Where to Tip in USA

Tipping. It's a big part of life here in

the United States, and it can be

confusing even for people who live here.

How much should you tip? When should you

tip? And is it 10%, 15%, or 20%. And

what happens if you don't tip at all?

Today, I'm going to explain American

tipping culture in an easy and simple

way. Let's start. The most common place

to tip is at a fullervice restaurant

like the one I'm in right now. A normal

tip for good service is around 15 to

25%.

But why is it so high? When the server

brings your bill, he or she will bring

you two copies. One for the restaurant

or the merchant copy and one for you. On

your copy, there's a line that says tip.

So, my total for my food is $34.95.

But I do have to tip my server for her

service. So, if I leave a tip, the total

will be a lot higher than I thought. So,

you're not just paying for your meal.

I'm not only paying $34.95. I'm going to

be paying 15 to 25% more because I do

have to leave a tip. Also, I do want to

add that if you are with a group of six

or more people at your table, some

restaurants will add an automatic tip,

which means that the tip is already

included with your order. So, if you are

with a big group of people, go ahead and

check that bill and check for gratuitity

and it'll be 18 to 20% already added to

your bill. And why am I telling you

that? Well, one time I went out with a

big group of friends and of course I

didn't know the restaurant already had a

tip included in the receipt. So when I

received the bill, I put a tip amount in

this section without looking at the

original price with the tip already

included. I'm telling you this to be

careful and double check the receipt to

make sure you don't leave a double tip.

But if the service was really good and

you do want to leave a double tip,

that's totally fine. But I do know some

people don't know the rules here in

America. So make sure and double check

if you are sitting with a group of six

or more people. Just ask the restaurant

if the tip is already included in the

check. Why do we tip so much? And where

does the system come from? Well, in many

states, restaurant workers, especially

servers, earn a subminimum wage. That

means their wage is a lot lower than the

normal minimum wage. And that's the

reason why many servers and restaurant

workers depend on tips because most of

their income comes from that. The idea

is that this encourages better service.

So the more attentive and more friendly

your server is, the more likely you are

able to tip well, which means your

server will make more money. And this is

all based on a performance-based payment

system. But what happens if you don't

tip well or at all? For a server, that's

just not a bad day. It can essentially

mean they worked for free or even lost

money since they often have to tip out a

portion of their tips to busers or other

workers in the restaurant. This is a

highstake system for them. But now,

let's go ahead and ask my server,

Evelyn, what she thinks about tipping

culture in America. This is my wonderful

server, Evelyn. She took care of me

today. So, Evelyn, what do you think

about tipping culture? I think it

depends on every circumstance in every

restaurant. Um, like here, we make a

little bit more below um minimum wage

just because we do make bigger tips. Um,

tipping is not always necessary by any

means. If you can't tip, you can't tip.

It's honestly appreciated, but as

someone who mainly works for tips, um

it's a little frustrating when I do get

stipped or when somebody doesn't tip

like according to the bill. Have you had

times where someone left like zero tips?

>> Uh yes, all the time. Um it could either

depend on they felt as if they didn't

get as good service or they didn't like

the food. Um anything can go into it.

I've had times where I've gotten zero

tips, but I've had times where I've

gotten up to $300 at a time.

>> So, since you work as a server, how do

you tip in real life? Like, do you tip

at restaurants? Do you tip at cafes?

>> I tip everywhere, even on Door Dash and

deliveries. Um, I typically tip always

20%. Um, and then if it's really great

service, I go beyond that.

>> And then here's your tip. Thank you so

much.

>> I just tipped my server in cash. So, on

the receipt, I'm going to write cash

tip. And then I will add my total, which

is $34.95. But in theory, I did give her

$20. And now I will sign the receipt.

And I will do that to the other copy

too. Talking about tips, did you know

the word tip has so many different

meanings? It really depends on if you're

using tip as a verb, so an action word

or as a noun meaning a thing. Depending

on the situation, when tip is a verb, it

can mean to make something lean, fall,

or accidentally push it over. For

example, oops, I accidentally tipped the

glass of water. Tip can also mean to

secretly give someone information.

Someone tipped the police off about the

robbery, meaning they told the police

secretly. Tip can also mean to touch

something very lightly or quickly. She

tipped her hat to greet someone. Just a

quick touch of the hat. And of course,

the one we all probably know, to give a

small amount of money for a service. Did

you tip the taxi driver? Now, when tip

is a noun, it also has many different

meanings. For example, the very end or

top part of something. The tip of a pen,

the tip of an iceberg, or the tip of

your finger. Tip can also mean a piece

of advice or a helpful suggestion. She

gave me a useful tip for baking. As you

can see, tip is an incredibly versatile

word with many meanings. This is a great

example of how important context is in

language, and it's something that

platforms like Busu, our sponsor today,

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Now, let's get back to learning more

about tipping culture in the US. Tipping

at a bar is a little bit different, but

just as important. You'll tip every time

you get a drink, or you'll probably tip

at the very end if you have a tab.

Here's a quick tip. If you do order a

drink at the bar, think of the tip as

the price of the drink. So, for example,

if you order a cocktail that costs $10,

you'll probably want to tip around $2 to

$3 for that. So, instead of paying $10,

the cocktail will be $13. That's the

price you'll pay. If you're not willing

to pay for a tip, that's totally fine,

but you'll probably not want to go to a

bar. Instead, it's probably better to

just drink at home. But now, let's go

ahead and ask the bartender what she

thinks of tipping. Hi, Sierra. What is

the process like to tip at a bar?

Basically, they tip either 18, 20, or

25% of however much the total is. So,

here it'll show you 18, 20, and 25%. So,

instead of having to do the math, it

does it for you, and you can just check

mark the box and sign.

>> Do you basically live on tips, I guess?

>> Yeah. So, our hourly wage is going to be

significantly less than anywhere else.

And we basically live off tips. Yeah.

>> Have you ever been in a circumstance or

position someone just drank something

and then they never left a tip?

>> It has happened, but it's super rare.

It's not really etiquette to not tip.

>> And you working in the service industry,

do you always tip wherever you go?

>> I over tip cuz I'm in the industry. Yes.

>> Perfect. Thank you so much.

>> Yeah. You're welcome.

>> This one is a bit tricky. Right now, I'm

inside a coffee shop. So unlike a

full-ervice restaurant, there are

baristas working behind the counter and

they are usually the ones that earn a

full minimum wage. So is tipping

required here? The new way of tipping,

especially with those big tablet

screens, can feel like you're under a

lot of pressure. I mean, they're right

in front of you, so it feels like

everybody is watching. But remember, you

don't have to tip. That being said,

giving tips is a very kind gesture,

especially for baristas, because

remember, they earn a full minimum wage.

So, when you do give tips, that

increases their wage and makes a big

difference in their take-home pay. So, a

dollar or a couple of dollars in the tip

jar will make them feel appreciated. Hi,

what do you think about tipping culture

in the United States? Uh, I think

tipping is a way to show appreciation to

workers, but also it's a two-way street.

So, like if I'm giving good service, I

don't expect that tip. However, it's

it's up to the customer to get the tip

ultimately. So,

>> so do you normally tip at restaurants?

>> Oh, 100%. Absolutely. Yeah.

>> Do people normally tip on this little

iPad or do they give cash tips?

>> Either or. Whatever is easier. So, if

they have a card tip, you know, they'll

do that or if they have cash, they'll do

that as well. I don't expect it, you

know. But if they said it's great, but

it's not whatever, you know. I'm not

accepting of it. So,

>> and you don't expect it because you earn

a full minimum wage unlike other

restaurants, for example, where they

live off their tips,

>> I would say. So, yeah, I would say so.

Yeah. Yeah. In in a sense, you know, I

earn a good wage, so it's like I don't

need that tip necessarily, but it's a

way for I guess customers to like kind

of show their appreciation, which is

neat. But again, I don't expect it as

much. But

>> thank you so much.

>> Yeah.

>> Let's talk about another type of

service, haircuts. I'm here with a

barber. Do your clients tip you after a

haircut?

>> Yeah, they normally do around 20% from

the price of a haircut.

>> And have your clients never given you a

tip before?

>> It depends of the client and where they

from. It's more like a culture thing.

You know, something that they do here in

United States is that they tip the

barber like where I'm from is Venezuela

and South America and we don't like have

to tip the barber. Usually they put

everything on the price of the haircut,

but it's something that it's from here.

So that's why you expect your clients to

tip you, right?

>> Yeah, I do.

>> As you can see, tips show appreciation

and they are a big part of income for

barbers and stylists. A common tip is

20%, but it can be up to 25 to 30% if

it's a great service. Tipping culture

extends far beyond just restaurants and

bars. You'll find yourself tipping in

many other situations. For example, a

car valet. So, you'll probably tip a few

bucks once they bring you back your keys

and your car. Hotel bellboys. Yes, the

people that bring your luggage or your

suitcases up to your room. It'll

probably be a few dollars per bag. Uber

or lift drivers. So the people that give

you a ride to a certain place like an

airport or to your hotel, you can leave

a tip easily on the app and it makes a

huge difference because you are paying

for their service. Door Dash and other

food deliveries. Just like a restaurant,

you are ordering a service where they

bring you your food directly to your

door. So this is a great way to

appreciate the people doing the service

for you. Also, for spas, massages, or

beauty treatments, I would recommend a

tip 15 to 25%. And remember, always,

always check the receipt because some

places add gratuitity automatically.

Also, here are some extra tipping tips.

Always bring cash because workers can

just bring it home that same day and it

doesn't get taxed. Now for the final and

most confusing part where you don't tip.

The general rule of thumb is this. If

you're at a fast food restaurant, a

self-service counter where you literally

just order your food, or maybe a food

court, you don't need to tip. The person

behind the counter is not a server. They

are an employee earning a minimum wage,

which right now it's actually $23.

So there you have it. Tipping in America

isn't a simple transaction. It's part of

how many workers get paid. Understanding

the why is what makes it a lot easier.

Thanks for watching my video about

tipping culture in the United States.

Also, what's your take on tipping? Do

you guys tip in your country? Let me

know down below. If you guys like this

video, go ahead and give me a like and

subscribe. And I'll see you guys next

week. Bye.