On my recent trip to New York I picked up some handy tips on tipping -

Tipping in America is simply the done thing.It shouldn’t matter what the customs are in your home country, when on American soil your should respect the tipping culture. The following is a top 5 guide to tipping for anyone visiting the beautiful country on American holidays.

1.    Have some dollars ready. When you exchange your currency for US dollars, be sure to ask for a good amount of dollar notes that you can stick about ten of in your wallet at all times to cover yourself.This means you won’t have to ask for change and you can tip whatever value you want easily. Although requesting change is quite commonplace also so don’t be shy about asking if you need to.

2.    Bars. If you are buying your drinks from the bar area then look to give a tip per beverage. This ratio should come down little if you are buying a large number of drinks in one go. If you are seated and your drinks are served to you by a member of staff at your table then look to add on to the total at the end of the night.

3.    Restaurants. This kind of depends which what type of restaurant you are eating at. Cheaper take-away style places only really should be tipped maybe 15% whilst more up market eateries should be tipped at a rate of around 20-25% of the bill.You should increase the tip amount for staff who put in the extra effort you or are particularly helpful.

4.    Bags.A tip of a dollar per bag is the standard for porters who bring your luggage up to your room. You should really stick to this figure unless you want to give more as a result of exceptional service. Bag carriers at airports should be tipped between to per bag.

5.    Poor service. If you are not happy with the standard of service then don’t feel you have to tip. But make sure you express your reasons. Constructive feedback is generally appreciate in the USA and the people you give it to are rarely offended.