Here are some assorted photos of Megan Fox in December. She’s started getting pap’d more as her second pregnancy marches on. Remember how she was rarely pap’d with her first pregnancy? She and Brian Austin Green only did a few (paid) photo-ops with the first one, but with this one… it’s almost like she stopped caring if we saw her pregnant. Anyway, she looks lovely. I don’t care for the ombre hair, but otherwise, she looks radiant and lovely.
Megan recently spoke to Us Weekly about… well, I’m not sure what the original purpose of the interview was, but she ended up talking about tipping and Sharpies and her favorite TV show, Ancient Aliens.
Megan Fox never tips less than $20. The Transformers actress – who is currently pregnant with her second child with husband Brian Austin Green – always carries cash in her purse and leaves big tips because she has worked in the service industry herself and knows how hard it can be.
She told Us Weekly magazine: “I always bring cash for tips, and I never give less than $20. I used to work in a smoothie shop, so I know the value of a tip.”
Megan, 27, always keeps other things to hand in her bag, including pens and a book to read.
She added: “I only use black Sharpies pens. I’m very particular about how my handwriting looks. I’m also reading The Books of Enoch, which was once part of the Hebrew bible. My favourite TV show is Ancient Aliens, and this book describes angels in a way that sounds extraterrestrial.”
Megan previously revealed she is having an easier time with her second pregnancy and it hasn’t been as hard as her first pregnancy with 15-month-old son Noah.
She said: “For the most part, I would say it’s been a lot easier. I think that could have a lot to do with the fact that I already have a baby, so I’m so distracted taking care of him, that I don’t really have time to sit and lament on the fact that I’m pregnant or indulge my pregnancy.”
I guess the purpose was “what’s in Megan Fox’s purse”? Ah, yes – it was Us Weekly’s “What’s In My Bag” weekly feature. That’s why she was listing the stuff she carries around. As for the tipping – that’s nice of her. There are a lot of celebrities who tip generously because they remember the years of struggling and trying to make ends meet as a waiter or server. I’m a good tipper, but I don’t have a “flat tip” of like $20 or whatever. I still do the math in my head – 20% for a decent waitress, 30-33% for a really good waitress. Does that make me a bad person?
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I usually do 20%, unless the service is really bad. Anything over that is very nice, so you’re generous!
Me too. 20% always. Unless the service is horrendous.
On a side note, these babies are so close together. I wonder if the second was unplanned?
We don’t tip here because waiters don’t depend on tips, so I get so nervous every time I have to tip someone. I never know if I gave enough.
Spooks:
Good to know, because every time we go to Croatia we feel obliged to give tips. 🙂 In Hungary it’s usually 10%. Sometimes more, it depends on the circumstances.
But oh God, I hate the idea of tipping. I always give tips, but it became a stupid obligatory custom, and it’s like a psychological warfare on customers that turns a simple dinner into a nightmare. “How much should I give? Did I give too few? But I don’t have that much money, I can’t and won’t give more. But if tip isn’t enough, he’ll look at me like I killed his mother.” It’s humiliating for both the waiter and the customer.
And why on Earth should I tip 20-30-50% of an already overpriced meal/service, especially if I’m not rich as Croesus? I’m not the social services, and the employers of these people should give them a decent salary in the first place. Just leave the customers and their purses alone, and let them decide if the want to give money to nice waiters/hairdressers/trainers. I like seeing happy people around me, and I’m a generous tipper when it comes to my favourite hairdresser (for example), but nowadays I hate going to a restaurant.
Ok, rant over. 🙂
I use to live in NYC and my in laws came over from London and he tipped 10% as he didn’t know (meal for 6) the head waitress came over to ask what was the matter? He is hard of hearing so she le
I use to live in NYC and my in laws came over from London and he tipped 10% as he didn’t know (meal for 6) the head waitress came over to ask what was the matter? He is hard of hearing so she kept repeating the question. Mind you this was years ago but here in London no one tips at bars and usually 12% added to your bill at restaurant must say customer service isn’t that great.
Tipping is part of the cost of going out to eat. If you don’t have money to tip (really, it’s only adding $5-10 to your bill), you shouldn’t go out to eat.
@Beregorl
You should tip (if you live in America) because tips make up the majority of the servers paycheck. They aren’t paid minimum wage, BECAUSE it is expected that they will make that and more, by tips. Which sucks. And it’s even worse if the owner makes them pool all of their tips, and split them equally (which is illegal). But it happens.
Our servers make at least minimum wage here in Canada which is around $10, its still not enough but I heard some in the US only make a couple dollars an hour. That’s slave labour. Anyhow, around here most tip approx 10% for mediocre service and more for good service. I hate the concept of tipping too, its such a pain and people should just be paid fairly for the work they do.
@Beregorl, aaaaw, you remembered where I’m from! We’re like best friends now 😀
Unfortunately, I think that waiters on the coast during the season expect tips from foreign tourists, but I’m not sure, as I said, I’ve never tipped anyone here at home.
@Slim Charles – I respectfully disagree with your comment regarding ‘not going out to eat’ if you can’t afford to tip. Tipping, while polite & always appreciated, is *not* (nor should it been seen as) a ‘requirement’. If it *were* a requirement, it would (or should) be included in the bill.
Good service is the person’s job, & giving a tip is above & beyond what you purchase. Being a server is hard work, It’s grueling, long-houred, under-paying (in most cases), & you’re on your feet all day. I *always* tip (only exceptions being if a server has an attitude or is neglectful/repeatedly screws up orders, basically just bad service), & give what I can (& what’s appropriate based on my meal cost, but sometimes more if I really liked the server & could afford it).
But not everyone *can* spare an extra $5-10, & I don’t think that should mean they shouldn’t go out to have a meal with *their own* hard earned money. They shouldn’t be looked down upon or told they shouldn’t because they don’t have extra to give out beyond the price of their meal.
The waiters tip out to the house – this is between 30 to 50% based on their total ring out. The tips are divided between bussers, chefs and sometimes management. This means that by not tipping, you are actually costing thd waiter money because they top out to the house regardless. It sucks, but tipping subsidizing the wages for the entire restaurant. Also, here in Canada you are taxed on your tips but can’t claim them ad income if you are on EI- (employment insurance)
Sorry, Hakura, but you are wrong. If you are in the US the tip is obligatory. If you can’t afford to tip then you should eat at an establishment that doesn’t require tipping, such as fast food. But if you go to a full service restaurant and to not tip that is tantamount to theft.
Did you know service people are taxed on “estimated” tips? So if some poor server gets fewer tips than what the government assumes they receive, they are taxed on income that they actually never received. So yeah, if you eat out in a full service establishment and get decent service and don’t give a reasonable tip you most definitely should be looked down upon. Stay home and eat a Lean Cuisine instead. Tips are how these people get paid. I disagree with the whole practice of tipping, but as long as servers are paid $2.13 per hour I will tip.
Lucky! I think if you own a restaraunt u shouldbe able to afford to pay your staff’s livable salary and not have your customers subsidize the owner and staff’s wages. My tip shoyld be “here’s a little exrta bc u soooo rocked it!” Not “here ya go bc you dont earn a livable pay, the system needs a reboot and it (tipping)is customarily done.”
@Beregol, @Spooks: I’m from Romania so I’m with you on tipping (10% top) but the difference between our countries and the States is quite significant in terms of tipping habits. As several people pointed out in the US servers make almoast nothing from wagers and mostly rely on tips .
This doesn’t mean I find this practice ok and I do believe the cost of the meal should include the wagers of the staff.
And if I ever go to the States I’m most definitely not gonna get myself sick buy only eating fast food even if I don’t have enough money to tip 30% of the bill.
I generally tip 20-25% to servers, but I’m guilty of way over-tipping my hairdresser. She does a great job, but I’m also afraid she’ll take it out on my future color/ cuts if she thinks I’m cheap. *hangs head*
CB and Kaiser, THANKS for the NY posts! 😀
I am practically paying off my stylist’s mortgage because I tip her at least 35% and sometimes 50%. She’s a damn genius and a real artist. (She does my Great Lengths extensions and my colour.) Some women are weak for shoes, some like jewelry: for me, it’s my hair. I think I’d be devastated if she ever “left” me — I’d be far more upset than I’d be if I broke up with a man. Having my hair done is the one “girly” indulgence I allow myself. I don’t do manicures or pedicures, I don’t go to spas, I don’t have a closet full of clothes or eleventy billion pairs of shoes but I do get my hair done every 2 weeks. And I”m not sorry.
No,you are not a bad person.I also can’t tip as much as Megan because we have different financial conditions.
I try and tip as much as I can but going out is a rare and expensive treat as it is.
I think if you have a ton a money it is your responsibility to tip really well….
I’m a good tipper, extravagant sometimes when someone really goes out of their way for me, but I don’t think it’s ever your “responsibility” to tip well unless the service is good. That’s what tips are for. I never tip less than 20% unless the server was personally rude to me. I don’t blame the server for things they couldn’t help, like the food taking too long to come. But I do adjust the tip if they’re rude, and I think I should. They shouldn’t be entitled to a good tip unless they do a good job.
Guess I should have included the obvious, ‘if the service is good’.
I always tip well, once again if it is deserved..
Oh, sorry. Just ignore me. I’m still mad at this waiter I saw on Oprah a long time ago who said “you OWE me 20%, and if the service is good, you should go 30.” So didn’t mean to jump on you, just don’t like that entitled mentality.
I agree paige. I think if you have it you need to be generous. People who work in the service industry work their asses off and they have to deal with rude people. So pay them well and be nice is what I say.
I read a waiter’s blog when I was a preteen–so since then I’ve always done my best to tip well. I live a street away from a little homestyle restaurant–and even when I’m just picking up my food (literally the cook boxes it up, and the waitress hands it to me), I always tip very well–usually give her a 20 on a $12 bill. Because I know that there are huge assholes out there, or just generally cheap people who don’t think that they have to tip. If I can’t afford it, then I don’t buy any food from them. Period.
I was trying to figure out what the question might have been, when she goes from carrying Sharpies because she’s particular about handwriting, then “also, i’m reading…” Most bizarre segway, and for the life of me could not imagine a question where this would be the answer. The “what’s in my bag” actually makes sense.
Maybe because of the link between handwriting and reading and therefore books? That’s what I thought anyway.
In England, I think they have a service charge or something included in the bill anyway. Isn’t it that a lot of waiters/waitresses in the US really rely on their tips as a bulky part of their income, that’s why its seen as being so bad if you don’t leave a tip?
When I’m with friends I go out of my way to leave a tip as they don’t bother. I’m a student but I try to leave a few quid, it makes me feel really shitty if I don’t. Same with cab drivers.
I’ve always thought we were just blue meanies in the UK! Both countries have ridiculously low minimum wages, don’t they? Which most waiting staff earn. Plus, there’s a lot less in the way of service with a smile.
I generally don’t take the change or the equivalent if paying by card. So I tip somewhere up to £5 in a coffee shop and up to £10 in a restaurant. I suspect this is generous by UK standards and frightfully mean by US standards.
I’ve always thought you can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat waiters/waitresses. Even the most charming person turns into an unattractive oaf if they treat waiting staff like crap.
The reason we don’t tip is because everyone in this country is entitled to a minium wage, tips are just extras. I do say keep the change if I give a note or if I’m flush with cash and they went out of their way but otherwise no.
It depends on where you are from and what your salary is. £10 is more than 2% of my monthly salary, and I’m actually well payed and have a comfortable life compared to many other citizens of my little European homeland. £1 or £2 are the most I can give. (I’m always amazed how different wages and prices are on the same continent.) And yes, here we also have a minimum wage.
And when I go abroad to the UK/Germany/insert random European country here, or overseas, I don’t care what a waiter thinks about me.
Looking above – I had no idea that the US minimum wage didn’t apply to waiting staff. That explains a lot.
Even so, the UK minimum wage isn’t enough to live on. So anyone earning it in the UK is still going to need/want decent tips.
I’m headed to the UK for the first time in a couple of months. Someone has told me that I should tip the hotel housekeeping more than I normally do in the US. At hotels, I don’t do a percentage – usually a dollar or two at a “regular” hotel on the days I want cleaning, or $5/day at a nicer hotel, usually leaving more on the day I check out. So now I’m confused – I should tip the hotel housekeepers more but waitstaff less than I do in the US? Thanks for any advice!
