Tipping is expected when you visit New York! Many low paid workers rely on this to help boost their wages. Expect to tip in restaurants, bars and some of the more upmarket hotels. Taxi drivers, baggage handlers and hairdressers all expect a tip.
The rule of thumb for giving a tip in a restaurant is to tip at least 15% unless you have a poor meal or the service isn’t particularly good, in which case use your discretion and you will get your point across subtly. Most New York residents usually double the 8.25% sales tax or just tip 20%.
Bartenders will expect to be tipped about $1 for every drink they serve you. Tipping isn’t expected in fast food restaurants or similar establishments where you essentially use self-service and be cautious when visiting some restaurants as they don’t always itemize the tax separately on the bill. This is their cunning plan to get you to tip on the tax amount as well.
Expect to tip a taxi driver around 10% and hairdressers 15% as long as you are happy with the service you receive. Baggage handlers and bellhops in hotels expect to receive a $1 tip for the first bag and 50cents for each additional one. Business people should expect to tip the maid roughly $5 per day. Tipping is a way of paying for good service and sometimes you will make your own mind up about whether you have received a good service or not. On some occasions a friendly smile or a quick chat will suffice, especially if you could have done the task yourself.