When exactly do you have to tip? Etiquette expert WILLIAM HANSON reveals the dos and don’ts (and also has tips for hotel porters)

Tipping is a gesture of gratitude for a service rendered. Tipping can vary greatly from country to country and even between different cultures within a country. Some people obviously have very strong feelings about this issue.

Generally, you find that those who don’t want to leave anything behind are those who have never worked in the hospitality industry or spent five minutes loading an industrial dishwasher.

While some countries get a little carried away with percentages, there are some rules and regulations that must be followed.

An important fact to remember about tipping is that when tipped in a Western country, the amount should be based on a percentage of the actual service charge and not additional taxes (eg city tax).

Here is my guide to today’s tips.

HOW MUCH TIP

There is no golden rule for this as it varies from country to country. Exposing local culture – as always with good manners – is the order of the day.

In the UK, the standard is 10 per cent – ​​although this rose to 12.5 per cent with the advent of credit card machines to cover the fees charged by card companies. But if you pay in cash, 10 percent is still acceptable.

Keep in mind that the fee is often already added to the bill (called a service charge), so you don’t need to add anything else.

However, in the United States of America (where it would be much cheaper for consumers if employers paid their employees a fair wage to begin with), the tip percentage is much higher. Twenty percent is the norm, although you can sometimes get away with 15 percent.

The check comes with a pen that you can use to make some suppression totals, which can often be a challenge for numerous people. Nothing ruins a fun night like math.

Now, Australian tipping is much more like British culture, but of course so much more relaxed and light hearted. There is no formal tipping culture (and hardly any) and guests Down Under tip when they are satisfied with the service. Again, 10 percent is the norm.

WITHDRAWAL TIP

William says if you refuse tips at a restaurant, be prepared to speak to a manager to explain why you’re choosing to withhold the service charge

While you may resist paying more for your meal or coffee order, you can only choose not to tip if there is a valid reason for a problem with what you were served or experienced.

Good manners mean that you should be prepared to speak to a driver to explain why you choose to withhold the service charge. Be factual and remove as much emotion as possible.

Leaving only the remains of your change is the height of rudeness. It’s better to not tip at all than to use your (hopefully) hard-working waiter to download your decimal splitter.

CHANGE THE TIP

If you want to leave the additional tip in cash instead of passing it along with the credit card payment, you have every right to tell your server that you want to leave your tip accordingly.

Currently, some naughty restaurants do not pass the service charge to their employees. However, when the British Employment Tipping Act becomes royal and legal, that will change – and not a moment too soon.

In the UK, until the above comes into effect, it is advisable to ask waiters to receive the tips. If they hang up, probably panicking that they can’t be honest with you, by all means ask to leave cash instead so you can make sure those serving your lunch see the tip and not some soul in ‘ a back office does not.

HOTELS

From porters to valets, tipping is universally appreciated at hotels across the Western world, says William

If you charge a fee for a service that would otherwise be free, such as someone hailing a taxi for you at a hotel or an airport porter helping you with your luggage, you may still want to in cash fee. In fact, it’s fun to do.

Tipping is universally appreciated in hotels across the Western world, from porters to valets. In many countries £1-2 ($1-2 / €1-2) per bag is common.

A word to hotel porters and bellhops around the world. Fewer and fewer people carry cash these days, and even if they do, it’s not until after they’ve landed on a long-haul flight to think about what, if any, currency they have on hand. If your guest doesn’t offer you bills or coins as a thank you for your help, don’t take obvious offense. It’s not personal, it’s indirect.

(On a recent trip to Washington DC I told the concierge I had nothing on hand but would get him later during my stay. I met him in the lobby and gave him an Abraham Lincoln for his trouble and delays . A smile soon appeared.)

HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING

If you can, leave a household task at the end of your stay.

Although not as common as before, it is more of a custom in the so-called “Land of the Free.” Ten pounds ($10/€10) a night says the rules, but anything (provided it’s not too low to be offensive) is better than nothing.

Stick to a round number or something that ends in a five, use one of the envelopes in the desk drawer and include a thank you note.

These envelopes can generally make the process more tactful and strategic for both the service staff and the tipper.