Customs and habits of usa

CUSTOMS AND HABITS OF USA
United States of America has a history of unified etiquette protocols that may not seem obvious to foreigners. Millions of American families have etiquette books in their library. If you are traveling to the United States on business or for a lengthy stay, you might want to consider consulting Emily Post's Etiquette (first published in 1922 and now in its 18th edition) or Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette (first published in 1952). Emily Post's name has become synonymous with proper decorum in the States, and remains so even today. Any modern book on etiquette published in the States will cite either of these two historical figures. For more modern situations, you may consult the Emily Post Institute, which will help clear up any confusion on how to best represent yourself in America.
Things NOT To Forget:

Tipping: Restaurant and bar menus indicate prices without sales taxes (which varies by city/county) and tips (15 to 20%), so everything you will order on the menu will end up costing about 21% to 26% more. The sales tax will always be included on the 'check' (bill); the tip is rarely included unless you are dining with a group of 6 or more people -- in this case, many establishments automatically add a tip or 'service charge' or 'gratuity' of between 15% and 20%. Such practices are ordinarily mentioned on the menu. 'Suggested tips' might be mentioned on the bill to aid you in calculating the amount you want to tip. If the tip is not included on the menu, don't forget to add it. Waiters' and waitresses' salaries are small so they depend on tips. If you posses an iPhone or Blackberry, there are applications that calculate tips (many smartphones also include a calculator, which comes in handy.) Since sales tax is often around 9%, an easy way to calculate a tip is to look for the sales tax amount on the check and double it; if it's 9% and you double it, you'll get a figure that is 18% of the 'food/drink' amount. You can provide the tip to the server in one of 2 ways:

1. If you're paying the check with cash, you can pay for the meal (without tip), wait for any change that is due to you and then leave the tip you want 'on the table' before you leave. Sometimes, it's convenient to pay for the meal and tip at the same time. For example, if the check without the tip comes to $20 and you wish to leave a $3 tip, you can simply give the server $23 and it will be understood that the excess is the tip. However, in the above example, if you pay $25, there is some chance that the server will retain the $5 excess (which would reflect a tip of 25%!) so it's sometimes best to pay for the meal + sales tax only (or very close to it, e.g. if the cost without tip comes to $19.50 and you pay with a $20 bill, the server will know to return your 50-cents change since that wouldn't be a typical tip. There are a few ways to avoid any misunderstanding: Option #1: Pay with large enough bills that the server knows that you want change returned. For example, if the check without tip comes to $21 and you have two $20 bills and a $5 bill, don't pay with a $20-bill and a $5-bill unless you want to pay the server the $4 (20%) tip; instead, pay with the two $20-bills and you'll receive $19 in change. Option #2: If all you have is the $5 bill and the $20 bill and you only wish to pay a $3 tip on your $21 meal, then there's a couple of ways to ensure that you receive your correct change: When you present the $25, say to the waiter in a relaxed tone of voice "I'm going to need change, please"; another version of this that might be seen by some as more polite is to ask for the change to be returned in a special way, e.g. "May I have 'change of a dollar' or '4 quarters' as part of the change?" This tells the server that you want change back to include some coins and gives you the ability to tip amounts that are not even dollars. So, for example, if you receive $4 in change with $1 being in quarters, this allows you to tip $2.75, $3, $3.25, etc. While including coins in the tip is acceptable, it's generally frowned upon to include lots of small change (especially pennies) since the servers usually carry their tips with them during their shift and having lots of coins is heavy and noisy.

2. If you're paying with a credit card, you will be asked to 'write in' the tip amount on the credit card slip and then calculate the total including the tip. You then sign the slip and your card is charged the full amount and the restaurant pays the server the tip. Alternatively, you can draw a simple horizontal line on the 'tip line' on the credit card form, repeat the 'total without tip' figure at the bottom of the form and pay the server cash for the tip as outlined in the previous section.
Be aware that there are different type of restaurants that have different 'tipping protocols'. In general, one does not tip at a 'fast food restaurant'. These restaurants (like McDonald's) have a counter where you order your food and where you pick it up. As there is no server, no tip is required. Sometimes, there's a jar on the counter with a sign with the word "tips' on it which is a request for tips which will be split amongst all of the clerks at the end of the shift. If you have some spare coins in your pocket or from your change that you receive from your food purchase, you may toss these in the can but it's not necessarily expected.
In some less expensive 'sit down' (not 'fast food') restaurants where there is an actual server, you might be expected to pay the cashier near the door of the establishment as you are leaving. In such a case, you'll receive a check from the server but you will take the check to the cashier and you'll pay the cashier. ORDINARILY, the server will signal to you where you are to pay your bill in one of a few ways:
He/she will tell you: 'Please pay me' or 'Please pay the cashier'. If he/she doesn't, you can ask "Do I pay you?"
It will indicate on the check who to pay
If the check is delivered on a little tray, IN MOST CASES, that means that the server will take the payment for you, bring to the cashier for payment and return your change. If the check is delivered without a tray, it usually means that you're expected to pay the cashier. If in doubt, ask.
In the case where you pay the cashier, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for change for the tip if the regular change from your purchase won't be sufficient. Say something like: "May I have some change for the tip, please?' or "May I have some singles ($1 bills)?"
Tipping is also common in the service and hospitality industry, from valet to housekeepers at your hotel. $2-$3 tips for valet each time you retrieve your car (none when you give it to the valet) are common. $2 per day for the housekeeper at your hotel, left in the room at the end of your stay is common. A note that says "Thank you" along with the money makes it understood to be a tip rather than money left behind by mistake.