Tipping in the US, can you help me out?

I have been to the US several times and studied a semester at collage in New England. But still I really don’t understand how the American tipping culture works. Can you help me out? Would you or would you not tip in the following cases, and if you tip. How much?:

- Taking a tennis/golf lesson, should I tip the coach? Any differences if it’s a class or a private lesson?
- Going horseback riding, should I tip the guide, the guy who prepares the horse for me, the second guy that takes my horse after the trip?
- Getting shown around in an art gallery?
- Taking a cab where de driver drives wrong so the trip costs 30 USD instead of the normal 15 USD.
- Going to a fancy restaurant but the service is not that good.
- Same but service was exceptional. (Here I give 25 %, is that too much?)
- Prepaid helicopter trip in the Grand Canyon? Should I give the aviator anything?

Originally Posted by The Swede

I have been to the US several times and studied a semester at collage in New England. But still I really don’t understand how the American tipping culture works. Can you help me out? Would you or would you not tip in the following cases, and if you tip. How much?:

- Taking a tennis/golf lesson, should I tip the coach? Any differences if it’s a class or a private lesson?
- Going horseback riding, should I tip the guide, the guy who prepares the horse for me, the second guy that takes my horse after the trip?
- Getting shown around in an art gallery?
- Taking a cab where de driver drives wrong so the trip costs 30 USD instead of the normal 15 USD.
- Going to a fancy restaurant but the service is not that good.
- Same but service was exceptional. (Here I give 25 %, is that too much?)
- Prepaid helicopter trip in the Grand Canyon? Should I give the aviator anything?

Nicely played, Swede.

Originally Posted by The Swede

I have been to the US several times and studied a semester at collage in New England. But still I really don't understand how the American tipping culture works. Can you help me out? Would you or would you not tip in the following cases, and if you tip. How much?:

- Taking a tennis/golf lesson, should I tip the coach? Any differences if it's a class or a private lesson? If she is hot, yes "tip" her.
- Going horseback riding, should I tip the guide, the guy who prepares the horse for me, the second guy that takes my horse after the trip? No, tipping is not customary except when tipping cows
- Getting shown around in an art gallery? If she is "hot", yes tip her.
- Taking a cab where de driver drives wrong so the trip costs 30 USD instead of the normal 15 USD. Tell him he just burned up his $15 tip
- Going to a fancy restaurant but the service is not that good. Start at 18% and go up or down from their, depending on the service
- Same but service was exceptional. (Here I give 25 %, is that too much?)See above
- Prepaid helicopter trip in the Grand Canyon? Should I give the aviator anything? Typically turning your empty barf bag over to the pilot for the next passenger is enough. He'll be happy.

See above in bold.

Americans?? Lol.. Even the Amigos at the car wash in California expect $5 each these days lol. If you pull up in a Bimmer you will get 3-4 Amigos drying your car wheels You either tip or meet a person like the Judge the Adios chick met the other day lol..

This should help you with the restaurant question

Originally Posted by stylinexpat

Americans?? Lol.. Even the Amigos at the car wash in California expect $5 each these days lol. If you pull up in a Bimmer you will get 3-4 Amigos drying your car wheels You either tip or meet a person like the Judge the Adios chick met the other day lol..

No disrespect intended but culturally speaking the flip side to Americans tipping is Asians tipping. Once when I was a bartender, I saw an Asian dude (not from America) pull a $5 bill out of his wallet to pay for his drink and Lincoln started blinking from the sunlight... It's a cultural thing I guess.

Originally Posted by Sportsdad

No disrespect intended but culturally speaking the flip side to Americans tipping is Asians tipping. Once when I was a bartender, I saw an Asian dude (not from America) pull a $5 bill out of his wallet to pay for his drink and Lincoln started squinting from the sunlight... It's a cultural thing I guess.

Fixed your post

Originally Posted by The Swede

I have been to the US several times and studied a semester at collage in New England. But still I really don’t understand how the American tipping culture works. Can you help me out? Would you or would you not tip in the following cases, and if you tip. How much?:

- Taking a tennis/golf lesson, should I tip the coach? Any differences if it’s a class or a private lesson?
- Going horseback riding, should I tip the guide, the guy who prepares the horse for me, the second guy that takes my horse after the trip?
- Getting shown around in an art gallery?
- Taking a cab where de driver drives wrong so the trip costs 30 USD instead of the normal 15 USD.
- Going to a fancy restaurant but the service is not that good.
- Same but service was exceptional. (Here I give 25 %, is that too much?)
- Prepaid helicopter trip in the Grand Canyon? Should I give the aviator anything?

