Most Germans don’t understand tipping in America, just as most Americans don’t understand tipping in Germany.
In America, your waiter is dependent on tips to survive, because their minimum wage is just over $2/hour, and the US dollar doesn’t go too far anymore. That’s why we have the standard guideline of 15% which we adjust up or down based on whether the waiter squatted down to eye level with us, wore enough pieces of flare, drew a smiley face on the check, or let our food get cold by taking a smoke break out back. Germans often don’t know that they are supposed to add 3% whenever the waiter makes physical contact with them.
Americans try to tip nonchalantly by saying either “keep the change”, or leaving money on the table for them to pick up later. Most of the time we pay with a credit card while dining out, which baffles Germans that they run our transaction through the credit system and give us a receipt, and then we change the amount of transaction while signing. What happens here is that the restaurant will adjust the transaction amount by the tip amount at the end of the day. This is generally done under the supervision of the manager, so that waiters don’t steal from you. If you do pay by credit card, it is a good idea to check a few days later that the amount charged matches up, which it does 99% of the time.
If you are a typical German, you will drink 5 Budweisers and explain to everyone around you that it is not real Budweiser and that it tastes like water. After that, you may not be able to add numbers anymore so if you pay by credit card, the amount you actually tip is number you write down as the tip not the sum you wrote down. If you add it up wrong, your lack of math skills will be ignored.
If you really like the waiter, the best is to tip them with cash, because then they aren’t forced to pay taxes, if they don’t want to.
In Germany the waitresses aren’t so dependent on the tips, because they make a higher wage. But that doesn’t mean people don’t tip in Germany; they just don’t tip as much. It seems to be a rumor that you don’t have to tip in Europe at all, so many tourists insist on showing they are savy by never tipping, but the majority of Germans give a small tip, usually by rounding up the check to the next whole Euro or adding a few more to it for parties larger than 1 (Splitting the check is the norm in Germany, which makes it convenient to dine with friends). While paying your waitress just tell her how much the bill should be with the tip included, and she’ll give you the rest as change, and you don’t have to worry about leaving it on the table.
Bottom line on tipping in Germany, if the service was terrible, don’t tip anything. If the service was good, show some appreciation, you just don’t need to throw down 20%, because you’ll make an awkward situation where the waitress thinks you don’t know what you’re doing.
deutsche Übersetzung für Astrid ein/ausblenden
Heidiho Astrid,
hier die Übersetzung:
Blitztipp-Trinkgeld
Die meisten Deutschen verstehen das Trinkgeldsystem in Amerika nicht, genauso, wie die meisten Amerikaner es in Deutschland nicht verstehen.
In Amerika ist Ihr Kellner auf Ihr Trinkgeld angewiesen, um zu überleben, weil der Mindestlohn nur knapp über $2/Stunde liegt und der USDollar gerade niemanden sehr weit bringt. Deshalb gibt es bei uns den Standardsatz von 15%, den wir ein Bisschen erhöhen oder verringern, je nachdem, ob der Kellner sich mit uns auf Augenhöhe begeben hat, genügend leuchtende Kleidung getragen hat, ein lachendes Gesicht auf unsere Rechnung gemalt hat oder unser Essen hat kalt werden lassen, weil er eine Rauchpause gemacht hat. Deutsche wissen oftmals nicht, dass von ihnen mindestens ein Trinkgeld von 3 % erwartet wird, sobald der Kellner Körperkontakt herstellt.
Amerikaner versuchen, möglichst lässig das Trinkgeld zu geben, indem sie entweder “Sie können das Wechselgeld behalten” sagen oder einfach Geld auf dem Tisch liegen lassen, das später vom Kellner abgeholt wird. In den meisten Fällen bezahlen wir per Kreditkarte, wenn wir essen gehen, was die Deutschen immer erstaunt, weil unsere Kreditkarte ins System eingelesen wird, wir eine Rechnung erhalten und wir dann beim Unterschreiben den Betrag ändern. Was hier passiert, ist, dass das Restaurant den Abbuchungsbetrag ändert, wenn sie abends die Tagesabrechnung machen. Dies geschieht meistens unter Aufsicht des Managers, damit der Kellner Sie nicht bestiehlt. Wenn Sie mit der Kreditkarte bezahlen, sollten Sie ein paar Tage später überprüfen, ob der Abbuchungsbetrag mit dem Rechnungsbetrag übereinstimmt, was in 99 % der Fälle zutrifft.
