The Mezzanine

I just made a post abou this exact subject on little_details. :-)

Between 5-10% is a standard sort of tip in Britain in a posh restaurant; you probably wouldn't tip in a cheaper place or if it said "Service Included" in big letters on the menu. Taxis, you'd normally round up to the nearest round number and say "Keep the change".

The thing that got to me when visiting America most, though, wasn't the tips in restaurants - I was expecting those - but all the other service staff in places alike hotels and ships and airports. There's always the thought "Are they being helpful, or are they doing this because they expect me to tip them?"

Anecdote time: I was having breakfast in a hotel in Washington DC once years ago, and a waitress came around and refilled everyone's coffee cups, so I naturally looked up at her and said "Thank you" after she'd done mine. And she gave me the most delighted and surprised smile and said "You're welcome"... and I got the distinct impression she wasn't used to getting even such a basic kind of recognition and politeness from her customers. Money has taken its place. Unless it was just my English accent she was reacting to...