How to handle tipping when you have traveled so much in lots of different countries could be questionable. My husband, with respect to me being a server before, will ALWAYS gives a minimum 10% TIPs (To Improve Professional Service).
There is however always an unwritten rule in each country. Of course topping the list is the U.S. in which to this day I have no idea how much food industry consumers MUST now tip. It is in the U.S. a must for the wages of the employees are so low that they rely on their tips, in short, to support their salary. For us, it was so imposed on one to pay that much tip. The truth is, nowadays, it looks like there is now a minimum of 15% if not even higher.
With that unwritten rule in mind, we always feel ourselves guilty when we do not leave a minimum of 10% tip. I fully remember when I was working at the restaurant of the Cologne-Amsterdam train stretch that if I received a lot of tip, it was definitely from a foreigner. Lucky me as Europeans do not have this kind of imposing rule. They are not stingy, it is just not their rule.
A few weeks ago, I started asking Slovaks how they tip. In a restaurant, they do not give the full 10% of the total bill. Perhaps they would give an extra one or two Euros on top. Taxis, they would round off the amount. I am not sure if they would give 6Euros if the bill is 5.40Euros. And for coffee, if they order one coffee, they do not give a tip at all. I guess that goes the same with one beer. Question is, one employee at the Shell gas station cleaned my windshields all around, am I supposed to give him a tip?
As a rule of the thumb, I was told to round off the whole amount and do not be guilty!
Happy tipping!