If you really want to, just leave a quid or two.
Yes please don’t forget to tip housekeeping it’s something I always do as they often go unseen and I often feel under appreciated by guests but are the ones who ensure we have a nice clean bed & bathroom it’s something I always do plus they earn less than the waiters who we all seem to remember to tip. But that maybe just me
@nboudicca
Nobody tips bar staff in the UK. 10% is quite generous at a restaurant by UK standards. If you are paying by cash, it’s quite common just to leave the change. In standard hotels, I only ever leave a couple of pounds for housekeeping. I never stay anywhere expensive, so I couldn’t tell you what happens in such places!
Ancient Aliens is my favorite show, too!
That Giorgio Tsoukalos guy is a hoot!
I *love* that show, especially Giorgio’s hair, lol!
I like her hair better dark/blackish than this ombre. But it’s different when you have as much money as celebrities do.. they really are more obligated to tip more than us average folk!
Speaking as a longtime bartender, I am always happy with 20%, but I tend to over tip. I leave 30% as standard, 50% for excellent service and if the server has really been amazing or gone out of their way, I have been known to tip 100%. I feel its good tipping karma. Since I have been out of the industry for a bit, I have calmed my over tipping, but I also refuse to go out unless I can afford to tip really well.
I agree-always in good taste to tip well. Don’t go out if you have to skimp on a well deserved tip…
I generally tip 20-25%. But the whole idea of tipping p!sses me off. Just pay people a living wage and adjust your prices to reflect it. There’s no standard rules for tipping and it must make it so hard on service staff.
I used to read this blog called ‘Waiter Rant’–it’s really good. Basically he said that if the waiters got paid more, then the cost of the food would go way up–especially in the higher end restaurants (he worked at an Italian resturant–not too fancy, somewhere in the middle).
Then won’t the end price customers pay be the same? Besides I think it’s kind of a twisted logic to have customers do what is supposed to be employers’ obligation, i.e. ensuring that employees receive decent/proper earnings.
That’s what he’s saying–except the end isn’t the same. Because you’re not forced to tip. The only time you’re forced to tip, is when you have a large party (usually it’s six or more)–even then, that’s up to the restaurant.
What he’s saying is that if the restaurants had to pay the servers more, the food would be higher priced. So which would you prefer–‘cheaper’ food, and leaving a few dollars for the waiter, or the higher prices, and no tipping allowed at all.
But in the end, the waiter always loses. Because the customer isn’t forced to pay anything.
I’m surprised a bunch of waiters haven’t rallied up and fought the government on that—my sister worked as a waitress about a year ago. Up until then, my mom didn’t even know that she didn’t make minimum wage–she always thought it was something extra.
The customer will pay for it either way, in a tipping culture or not. The option to tip as opposed to higher food/beverage prices leaves room for options in the face of bad service. If people in the US decided to stop tipping, you will end up paying more when you go out to eat and your service will be worse because there is no incentive beyond the bare minimum. The interaction would resemble the customer service at your local WalMart, McDonald’s, etc.
20% tip is on point, anything more is contingent on service.
The colour is not flattering, nor the style. A mahogany shade in a simple braid would be a flattering look.
You can tell the true character of a person by how they treat someone they don’t have to treat well. If someone is rude to a waiter/service industry worker for no reason then deep down they are just not a nice person. I have always thought she was beautiful now it seems she is also nice.
>>”I’m also reading The Books of Enoch, which was once part of the Hebrew bible. My favourite TV show is Ancient Aliens, and this book describes angels in a way that sounds extraterrestrial.”
She’s so wonderfully nutty! I’m really surprised by how much this girl has grown on me.
I’ve sort of warmed to Megan over the years. Ever since she left the Transformers franchise, she has seemed more down to earth and mellow.
Me too. I think she grew up, and learned from her mistakes–unlike that douche Shia. I probably won’t ever be a fan of her acting, but I like that she’s grown up and become a better person.
Y’all be talking about giving tips to the waiters, waiters in Malaysia don’t even get tipped, maybe that’s just how we roll..
It’s because they charge service tax…up to 20% in some establishments
Yeap, same in my home country. Most middle-to-upper level restaurants will add service tax. I’m fine by it, because it’s written there, black and white, and feels more “legal”. 😀
I’d be more than happy to add the tip if I’m completely satisfied with the service.
A friend from Seoul told me the same thing — she said she never tipped and the service was 10x better.
Hi mika are you a malaysian too? I agree that generally we don’t really tipped the waiters because we already paid for the 6% service tax *not including another 10% of government tax*
Gah she’s one of those women who carry pregnancy beautifully.
I only use Sharpies, too. Love them, but you have to be sure to cap carefully as to not ruin the interior of your handbag.
I always tip in cash and 20% is my minimum. The service has to be horrendous to earn less from me and spectacular to earn more.
I always over tip pretty much because I am in the restaurant business. Even if I have had really bad service, it is hard for me to go below 20%. I have been known to tip 50-100% for really great service or if using a gift certificate (where I am not even paying for dinner myself), or I get several courses sent out to me free. It is really strange, there are certain celebrities I know (cause I have waited on them or I know people who have) that are REALLY cheap. Never really understand that! I think it is sweet she does does that. And yes, we do have to survive on our tips here in the US. It really bothers me when people from other countries come and don’t tip. Just because it is like that where you live, it is difficult for me to understand that they don’t know the tipping standards here.
I hear ya. I tip 20% for bad service because I have no idea what might be going on in back that could be causing it (and I understand how it is to just have an off day, because I’ve been there). Blatant rudeness is the only reason I would tip less than 20%. 30% for good service, or upwards for better.
In my experience wealthier people are poorer tippers, for the most part. But I’ve found you can’t make assumptions about people (I’ve had elderly people and teenagers tip me 50%, and businessmen, who are generally good about tipping this pretty female bartender, tip me 10% when I gave them all my attention and some free drinks). So I just give everyone my all.
“I don’t really have time to sit and lament on the fact that I’m pregnant.”
