Reverse Culture Shocks returning to America after moving to Australia

hi hi! Let's chat reverse culture shocks of moving to Australia from the USA, and going home to visit family in the USA.
Have you ever noticed any of these?
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00:00 intro
01: tipping culture
03:29 service standards
05:07 cafe culture
06:14 drink sizes
07:18 feeling deflated
07:35 getting chased out of a bar
08:14 Australia is spoiled
09:17 Ben and Jerry’s trip

[@kenbehren6119]

The service thing is more about respect. In Australia we don't care what you do for a living. Noone is better than anyone else based on their job. The height of bad manners is treating people who are in the service industry badly.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

I just wrote something similar then read yours. I totally agree

[@BalefulBunyip]

In general I agree but my daughter who spent five years waiting tables told me plenty of horror stories about rude, inconsiderate and entitled Australian customers.

[@tomeng9520]

This is why we do not have tip service in Sweden.

[@bettydraper2034]

i...dont really know what u are talking about lol ive been working in fast food and then retail for like 8 years now and the way people treat me every single day is awful and no one cares. it fucking sucks

[@Albanach-je1nk]

Not true, like the USA the more money you make the bigger the house the bigger the car the bigger the impressive.

[@Boxy071]

As an Aussie, tipping culture is absolutely ridiculous!! They expect to be tipped in America because the employer fails to pay the proper wage…it is NOT up to the customer to pay the shortfall!! I also note that some companies that are non Australia are trying to push the tipping culture over here…I.e. Uber eats and dominoes!! They can f**k right off with that b.s….excuse the French!! Haha!!

[@meilingflesa8140]

I am Australian and loved your French 👍

[@pauloneill2530]

I actually think Domino's is a Queensland based pizza chain listed on the ASX

[@onarandomnote25]

Noticed it going to a bar for a birthday party in Brisbane recently, the bar staff ask "how much do you want to tip?" before wrapping up the order. They hadn't even made the drinks yet, so I said "no thanks". Funnily enough, took longer to get what we wanted compared to other customers. I've worked hospitality for many years, some of these modern workers are getting a bit entitled, worse so than cocktail mixers.

[@alexperkins8433]

youre right on that - reagan started that crap...along with many other laws that self deal the wealthy/top percent & relegate most everyone else to not being able to make a living wage. was disgusting. and ps he also had mental institutions/supports for special needs - shut down...threw those folks on the street. not to mention medical (there is none/its been fully privatized/a broken leg can cost $50k....& excess is 30,000 after paying even 2k/month for medical)....and on and on.....aureally IS the lucky country :)

[@kadmow]

@@onarandomnote25 -Many Queensland venues (my experience) started "non negotiated" service charges ~30 years ago - I resented it then and still resent the additional surcharge - just price appropriately up front.

[@DavidCalvert-mh9sy]

I'm a Canadian living in Australia who's childhood years growing up was in Southern California. That was a long time ago. When I turned 16, the whole family moved to Australia. That was a long time ago too. I've lived here since. One thing I learned, both from my own experience, and from other (legal) migrants to Australia. When you have lived here in this fabulous country for longer than seven years, you belong here. Sure, you can go back to your country of origin. But you won't fit in there any more. And if you go back for a visit, family and old friends will be happy to see you. But after a short while they will say "you've changed". And it will be a little uncomfortable, because they won't understand how your thinking has changed. This isn't a bad thing. You've grown, and they have stayed in place. This will make more sense when you take a trip back after the 7 year mark

[@lillyjozinovic]

I know exactly what you are saying.

[@chailavender7997]

Well said 👌

[@matallens3006]

I'm from Australia and know friends who have moved here and they hate having to go back to there hometown every couple of years they reckon they will never leave here only in a box and they'd stay here because they call this place home now and they can't believe how rude their fellow Americans are and how they feel really uncomfortable and not safe when they're back in the states. Be safe all look out for each other.🙂🦘🇭🇲👍

[@coffeeenut]

thank you!

[@pholliez]

Absolutely agree. I’ve been here 21 years and I’ll never leave. Dual citizen now (USA & AUS). Last visit in October 2022 was depressing.

