Tipping Etiquette: Part 1

Photo via My CNY Mommy

Tipping is taken quite seriously here in the US. Even though it is not a legal requirement, it can be a highly contested subject. When I first arrived in North America in 1974, I faced my first tipping experience, and so started my education on the mechanics of tipping etiquette - American style. So I can comfortably say that I am a believer in tipping. My intention on writing this post was not create a problem with my friends in New York (my humor doesn’t need any help to get me into trouble) but I wanted to convey how I came to deal with a diverse sort of cultural confusion during my stay and subsequent visits.

My wife, Vyna

Here’s why I don’t have the British/European outrage when it comes to the US tipping controversy. It’s true to say curiosity got the better of me and after a few visits to the States I was starting to see things in a different light. I was exposed to the world of American service even with its hurried charm. I even started to tip while I was living in the UK, and loved the look of amazement and gratitude on their faces which in turn gave me a ‘feel good’ factor. Both parties should benefit from the leaving of a tip.

French waiter

Americans I know think it is the most natural thing in the world to pay for a service, at the point where you receive it, person to person. The reasoning behind it is - the one doing the service is constantly on their toes. Your food will be hotter, fresher, steak more comprehensively cooked when someone knows their income depends on it (although I'm not entirely convinced by that). And the other widely recognized view is that most people working in the service industries in America are underpaid by their employer on the assumption that you will be taking up the slack when it comes to tip time. If that is  true, then I feel uncomfortable with this view because it brings social awkwardness. I believe each one should be paid their worth and not have customers pressured into tipping unwillingly. Over the years, I have seen the charm of leaving an unsolicited tip dying. Maybe its already dead? Stay tuned for more on tipping in my next post.