For continental Europeans, the German tipping culture is not a problem. On the continent, habits are largely similar.
For U.S. Americans in particular, however, the German tipping culture holds surprises in store. Tipping is also popular here – especially in restaurants and hotels, in cabs or at the hairdresser. Unlike in the U.S., however, it is not required. It is a completely voluntary addition, not a hidden tax.
One thing is clear: The price you read on a German menu is the price you end up paying. Service and all taxes must be included in the price.
Nevertheless, it is customary to tip in a restaurant – as thanks and recognition for good quality and good service. How much is up to the guest.10% is a good orientation. Often it is rounded up to a round amount. And the higher the bill amount, the lower the percentage tip tends to be.
If you don’t know that, as an American you naturally easily tip much more than is customary in Germany. This is then not a problem, but a joyful surprise for the service staff.
Jeanne from the USA experienced an exception during a joint restaurant visit in Meersburg. Jeanne had just moved from the U.S. to a German company, and I had neglected to point out to her the local customs.
So it happened that Jeanne wanted to tip about 25%. But then the friendly waitress actually said, “Excuse me, but that’s too much.” Jeanne had never experienced anything like that before. She agreed with the waitress on a much lower amount, but still very generous by German standards.
But even if you were informed about the local system as an American, that doesn’t necessarily protect you from embarrassment. I experienced this when I went to dinner with Jeanne’s compatriot Scott in a nearby town. Unfortunately, the service there was really bad. The waiter was slow and unfriendly. And what he finally brought Scott was not what Scott had ordered.
Then when the waiter came with the bill, Scott approached him:
I was told that in Germany, service is included in the price. Is that right?” “Yes, that’s correct.” “And how much is that?” “Twenty percent.” “Then I would like to get that 20% back please, because that was not proper service.
The waiter got red-faced, and after Scott paid the exact amount of the bill, we quickly left the restaurant. I have never been back since.
Incidentally, the story in Europe was that Mark Zuckerman, after being told that you don’t have to tip in Europe, didn’t tip a dime in the most expensive restaurants in Italy on his honeymoon.
That didn’t make him any more popular.