[@vanessakaye649]

Many many years ago i worked at Crown casino and one day i was asked to work upstairs where the rich people gambled. I remember an American throwing a $20 casino chip on my tray (rude, for starters) saying “Heineken” and then threw a second $20 chip and said, “with no head”. Huh? So, he wanted a frothless beer. Oh hell no. I politely returned the 2nd chip and said, I’ll bring over your Heineken and you can wait for the head to go down yourself, and walked off. Seriously the audacity and the disrespect to beer. No way, not on my watch. Bad taste cannot be bought in Australia.

[@Chapps1941]

Funny read🤣🤣🤣

[@darcymackenzie7654]

I would have said "Yeah buddy, no head comes with that attitude, everywhere!!!!".... but then as a bouncer for almost 2 decades my wit came quickly and with a security licence that enabled me to remove...ANYONE

[@libatalklieb5793]

But head is the best part.

[@davidlean8674]

What sort of a casino gives you a head job with every beer? Maybe he normally went to the brothel next door.

[@sheerluckholmes5468]

Head is what releases the flavour of the beer.

[@noiamspartacus8965]

Walking about on a very hot day in Kings Park Perth Western Australia. I was parched. There was a long queue in the sun for tea etc at a mobile place, there was also a very expensive, near empty high end restaurant nearby in the park, with seats outside in the shade. I ordered just a coffee, no meal, and sat down. A stunningly gorgeous waitress impeccably dressed, came by shortly with a jug of ice cold water with mint leaves and a glass for me, saying my coffee was on its way. The water was because I must have looked parched. She then brought me my coffee, chatted a little, she made me feel like a prince. When I went inside to pay, the coffee was cheaper than the instant coffee in a plastic cup nearby! I paid and left a nice tip for her impeccable service. This was a few years ago but the epitome of the service remains still with me today.

[@Thepigfromthepot]

Yeah happy to tip great service but when it's just expected fuck no

[@tsurah5408]

I love that restaurant, I took some friends from Adelaide there for dinner when they visited - mostly for them but also for me because I’ve never eaten there before - and it was delicious food. And the view of sunset over the city and river with the salmon gums is next level.

[@Prognosis__]

I have lived in Perth my entire life and never get bored visiting Kings Park. It’s beautiful

[@karensullivan3]

I visited my daughter in the USA and we went out for a meal and a catch up but OMG the service was annoying. The constant interruption into our conversation to see if everything was ok were we happy etc. The hovering of staff was so invasive and then there was the tip! The food was mediocre, the service was like surveillance not what I’m used to in Australia where it is relaxed and enjoyable. This happened at multiple restaurants in the USA not just one, it completely turned me off dining out as it had become stressful not enjoyable. Pay your service staff a decent wage and tell them to back off, not literally beg the customer for money it’s demeaning and very third world

[@TheClaytonian]

American living in Australia since 2000. Also an Australian Citizen (a whole different story). I moved back to the US in 2020 for a very short time and it was such a horrific experience. The attitudes and politics and healh care system took their toll on me and I had to move back to Australia because my depression and sense of not belonging got to dangerous levels.

[@dudoklasovity2093]

this is exactly what I am going through as European. You described it perfectly - there's no sense of community and the life is unnecessarily stressful and depressing here. I am also moving back :-)

[@TheEarthHistorysConfusing]

oz is 30 years behind usa in heath as we have copied all ways ya operate :)

[@Alex-dz2et]

@@TheEarthHistorysConfusingyeah your name says it all and yet you still talk 😂

[@tdb7992]

You're one of us now mate ;) I am glad you feel at home here.

[@TheEarthHistorysConfusing]

@@Alex-dz2et Gosh coming from someone whom prob never added any original content to KZbin/Rumble like i have , you prob should shut up. Seems you don't understand channel names when real people actually upload content unlike yourself..Most people get why i named it that way after they watch my videos!.. Huge Thanks for wasting Ur time trolling me as its helped others get left alone from your low IQ games!.. Bye Felicia!..