Wenn Sie ein typischer Deutscher sind, trinken Sie 5 Budweiser und erklären jedem um Sie herum, dass es kein echtes Budweiser ist und wie Wasser schmeckt. Hinterher können Sie eventuell keine Zahlen mehr zusammenrechnen, falls Sie also mit Kreditkarte bezahlen wollen, denken Sie daran, dass die entscheidende Zahl, die Sie aufschreiben die des Trinkgeldes ist, nicht die Summe. Wenn Sie es falsch zusammenrechnen, werden Ihre fehlenden Mathekenntnisse ignoriert.
Wenn Sie den Kellner wirklich mögen, ist der beste Weg, ihm das Trinkgeld in bar zu geben, denn dann muss er keine Steuern zahlen, wenn er das nicht möchte.
In Deutschland sind die Kellnerinnen nicht so abhängig von den Trinkgeldern, weil sie etwas mehr verdienen. Aber das bedeutet nicht, dass die Deutschen kein Trinkgeld geben; Sie geben nur nicht so viel. Es scheint ein Gerücht zu geben, dass man in Europa überhaupt kein Trinkgeld geben muss, so wollen viele Touristen zeigen, dass sie schlau sind, indem sie gar nichts geben, aber die meisten Deutschen geben ein kleines Trinkgeld, normalerweise indem sie den Betrag zum nächsten vollen Euro aufrunden oder ein paar mehr Euro dazurechnen, wenn sie mit mehr als einer Person da sind (Die Rechnung zu teilen ist normal in Deutschland, was es bequem macht, mit Freunden essen zu gehen). Während Sie die Rechnung bezahlen, sagen Sie der Kellnerin einfach, wie viel Sie inklusive des Trinkgeldes abziehen soll und dann gibt sie Ihnen das passende Wechselgeld, so müssen Sie sich keine Sorgen darüber machen, es auf dem Tisch liegen zu lassen.
Das Entscheidende beim Trinkgeldgeben in Deutschland ist, dass Sie gar nichts geben, wenn der Service schlecht war. Wenn der Service gut war, zeigen Sie ein wenig Wertschätzung, Sie sollten nur keine 20% geben, weil das eine merkwürdige Situation erzeugen würde, weil die Kellnerin denkt, Sie wüssten nicht was Sie tun.
Zum Wohle!
John
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May 16th, 2008 at 2:30 am
Well, in Germany there are a lot of people who tip an average 10%.
Or round up as you said.
Not tipping at all is seen as very cheap in most bars/pubs/clubs etc.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:41 am
Well, I don’t tip if the waiter has been unfriendly, brought me the wrong order twice or just ignored me for a long time, while I waved my arms, pretending to be a windmill. Why should I give them something extra for horrible service? That way, they’ll just repeat what they’ve been doing since they can get away with it.
I must admit, I have not understood this credit-card-slip-write-on-bill thing. If I have to pay $10, do I write down $11,5 or just $1,5? I am a little confused.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Starstuff, first of all, you will confuse us if you mix up commas and periods.
There are almost always two fields, the first field right below the total is where you write in your tip $1.50. Directly below that is the new total field, $11.50.
That way it gives the waiter and his manager a way to make sure they know they are reading what you wrote correctly, and it gives them an extra way to double check that the tips have been entered into the computer correctly.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Oh, thanks John! Now I got it.
).
And you are of course right, sorry for mixing up commas and periods (had the same problem vice versa when I returned from the States, that drove my German math teacher up the wall
Cheers!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:33 am
At first I enjoy reading your blog. Very interesting how an american sees our culture.
My add to the topic tips: I’m working at a pizza delivery service and I’m dependent on tips.
And it’s true tips are not usual in Germany. You only can get tips when you behave “scheißfreundlich”(like you behave in front of your boss to get a better position without great effort) in front of the customer, and even that isn’t a guarantee for a tip.