What an odd choice of words. Why is she upset about this pregnancy? Perhaps she doesn’t understand what “lament” really means? Because what she’s saying is that she regrets this pregnancy. I’m surprised that made it to print. But perhaps the magazine also doesn’t have a grasp of the English language.
I caught that too. Telling? I think so. When I first saw the picture here, I didn’t even know who she was. She looks like a shadow of her former self. Brian seems to have locked her away from the world. JMO.
There is something about him that gives me the creepy vibe. And yeah I agree I think there is something really wrong and sad with her life. I mean not the kids that is wonderful if its what she wants, but she has no one besides BAG in her life and that is not normal.
I hope everything is ok, but I do get a real controlling/emotionally abusive vibe from him, especially when you consider none of his ex’s say anything nice about him, so I hope if she wants an out she has someone to help.
Do you guys remember the stories on Lainey a few years ago about him? Basically if he’s up for an award, she is supposed to come support him, but if she is getting something, he sits at home and pouts. There also was a blind that was highly considered to be about them-something about her terminating a pregnancy early in their relationship and he was using it to keep her under his thumb? It was titled “How He Controls Her,” if I’m not mistaken.
She is another prime example of people who shouldn’t have messed with their face. Why is it so hard to get good plastic surgery in this town? She didn’t even need it and now she’s starting to look like cat woman.
My thoughts too.
I’m glad I read this piece. I don’t live in the USA and I thought an average/good tip was 15%. It’s good to have updated info.
It depends, Tulip – lots of people in the US think 15% is enough. It might be a generational thing, though. My father, for one, tips exactly that and never more. I, on the other hand, tip at least 20% unless the service is awful – and normally tip 30% at places that I frequent.
20% is the industry standard. I hardly ever tip less than that unless I had horrendous service. People here basically live on their tips. And of course, I will give more when receiving better service.
I stick with 20% too — anything less, you probably just shouldn’t go out.
In Australia we don’t really tip since minimum wage is already very high (compared to the US an the UK). For cafés and small restaurants, I don’t tip at all. Maybe if it’s a bigger restaurant and the service is outstanding then that’s when we leave a tip.
In the U.K how much you get paid depends where you live, if you’re a waitress in London you will get more than the minimum wage. But low paid workers get help anyway with tax credits and housing benefits. There is no real need for tips in the UK.
I like people who do. Nice things withou
T bringiing attn to them…sorry. about my keyboard..
I love those tips post and like to read comments. I was always fascinated with that tip police of americans. Always see it in the movies and TV but never understood it. Never understood why it has to be waitresses, taxi drivers and people at the hotel who carry your bag and show you where your room is. Why it has to be them? Why not other people? Some bus drivers, people who take care of garbage, janitors of the public toilets etc have it easy? They have much bigger salaries then poor waitresses? Why not give those tips to homeless people instead? They have harder life then waitress or taxi drivers.
I always thought that it started when people would get check for 19.73 dollars (for example). Give 20 dollars and generously say “no change”. Years went by and now they MUST leave at least 5 dollars when they get 20 dollars check. And everyone leaves not because they are so rich and generous but because they are afraid that waitress will spit in their food when next time they will come.
I always wondered about few things and how it works. Can someone answer, please?
1. Who exactly you must tip? Waitress, taxi driver, that guy at the hotel. Who else?
2. How much you must tip to driver and hotel guy? What if you simply don’t have any small cash money to tip that hotel guy? Because everyone have credit cards now. How do you pay him then when he carries your baggage? Do your have to run to ATM to get cash when you are about to check in the hotel? What if ATM will give you $100 and $50 bank notes? That always wondered me. Remember how in Home Alone Kevin gave his chewing gum or candy to that guy?
3. How do you give tips at the restaurant if you pay with credit card? If I understand you receive check, write something like 15% or 30% on the check and then waitress gets those 30% from your card? What if she will take more? Then you have to check your credit card history every now and then? We have credit cards in our country. Salary and pensions go straight to bank at first. Some people pay with them and the supermarkets or shop equipment but not too many. It’s mostly cash everywhere. People just take money from ATM and then pay. I don’t like the feeling to give card with all my money to person that can steal from it (if they want) and take some $200 instead of $100. I never liked credit cards.
4. If you receive check for some 56 dollars. And you wan’t to give 15 dollars to tips. And you only have whole $100 bill – what you do? You give it to waitress and say that she can have 15 dollars tip and then must bring you rest of $29? Or you must just give that $100, say “no change” and leave, giving $46 tip for $56 dinner? I always wondered about that. What if you just don’t have the exact number of small money for that 20% tip.
Um, you’re going a little crazy with this. You should tip waiters because they make below minimum wage BECAUSE it’s assumed (by the gov’t) that they’ll make that up in tips. Sure, it’s not your fault or their fault how much they make, but that’s the reality. These people make absolutely nothing, and have to depend on strangers to make their income. Strangers, who may or may not be jerks, who may or may not feel that everything is the server’s fault (food being overcooked, undercooked, etc), and so on.
And if tipping wasn’t the norm, then the meals would be a lot more expensive. So which would you prefer?
Well those meals are still expensive! Whatever it may looked or felt but the facts are that people still pay $130 when price tag on the menu says $100.
Wouldn’t it be better if price tag would say $130, person would pay and would not have to deal about those tips and how much they should leave? And then waitresses would get standard salary, that would not depend on tips?
Because tipping isn’t mandatory. They can’t force you to leave a tip. The worst thing that’ll happen to you is that the waiters won’t want to give you perks as often.
Like on this blog I read called ‘Waiter Rant’—he had this guy call in two days before Valentine’s Day for a table. He was lucky, because they did have an open table. BUT the guy said something to him like, ‘hurry up’ (they were over the phone), and he remembered that this guy was a jerk who never tipped, and frequently never showed up when he’d reserve a table and wouldn’t call and say so. So he said that there weren’t any available tables.
A person doesn’t have to deal with tipping, if they don’t want to. So the person who gets screwed, both ways, is the waiter.
Always good to have small bills when traveling. And at a restaurant they will bring you change and you can leave the tip from that, or just ask them to bring you the balance of change after the tip Or credit card slips will have a place to enter in the tip and then they add it to the charge.