With all that money you're flaunting around tipping a few bucks even where not expected shouldn't occupy your mind at any time of day

Originally Posted by Sportsdad

See above in bold.

Thanks, that seems reasonable (the hotter the girl is, the more I tip)! I can understand that it’s obvious for you when to tip and not. But for me who is not used to the tipping culture it can be very confusing knowing when people expect a tip and not, and in that case how much.

For example, tipping say 10 % at a restaurant in Sweden indicates that the service was really something special. The majority of people going to restaurants here don’t tip at all and the servers/waitresses don’t expect to get tipped.

Originally Posted by mj745

With all that money you're flaunting around tipping a few bucks even where not expected shouldn't occupy your mind at any time of day

Ok, so in general it's never considered rude to tip?

in Sweden, do you tip on the pre-tax, or post-tax amount - is tax even shown as a separate item on the bill in a restaurant?

Originally Posted by Sportsdad

No disrespect intended but culturally speaking the flip side to Americans tipping is Asians tipping. Once when I was a bartender, I saw an Asian dude (not from America) pull a $5 bill out of his wallet to pay for his drink and Lincoln started blinking from the sunlight... It's a cultural thing I guess.

To some point in degree I believe that culture has some sort of weight on tipping habits. Having lived here in Asia for quite some time I do know that many Chinese here in Taiwan are not really into tipping. When it comes to Chinese New Years bonuses (tips) then they can be quite generous though but that is about it.

Originally Posted by wyb

in Sweden, do you tip on the pre-tax, or post-tax amount - is tax even shown as a separate item on the bill in a restaurant?

The 12 % VAT is noted on the receipt but prices are always showed with the VAT on the menu and no service charges are added afterwards (they are always baked into the price). So if the menu says 139 Swedish Kronor (SEK) for a main course and 49 SEK for a beer, then that's what you pay in total too when it's time to pay. So when people tip, they tip on the total amount.

When I go out here and the service is good I tip (5-10 %) because I think they deserve it even though I know that the servers/waitresses probably make 130 SEK/hour (that's around 20 USD/hour) in salary before tips.

Originally Posted by The Swede

When I go out here and the service is good I tip (5-10 %) because I think they deserve it even though I know that the servers/waitresses probably make 130 SEK/hour (that's around 20 USD/hour) in salary before tips.

Seriously. Waiters make that much?!?? Then I can imagine why you guys don't tip much!!!!

Originally Posted by SailinSand

Seriously. Waiters make that much?!?? Then I can imagine why you guys don't tip much!!!!

What ^^ said.

Waiters/Waitresses/bartenders here in the US can be paid UNDER min wage since the states/government feels that tips is part of their salary. Worse yet, you have to claim a certain percentage of your sales as tips (which you will be taxed on) because they assume you were tipped on your sales...whether you made the tips or not!

Originally Posted by The Swede

- Taking a tennis/golf lesson, should I tip the coach? Any differences if it’s a class or a private lesson?
- Going horseback riding, should I tip the guide, the guy who prepares the horse for me, the second guy that takes my horse after the trip?
- Getting shown around in an art gallery?
- Taking a cab where de driver drives wrong so the trip costs 30 USD instead of the normal 15 USD.
- Going to a fancy restaurant but the service is not that good.
- Same but service was exceptional. (Here I give 25 %, is that too much?)
- Prepaid helicopter trip in the Grand Canyon? Should I give the aviator anything?

Tennis lesson - no.
Horseback riding - tip the guide
Art gallery - not unless it's a private tour, then it's up to you
Cab ride with double charge - hell no!
Fancy restaurant with bad service - probably 10% to 15% pre-tax (I usually just do it on the bill total including tax/drinks - I tip heavy at restaurants)
Exceptional service - 20% pre-tax (same as above, I usually do it on total bill, if sommelier I might tip him extra - I tip heavy at restaurants)
Pre-paid helicopter ride in Grand Canyon - tip your pilot ahead of time J/k.. I would tip him.

If all else fails... Google it. http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

You experienced more excitements than most Americans. Have fun.

Originally Posted by SailinSand

Seriously. Waiters make that much?!?? Then I can imagine why you guys don't tip much!!!!

