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Tipping, New York City

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Tipping: Waiters make a living from tips
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  • dogears
  • Updated By dogears on June 15, 2003
  • New York City Page by dogears
  • http://www.dinercity.com/nyDiner/nycDiners.html - New York City
    http://www.dinercity.com/nyDiner/nycDiners.html
    by dogears
    Unlike Europe, upwards of 16% tip is standard in restaurants. That's double the 8.65% tax shown on the bill). 20% tip is common if the service and atmosphere and food is great. :::::

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    Tipping: Can't tip? Stay home
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  • By aynne35 on December 5, 2006
  • New York City Page by aynne35
  • Please please do not come into my establishment and make me wait on you and then stiff me. It's not just New York, it's everywhere in the country. I make 2.13 per hour, and all of you people that yammer on about making the extablishments pay us a decent wage, it's not your responsibility, well, don't cry when that it reflected in your price increase. You know already the custom, and 15% is the mimimum for good service! That person earlier that said 1$ per round to the bartender? Are you nuts? It's 1$ per drink, not round. Unless you are only having one round, because at 1$ per round your next round will suck. Trust me on that! Please go to waiterrant.net for the true insider info on how to act and tip when you go to a nice restaurant!!!!

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    Tipping: To Insure Premium Service...
    Maeniel
  • Updated By Maeniel on November 26, 2004
  • New York City Page by Maeniel
  • A given really. Tipping is expected here. Nobody seems to pay attention to how much more than the bills it is, only that it is there. I travelled around on a tight budget after having lost my cards and was left with no option but to tip small amounts. Nobody minded. Try for about 20% for the norm, if you can afford it. Like I said though, I was travelling on a tight budget, and tipped 10% on occaision, and nobody seemed to mind. Of course, this all depends upon the service you recieve.

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    Tipping: If you don't tip, don't go out in NYC
  • By SheenaB on November 29, 2005
  • New York City Page by SheenaB
  • As a former NYC bartender, and a native NY'r, I'm here to tell you that most bartenders get between $25 & $35 for the entire shift they work, and the rest is all tips. It's rare that they're even paid a minimum wage! A bartender can make or break your good time at the bar. Most people agree, and that's why it's one of the most competetive jobs going.

    Ok, they may seem like they're getting rich, but perhaps that is their only shift at the bar? Add that to their high cost of living & their possible $1200 rent, and they're getting by like any new yorker.

    If you got this far, perhaps you'll find your way into a good NYC bar, and not some tourist trap. A good bar has a buy back policy, meaning that every 3 drinks you buy, your 4th will be free. If you're not tipping, you're not gonna get that buy back, are you?

    Yes, $1 a drink is standard, Of course if you're treated like pure & utter ***, it's a different scenario, isn't it? take your stuff & walk.

    Now that I've left NYC for Europe, I can tell you that I wish we had the tipping policy over here!
    It breeds brilliant customer service skills.

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    Tipping: tip the goddamned waitress!
  • By bohowastrel on December 27, 2002
  • New York City Page by bohowastrel
  • Be sure to tip the waiter/ress, otherwise you will be the recipient of a severe NYC tongue lashing!

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    Tipping: Tipping 101, from a service worker.
  • By fiction1117 on September 4, 2006
  • New York City Page by fiction1117
  • Here is a tip for everyone, be pleasant to your servers. In most instances, they are working hard to improve their lives. There is nothing worse than a table that just acts plain rude, and treats a server like they are from a lower class. I have regular customers who, while they might not tip so great, I enjoy serving them, because they are warm, and they can bring a smile to my face. (Unfortunately I can't pay my rent with a smile...)

    I am a bartender/waitress in a NYC restaurant. Let me tell you a little about the service industry. The government sets the minimum wage for servers much lower than the minimum wage for other jobs. Our hourly wage is usually less than $4/hour. Out of that money, almost all of it goes to taxes, so our checks for those wages are usually for less than $5, per week. We do not get health/dental insurance, sick days, vacation time, etc. Out of our tips, we tip out other people in the restaurant: runners, bussers, barbacks, bartenders, sommeliers, expeditors, etc. When I am serving, at least 30% of my tips go to other people in the restaurant, more if I have made an unusual amount money, or if someone on the support staff really helped me out a lot.

    Many restaurant workers are actors, singers, and students. Our days are filled with auditions and classwork, so many of us are only able to work part time. I, personally, am a full time student, juggling about 16 credits with a full-time job.

