Vol224.日常英语学习How to Tip in America

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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 full-service 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 gratuity 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 high-stake system for them.

But now, let's go ahead and ask my server, Evelyn, what she thinks about tipping culture in America.

Host: This is my wonderful server, Evelyn. She took care of me today. So, Evelyn, what do you think about tipping culture?

Evelyn: 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 stiffed or when somebody doesn't tip like according to the bill.

Host: Have you had times where someone left like zero tips?

Evelyn: 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.

Host: 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?

Evelyn: I tip everywhere, even on DoorDash and deliveries. Um, I typically tip always 20%. Um, and then if it's really great service, I go beyond that.

Host: And then here's your tip.

Evelyn: Thank you so much.