Canada is a country with a highly developed service industry. For many service workers, they often earn only the legal minimum wage. In such cases, tips are very important to them and can even be the primary source of income for those working in the Canadian service sector. Compared to China, we are not accustomed to tipping, so whenever we finish a meal or a haircut and prepare to pay, we start to worry and feel unsure of what to do. If you tip too little, you fear being blacklisted; if you tip too much, you feel like you are "losing out." After immigrating to Canada, it is essential to understand the tipping standards for various industries to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.
In Canadian life, to put it simply, if you have received service or manual assistance from others, in most cases, you should provide a tip as a form of paid gratitude for their help. There are generally two types of tips: 1) tips based on a percentage of the total consumption, and 2) fixed-amount tips.
Percentage-based Tips
This type of tipping is very common and is usually used when the tip amount varies from person to person, and when the total amount is not very large (e.g., under $100). The most common scenario is dining at a restaurant. (Of course, you generally do not need to tip at McDonald's, KFC, or food courts in large malls; occasionally, leaving a coin is acceptable.) Why? Because the operating model of fast-food restaurants usually involves the customer ordering at the counter, waiting for their food to be prepared, and carrying it to their preferred table themselves; there is no table service. Table service means a waiter brings the food to your table and serves you tea and water. Therefore, you only need to tip at slightly more upscale restaurants, which are referred to in English as "sit-in restaurants," where there is table service. Tips are generally 10%-20% of the total. Usually, it is 15%-20%, and only when the service is relatively poor is it 10%.
Besides dining, how do you tip food delivery personnel, bartenders, taxi drivers, and massage/spa/nail technicians? If you are buying takeout at a restaurant, you naturally do not need to tip. If you are at a high-end restaurant, or even one where formal attire is required, the tip should be relatively higher. For buffets, if a waiter refills your drinks, you can tip 5%-10%; if it is entirely self-service, no tip is required.
Fixed-amount Tips
If someone helps you with your luggage (at the airport or a hotel bellhop), you should usually give $1. If your youth hostel has a free airport shuttle, the driver will usually help you unload your luggage (they are actually expecting a tip), so you should also give the driver $1-2, even though the shuttle is free. If there is valet parking, you should also give the attendant $1-2. If you have a tour guide, you should tip $2-5 per day. If you really cannot think of how much to give, a simple rule of thumb is to give $1. Another thing people often overlook is staying in a hotel, especially for consecutive nights; you should leave $1-3 per day in the room for the maid, with the amount depending on the hotel's star rating.
So many tips? Are there places where you don't need to tip?
Of course. Although there are not many situations where you don't need to tip, they do exist. Besides the food court dining mentioned above, you don't necessarily have to tip in the following situations: You don't need to tip when asking hotel lobby staff for travel advice. At a Las Vegas casino, you don't need to tip the dealers (unless you win a lot of money).
After saying so much, do you understand? Tipping is, frankly, a matter of etiquette and a way to acknowledge and thank others for their service; it is not a legal provision, so there is no question of right or wrong. Everyone is not a "tycoon," so the tips summarized below are the minimum standards. If your financial situation allows, you can certainly tip more.
Dining:
Fast food, takeout: 0
Buffet: 5%-10%
General restaurant: 10%-20%
Bar: $1 per drink, or 10%-20% of the total consumption
High-end restaurant: Slightly more than a general restaurant
Food delivery: 10%-20%
Hotel room service: 10%-20%
Beauty and Hair:
Massage therapist: 10%-20%
Nail technician: 10%-20%
Hairdresser: 10%-20%
Hotel/Airport:
Front desk consultation: 0
Valet parking: $1-3
Luggage handling: $1-2 per bag
Hotel/Airport shuttle driver: $1-2
Room service (dining): 10%-20%
Other services (e.g., when extra blankets, pillows, or toiletries are delivered to the room): $1
Maid: $1-3/day
Travel:
Tour guide: $2-5/day (if the total cost is high; if the cost is low, about 15% is appropriate)
Driver: $1-2/day
Casino dealer: 0 unless you win (a lot of) money
Tips:
Sometimes the receipt will show that a 15% tip is already included. In this case, there is no need to add an extra tip.