The U.S. is pretty much standard at 15%-20%. The thing is that a major portion of those who wait tables do not make the standardized minimum wage but rather a minimum wage for tipped individuals. It’s a given that the IRS calls for those employees who receive tips to declare everything they receive but generally speaking, most wait staff will only declare the tips that, when added to their hourly wage equals the standardized minimum wage (for taxation) and even then, only the tips on credit cards are declared. I had always been fairly protective when it comes to my wait staff since at one time, I wore a tux but only made 35 cents per hour during a time when the minimum wage was about $2.50 per hour. Granted, I rarely walked out with less than a hundred beans per day but I still had to declare the $2.50 per hour. Any time a party exceeded 6 people I always allowed the wait staff to add the 15% to the check if they really feel like they earned it. If their party consisted of guests that were obviously from Europe, a tip could be added to the check the same as it is customary in their home land. A lot of waiters and waitresses have gotten stiffed not because they gave bad service but the guest believed it was already included. @Frank Sanoica’s mother might have actually thought that her tip was really extra special because most Europeans believe the tip to be included in the check. Adding more money, even a penny is considered to be a high compliment to the waiter.
I had always thought the tip was included. I don't remember how I found out that it wasn't but I would tip if the service impressed me regardless if it was included in the bill.
There was a time in Hollywood when young girls who worked at places like the Brown Derby worked for no salary at all...counting on huge tips from Celebrities!
S just happens, I suppose. I very likely also made a fool of myself back in the early nineties. Coming from Syria I stayed overnight in the first decent-looking hotel I found after I'd crossed the border. I was virtually broke, very nervous because of the imponderabilities of the long journey ahead of me. Still I settled the bill in US dollars in advance because I'd had no time to exchange currency at the border. Maybe because of me paying in US Dollars, the next morning when I was approaching my car I saw that a man was cleaning it which I didn't like at all. I felt urged to give him something but only had some Turkish copper coins on me which I gave him. I had no idea of their value. Later I found out that 1 USD was worth something like 1,300 Turkish Lira...Well, actually not my problem. I had others. Anyway, I think I partly made up for it the next day. At gas stations they did not accept USD and banks were closed and I was in the middle of nowhere. So I went looking for someone who would want USD and finally found one. As I didn't know what the exchange rate was and his English was poor I accepted anything he was offering and that was probably to his advantage.