New York City Tipping Guide

New York is not a cheap city for visitor or residents. Thanks to astronomical rents, even for microscopic apartments, service workers are accustomed to being well-compensated for their work. On the other hand, you don’t want to throw away your money when it’s not customary. Here are some ideas to help you grease the right palms.

Instructions

New York City Tipping Guide

1. Understand that tipping is just part of the cost of doing things. While it may seem exorbitant, restaurant owners factor tips into the salaries they pay their workers. The minimum wage for a worker may be much lower if he works in a capacity that usually comes with a large tip income. Also, it’s really nice to have a person in fine clothing help you bring your bags to your hotel room. A bellhop doesn’t provide this service out of the goodness of his heart. Tipping is partially a financial accommodation for the convenience of having the valet park your car for you.

2. Here is a general rule: Tip someone when she provides you with convenience. If you grab lunch at a fast-food place in Times Square, you don’t have to tip. Why? Because you’re bringing the mechanically produced food to your own table and cleaning up after yourself. At a fine restaurant, however, a server is making sure you have a good time. Start between 15 and 20 percent of the total bill, including wine. Don’t punish a waiter for problems caused by other workers in the restaurant, either. You can calculate 20 percent very easily: Take 10 percent of the bill by moving the decimal point one digit to the left. Then double that. For example: On a $200 bill, $20 is 10 percent. Double that, and $40 is a good basic tip. Yes, you can modify the amount depending on the quality of service.

3. Don’t worry about receiving change. Cabdrivers will often have no change, or say they have none. Have your own small bills and make sure to give a cabbie 15 percent when handing them cash. The same goes for the hansom cabdrivers in Central Park. Boost the amount if they are particularly friendly or helpful to you.

4. At a bar or club, you’ll have to part with at least a dollar per drink. While it may seem like highway robbery to pay $8 for a beer in addition to a tip, remember that the bartender is paying $1,600 a month to live on a fifth-floor walk-up in Astoria with seven roommates.

5. Double-check all of the bills you receive. Often, a hotel or restaurant will automatically add a gratuity to your bill. While you are perfectly free to add an additional amount for the person who brought you your room service, it’s generally acceptable to simply pay the amount of the bill.

Resources

• This site covers tipping philosophy in many different situations.
• This site lists tipping customs in different countries. (And they are very different!)