Loading ...Every traveller knows that when you arrive in a new country, there will be many social rules you won’t be aware of. One must be prepared to make a fool of themselves.
A few missteps entering a home can cause a host discomfort. Garbling words in a foreign tongue can sometimes have a double entendre that you didn’t intend and that the recipient didn’t appreciate. Then there’s hotels, bars, restaurants… how much should we tip?
In Germany, the server will often come over with a big black wallet and divvy up the bill individually if you ‘re in a group.
In Japan, common practice is to just divide the bill by however many people are at the table. The server here will bring you back exact change and if you leave a tip, you may find him running out of the restaurant to return the money to you.
In North America, many people who are used to seeing the tax included in the price on the menu, are shocked when they get their bill with the tax added afterwards.
Britons can also find themselves in an uneasy position at a pub where the server expects a tip. It can seem unnatural wen it’s not normally done.
The best advice is to research your destination before you go, and try to be respectful of the culture that you are visiting.
Don’t let it become an obsession though, anecdotes abound through cultural misunderstandings, and most people that know you are a foreign visitor are more often forgiving than not.
Evan
There used to be a sign in front of this restaurant in Calgary, in Canada that said, “Europeans will be charged a flat tax of 15%” Eventually someone noticed that this was very unCanadian discrimination but everyone in the hospitality industry was united in declaiming the Europeans. Apparently we never tip and they hate us for it.
Lui
I’ve met Americans abroad who insist on tipping in countries where people are not used to getting tips. Throws everything right off and despite the chaos it causes, they cant’ seem to stop themselves.