[@DeftPol]

OMG as an Aussie that has just moved to the US the service work issues here were a HUGE shock to me… everything you just said - you have to do everything yourself and you’re still asked to put a 20% on your orders. I’ve kinda gotten used to it now, but it sure as heck incentivised me to buy a good coffee machine. I just got to the point where I figured if I am doing all that myself, I may as well just make the coffee myself too 😂😂.

[@lara6873]

😂😂 that’s such a great Aussie attitude!- she’ll be right Mate I’ll just do it myself. 😂❤

[@gillianmilburn3712]

I'm blown away that you gave to wipe down your own table in USA (I'm Australian obviously). I now have even less desire to visit.

[@Jayman-cm8di]

It's almost as if generally higher wages gets you generally higher service, and that with a fair minimum wage in regards cost of living l, giving the higher profit business to attract the best employees. Very important for a good minimum national wage. keeps the worst workers at a fair minimum to live with integrity and the quality ones room to move up into the premium ones.

[@kevinmac5701]

Tipping is a thing in Fiji . I tended to overtip . But the service in Fiji is usually top class . welcoming Bulla. I love Fiji

[@sharronbrennon899]

I remember coming back to Australia after taking a trip overseas and realising that the air quality was so much better and feeling like I could breathe again

[@NoName-ds5uq]

Decades ago I was in the Navy. You could SEE the smog in Sydney from the Tasman Sea! That was all blowing west towards our cousins across the ditch and had time to dissipate. When we went to Bangkok I could see and smell it well before we saw land… That is a long time ago though.

[@sharronbrennon899]

@@NoName-ds5uq when i was in Newcastle the smog and air pollution always felt so much worse than in Sydney and the Smog and air pollution in Sydney felt worse than in the Mid North Coast area. But the air pollution in the cities of indonesia made me sick 🤢

[@grahamglendenning144]

Every time I return from overseas travel and leave Sydney airport terminal I notice straight away that the air is cleaner with a faint scent of eucalyptus.

[@coffeeenut]

ME!!

[@NoName-ds5uq]

@@sharronbrennon899 I found the air quality in the 3 biggest cities of Indonesia somewhat ok compared to Bangkok in my day. Jakarta was my first ever foreign visit in 1989 and I could tell a story about the local fishermen’s “toiletry habits” at the wharf not suitable for KZbin that I witnessed before ever going ashore. Of course I happened to be on duty watch so stuck on the ship on the first day of my first foreign port visit… Murphy’s law. 🤣 The air quality at Mt Bromo was probably the worst though. Especially when 3 of us young and dumb blokes decided to climb down into the crater. I love Indonesia! I’ve never been to Bali though, and don’t intend to! I’ve seen it whilst transiting the Lombok Strait many times and that is enough for me. Tourists annoy me here in Hobart enough, I don’t want to join their numbers! 🤪 Edit: I must say air quality has gotten way better in Australian cities since then. Newer cars, cleaner industrial processes, etc.,have gotten rid of much of what I saw thankfully. I last went to Sydney in 2014, and didn’t smell it.

[@deksper]

We don't have tips in New Zealand. But we can direct you to the nearest rubbish Transfer Station.

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

brilliant! go straight to go and collect $200.00

[@deksper]

@@bwana-ma-coo-bah425 😆 At NZD 319 per tonne; $200 will not go far in disposing of the greater mass of my non-recyclables at the Transfer Station.

[@theresamcclure7333]

😂😂😂😂

[@neville132bbk]

Unfortunately that curse on society is probably entrenched in Queenstown.

[@bronxcheer1484]

Clever

[@Zaphnochs]

Wild stab in the dark here; it was probably different this time because you are starting to assimilate into the aussie culture. You have reaching a tipping point.

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

a tipping point 🤣👌

[@user-kj1oj5hu4l]

Pun intended ?

[@Zaphnochs]

@@user-kj1oj5hu4l Ha! No. Damnit.

[@tonyw2808]

BoomTish

[@peterwilliamson9600]

Best comment I have read today!

[@OpEditorial]

I had a great time visiting the states from Australia, and met some genuinely nice people... some of whom proceeded to turn on me like a pack of starving hyenas when I, as an Aussie, *who comes from a country with next to no tipping culture* forgot that the land of opportunity is marketing slang for "kill or be killed"

[@emilyvickery8081]

"what can I gain out of this person to better myself" toxic widow spider society in usa. I couldn't wait to be out of there. the inequality access to health appalled me.. ppls selfish perspectives made me sick.

[@gjn2066]

One thing that strikes me whenever I visit the US is how completely the rest of the world fades away. Almost all news concerns the US, and the non-US stuff is limited (say) to Conflicts or Sports where the US is directly involved. For example I read in the papers here what's happening in the UK, and how the NFL or NBL seasons are going. I feel part of a global community here, but in the US I feel cut off from the world.

[@herobrinenoch3522]

That is 100% true. Unless it's a natural disaster, a royal family or sports, it's like the rest of the world doesn't exist. If you are lucky you might find BBC world news, but that's it. No wonder so many Americans are Isolationists, the rest of the world is not real to them.

[@dee-smart]

Aha, I noticed that but not just in the US. I went around the world in 1988 and it was noticeable in most of the countries I visited in Europe as well that EVERY country thinks its the best country in the world. Seems that all cultures push their own culture's virtues onto their kids in school. It was really weird hearing that in some of the poorest areas that I saw. The reputations some of these cities have is ridiculous. I remember people going on about loving the idea of going to Paris, the city of love. Well my recollection from my time there was pidgeon shit in apartments that had walk down outside basement areas. I thought of Paris is dirty. Sorry to any French out there. Anyway, yes in the larger places like in the US, they really are ignorant of places around the world. Many know nothing about Australia except Crocodile Dundee perhaps! But being fair, I didn't know as much as I thought I did of some of the areas I visited in the US or in Europe. However I know my geography. I wouldn't think NYC was on the west coast of America, for instance.

[@L0U1SE]

Reminds me of how years ago, Americans thought Australia was Austria 😂

[@user-et6pj4db9s]

And that's the exact problem with America, it's self absorbed and then you get citizens who don't know anything outside of their own country and that creates the disaster of a nation we have today full of gun toting morons, the world leader that knows nothing (nor cares) about the rest of the world unless it impacts America.

[@dee-smart]

@@L0U1SE In one of the Beverly Hillbillies skits when Jethro was trying to be a psychiatrist, he says to granny something about Vienna and then says "You know, that is the capital of Australia." Granny just basically rolls her eyes.

[@ShinigamiMischief15]

When I worked in the service industry here in Australia, it’s way less common for people to tip, and is way more rare than Americans are used to. So the only times I would get a tip was when I gave exceptional customer service or if the customer felt like doing so. So it became more of a bonus for good service more than an expectation. When I went to the US I was told that no matter what the service is like, you tip your waiter, which to me just didn’t make sense, a tip is a willing offer of money given to someone. If you ‘have to’ give a tip, at that point, just put the charge on the tab and be done with it, hell, just pay your staff a proper wage.

[@theoneandonlyowl3764]

Tips! The thing that make me uncomfortable with American tourists. I remember this like yesterday. My family owned a pub in the far north of QLD. This family came into our pub, sat down and looked around. Anyone else would have come up to the bar to order drinks... but I took pity on them and came from the bar to see what they wanted. I took their drink order. Later as I looked up, I got a signal that they wanted another round of drinks. While I don't claim nor do I have an photographic memory, I knew what every person in the pub liked to drink. So, signalling with a circle motion to see if they wanted the same again, I took them their favoured drinks. That may have happened one or two more times, I don't remember... it was a busy night. When they got up to leave and called to me, the man of the house gave me a $50 tip. I tried so hard to give it back, saying I was paid well and didn't need it... but I didn't want to insult the family after I was told that was some of the best service they'd ever had. We had great seafood, our beer was superb (I managed the 'cellars' and the cleanliness of the beer). But, somehow, I felt embarrassed to be commended and rewarded, for just doing my job. Nice video, Ash.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