When traveling to other countries, I usually research about tipping a bit so I’m prepared what to do according to customs.
I usually tip 20%, sometimes more for good service, and sometimes less for bad service. My friends and I recently had a waitress completely mess up our orders (entrees and side wrong on both, and sauce on one was wrong) and then she never came back to the table during the meal, and never brought one item that was ordered but missing. Also, we were about the only ones in the restaurant, so it wasn’t like she was overwhelmed, she was just terrible.
5. Why they just will not raise prices in restaurants and cafes on 20% and cancel those tips? And forbid people to give them and waitresses to accept them? You still pay 20% more for that food you get no matter what. If check says $100 you still must pay at least $120.
6. How do you calculate fast? You have check for some $57. You want to leave tip for 15% or 20% or 25% or even 30%. How do you calculate how much exact it must be?
7. What do you (americans) do when you come to country where there is no such thing as giving tips? Like 3-d world poor countries or in 2-nd world or even Europe? Do you still leave those 20% tip? Do you have to ask local people if tipping to waitresses exist in their country?
8. Are restaurants or even café prices so low that you can easily leave those 30% tips every day?
9. Can you dare not leave any tip at all if service was not great? Like she will give you check for $40. You will give $40 and leave? Will you dare to come to that place ever again? What if this is place in your neighborhood where you come every week.
10. That awful tipping thing kind of slowly comes to our country too lately. Rich people at the restaurants can leave those tipping money when they live. Some cafes or restaurants can write at the check something like: “If you want you can leave tip to waitress”. And no – salaries of our waitresses don’t depend on tips. Owners and people watched too mach american films I suspect 🙂 They scored bad habits and think that this is how it should be 🙂
I’ll only address number 6. It’s easy to quickly calculate 20 percent. If bill is 57 dollars, ten percent is 5.7 dollars which you double to 11.4 to make 20 percent. Believe me, you tip constantly here so your brain almost automatically adds it up.
Thank you.
And your really can’t just write percents? I thought that most people always give the same number of % like 15, 20 or 30. And just write number. And then they do calculations themselves (stuff at the restaurant that gives checks).
5. Why they just will not raise prices in restaurants and cafes on 20% and cancel those tips? And forbid people to give them and waitresses to accept them? You still pay 20% more for that food you get no matter what. If check says $100 you still must pay at least $120.
In different places things are done differently. And perhaps changing the entire service industry in a country of over 300 million people might not be the easiest thing to do when people are accustomed to this system. And lawmakers would be very heavily lobbied by the restaurant industry NOT to change the current system.
The amount of money would come out to be the same for people who do tip and is the accepted practice…obviously you have very strong anit-tipping feelings. But this is the way it’s done here. Since you don’t live here you don’t ever need to come here and deal with it. Lots of people don’t travel because they think everything in their own country is better than everywhere else…
6. How do you calculate fast? You have check for some $57. You want to leave tip for 15% or 20% or 25% or even 30%. How do you calculate how much exact it must be?
Explained by another poster but you can easily figure out 10% and then adapt as needed. Or get a tip calculator ap on your phone. Or carry a little credit card size tip chart.
7. What do you (americans) do when you come to country where there is no such thing as giving tips? Like 3-d world poor countries or in 2-nd world or even Europe? Do you still leave those 20% tip? Do you have to ask local people if tipping to waitresses exist in their country?
There are plently of books and places online that one can learn the customs of a country before they visit. The best option is to do research and know things like that before traveling. Any civilized person makes sure to know before they go abroad that customs are different all over the world and that you adapt your behavior to the place you are visiting and that you cannot just behave the way you do at home because you think your country does things better. Otherwise, you just shouldn’t leave your own country.
8. Are restaurants or even café prices so low that you can easily leave those 30% tips every day?
If you can’t afford to tip then you can’t afford to go out. No one is entitled to eat out every day. Tipping is part of the cost of going out to eat. Not everywhere but it is here. YOU KNOW THAT AHEAD OF TIME! If you go to a restaurant in a country that does not have tipping you pay the entire bill, yes? Therefore, you pay the tip when you go out to eat in the US. Just because it is factored in differencently doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist and it doesn’t make it optional to pay people who work for you.
9. Can you dare not leave any tip at all if service was not great? Like she will give you check for $40. You will give $40 and leave? Will you dare to come to that place ever again? What if this is place in your neighborhood where you come every week.
If the service is that bad you need to speak to a manager.
10. That awful tipping thing kind of slowly comes to our country too lately.
There’s really nothing to even say to this…you don’t like it…it’s a reality that in the United States this is how the services industry works…
Out of curiosity, do waiters in the US have a granted basic income where the tips are a plus or are their tips their only income? Where I live (Austria, Europe) the waiters have a basic income which is about what cashiers in supermarkets earn and the tips are a plus. So of course it is shitty when they don’t get many tips, but they can still survive.
Right now in the U.S. the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. EXCEPT for waitresses, who are only paid $2.13 per hour because tips are supposed to make up the extra $5.12.
Why is it like that? I still don’t understand. Sometimes people write such crying stories about poor waitresses that you get the feeling that they receive zero dollars from their bosses and only live on those tips. And how much exactly ordinary waitress brings home every month now? Can we compare it to salaries of janitors, cleaners, cashiers at the supermarkets or teachers? Or to other professions of ordinary people?
How much per months brings home waitress of the ordinary cafe, rich restaurant or cashiers at McDonalds? How much gets person that cleans plates at the ordinary cafe? Or person who cooks or is janitor there?
I can only imagine how much money get waitress at the super expensive restaurants where rich people leave tips of 300-500 dollars. And then can get check and give it to TMZ just to shame celebrity that bought $900 worth bottle of wine and left only $40 dollars tips. I think there was some story like that. Yeah, that was so hard for her to go and bring that bottle from the closet for 50 meters to table and open…. She totally should get $300 for that…
Did they put that $2.13 per hour only because they saw how much tips were demanded from customers . And they were something like: “We should cancel tips or put their salaries at minimum”?
No we (in the restaurant industry) make 2.13 per hour. Our tips are supposed to make up the difference. When people are cheap or ignorant…..we don’t get paid. End of story. As for your comment about people who leave very expensive tips…like in a very expensive restaurant let me do the math for you cause I have worked in said restaurants where a dinner for two is several hundred dollars. The hostess/managers get a percentage; the sommelier (wine guy) gets some; the food runners get some; the bartenders get some and the busboys who pour your water and get you your bread get some. Then the rest is divided up with the “servers” that night. So that 500 tip, you might see say some $20-30 on your paycheck, then get taxed on it. That is the truth.
Ok – but why are waitresses always shame people for being cheap or ignorant? Nothing personal. But people come to restaurant to eat. They don’t come there out of charity. It’s not their job to feed some women they don’t know. They came to eat and they pay money for it. It’s waitresses business why their boss is not paying them or how much they should get. Yet waitresses always look at those people like they OWN them something personally. Like it’s their job and duty to feed waitresses. And when they don’t give them their own money – then they are cheap a-hols.
If they don’t think that they don’t receive enough money for their services then they just should find another job. Just demand from government normal, steady salary that won’t depend on tips and cancel that whole tip thing. But I’m sure that if government will even hint about such things then every single waitress will go to strike and will demand to leave tips thing,
P.S. But how much did you get per month? Just really curious. How much gets waitress in small cafe and how much in expensive restaurants for rich people. And how much people of other ordinary professions get in USA? Without those “per hour” stuff. Per months? We always count our salaries per month, not weeks or days. That’s easier.
@St: “If they don’t think that they don’t receive enough money for their services then they just should find another job. Just demand from government normal, steady salary that won’t depend on tips and cancel that whole tip thing. But I’m sure that if government will even hint about such things then every single waitress will go to strike and will demand to leave tips thing, ”
I don’t know where you live, but I assure that’s not going to happen here, not in this economy, not with this political and economic system.
I also think that the root of the problem is your system and not cheap people. For many people, eating out is really a luxury, leaving a big tip is for them equally problematic financially to waiters only earning 3 dollars per hour. I assume the food is as expensive as it is where I live (average income is 1400 euro, for rent you pay about 700 euro, leaves you 700 euro for your living expenses (insurance is paid by government thank god, but private insurance, saving, groceries, car, clothes, mobile phone, etc.) If you eat out in a good, but not overly expensive restaurant, let’s say 1 glass of wine, 1 starter and 1 main dish you pay about 35 euro, if you would need to tip 20% this would be around 7 euro–>that is a LOT of money for a tip, considering the whole eating out experience without the tip is already 5(!) % of what you have left to live for this month. So I don’t see why in such a case, where the money is anyhow tight because living and renting especially is so expensive, is it cheap to not tip 20 %. It is simply not affordable. Eating out happens than maybe 2 times a month and is really a luxury. This attitude is just not fair.
Wow, that sucks. This is terrible, I couldn’t live like that. I mean you can be never sure, that you are able to pay your bills this month. Waiters should be granted at least minimum wage! I can’t remember how expensive eating out in the US is, but when you HAVE to leave a fat tip, I imagine it is very very expensive..
Minimum wage in the US is not a livable wage.
Is she in California wearing an effin’ parka and winter boots in 86 degree weather? It’s effin’ 8 degrees out here–if I were in Cali I’d be wearing shorts and a motherlovin’ tank top. Ugh. These people are so silly.
On topic-I never tip less than 25%.
There were ‘cold’ snaps in LA during December, so these might have been taken then. Or she’s like my sister, who’s blood thinned out very quickly once she moved there from Chicago and now thinks 65 degrees is cold.
ETA: The magic of Google/Zimbio tells me these were taken on December 6 and 7, when the highs were only near 60.
60 degrees?!? Lol…again, I’d be wearing a tank top and shorts. The second I see an unzipped parka I know it’s more about a fashion statement than appropriate outerwear. I guess it’s “fun” to dress up like it’s cold out when you live in LA. And yes, I am bitter! On the plus side, I do love winter clothing, but those of us who live in extreme climates know that it’s effin’ function, not fashion!
I don’t consider an unzipped parka a fashion statement, my friend wears them that way because he’s naturally warm. When he zips up I know it’s cold!
In these pics I think they were just in transit from/to their car, so she probably just threw on the coat without zipping it up, since she would be too hot once she were in the car. My sister in LA is the same way.
At least it’s a parka and not a fur coat.
“At least it’s a parka and not a fur coat.”
Very true but I still think west coasters need a thicker skin! 😉
Signed,
A very bitter(ly) cold east coaster
1. Who exactly you must tip? Waitress, taxi driver, that guy at the hotel. Who else?
Hairsylists, manicurist, bar tender, coat check, … I’m sure there are complete lists onlne in travel information.
2. How much you must tip to driver and hotel guy? What if you simply don’t have any small cash money to tip that hotel guy?
Usually cabs you can pay with a credit card and tip thusly. Generally if you are going somewhere that you know you will need small bills, like a hotel, you plan ahead. US atms almost exclusively give $20s. You can probably ask for change if you needed to.
3. How do you give tips at the restaurant if you pay with credit card?
Give the server your credit card after you review the bill. You will get it back with a credit card receipt on which you write, in dollars not percentage, how much you want to tip. Then you write the total ( bill+tip). There’s a copy for you to keep. You could check your credit card statement I assume that’s a personal thing.
4. If you receive check for some 56 dollars. And you wan’t to give 15 dollars to tips. And you only have whole $100 bill – what you do? You give it to waitress and say that she can have 15 dollars tip and then must bring you rest of $29? Or you must just give that $100, say “no change” and leave, giving $46 tip for $56 dinner? I always wondered about that. What if you just don’t have the exact number of small money for that 20% tip.
After you review the bill give the server your cash. If you don’t want change you can either say so or just leave. If you want chage you can wait for the server to bring it back. Then leave the tip. Usually you can ask the host or hostess or the server for change for a large bill.
Thank you for some answers.
About that “Hairsylists, manicurist, bar tender, coat check, …” Oh God. I think I saw somewhere mention about tipping manicurist recently. But wow. I always thought that americans only must tip waitress, taxi driver (I still don’t understand why driver too) and guy that carries your luggage to your room.
