A new survey has some surprising results, with an unexpected – and some might say unfeeling – European nation trumping the US when it comes to tipping overseas.
The
stereotypical image of a US tourist is usually less than flattering: loud,
intrusive and unaware, not to mention the apparel.
But a new
survey from TripAdvisor, which takes into account responses from 9,000
participants in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and Brazil, reveals
that American tourists might be more gracious than initially viewed. They are,
according to the results, the second-best tippers in the world, with 57% of US
respondents saying they always leave a tip when on the road.
Surprisingly
it was the Germans who came in first place, despite being ranked last month as
the “least
compassionate in the European Union”. Apparently they tip more frequently
than any other of the nine nationalities surveyed, with 69% saying they always leave
a gratuity when travelling overseas.
At 23%, Italians
came in as the stingiest tippers. France, Spain and the UK all clocked in
between 36% and 39%, Brazil had 40% and Russia had 53% .
It is
likely out of habit that Americans are generous with tips when travelling
abroad, since gratuities – as well as high tipping rates – are the norm in the
US. In many states, service industry workers are paid below minimum wage, with
much of their earnings expected to come from this discretionary amount. Customers
generally leave between 15% and 20% at restaurants, beauty salons/spas and bars,
as well as for food delivery, tour guides and taxi drivers.
“Tipping
is a cultural norm in the states and US travellers have a tendency to take
their customs on the road whether they are on American soil or travelling
abroad,” said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor.
Only 16% of
US respondents believe they are well informed about international tipping
etiquette. (Asia in particular has no hard-and-fast
rules, yet it is a region that almost always offers service worth tipping.) US practices show they prefer to err by offering too much, rather
than too little.
In Germany,
as in much of Europe, the service fee is factored into the bill and patrons
tend to leave only about 5% to 10% extra at restaurants. Taxi drivers generally
do not expect tips. So while Germans likely tip fewer people at home – and less
– it is interesting that they tip more frequently than other nationalities when
travelling. Perhaps, after all, Germans are more compassionate than their
European neighbours think.