I'm an American (a rural Southerner, so nowhere close to New Jersey) who has been to ~40 states, and also lived in Australia. You articulated your thoughts very well re: customer service in the US; it has absolutely gone down the toilet. I'll also say: Yes, service workers should be paid a higher base wage. Yes, customers should be more polite and less demanding. But the attitudes of many service workers today are either disinterested or even snappy. And, as a side note, that's all exacerbated in our airports, especially with the rudest security officers I've seen anywhere in the world. At least the TSA doesn't accept tips, but I'm sure even they would if they were allowed. Furthermore, I've worked in service in the USA and Australia, and I can tell you that Aussie customers are much kinder for the most part than American (including Southern) ones, but I've always made sure to keep my cool and be polite. In closing, I've been telling people for years that Australia has a much higher standard for customer service across the board - not Japan or Singapore caliber, but still excellent. Thank you for your commentary.

[@coffeeenut]

so true! thank you

[@Cheepchipsable]

Is a self perpetuating cycle. Staff are poorly paid and get treated like crap, and in turn they treat customers like crap who get offended and treat the staff like crap.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

The big difference I think is we don’t look down on service staff or anyone in low paying jobs, we are all pretty equal regardless of income. We also don’t really care what anyone does for a job, we like them as a person or we don’t, we have signage & messages everywhere reminding people abusing staff won’t be tolerated. It looks to me as an outsider that in the US everyone looks down on people working min wage & yelling & screaming gets them what they want as a customer so they do it.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

@@Cheepchipsable Indeed

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

@@Amanda-uc5jq We also have gutless managers who are so afraid of their corporate overlords, that they'll let go of an employee (who doesn't have benefits of any kind) who declines to assist an abusive customer. That adds to the problem.

[@MrDLWheeler]

I'm from the US and have lived in Aus for nearly 30 years. I so relate to this. I was just back in the US and I don;t think I can really be happy there anymore despitew it being my homeland and where my family is. I think I'm an Aussie now.

[@lexsaunders1742]

Sounds like your becoming an Aussie quicker than you think! Welcome back. Glad to have you as one of us.

[@craigyoung8008]

I’m not from the US, but I have also immigrated to Australia. My perspective: It started out as something temporary (1 year contract, extended to 2). First two trips back to my birth country felt like going home. My third trip, going back to Aus felt like going home. Soon after I made arrangements for my migration to be permanent.

[@coreylrafb]

I took me about 9 years to feel I was at a crossroads of determining what I considered home. I will always be American first, but I can say I had a rough go of it finding my way here professionally. Became a citizen in 2015 after getting here in 2009 from the USA. Australia has its demons too; as so many couldn't find their way and instead went to Syria and joined ISIS instead of taking crap jobs here which was highest per capita for a westernized nation. 14 years and I'm finally in a job I love (with a generous US based pension because of what I dealt with in the Air Force and adjusting here).

[@neilswan6977]

Hey Ash, I’m born and raised in Seattle Washington. Moved to Western Sydney back in 2008. The first (and last) time I went home was in 2017 and I was absolutely blown away by just how unrecognisable home was to me. Felt like nothing had changed but so much has changed all at the same time. For context, I’m quite patriotic. Served for Uncle Sam and love my country and always will.. but it’s been in a downward spiral for a long time now and it actually hurts to watch.

[@herobrinenoch3522]

If you think you feel bad, imagine; I'm From Connecticut, moved here in '76. The US is not the same country I grew up in at all. It's painful to see for sure. : (

[@micmarmac]

I’m from Washington state and moved to Australia in 1995. The changes to the USA are definitely extreme. Returning to Au after a US trip is a welcome relief. It’s always nice to see the rellies again but Australia is my forever home.

[@nobodysbusiness566]

I grew up in Sydney and left for 15 yeqrs and when I went back it all had changed so much that it ealt I was in a foreign city, I think it's normal to feel the way you felt.

[@isee9273]

We went to Hawaii in 1990. My ex was on a big IT conference there. I recall that we stopped at a cafe and had coffee. The group bill was paid and we all left. For some reason they decided it was too early and that we should go back and wait at the cafe. Nobody served us for ages after the coffee was ordered. When a waitress did come, she sloshed coffee randomly all over the cups. I’d never even heard of tipping before. There weren’t any signs. Nobody asked for it. Supposedly, we needed ESP. The treatment was sooooo rude towards us. Eventually, one of the guys in the group said that we needed to tip. A bit late though! I realised then that Hawaii was really, truly part of the USA, and not its own nation and culture. I’ve never wanted to go to any part of the USA again and haven’t.

[@jenb658]

I'm an Aussie that lived in the DC area for two years (2019-2022). Having travelled and lived elsewhere (Asia and Europe) extensively in the past the WHOLE American experience was a shock to me for a number of reasons but I wholeheartedly agree about the "service culture". I had some (shall we say) interesting experiences in Eastern Europe and some parts of Asia, but the US beat all of them hands-down in terms of the way we were related to, how we witnessed other people being treated, and the differences I noticed in terms of quality of service. You're right, these differences aren't life altering (and some would call them "first world problems") but the main observation I made was that, where I was living, there was a massive socio-economic divide between those serving and those being served. It's the minimum wage thing. I can only imagine having to rely on tips to pay my rent and afford basic health care, but it is a reality for SO many people in the US. This idea that if you "work hard" you can "achieve anything" is just a load of baloney that has been served up to the American people since I can remember (and I'm over 50). The other differences I noticed were the invisible (but noticeable) racial divisions. I was in a ridiculously privileged position, living in a "nice" and "safe" area of DC. What that actually meant that I was cosseted from the real place in which I lived. I met only one person of colour that in my suburb. He told me he was looked at with suspicion just going for his morning walk or taking his kid to the park until he introduced himself. I was gutted for him. When I called to have work done of the property (gutter cleaning, house cleaning for end-of-lease inspection, garden work) it was always Hispanic people who were doing the work. If there was a nanny pushing a stroller around our neighbourhood it was an African American women looking after White babies. Even the kids at my child's school were virtually all White, though the teacher's and support staff had a cultural diversity. At my kid's primary school here in Australia before we left there were 500 kids who spoke 40 different languages. In the US, my kid being from Australia caused them to be treated like an exotic creature for about 6 months. It was NOT at all what I expected when I arrived. Again, at the big-chain supermarkets near me, virtually all Black people working there. At the hospital, Black nurses (who were all marvellous, efficient and kind) and White doctors who treated you like a number. It just isn't that way here. The idea of everyone having "equal opportunity", in "the land of the free" my experience, is a myth. Here, if I go to see a doctor I can't predict what their cultural background will be, when I go to the supermarket the people working there can be from any cultural background and my kid's friends come from all corners of the globe. I'm far more comfortable under those circumstances than the experience we had over there. I realise this is likely just a matter of geography, but it is no wonder that I see and read things that describe how a person's life prospects can be determined by what their postcode is. Heavy topic, but worth pondering. It's something that has disturbed me since my return and will likely be one of the many things I'll not easily forget from my time there.

[@queenslander954]

Yes mate , very interesting observations , I couldn’t believe some of the same things when I lived there , you expect it to be better than Australia in every way before you get there & realise after only a short period that it’s the other way around. People used to ask me in the south where Australia was , and was once asked if was near Alaska .. just crazy , Oz is so far ahead in just about everything , so it was no real shock when Trump got the presidency , and no real shock now that he’s got another shot at it.

[@emilyvickery8081]

Paul Hogan said on 60 minutes in 2001.something along the lines of: if you think life in Australia sucks, trying living in another country. You'll appreciate what we have in Australia again.

