Hello and welcome to the ninth episode of the ShiftEnglish podcast. I hope you are doing well wherever you are in the world. It’s been a short work week here in the USA, so that’s been nice. It’s been a four-day work week instead of the usual five. This Monday in America a lot of people had Veterans Day off from work.
Veterans Day is a holiday in the United States that happens every year on November 11th.
It’s a day to honor people who have served in the U.S. military – the army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard.
There is something similar we have in the UK called Remembrance Day which also happens on the 11th of November. Remembrance Day honors soldiers who died in wars, especially from World War I and World War II.
These two days – Veterans Day and Remembrance Day are similar but not exactly the same. The important difference to remember here is that Veterans Day, the American day, honors all who served, living or dead. While Remembrance Day, the British day, honors those who died in service. Those who are no longer here.
It is this difference in who is being honored which explains why on Veterans Day in America you may find yourself having a barbeque, flipping some hotdogs and having a beer with friends. While on Remembrance day in the UK it is much more somber. There is a two minute silence at 11am to pay homage to the soldiers that have died. There is a two minute silence to pay respect to the soldiers that have died.
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My name is Joseph, and the aim of these podcasts are to help you naturally progress in English and by presenting content that is both interesting and at the right level for intermediate to advanced English learners.
And along the way I can point out a few cultural differences between the UK and the USA, like Veterans Day compared to Remembrance Day. But today’s topic is not related to that. Today I wanted to talk a bit about another difference – the tipping culture.
Tipping culture means the social habit of giving extra money a tip to people who provide a service. Like in a bar or in a cafe. In some countries, it’s optional, but in places like the United States, it’s expected and part of how many workers earn their income.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I do tip. I’m not a monster. But after living in the USA for more than ten years, I still sometimes get that small wave of panic when the little tablet flips around and says:
“Add a tip? 18%? 20%? 25%?”
And I think… wait I am just buying this coffee to go. Why would I add the same tip as if I was sitting down in the cafe.
You see, I grew up in Scotland, where tipping is much more relaxed. You leave a few pounds if the service was great – maybe you round up the taxi fare, maybe you don’t. Nobody’s judging. It’s a thank you, not a moral test.
But here in America, tipping feels like a social ritual. Like you’re being tested on your generosity every time you pay for something. Sometimes I half expect a quiz at the end:
“Did I tip enough to be considered a decent human being?”.
So in this episode, we’ll look at where this culture of tipping comes from, why it’s so intense in the USA. So, when you are ready, get out your spare change, because we are entering into the world of tipping.
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In Scotland and in the United Kingdom I find tipping culture to be simpler. Firstly, you pay what’s written on the bill. The bill being the piece of paper that shows how much money you need to pay after buying something or eating in a restaurant.
In the United Kingdom they will not put the tip on the bill unless it’s an unusual situation. To leave a tip in the UK you just generally leave a big extra. It’s not very exact. If you thought the service was really good you leave more. If you thought the service wasn’t good, you leave less or maybe nothing.
You don’t need to pull out your calculator or do mental math after eating eggs and toast. If I had to put a figure on it, a number on what is normal to tip in the United Kingdom, I would say around 10%. But again, it is not an expectation. If I go into a cafe and buy a coffee I don’t feel bad if I don’t tip. Especially if I am just getting a coffee to go. A coffee to take-away.
But in America, it feels like a math exam at the end of every meal. That’s because tipping culture is more codified in the USA. Codified means something that has become an official rule or accepted system.
And I say tipping, for me, feels codified because tipping is built into the culture, not just a personal choice. And on top of that there is certain, quite exact percentages expected with tipping. The minimum amount I would say for tipping in the USA is 15%. If you go less than 15%, it is like you are being impolite deliberately. It is like you are telling that person, your service sucked. It wasn’t good. Which, hey, if that was the reality, I would say go for it.
But let’s say, for example, you go for a beer in America, in a bar. The bar is quite busy, the man or woman comes over, you order a beer, and they deliver it to you. But you forget to tip a couple dollars. Next beer you go to order, don’t be surprised if the person working behind the bar decides to ignore you. It really does work like that here.
Or let’s say you go on a date in America, the bill comes, and you decide to tip less than 10%. Or less than 15%. Well, let’s just say no one is going to be impressed. Not the server from the restaurant. Neither your date. Tipping is just one small difference that exists between the UK and the USA, but it is an important one to understand. Especially if you plan to have a second date.