But there is whole long list of people that you must tip? Like “Hairsylists, manicurist, bar tender, coat check” and many other? I may understand that waitresses thing when I read thise heartfelt stories how they don’t get minimal salary and have to live on tips and that ’s why peole MUST tip them. But all those hairsylists, manicurist, bar tender and other don’t receive minimal salary too and live only on tips too? Or what? Why tip them? And how much? 20-30% too?
Or did it begin as good gesture too and now it turned to “must do it” stuff? Or otherwise you are cheap a-hole and that hairsylist and her children will starve because you are cheap a-hole? Just why with all those endless tip to everybody? Just give people check, include everything in it and they will pay and be free. But now you always have to worry about those percentage and how much you should give. Do you all receive such big salary that you can easily give your money away to everyone?
I can never get it.
Ok dude, I understand being curious about traditions in other places and wanting to understand the logistics of how things are done.
But sometimes the reason why is just because that’s how we do it here. It’s clearly a different economic system than what you are used to. But you are being pretty insulting about it and towards people who make their livings that way.
If you want to go out to eat (or get a haircut or a manicure or whatever else) you simply have to take account of tips into it. If you can afford $100 on a meal you know ahead of time you can’t get $100 off the menu bc then you can’t tip.
Would you walk out on a bill? Well then you don’t walk out on a tip. Its not written in ahead of time but you know that cost exists. It may very well be a stupid and inefficient way of doing business. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay the people who serve you. So in that sense yes you must do it because you must pay for the goods and services you receive. Do you expect to be paid for your work? The payment for a waitress (or waiter) is always coming from the customer whether as tip or higher price. Here it’s not calculated into the price and you need to tip. (Again this may not make the most sense or be the most efficient but sometimes that’s the way life is.)
If you don’t want to pay don’t go out. Its part of the cost of dining out. You know that before you go. Its not a secret sprung on you after you get the bill.
And it doesn’t matter how much a janitor or anyone in any other industry makes. One has nothing to do with the other. Janitorial is not a service industry. There are jobs that pay more than waiting tables and jobs that pay less. That has nothing to do with you paying for service you receive. Should you tip the homeless? Did they provide you with some service? Did they do any work for you? If you want to give money to the homeless fine but that has absolutely nothing to do with tipping.
” But all those hairsylists, manicurist, bar tender and other don’t receive minimal salary too and live only on tips too?”
My hairdresser lives solely on tips. She’s on her feet all day, busting her ass and doing a great job and she gets paid well for it. Conversely, she gets NO benefits-no sick days, no insurance, no 401K, nothing.
I tip her very well and she deserves it.
Look, the service industry is not for the weak or the unmotivated; you have to hustle to make money and I like to reward to people that work hard. Does that make sense?
Yeah, I don’t like that tipping thing. Always saw it in the movies and could never understand why. And was always curious how people should tip if then don’t have the exact amount of small money. I guess it’s easier to just have credit card.
I like to read posts about tipping when I’ll bump into some. And I don’t like that attitude. People always share how much they tip and people who work at that industry always shame cheap customers and always behave like those people must feed them. Like it’s their duty to do that. And if they leave 10% or 15% then they are cheap ignorant a-holes. Not to mention all those other people that do manicure or hair etc. And then complain how hard they work and should get charity money from people. Persons who cleans public toilets (for example) or is cleaning streets in the winter are having their job 20 times harder then person that sits in her warm office and does hair to people. And no one is tipping them. And doesn’t care how hard they work. But it’s always that attitude in comments: “We deserve it because we work so hard. You must pay us or don’t go in places where we work…”. So many people work 20 times harder and no one is giving them tips. That what always makes me angry at that tip policy.
That always bothered me in that situation with tips – why those one get tips and others don’t. I would just be uncomfortable giving tips. It’s like I would have give charity to poor people or something. And then I read all those comments from people who work there that they are so poor and that they need those tips. It’s just weird for me. What I understood from it all is that bosses of all those bars, barber shops, restaurants get extremely rich because they don’t pay a dollar to their workers. Customers pay to owners for food and then costumers pay to their workers. And rich bosses get all those money and get even more rich. Or something.
And I don’t believe that people don’t tip when service is bad. If they will not then they will just never come to that place again. I think that they still tip at least 15%. Simply because those are the rules. And some waitresses know that they will still tip. So why bother to be sweet and nice when they still know that they will be tipped. And why people should be payed money to be nice? I don’t understand that whole situation. And I was surprised to read that in some countries in Europe or even Australia people don’t tip too. I thought that it happens everywhere.
And it begins in my country slowly too. People come to cafe to drink coffee, beer and eat something, have some check for 18. Give 20 and walk away without waiting for change. And they think they do good gesture. And they have no idea that soon their good gesture will end up when they will MUST leave 20%. When they would get check for 18 and will have to leave 25 instead.
It was funny when my friend payed. It was something like 48. Waitress brings her back change for like 2 (from 50). And my friend got up and is walking away, never taking change. Being like all cool and stuff. And I tried to explain to her that it all started like that in America and that soon it will be not enough to leave 2. That soon she would have to leave 60 instead of 48. Like they do in America. She had no idea what I was talking about ! It was so funny. She could understand it and believe when I was telling her how americans must leave at least 20% every time.
I don’t know if that tipping thing will seriously take root in our country. Because food prices are already kind of high. And there are so many care and restaurants. People simply will stop coming when they will be demanded 20% more. And many cafes would have to close.
@anonymusss: I have to agree with St. Being from Europe, your system doesn’t make any sense, but I slowly get why there is so much hate in your society and the rift between rich and poor is so extreme in the US. So you have the restaurant owners, who sell food and drinks at (I assume) still hefty prices, however, they don’t need to give any of the money to their employees, as it is the customers responsibility that those get paid. This results in an extremely nice income for those who own the restaurant and frustration and hate of the employees towards the “cheap” customers who do not tip accordingly. Your reaction is to hate on the customers and not on the owners, although actually the owners should be held responsible and not some random customers who most likely don’t earn much themselves. This translates to that the “rich” restaurant owner is unaffected and keeps getting richer, while the waiters are frustrated with lets say cashiers who don’t tip enough because they can’t afford it and those in turn are also angry about the waiters attitude. So we all know that people living together with different personalities, races, genders, ages, upbringing, financial means, whatever is a very difficult thing, because somehow the different needs and opinions have to be coordinated so that everyone is at least somehow satisfied and people are not cutting each others throat. For this reason some wise people thought it would be a good idea to elect representatives and experts who set up some rules and restriction, to manage this heterogenic population of humans and to avoid hate, anger and frustration and try to treat people equally. This is called a government and democracy.