[@jenb658]

Sadly. Yes. I was there on Jan 6. It was horrifying. I was scared to leave my house. We'd been in "lockdown - lite" for almost a year (my kid was sent home from school on March 13 2020 and didn't go back until we came home to Australia in 2022 - only to be locked down again). Yet, having the elation of him being defeated, I held out hope that there would be a "peaceful transfer of power". Little did I, or anyone else, know what was brewing in the corridors of power. There was a "mood" for the days up to 6th Jan. On the day I didn't look at the coverage until 12:30pm. I'll never forget it. @@queenslander954

[@rossawood5075]

Having also lived just over the DC line as an Australian in a very privileged area I concur completely with your observations, the racism, classism is palpable, wages for the average worker appalling yet surrounded by extreme entitled wealth who expect respect however rarely offer any to those outside of their privileged circle, and that includes many in the upper echelons of govt, representatives and those with long inherited wealth. Even though somewhat less egalitarian than previously Australians mix far more easily and do not generally treat those in service positions as if they're invisible. As you state the post code you live in dictates to a large degree your circumstance in life, individual counties run their own education systems, some are very poor and education quality is woeful, others amazing, I went to school in Montgomery County at that time the wealthiest county by income in the USA, with an outstanding education level, a nearby county in VA had the complete opposite and its occupants and students were socially and economically deprived. The gap between insanely wealthy and extremely poor in the USA is massive and no major American party will address these issues of inequality other than Bernie Sanders. These extremes are creating a slow boil that will lead to mass disruption in the future, sadly many of those affected vote for candidates and party's that pay lip service to them, many drink the Trump MAGA 'Koolaid' however continue with business as usual acting for themselves and their wealthy backers. Trump actually reduced taxes for the wealthy then attempted to reduce welfare and Medicare in his term of office and many of his supporters believe he acts in their best interests. I am not saying similar does not occur here in Australia however to a much lesser degree and the support for the ill, infirm, disabled and unemployed is far superior to the USA, even though many would wish to see it increased here. Wages are considerably higher though housing costs are fairly high here. Myself, it's a no brainer, Australia IMHO has a better quality of life and environment.

[@piratesmvp]

@@rossawood5075 "Trump actually reduced taxes for the wealthy" He actually reduced it for everyone. It was the media that portrayed it as a "tax break for the rich" which was only partially correct in that the tax break on lower income people had an expiration date while the one for the upper income brackets did not (I suspect this was done for political reasons to give the GOP a tax break platform to run on in the future). But, I myself as a single person made a lower-middle annual salary and saw notable tax savings after the new tax bill was passed, so the notion that it only benefited the rich is simply not true.

[@pauliephilippa5869]

Yeah I love the fact that Australia pays respectable wages for service industry workers. And yes we have great coffee from non chain cafe’s.

[@Daniel-vw7mw]

Minimum wages are $28 an hour in Australia, American business could never afford to pay that

[@6tgr]

If its mandated for all they would do it with out problems and it would be a much better country. How do you think Australia does it?.@@Daniel-vw7mw

[@Rollin8.0]

If you do the maths service workers in America get paid more than Australians unless the business is totally dead. Assume 10% tips, waiting on 4 tables over the course of an hour and each table only spends $50 total - that's $20 USD compared to 28AUD, which is ~$18 USD. During busy times they'd rake in the cash.

[@GinaRae1964]

I visited the US in August/September and noticed the credit card machines defaulted to a 20-25% tip and you had to change it to a lower % or “no tip” if you were at a kiosk. I started paying in cash to avoid being shamed for not paying a 25% tip for fast food. Tipping is an excuse to not pay the employees and now it’s spinning out of control. I could go on all day about the decline in the standard of life and living in the US over the past 12 years. I don’t feel like I recognise the US anymore and certainly don’t identify as still being a citizen there. I’ve been in Australia for 25 years and will be renouncing my US citizenship once I get to the top of the long waiting list to do so. I can’t see myself ever living in the US again due to the great cultural and political divisions, the shift to the extreme right, the lack of womens’ rights and the absurd gun culture. The country I grew up in died a long time ago.

[@dee-smart]

I would have agreed with your comment about gun culture, but knowing what I know about the massive war we have been in with the cabal, and knowing our guns in Australia were taken in a false flag event, just before the mass invasion of muslims here, and in other countries because of the war to add to the cabal's plan to overtake the countries, I do worry that the guns are in the wrong hands now, getting ready for a civil war when the EBS happens and people start realising what has been going on and the banks and businesses start collapsing on them. I think we will need a gun very soon to protect our homes. If the US had gone our way earlier and citizens there gave up their guns, we would be all in internment FEMA camps or dead right now. The fact most of the US citizens own guns, well that has saved them and us so far.

