WHEN TO TIP AND

WHEN TO SKIP

1. Lead-in Discuss the questions with a partner.

1. Do you usually tip when you receive good service? Why or why not?
2. Have you ever encountered a situation where you were unsure whether to tip
or not? How did you decide what to do?
3. Have you ever experienced cultural differences or misunderstandings
regarding tipping while traveling abroad? How did you handle those situations?
4. What factors do you consider when deciding how much to tip?
5. How do you feel about the practice of "tip pooling", where tips are shared
among the staff members? Do you think it is a fair system?

For each situation below, decide whether you would leave a tip
2. Speaking
or not (and why), and how much you would tip.

1. You and your friends have just finished a delicious meal at a restaurant.
2. You order food for takeout or get it delivered to your doorstep.
3. You visit a coffee shop and order a latte.
4. You go to a hair salon for a haircut or other beauty service.
5. You take a taxi to reach your destination.
6. You stay at a hotel for a few nights.
7. You join a guided tour of a city or attraction.
8. You enjoy a relaxing spa treatment or massage.
9. You hire professionals for home services like plumbing or gardening.
3. Vocabulary Match the expressions in bold to their definitions.

1. Some service jobs rely heavily on tips because the base wage is below the
minimum wage set by labor laws.
2. The bill included a 10% service charge for the staff's assistance.
3. It is customary to leave a small tip for the hotel housekeeping staff.
4. The waiter was delighted with the generous tipper who left a large gratuity.
5. Since the bill was $32.50, we decided to round it up to $35 and leave a $2.50
tip.

Definitions:
a) a predetermined fee added to a bill to cover the cost of service: ................................
b) minimum hourly payment: ...............................
c) to adjust the total amount of a bill to the nearest higher number: ...............................
d) something that is a usual or traditional practice in a particular culture:
...............................
e) someone who regularly gives a significant amount of money as a tip: .....................

Complete the statements with the correct expression from

4. Practice
activity 3. Then discuss the statements.

1. Adding a ................................... to the bill is a fairer way to compensate service

providers.
2. Being a ................................... can brighten someone's day and motivate them to
continue delivering excellent service.
3. I usually choose to ................................... my bills as a convenient way to leave a
tip without dealing with change.
4. In my country it is ................................... to tip restaurant staff.
5. ................................... laws play a crucial role in ensuring fair compensation for
service industry workers.
5. Vocabulary Complete the expressions with the words from the box.

upfront / etiquette / jar / guilt / pre-set

1. to tip .......................: to give extra money in advance, typically before receiving

the service
2. a ....................... tip: a tip given out of a sense of obligation rather than genuine
satisfaction with the service received
3. ....................... tipping options: a pre-determined selection of tip amounts
provided by a service provider, often seen on electronic payment devices
4. tipping .......................: the expected or recommended behavior regarding tipping
5. tip .......................: a container where customers can leave tips

Complete the sentences with the expressions you created

6. Practice
in activity 5.

1. The café had a ........................................ on the counter for customers to show

appreciation for the service.
2. Some customers choose to ........................................ when ordering food for
delivery to show appreciation for the delivery person's efforts.
3. Even though the server was not attentive, John left ........................................
because he felt bad for asking for multiple modifications to his meal.
4. The restaurant's credit card machine offered ........................................ of 15%, 18%,
or 20% for the convenience of customers.
5. Understanding the ....................................... in different countries can help avoid
misunderstandings.

7. Speaking Discuss the questions.

1. What is your opinion on tip jars or tip cups found in some establishments?
2. Do you feel obligated to contribute, even for counter service?
3. Have you ever tipped upfront for a service?
4. Have you ever felt pressure to choose a specific pre-set tipping option?
5. Have you ever left a guilt tip?
 You are going to watch a video called "Has tipping reached a
8. Listening tipping point? Whom to tip and whom to skip."
Answer the questions below.
Video:
1. What are the 3 places mentioned at the beginning of the video where
tipping has become common?

2. Why do people feel obligated to leave a guilt tip in some places?

3. What is the base pay for delivery drivers according to Doordash?

4. What percentage of earnings do wait staff and bartenders earn from tips?

5. What is the recommended amount for tipping for an average dine-in?

6. When is it appropriate not to tip?

7. What is one tip for tipping without feeling pressured?

9. Speaking Post-listening discussion.

1. Do you think tipping has gotten out of control in the US?

2. How does the situation in the US compare to the situation in your own
country?

10. Speaking Debate the topics below.

1. Tipping should be abolished, and service industry workers should be paid a

higher fixed wage.
2. Tipping should be based on the quality of service received, rather than a
percentage of the bill.
3. Tipping upfront should not be allowed for delivery services, as it may lead to
inconsistent behavior from drivers.
11. Reflection What would you like to take from this lesson?
and feedback Complete the table below. After that your teacher will give
you some feedback.

A) New vocabulary: B) Pronunciation: C) Error correction:

write 5 (or more!) write the words from write the mistakes your
words or expressions this lesson that you teacher corrected
from this lesson you find difficult to (e.g. expressions you
would like to pronounce. translate from your
remember and use in language that are actually
the future. different in English;
prepositions, etc.)

1. ....................................
2. ....................................
3. ....................................
4. ....................................
5. ....................................

Research one of the topics below.

12. Homework
Report your findings to your teacher in the next class.

1. Tipping etiquette in 3 countries of your choice

2. History of tipping
3. Tipping vs service charge

13. Keep Keep learning outside of the classroom!

1. Pre-
learning! To reinforce and enrich the vocabulary from this class, check the
listening. "additional resources" section (videos and articles) here:

LINK TO ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES