You can relax.
Because it happens to native speakers too.
Yesterday, I told you how I didn’t understand an American waitress.
I thought she asked, “Do you want to pay for your coffee?”
Which would be a strange question for a waitress to ask, right?
But it turns out she didn’t say that at all.
She said…
TIPPING IN THE U.S.
Thank you for your guesses!
Many of you thought the waitress was asking for a tip.
That’s a good guess.
Except that would be considered rude in the U.S.
Instead, if you pay by card, you have the option to leave a tip when you tap your card.
And if you pay cash, you just leave it on the table.
The waiter or waitress never asks for the tip.
If they do, you should give them a dirty look and give a small tip.
AND THE ANSWER IS…
“Would you like a paper copy?”
That’s what the waitress asked me.
I had just tapped my card and selected the amount I wanted to tip. She wanted to know if she should print out the receipt for me.
It sounds like “Do you want to pay for your coffee,” right?
NEXT QUESTION
How much should you tip in the U.S.?
How much do you tip in your country?
Have you been to the U.S.? What did you think about our tipping culture?
Answer in the comments.
And tomorrow, let’s talk about tipping and tipping vocabulary!
Cheers,
Mr. Vig
P.S.
The Atomic Word of the Day is “tap.”
What does it mean?
What else can you tap?
And what else can you do with your card if tapping it doesn’t work?
Atomic Homework members can go here to listen to today’s lesson.
Not yet a member?
in israel the tipe is from 8 to 112/100
I visit the US once or twice a year because my daughter and her family live there. In the US people usually tip around 20%, while in Lithuania, 10% is common. Of course, you can always leave more if you really enjoyed the food and service!
I was in a cafe in New York, near East River. The waitress was very unpleasant. She did not allow me to sit at the table I wanted to sit. I had to sit at the very small table, because I was alone. But I was the only guest in this cafe. When I had to pay the bill, she asked me about the tip. I said “no”. I really felt bad and I still have not forgot that occasion.
I wouldn’t have tipped either! It should be extra and only for good service!
yes, and I discovered that, I think positive about it, it’s the way to give a present for the attention and say thank you to the workers, it’s a good way to share and of course it works well when all people do it, when they take and when they give, because the only way that don’t work it’s when one people, or one class, live taking without giving. if I remember well it’s 10% in some place or city, but any persons do it as they want. in my country no, there isn’t
I think the tip in the U.S. is about 20%. In Bulgaria, the tips are between 5% and 10%. I don’t like it when the tip is included in the bill, but some countries have this tipping culture; for instance, it is popular in city restaurants in the UK. Fortunately, the tips there aren’t as high as in the U.S.
Well in Estonia, it could sometimes happens that a customer is so delighted with their experience that they want to share it with others. That is how one customer planned to pay in advance for all the pastries on the counter, hoping to make the next customers’ Monday a little less blue. 🙂
There are no strict rules about tipping in my country. Up to ten percent is considered acceptable. But whatever the amount of the tip is I haven’t seen yet a waiter refusing it. I believe that tip should only be left if the customer is truly satisfied. Service is generally included in the price.
In Croatia, people just round up the bill in cafes. If the service is bad, no one leaves a tip. Usually, people leave a 10% tip for good restaurant service. Younger people tend to tip more than older generations these days.
In Australia they said
Do you want a receipt ?