Tipping is a part of everyday American life, but for visitors from nearly every other country on earth, it can be a difficult – and expensive – minefield to navigate.
A tweet from a US server went viral this week after she criticised a group of European tourists for not leaving an adequate tip after spending US$700 (570.25) on food and drink and spending “hours” at their table.
Twitter user @madison_tayt took to the social media platform to complain about the incident and wrote: “Lmao [sic] I f***ing hate Europeans sometimes, on God. This table just left US$70 (57.02) on a US$700 check after chilling for HOURS.
“My manager even asked about their service and they were OVER THE MOON about my service so he explained the customary tip is 20 per cent and they were like, ‘OK’. And left.”
Her tweet, which has been liked more than 28,600 times and quote-tweeted more than 11,300 times since she posted it on Monday (20 March), has sparked debate over tipping etiquette in the US compared to the rest of the world.
In the US, customers are expected to tip between 15 to 20 per cent of their bill in restaurants. However, many hospitality workers agree that any tip under 20 per cent is considered a poor tip and indicates something was wrong with their service.
This means that on a US$700 bill, the customary 20 per cent tip would mean paying an additional US$140 (114).
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