▲ A tip jar which customers can put a gratuity into



 

Where do people want to go first when they travel to other countries? Maybe most of them anticipate going to an awesome restaurant that serves exotic and delicious food or to a hotel room for rest after their long flight. However, if they did not search enough about the tip culture of the region they visited, their experience may not be as pleasant as they expected. Every country has a different tipping practice; even in the same country, the average percentage of tips is not the same for every region. Moreover, in certain countries, expectations around tipping can be a big problem, especially in service industries like restaurants and hotels. To understand the differences, it is important to know how 'tipping' varies between cultures.

The origin of tipping is not certain, but most scholars believe that it originated in England during the Middle Ages. When English aristocrats visited each other's homes, they paid a small amount of money, called vail, to thank the servants of the host who served them.

However, the servants expected an increasing amount of vails and didn't properly take care of guests when they didn't get a certain sum of money. Vail persisted, spread through Europe, and became a kind of etiquette in the service industries. Even in cafes and pubs without servers, owners placed plates that read "To Insure Promptitude" so that customers could pay money - what we now call tips. It even spread to the United States after the Civil War by wealthy Americans who experienced European culture, and it has become a major part of their culture.

There are two common reasons why tipping in the U.S.A. is so important. The first reason is because of the owner's preference. Due to the tips from customers, the owners do not need to pay more for their wait staff. They offload the responsibility for labor costs onto their patrons. They also prefer tips because the employees must work hard and be friendly to their customers to get more tips. The second reason is the low minimum wage in the United States. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but except for seven states - Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington - there is a gap in minimum wages between tipped workers and non-tipped workers. The minimum wage for tipped workers is only $2.13 an hour, which means such employees get most of their income based on the arbitrary whim of customers. This is why most Americans are willing to pay 20 percent tips in restaurants and give about 10 to 15 percent of tips for deliverers, hairdressers, taxi drivers, and many other service staffs.

 

On the other hand, in most European countries, the tipping practice has gradually been disappearing because of the awareness that it is a form of economic slavery. Some people actually say that the tipping culture is now gone in Europe, but people usually pay 5 to 10 percent tips in restaurants and one or two euros for bellboys and bag carriers in hotels in countries like Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Some restaurants charge service fees on the receipt in lieu of a tip. In Northern European countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Norway, people don't have to pay tips in any place.

On the contrary, tipping is not customary in most Asian cultures. Therefore, in many cases, Asian people who travel to western countries struggle with tipping, sometimes causing a problem if they didn't pay a proper amount of tips. However, it is not true for all of them and various Asian countries have different ideas about tipping. In Korea, people rarely give tips to servers and they also do not care about it. So if someone decides to tip in Korea, the amount is entirely up to them. In Japan and China, similarly, gratuity is generally uncommon and can even be considered rude because it is often seen as a handout. It is especially illegal in airports and some establishments in China. When people in Japan and China want to express graciousness to the workers, they usually bring a small gift like a chocolate bar or a cup of coffee. The gifts are given with two hands, and it would be better not to open them in front of the giver. However, in Hong Kong and Singapore, where many international people live and which were once British colonies, tipping is very acceptable. In Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, tipping is not required, but some people in tourism industries tend to expect a small amount of tips from travelers.

In conclusion, tipping practice has a long history and is a big part of western culture, especially in the U.S.. However, the way people think about tipping is dependent on their culture. There are many different countries in the world, and their cultures, services, and values are not the same. The way that people express respect for workers also varies; it can be tips, a small gift, or a sincere appreciation.

For those students who plan to go abroad as exchange students or for travel, it will be helpful to search about the tipping practice of the countries where they want to go. It may be just a manner or a very important social rule.

 

Reporter,

Suyoung Kong ksy6648@seoultech.ac.kr