to leave a tip." Very true, especially in SF and the Bay Area.

for a country supposed to be first world it sure as heck treats it citizens like many 3rd world countries do.

Well, unfortunately, that is where we are these days and it is not likely to change soon. And we don't treat visitors any better, in fact much worse in many cases.

Well, unfortunately, that is where we are these days and it is not likely to change soon. And we don't treat visitors any better, in fact much worse in many cases.

The current administration and a proportion of its followers.......yes but for the most part most Americans I've met outside of the fake and insincere service industry have been nothing more than welcoming and generous (until they get behind the wheel!).

Anybody seen CHSK recently - our OP who asked such a simple question....?

well they got a simple answer from me..................originally.
I did get a PM from GHSK asking me for info on restaurants near where they were staying which I did reply to,but have heard nothing since.

JC

Yes, I think most citizens of the US are friendly and helpful and in general delighted to talk with someone from somewhere else. When I stated "we" in my earlier posts, I was referring to the government.

This string of comments has strayed a long way from the original comment, but as long as we are on the topic, I'll add my two cents (get it?). I'm happy to tip 20% and more. I usually anticipate tipping 25%, and if things are really really delightful, I'll tip 50%. Long ago I discovered that these servers are not holding the job for the fun of it. This is either their full-time work or a much needed second job. Either way, the tips are essential to their making ends meet.

Some years ago, I found $500 in the pocket of a coat. Someone had reverse pick-pocketed me! Five brand new one hundred dollar bills. After some consideration, I decided that I would over-tip servers with the windfall. I tried to leave the tip as I stepped out of the restaurant because I didn't want any attention. On two occasions, the server followed me down the street to thank me (with tears in their eyes) for the tip. "How did you know I needed this?" "You've just helped me pay the rent!"

Several times, the server caught my eye as I exited and gave me a thumbs up or mouthed the words THANK YOU!

The "over-tipping" brought such delight to the deserving staff that I shared in their joy and decided to continue with the practice. Even when the 18% is added as a surcharge, I often leave something extra on the table or shake hands with the staff to make sure the $ goes where it is intended. Who knows where the "surcharge" goes? Some restaurants keep the whole amount and share none of it with the wait staff -- because management is paying minimum wage.

Regarding tips in Europe ... I have to tell you, these folks are not working long hours and putting up with a variety of diners for the fun of it.

Loosen up ... share the wealth -- (and buy a bottle of sparkling water if the tap-water fee bothers you).

Long ago I discovered that these servers are not holding the job for the fun of it. This is either their full-time work or a much needed second job. Either way, the tips are essential to their making ends meet...I have to tell you, these folks are not working long hours and putting up with a variety of diners for the fun of it...Loosen up ... share the wealth -- (and buy a bottle of sparkling water if the tap-water fee bothers you).

How very true. In college some of my pay from one of my many part time jobs was from tips. Since those days I've been financially fortunate although I certainly don't consider myself to be rich. Nor do I consider myself to be Debbie Dogooder. However, waiters and waitresses are doing honest work and I don't mind tipping to help them achieve an honest day's pay for their labors. With regard to all the rancor, to paraphrase Rodney King (not a direct quote), can't we all just get along?

You guys are making a lot of assumptions about jobs and wages and gratuities in the rest of the civilized world based on the customs and practices in the US. Of course people like getting free money. I do too. But when in Rome . . .

I really do despair about the US travellers that just cannot get the concept of tipping or lack of it in Europe .Staff in restaurants are paid a decent wage and prices levelled to include that wage, why the do you feel the need to tip on top of that .Fine round the bill up or pay a max of 10% but only if service is good. check that there has not already been a cover charge or service charge included and if so NEVER tip on top of that.

Hotel maids are also not paid well in the U.S. I try to remember to tip them. It's not their fault or the fault of the waiters that the law does not mandate a reasonable wage for them.

dalecollie - You must be a fantastic human being to come up with that idea.

In the US regardless if I am staying at a Motel 6 or the Sheraton, Marriott, etc, almost always, I leave a tip for the maid, $ 2 to $5. If in the course of my stay, I see the maid, I ask if she's the one cleaning my room. I assume they're telling me the truth. It makes no difference if they're being paid "inadequately."...the tip is still there for them on the room table.

This thread has been interesting, however the posts about chasing guests who didn’t tip into parking lots and waiters “ getting even “ will low toppers is disgusting and I would not brag about either of those behaviours either !!! Americans are brutal !

I have served and been under tipped and I never did either of those things !

And o too do not understand ripping on percentages based on how much the food cost - I still tip appropriately , however in Canada 15% is still considered acceptable for acceptable service and 20 % for better service .

Tipping 25 % as standard seems over bearing ( although perhaps in an exception for exceptional service) and yes I too think servers deserve to be paid decently - it should be illegal to pay anyone over the age of 10 two dollars an hour !! Seems a bit third world to pay slave wages .

Travel Man, would you leave a tip in somwhere like Japan where it's considered an insult? You're not being altruistic by throwing your money about, you're just being ignorant about local customs.

To use culture as an excuse is another stupid argument.

Why travel if not to experience other cultures rather than riding roughshod and doing what you want to do?

That's fine TravelMan and next time I am in the States I will just tell the wait staff to see you about a tip as I walk out without leaving one.

Tipping is a personal choice not a cultural thing

Do you not care about cultural norms when you travel or do you prefer to do as you please because "that's what I do at home"? Is it any wonder why certain stereotypes exist!

In Austria and Germany you could argue that tipping is both personal and cultural. Even if the service was beyond perfunctory, you don't have to round off or add anything...just your choice to pay exactly what you drank and ate, say 10.20 Euro. You give the waitress/waiter just that amount, nothing less, and certainly nothing more.

In the pre-Euro days, even if the bill amounted to 10 Pfennigs short of the next number, say I ate/drank up 7,90 DM, I told the waitress to make my total 8 DM when I gave her a 10 DM bill. They were always appreciative to get even 10 or 20 extra Pfennigs.

The tipping is a personal decision when traveling, some will take into consideration the cultural expectations, and there are those who couldn't care less, regardless of the cultural aspects. In Vienna as an example I've seen Austrians pay in cash the exact amount, ie left nothing as a tip, which is something I absolutely would not do. I saw this because I was sitting at the opposite end of the table, eavesdropped on what was being said between the Austrian and the waitress.

I am an American. I hate tipping. But in the US I tip 15% to 20% because that is how the system works in the US and I understand the system. When I go ask three different people about tipping in another country I get three different, contradictory, answers. So I can not tip at all and half the time come off as a deadbeat American. Or I can tip something and come off as dumb ass big spending American. I guess that I just as soon not be the deadbeat.

What I have is discovered is that a lot of people have very set opinions about tipping and that a “discussion” on a Rick Steves forum is not going to change anyone’s mind.

Regarding drinking water from your water bottle at a sit down restaurant. Don’t. Just don’t!