Please learn proper English.
what is paid as a tip is based on service and price of the bill and the base is usually 15% of the total price of the meal. this so called actress is a nitwit at best why pay attention to her some real stars tip very well especially if the wait staff didn’t recognize them at the time of service
It is still legal for employers to pay their staff $2.01/hr if they make tips! The same amount I was paid in the *80’s* as a waitress!!!!!1
Holy shit, really? That’s what I made busing tables in the mid-90s. WTF.
Wait staff in Sydney working the weekends or public holidays get about $20+ an hour and they are still crap at their jobs. This is why we don’t tip! And I personally love it.
I’m going to the US however in March & will tip 20% regularly and more for exceptional service.
Cab driver chiming in here.
The vast, vast majority of cabbies in the US DO NOT get paid anything per hour at all. I get 50% of the fare, plus tips, minus gas, on each call I take. Please be advised, not all cab companies are set up to take plastic – mine isn’t. I’m expected to have change for $20, company policy, but anything larger has to be changed at a store, and the stop will be charged to the customer.
As far as tips go, a couple of bucks is great, anything more is fantastic. But don’t expect help with your stuff if your fare is $10 and you hand me a $20, then say, “Do you have ten?”
The US system is absolutely ridiculous. I don’t understand why more people aren’t out there lobbying for service people to be making a freaking minimum wage. It is a disgrace. Sort yourselves out, Americans!
I do tip when I’m in the US – generally 20% – although I get into the occasional epic battle trying to hold onto my (generally lightweight) bags with overzealous bell hops in hotels. Don’t take my luggage, it’s not heavy and I don’t need your help!
Sort ourselves? Why? I hate being made to tip in other countries. Here I can choose.
I work for a big hotel chain here in Japan, and the staff are not allowed to accept tips. If you eat at a restaurant at that hotel there is a service charge added to the bill, but bellhops etc. have to refuse any tips offered to them. I’ve been to other hotels here and I’ve never had a tip accepted. The philosophy is that they are already being paid to do their job, so accepting tips would be akin to a bribe, or making the guest feel obliged to tip would be akin to extortion. That’s just the culture here, really a person should understand the culture of where they are visiting/offering patronage to avoid nasty mistakes. Can drivers the world over will always take tips though, even in Japan.
This is how it should be, really. If that tip is demanded from people then it must be included in the bill. And stuff must be ordered to refuse to take them. Because right now in USA this is “really making the guest feel obliged to tip”. Its like they say: “Well of course you don’t have to tip. And no one demands you to do it. But you should know that if you won’t tip then it totally means that you are awful cheap person and now that poor woman will starve because of you. And you also should know that if you won’t give her bribe then next time you will come she will not take your order and will be very rude to you. But you deserve it because you are cheap a-hole who doesn’t think of other people. And if you are so cheap then you just should stay at home, really”.
Just include that tip in the bill. I love America . I apply for Green Card every year. Just in case. It’s not that hard. So may people win it every year. People I know won it. But sometimes it scares me if I will win one day and would actually have to move. So many troubles. That crazy health insurance that you have. The one that you hate yourself. Or then get some 50 000 bill if you will accidentally get in hospital without medical insurance. And those freaking tips always scared me 🙂
If I would have to visit even as tourist then I would sit on travel forums and search every single person that I have to tip there. And of course would leave 20% tip if would go to cafe. Because those are the rules. But those rules are bad.
And Karolina said it best – owners are getting rich because they don’t have to pay to stuff, stuff is angry at customers for being payed small salary, people are angry at stuff because they demand from them money that are not in the bill. There should be laws that would made owners pay to their stuff. And not put that on shoulders of people.
okay. The whole “servers make below min wage” does not apply to the whole country; it varies state by state. I know because I served in Texas for $2.13 an hour where that loophole applies. But California is totally differnt. All servers make min wage which can be up to $9.25 in San Francisco. I am making 8.00 base in Orange County. Its really nice for Cali servers because we take cash home every night plus have a 200-300 pay check. Ive done the math often, and I tend to make 16-25 dollars an hour as a result of tips and base pay. That being said, I hate when my parents give 20% to bad service or idiot waiters. It ONLY reinforces bad service. I tip base on service 10-25 percent, but the critical factor is that the server has to earn it (not hard if you love hospitality).
But it is so much easier for Europeans to have a superior attitude if they consider the US to be exactly the same over 3000 miles. They are so ignorant.
Wow Yup, and you are just so much better than us poor stupid europeans.
Maybe if you would bother to read the comments you will see that several of your fellow americans have explained that servers in the US get almost no official wage. Except for Char they made no mention that this practice varies from state to state. So yes, when several people tell me the same thing on a subject I knew very little about, my first instinct is to believe them and react accordingly.
And yes, I agree with AmandaPanda that the law is wrong and it should be changed although maybe her use of the frase “sort yourselfs out” is not the most diplomatic.
But accepting a system that allows people to work for nothing and rely on the benevolence of others for their survival is wrong on so many levels, expecially in a country that prides itsfel with being the best democracy in the world and “the land of the free”.
Every year, my wife and I make it a point to take $1000 and divide it among strangers during the holidays, to reward people who work hard, mostly waiters or waitresses but sometimes other too. There was a really nice girl ahead of me in line at the grocery store, who was getting Thanksgiving stuff a month early because her brother was being deployed. She wanted him to have a Thanksgiving dinner before he went back. So I picked up the grocery tab, because I thought it was such a sweet sentiment. Also gave a hundo to a waitress at El Torito this year, whose 17 year old daughter was about to start college. So it’s nice to think about her getting something nice for her daughter for Christmas. I really don’t see any other reason to have money than to spend it on others. Selfishly, it’s a great feeling and good people should be rewarded.
she can tip me with sex