A little anectode: my delivery service offers also credit card payment, and every time, I had such an customer he gave an extra tip cash, no one used the “Tips” field on the credit card receipt.
I apologize for my bad english writing skills.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Tips are pretty important for waitresses/waiters in Germany, too. Maybe not as much as in the States, but still. Tips usually make up for a meager salary. So just go on tipping like you’re used to; that way, you’re also sure to leave a great impression, as every waiter will almost always report the “one good thing” about Americans: they’re fine people since they always, always leave a nice amount of tips.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
In the last few years I heard from 2 or 3 waiters of different restaurants/pubs in Germany, that their boss “encourages” them not to keep the tippings they get for themselves, but to give it into the restaurant’s till. No kidding, unfortunately.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
More on American tipping:
When drinking in most American bars, you always leave $1/drink. So, if you order “a round” of 5 drinks, then you should leave $1 for each served as tip ($5.00). Unless, of course, the bartender is a complete [meanie], in which case you leave the smallest amount of tip possilbe, say 25 or 50 cents ($0.25, or $0.50). Why not simply leave nothing? Because there is a chance that if you completely “stiff” the bartender, they will notice and [mess] with your next drink(s) unbeknownst to you. The exception to this of course, is if you are leaving the bar immediately after your round, in which case, “[forget] it.”
Another acceptable technique is to pay for your first drink with a large bill, say, a $20. The bartender will most likely leave a pile of money in front of you rather than handing you your change. (It should be said that this technique is understood to be in effect when you are sitting at the bar.) As a courtesy to the bartender you should immediately divide the pile. On the right side should be your “bank” or the amount of money that you will use to buy drinks, while the left side pile is the bartender’s collective tip. You should only take from the bank pile to buy drinks (you may have to add more money) and never take from the tip pile. This system, although somewhat subtle, allows for 2 things:
1) however, it allows you some amount leverage as to not adhere to the $1/drink tip rule if you are short on cash since the pile is somewhat hard to count visually.
2) It helps you form a relationship with the bartender that says that you are taking care of them with your tip pile, as long as you keep adding to it. (which leads me to my next point…)
In NYC these rules apply, but it is advisable to never order rounds of more than say, 2 or 3 drinks because it’s too [friggin] complicated and expensive.
Also, in NYC, there is “The Buyback.” Basically, with “The Buyback” means that for every 3 drinks you buy from the same bartender, they will buy you your 4th drink. However, since tipping rules still apply, you should tip the bartender $1 for The Buyback. It is important to form a relationship by buying drinks from the same bartender, so that they understand that The Buyback system is in effect. But, you should never vocally address this, or ask “for your buyback.” Also, it is important to note that The Buyback system works better if you are buying drinks for yourself only. Bartenders are less inclined to honor The Buyback if you are buying rounds, because they would be “giving away” too much at once.
Other interesting tipping notes:
If you want to insult your waitperson and make a clear message that their service was unacceptable, leave a various amount of pennies (0.01), but don’t put leave them at the bottom of a glass, as seen in movies. That’s just too rude.
Some waitpeople consider leaving any amount of change for either the bill and/or tip as rude. To them, the “round up” rule is always in effect for the sum total of the bill (ie. bill+tip).
Leaving any amount of tip on a wet surface can be interpreted as dissatisfaction with the service. So make sure your tip area is dry. Apply napkins and make a “dry island” if the whole tabletop (or bar) is wet.
Editor’s Note: Wow, the FCC has us on the watch list now.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Christ, it was long… I’m sorry, I got excited.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Btw, tips are tax-free in germany
May 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Bill splitting is really one of the joys in Germany/Austria. Even with a dozen people at the table, some leaving early/coming late, its possible (and common) to split bills for everybody, no problem at all, the waiter will just mark items on the bill that are already paid for.
In the US, on the other hand, waiters always react like this is something incredibly complicated and onerous. It probably has something to do with not including the tax in menu prices, which is really, really STUPID.
It’s probably one of the modern world wonders of stupidity.
I really, deeply, absolutely don’t care how high the tax in the state, county, town is or how many dollars go to the IRS, I just want to know how much I have to pay in the end.