So why this difference? Why in America is a minimum tip of 15% expected, but in the United Kingdom it is acceptable to tip less or sometimes not at all?
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There is an obvious reason why bigger tips are expected in the USA than the UK. And one you may have guessed at already. The economic reason. The minimum wage in the USA is way less than the UK. Like, way less.
In fact, in the USA the minimum wage, the minimum amount a worker can be paid per hour depends on the State. The State can decide what the minimum wage is. But, if the State doesn’t come up with a minimum wage high enough, like in Louisiana, then it is set by the Federal government. The government in Washington DC has control over the whole country.
I know that it is a bit strange. America is a bit strange when it comes to paying people. But in general, the federal government has set the minimum wage to be $7.25 per hour for the USA. Which applies to the state of Louisiana where I live currently. But, and stay with me for this one, if you earn tips, then Louisiana says your minimum wage can be as low as $2.13 per hour. Yep, $2.13 per hour. You work all day and get paid $20. Richest country in the world, makes zero sense. This is apparently legal, because after tips they expect you will make the minimum amount of $7.25.
So, you see, minimum wage of $2.13 per hour in Louisiana compared to approximately $16 in the United Kingdom, after converting currency. That’s why tips are extremely important for American service workers. It’s not a bonus. It is how they make enough money to survive!
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So there’s this big reason, the economic reason. But there is another big reason somewhat connected, but not completely. It is a reason that is a little more nuanced. Nuanced means having small or subtle differences in meaning or feeling, not simple or black-and-white. And this nuanced reason comes down to how people see service.
In the USA, serving people is considered a job where friendliness is part of the product. The waiter isn’t just bringing you food – they’re performing a kind of friendliness. They check on you, they smile, they ask if everything’s okay, maybe five times. It’s all part of the experience you’re paying for and the tip is how you show your appreciation for that.
In the UK, service is more… practical. You bring the food, I eat the food, everyone’s happy.
If the waiter smiles, that’s nice – but it’s not required. No one’s pretending to be your new best friend.
And because of that, the relationship between customer and worker feels different.
In the USA, tipping keeps things polite – it’s how both sides stay friendly. In the UK, politeness is already expected, built into the culture. You don’t need to buy it.
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In America, tipping started as a kind of generosity but became part of survival. It’s a way of saying “thank you,” but also a way of keeping the system running. In the UK, it’s still closer to what it used to be a – small, genuine gesture of appreciation.
I feel like as I am talking about this topic, talking about tipping culture, I am giving off the impression that I think the British system is better than the American system of tipping. But it’s not exactly that. I don’t think either system is completely right or wrong. In the USA, tipping can feel forced, but it also encourages kindness. In the UK, it feels more fair, or less pressured but maybe also a little colder.
And of course, I have only been talking about the tipping culture in the UK and in the USA, because it’s the two systems I know the best. I have read that in other countries tipping can actually be seen as rude.
I read that in some places like Japan or South Korea, for example, tipping isn’t really something you do. The idea is that good service should be part of the job – not something you have to pay extra for. If you try to leave a tip in Japan, the waiter might even chase you down to give it back. For them, doing the job well is already a sign of pride.
Which I like the idea of, but I am not sure if that is the true reality or not. The internet says a lot of things, not all true… If anyone has real life experience from a country where tipping is considered rude please let me know in the comments or sending me an email at ShiftEnglish.com.
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So there you have it, a bit of the background on tipping culture in the UK and the USA.
The general rule to remember if you are visiting the UK is that it is ok to tip a “couple of quid” as we say in the UK. Which means a couple of sterling pounds. If you want to be more precise and feel like the service was good, 10% of whatever the bill was is a good amount to tip in the UK. But if you decide not to tip, that is socially acceptable also.
In the USA, expect to tip at least 15% even if you are just taking it to go. And around 18 or 20% is still a very normal tipping amount in the USA. If you decide to tip less than 15%, you have the right to do so, but just be aware that will be seen as rude.
Thank you for listening today, and for sharing part of your learning journey with me. I would be happy to learn how tipping is done in your country. Or if you have any funny stories to share about tipping in other countries.
It was little bit of a shorter episode today. I wanted to try out a different length of episode, and see if people prefer that. Let me know what your thoughts are about the episode length, or anything else about the episode on the comments section or over at ShiftEnglish.com. And there you will find the transcript and a list of trickier vocabulary.
Next week I will be doing an episode about why we judge people so fast. I hope you will be able to join me for that one. And until then, have a lovely week.