question for Americans!

[deird1]

Dear helpful flisty people,


A friend of mine will shortly be going to your fine country, and, being an Aussie, has no idea about tipping.

So...
- Who are you supposed to tip?
- When?
- How much are you supposed to tip them?

Any info you could provide would be very useful.


With love, from a confused Aussie

Comments

[klme.livejournal.com]

On my one visit to the US I found all this incredibly confusing - the sheer volume of Maths involved in every purchase was very stressful! I remember going out for lunch with my limited supply of American currency, and looking at the price list thinking "I can afford a sandwich, chips and a coke...but then I'm supposed to add tax of some description which isn't listed on the price list, and a tip of some amount...I have no idea if can actually afford them at all, and I can't know until I take them up to the counter!"
There should be (and there probably is) an iphone app for tourists which works out all the Maths for you on the spot.
Then of course there was the whole issue of shops wanting exact money - $1.89, for example. In Australia I'd hand over a $2 coin and expect a 10c piece back. Once you understand the whole "cash means rounding to the nearest 5c" it's simple. Two coin exchange. I got so very confused by the different notes that all look the same, and the quarters, and the lack of 50c coins. I can't even tell you for this example how I could make up $1.89 in American money. All I know is that I kept finding myself handing over big notes just to make sure I covered tip and tax, and to get around trying to add up weird coins, only to receive a whole pile of little coins back every time. I had A LOT of pennies at the end of the trip.
I think I'd want some on the spot "help I'm an Australian in America" app on my phone to help with all that, as well as just the tipping thing.