    Although we don't always get paid so well, restaurant workers that I know are all very giving and generous with their time and money. I don't know any worker who would tip less than 20% even for just OK service. This amount is not expected from normal folks, but 18% considered a descent tip. And believe me, if you tip 10% and/or act like a jerk to your server, they will remember you, and the next time you come in, you probably won't get top-notch service, because our time is better spent trying to help the customers who appreciate our hard work.

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    Tipping: Tipping in NYC...
  • By tan1415 on December 26, 2006
  • New York City Page by tan1415
  • Hi All,

    Tipping in NYC or the states in general is always tuff.The biggest problem is that it's pretty high and frankly hard to calculate.

    When I tip..I expect to get good service in return.In the usa that's mostly not a problem.(I found that most europeans are not so demanding compared with the american counterparts.I guess because americans pay tips, they are used to demanding more service.In europe it's not like that.Here in europe depending because the service is mostly included, level of service is expected according to establishment.For example in McD's we expect less service than in a michelin start restaurant)

    But what really bother me...people still expect to get a tip even if there service was awfull. And sometimes they can get really really rude about it.
    Some of these people really know how to make you feel uncomfortable if your tip is to low..
    And I hate that and also understand that 15% is expected..so that's what i pony up.

    But 15% is not an easy number to calculate. I follow a tip I read in a travelguide. Just double the tax of about 8% and adjust that downwards.That way you get close to the 15% tip.But if you are a foreigner/foreign looking you can get away with lower tip. But please let it be 10% and above if you want to avoid a not so nice situation.

    20% tip what is suggested here is rather expensive...why that's 1/5 of your bill. Are you telling me that the waiter serving me is 1/5 of the total costs!!That's pretty high ratio to me.

    Also in the fancy restaurants where u have a maitre D', sommelier and waiter....all of them seem to expect a tip.I think I have been screwed over....because I always end up paying more than 15% tip.

    Furthermore is there are a maximum on the amount of tip? Or is that 15% of teh total bill? I have paid $100+ tips a couple of times when i ate at some expensive restaurant. Its still 15%...but 100$ tip. Yikes.

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    Tipping: Don't forget to tip
    Beth75NJ
  • By Beth75NJ on December 23, 2005
  • New York City Page by Beth75NJ
  • In America in general, not just nyc, it's customary to tip service people. Often, waitstaff work for an hourly wage of about $2 so tips make up most of their salary. 15% is the usual and 20% for exceptional service with a haircut or restaraunt. I worked my way through college bartending adn waitressing so I always tip at least 20% but that's a little over the top. (okay a lot over the top)

    Tipping a cab driver $1 or $2 depending on the fare is acceptable.

    and I believe the tipping for a doorman is $1 to hail a cab and $1 a bag if he helps with your luggage.

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    Tipping: When In Rome...
  • By tuthaliash on April 20, 2007
  • New York City Page by tuthaliash
  • It seems Brits share at least one trait with many Americans...when they travel abroad, they expect that things ought to be the way they are at home. I don't particularly enjoy paying double what everything is worth in London, but I do. If you think tipping is tough in New York, try Milan - they won't even seat you at some restaurants without adding an extra charge, called a coperto, just for sitting down at a table, and then there is a 15% gratuity added to the bill, upon which you are expected to tip an additional amount.

    Like it or not, different countries and cities have different customs and ways of life. Being a visitor to New York does not exempt you from them. Wages for service personnel in the US are quite low, and these people really do depend on tipping for their livelihood - besides which, as someone else pointed out, most of them don't get health benefits as people do automatically in other countries, including Britain. If that's inconvenient or incomprehensible for you, stay home by all means. It's true that tipping is commensurate with the level of service, but even for indifferent service I have never, NEVER left less than10 percent at a restaurant; I will, however, mention the server's inattentiveness ot the management on my way out.

    Bottom line: realise that things are different in various places, accept it, be polite, and know that what you put out into the world comes back to you multiplied.

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    Tipping: the great tipping controversy
  • By jacknyc on August 6, 2005
  • New York City Page by jacknyc
  • Let me just add to the great tipping debate. Bar staff's pay is largely from tips. They actually pay tax on the estimated tips from the total they ring up on the cash register at the end of the night. So if you don't tip at least one dollar per drink you are actually costing them money. Now whether you "agree" with this system or not seems a little besides the point. All I know is that trying to get a drink in a busy bar is much easier in New York than in London. And whoever heard of a European barperson giving free drinks to good drinkers like they do in New York!

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