For all you traveling Local Guides - what do you do when...

[JR_Curley]

you order room service? Do you add extra gratuity on top of that room delivery and service charge?

Why do I ask? I travel quite a bit for work in the U.S., and for better or worse tend to order room service on every trip. On my last trip, I ordered room service and noticed that on top of the $15 for the meal, there was a;

"service delivery charge" of $4.00

+ a "service charge" of 22% 

It's standard in the U.S. to tip 20%, so above that would mean you're receiving a high level of service...

Your thoughts? Do you tip on top of your service charges?

[LuisRG]

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@JrC wrote:

Your thoughts? Do you tip on top of your service charges?

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In my case, it the bill already has a service charge, I believe that everything's included so no, I don't tip 🙂

But I don't have that strong culture of tipping as you guys, so I don't know if I'm being rude or I'm being ripped-off 🙂

[ThomasHayes]

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@JrC wrote:

you order room service? Do you add extra gratuity on top of that room delivery and service charge?

Why do I ask? I travel quite a bit for work in the U.S., and for better or worse tend to order room service on every trip. On my last trip, I ordered room service and noticed that on top of the $15 for the meal, there was a;

"service delivery charge" of $4.00

+ a "service charge" of 22% 

It's standard in the U.S. to tip 20%, so above that would mean you're receiving a high level of service...

Your thoughts? Do you tip on top of your service charges?

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I agree, whenever I travel to locations that tipping is required I wouldn't include the tip. However at the end of my stays I never gather up the change that is sitting around in the room only what's needed and leave that for the staff that have been cleaning it every day. 

[TraciC]

Hey @JR_Curley. I always check the bill and if it includes a service charge, I don't tip on top of that. I do agree that 22% is a bit high given most US folks tip 20% but if I've had terrible service in a restaurant, I like being able to go down to 15% as needed. I think food and beverage workers in hotels get paid better wages than most restaurant workers (in some places), but who am I to judge as I sit on the bed working and eating an overpriced meal? 😉 Anyway, if it does not include the service charge, I do tip.

As to what @ThomasHayes mentioned, for tipping the cleaning staff, I generally do $2 per person/per night I get cleaning service (because sometimes I work in my room or don't want my room cleaned), but that's a whole other discussion, I bet! 🙂 

I know @iyudhi and @Corrie do quite a bit of travel, so they may have some insight, too! 

[Corrie]

@JR_Curley I don't tip on room service as they add so many fees to the bill that I believe its covered. I also super rarely order it. 

[iyudhi]

If there's already a service charge on the bill, I don't tip more, period. There needs to be a line drawn somewhere. But yeah for work related expenses I generally tip whenever needed, since I can reimburse it anyway. I usually don't get room cleaning service during my hotel stay though, so I just tip on the last day (had issues with things getting stolen in the past). Never got room service so can't really say.

As for food in restaurants I usually just double the tax, so probably ranged around 15-20% 

One of these days I'm hoping they'd get rid of the tipping culture. Just raise the price and make it easy to pay for my food. I don't want to do math at the end of my meal 😛

[ThomasHayes]

Generally when ordering from the hotel everything is billed directly to your account and at the correct rate and tipping is not as necessary in that situation. 

When it comes to restaurants, like mentioned earlier 15-20%.

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@IvanY wrote:

As for food in restaurants I usually just double the tax, so probably ranged around 15-20% 

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[ThomasHayes]

That maybe ok at most high range hotel locations except the lower ones have a "review" that they don't pay that much to the staff so I would definitely tip if I was staying at a 1-2 star location. 

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@CorrieD wrote:

@JR_Curley I don't tip on room service as they add so many fees to the bill that I believe its covered. I also super rarely order it. 

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[JR_Curley]

Thanks all! This makes me feel better about not tipping on top of the service charge. Up until this trip I've actually been tipping another 20% on top of everything. Crazy, I know, but I was kinda thinking along the lines of @iyudhi However, thinking back, it still doesn't make sense. I'm like you @TraciC, I almost never have my room cleaned (privacy on!), so rarely tip for that.

[ThomasHayes]

Sounds like a plan and enjoy your trip!

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@JrC wrote:
Thanks all! This makes me feel better about not tipping on top of the service charge.

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