Why Americans Give So Many Tips: The Immigrant Look
'02.04.2022'
It is well known that US residents are very generous with tips. I remember, as a child, I wondered why the heroes of Hollywood films give coins left and right to doormans and drivers who just do their job, the channel’s author writes. "50 shades of New York" on Yandex.Zen.
When I first came to the USA, I realized that this is part of the local cultural code. Even the most tight-fisted person who has just cut out a coupon for a tiny discount from the newspaper will not spare a couple of dollars to the courier and will not pay at the hairdresser solely according to the price list. It is not accepted here.
Before telling you about the causes of the phenomenon, I will describe its scale. The United States is ahead of other countries in the percentage of tips from the cost of the service. Here, the waiter serving you plans to receive no less than 15% for his efforts, seriously counting on 20-25% of the bill.
Is it obligatory to tea? By law, no, but if you leave too little to the waiter, the manager can run out into the street after you, catch up and start excitingly asking what was wrong and what your garcon was guilty of.
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Public catering is far from the only area where it is customary to thank for the service in hard currency. For example, a taxi driver in New York will be offended to the core if he is paid off the meter without throwing 10-20%.
The courier will write you into finished rednecks if you take a box of pizza and hold it with a wide smile. Like a cloakroom worker, hairdresser, and manicurist.
I recently went for a Thai massage. And at a cost of about 40 bucks, I had to leave a $ 15 tip, which my mother, their regular customer, warned me about in advance.
I generally keep quiet about the hotel staff - porters, doormen and maids expect at least $ 1,5-2 from each guest.
Even at the checkout of the supermarket and in the public toilet there is always a jar with the inscription "Tips" - it is assumed that you will be glad to lighten your pockets by pouring some coins for good service.
And now let's understand the reasons for such generosity. I think it's the ethic that tells everyone to work hard and earn money. According to this doctrine, any work is honorable, and need is the lot of lazy people and a great shame.
Giving tips to unskilled workers, Americans show that they consider their contribution important and necessary, and that they seem to be redeemed from them the right not to do it themselves.
By the same logic, the work of a living person should be well paid. Otherwise, the whole system will collapse and moral landmarks verified by centuries will be lost. The waiter cannot live on 10 bucks an hour if he does his job well?
This is a kind of social agreement: paying for the work of others, you can count on high pay for your work.
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At first, I didn't understand it. But having lived in the States, I can’t help but tip the courier even in Russia - it seems to cast doubt on the legitimacy of my financial claims for the things that I can do. Do you understand?
Every time an American tips, it is as if an American subscribes to the basic ethical values on which his society is built.
Is this approach close to you? What do you think of my theory?
Original column published on channel "50 shades of New York" on Yandex.Zen
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