28 November 2017
In America, when you go to buy something, all is not as it seems. When you look at something in a shop, on a menu, or online, you assume that the listed price is what you will be paying. First mistake.
As soon as you say you’d like to pay for something, on the sales tax goes. In California it seems to be around 10%. It would be like advertising everything in Australia with prices excluding GST.
Then, each state has its own sales tax system, with different rates across each. So, depending on how much you travel, you need to know and remember multiple rates.
Finally, there is tipping. This apparently varies from a base of around 15%, through to 20% for good service, up to anything you like for great service. When ordering a drink at a bar, you are meant to tip $1 per drink.
So, as an example, on the first night of the tour we had one drink in the bar area of the hotel. I saw a local draft (tap) beer I liked the look of, which was $4. Nicole wanted a bourbon and coke and Katelyn wanted an iced water. Before I had ordered, our CEO had asked the bartender if it was OK for Katelyn to sit in the bar with us. So when I went to order our drinks, including asking for an iced water for Katelyn, the bartender said he was making Katelyn a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail (which Katelyn ended up enjoying very much). So then I felt obliged to tip him for making that, plus a tip per drink. So what would have been maybe $11 if we went with advertised prices and no tipping, ended up costing $22!
I’m not a fan of the tipping / gratuity system, and I never will be. But, as they say, when in Rome do as the Romans do. So we will … reluctantly.
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