To tip or not to tip

Few moments make travellers more nervous than the bill arriving in a foreign country. Should you leave a tip, and if so, how much? Leave too little and you might seem rude. Leave too much and you might look silly, or even cause offence. There's no single rule, because tipping is a local custom. This quick guide covers a few places Vietnamese travellers often visit.

In the United States, tipping is close to compulsory. In restaurants, people usually leave somewhere between fifteen and twenty per cent of the bill, and they tip taxi drivers, hairdressers and hotel staff too. Many Americans also tip in cafés, often by tapping a button on a screen at the counter. It's not just generosity. In many states, restaurants can pay waiting staff a lower minimum wage, on the understanding that tips will make up the rest. Leaving nothing isn't seen as a comment on the service. It's more like refusing to pay part of someone's wages.

Japan is the opposite. Good service is seen as part of the job, tips are almost never expected, and leaving extra cash may simply confuse the staff. In much of mainland Europe, people round up the bill or leave a few coins, but nobody expects much. In Britain, restaurants often add a service charge to the bill. Check before you pay, because the tip may already be included.

Back home, Vietnam has never had a strong tipping culture. Most people don't tip in an ordinary restaurant or café. In tourist areas, things have changed, partly because visitors brought their own habits with them. A tour guide or hotel porter may now hope for a small tip, while a street food seller would probably be surprised to get one. Some upmarket restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City now add a service charge, too. Even Vietnamese travellers in their own country aren't always sure what to do.

When you're not sure, a few simple steps help. Look at the bill first, since an extra tip is rarely needed if a service charge is already there. Watch what local people do in the same situation. And if you're still in doubt, just ask. Most staff would rather answer an honest question than watch you struggle with the maths.