When considering a trip to a country you don't know, it is good to know what the customs are in relation to tip.
And this is something we had to learn during our road trip travel coast to coast through the United States and Canada, and apply every time we received a service, such as in bars and restaurants, hotels and taxis.
The way to understand the life in the United States It is based on the fact that you have to earn money with your work, but not only that, but with a job well done.
Therefore, in restaurants where there is a waiter service the tip is mandatory.
The salaries paid in general are not high, and it is assumed that for this reason we can benefit from lower prices, so if you also receive good service, you must “pay it".
In my opinion, and unlike what happens in Spain or other European countries, tip It should not be debatable in the United States.
According to the experience of our trip, the service makes an effort to treat you well, to take care of you, to replace your soft drinks if the glass appears empty, to facilitate your choice of the menu, etc...
In bars and restaurants, unless the waiter's service is really disastrous or rude, or the food is horrible, You MUST leave a tip.
My advice is to leave 1 percent if the service is good, 15 percent if you are satisfied, and up to 2 percent if you are very, very satisfied.
we used to leave about 15 percent of the total bill.
Something similar happens in taxis.
Based on this rule, so that nothing is free, also when you listen to a street concert for a while, or enjoy any other similar activity, it is natural to leave a reasonable tip, depending on how long you have been enjoying that offer.
Let's say between 1 and 10 dollars would be reasonable.
In other words, if you don't like the show, don't stop to see it, and if you like it, enjoy it...but give something.
Finally, as a curiosity, in many restaurants in the United States You will find that ladies over 60 years old are busy full or part-time as waitresses.
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In Peru we do not have the culture of leaving tips, but foreigners, especially Americans, always leave tips.