Yes, my cousin who is 19 works as a server at a steak house and she makes 18 USD/hour after taxes and according to her that's normal in the business (we don't have minimum wages in the same way as you have in the US). Much lower than that the employer can't pay you, because then you will get a job at McDonalds or some other fast food chain that pay around 15 USD after tax in salaries.

Many restaurants have a policy where the tips are split even between the people working that night (kitchen + servers) to reward everybody if the customer is happy, not just the server/waitress.

Originally Posted by Sportsdad

What ^^ said.

Waiters/Waitresses/bartenders here in the US can be paid UNDER min wage since the states/government feels that tips is part of their salary. Worse yet, you have to claim a certain percentage of your sales as tips (which you will be taxed on) because they assume you were tipped on your sales...whether you made the tips or not!

That sounds very strange, are you sure? I thought that tips was considered a gift from the customer. And gifts are not supposed to be taxed, or?

Originally Posted by The Swede

Many restaurants have a policy where the tips are split even between the people working that night (kitchen + servers) to reward everybody if the customer is happy, not just the server/waitress.

Never worked in the industry but many friends and roommates in the past have... as I understand things the tip is split (typically not evenly) amongst a number of people. Waiter, bartender, bar back, server, etc. All depends on the number of people "serving" you at the establishment.

Originally Posted by jw

Tennis lesson - no.
Horseback riding - tip the guide
Art gallery - not unless it's a private tour, then it's up to you
Cab ride with double charge - hell no!
Fancy restaurant with bad service - probably 10% to 15% pre-tax (I usually just do it on the bill total including tax/drinks - I tip heavy at restaurants)
Exceptional service - 20% pre-tax (same as above, I usually do it on total bill, if sommelier I might tip him extra - I tip heavy at restaurants)
Pre-paid helicopter ride in Grand Canyon - tip your pilot ahead of time J/k.. I would tip him.

If all else fails... Google it. http://www.findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

Thanks for your input!

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

You experienced more excitements than most Americans. Have fun.

I'm a person who likes to do things and very easily get bored. I can't just hang out at a beach or gamble several days at a casino (that's why the GC trip when we visit Vegas).

It's also really nice for us Swedes to tourist in the US at the moment. Because the USD has fallen so much against the Swedish Krona in the last years (mainly because of the FED and fiscal policies). An income in Sweden gives you so much for the money in the US. That's why so many European buys property in the US at the moment. You can get a beachside house in the US at 1/3 of the price compared to a beachside house in Sweden (and then the weather is much colder here too).

Originally Posted by The Swede

That sounds very strange, are you sure? I thought that tips was considered a gift from the customer. And gifts are not supposed to be taxed, or?

Yes, very sure. I was a bartender for 5 years.
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.pdf

Originally Posted by The Swede

Thanks for your input!

I'm a person who likes to do things and very easily get bored. I can't just hang out at a beach or gamble several days at a casino (that's why the GC trip when we visit Vegas).

It's also really nice for us Swedes to tourist in the US at the moment. Because the USD has fallen so much against the Swedish Krona in the last years (mainly because of the FED and fiscal policies). An income in Sweden gives you so much for the money in the US. That's why so many European buys property in the US at the moment. You can get a beachside house in the US at 1/3 of the price compared to a beachside house in Sweden (and then the weather is much colder here too).

I've traveled to Europe >13 times, each time finding something intriguing. If you like extreme sports, Interlaken, Switzerland during the summer months is the place for you.

Originally Posted by Dave 330i

I've traveled to Europe >13 times, each time finding something intriguing. If you like extreme sports, Interlaken, Switzerland during the summer months is the place for you.

Cool and thanks! I've been to the Alps multiple times in the winter to ski (usually go once a year to Austria or Switzerland) but only visited a few times in the summer. I've never been to Interlaken actually, but seems like a nice place because I really enjoy extreme sports and adrenaline hunting.

Anybody here that knows Vegas? I'm looking into hotels and I don't have a clue on what's good and not. Al the hotels/casinos seems to have around the same rating at Tripadvisor.

I'm willing to pay around 300-400 USD a night for accommodation for two persons. Where do I get the best Vegas experience for the money? I've looked at Encore and Cosmopolitan, are those good choices?

You're going to get thousands of opinions.
If you like shows, I highly suggest Cirque du Soliel and stay at the Bellagio. Eat at The Olive restaurant, same wait staff as when they opened in late 90's and VERY professional!

http://mobile.bellagio.com/home-li.php

Mandalay Bay is really nice too. Best pool in Vegas.