[@TheRealMarxz]

@@dee-smart comedy gold

[@dee-smart]

@@TheRealMarxz Comedy gold for the normies, those that have cognitive dissonance and are still watching mainstream media run by the cabal- yeah I totally agree.

[@timfirth977]

@@dee-smart Down the rabbit hole...

[@adoreslaurel]

@@dee-smart Putting guns in our hands would result in mass slaughter {We do not have a gun culture, you cannot transfer a gun culture, thank God] that would make the Americans goggle eyed and exclaiming "And they say WE have a gun problem?"

[@debkendall]

Went to USA in the 70's and hardly noticed the tipping. Back in the 90's it was much more noticeable. and now oh boy makes everything so expensive

[@daus6035]

Plus add another 35% to every thing you buy over there because our dollar value is absolutely crap!

[@jamesharris9816]

50% actually.

[@bozzie83]

Im Australian. I’ve never visited the US but your story has culture shocked me.. i feel sorry to hear you didn’t feel the same going back to the US this time round… getting chased out of a restaurant and yelled at for not tipping enough, I can’t even imagine a staff member doing that. And the wiping of tables etc makes me feel grateful that we have the service we take for granted here. Thank you so much for sharing

[@Renegade841]

As an Aussie who worked in the service industry for 4 years, we're held to a very high standard of service as a result of the amount of competition there is in the industry. Independent restaurants, cafe's, coffee shops, taverns, etc. All of them want your patronage, and they want you to be a regular. Having a high standard of service entices customers to return, and continue spending money at the business. Wage plays a part in employee attitude, but it still comes down to that high standard of customer service.

[@chriskelly9476]

I worked in hospitality in the US (Aussie here) on a working holiday and hated it and didn't last long. I couldn't tolerate rudeness, especially at the wage I was being paid (around $2/hr at the time). In Australia, as someone has pointed out, there are often signs on cafe counters saying that abuse will not be tolerated, so I was used to abusive customers (not that there were many) being put in their place by the staff. That never happened in the US. You were still expected to serve a horrible customer with a smile on your face. I never put up with it. I'd tell customers off for rude/obnoxious behaviour and then of course they'd put in a complaint. My spineless manager never dealt with those customers, just caved and comped their meals and would then tell ME off for standing up for myself (or a colleague). Maybe this is why service in the US has gone downhill. I wouldn't want to do it for those wages either.

[@piratesmvp]

It's because there has been this long-standing principle in the US that "the customer is always right." This was fine in the old days when people actually treated employees with respect, but nowadays, everyone wants to take advantage of each other. Customers thus feel they can act however they want because they are "always right." It's time for companies to change that principle and start telling off customers that are rude, but the problem is that unless all restaurants and stores do it, it won't work unfortunately.

[@FarmerKen355]

America is broken. In Australia when I take my family out to dinner, I ask for a drink when we order appetizers and at the time we order our food I ask for a second drink WHEN the meal comes. If I get that I will tip handsomely. because that is exactly what I want. No drink, no tip. Just do your job. The tipping in USA is a symptom of a bigger problem. Just pay your staff, they should not have to beg to get paid. Once in Florida my mother took our family out to dinner and she tipped the server $150.00 but was chastised by the server because they did not feel it was adequate. I was shocked. Life in America is badly twisted, I would never want to live there, for the most part I don't even want to visit. By the way. I am American living in Australia now for over 30 years. I have a choice, I can live either place and I CHOOSE to live in Oz, The many friends that I still have back there all advise me to stay right where I am living rural Queensland where it is more like living in America but back in the 1950... but with cell phones and internet. I guess I am a country boy at heart and regardless if it is rural America or rural Queensland... I find rural Queensland my choice of a place to live. Now if we could just reduce the number of Australian Southerners moving from Melbourne or Sydney after selling their cashed up properties and moving to rural Queensland and thus jacking up the prices.... things would be more fair for the original Queenslanders. I have been told I still have my Yankee accent which I take a bit of offense to because I was born and raised south of the Mason Dixon line thus I am NOT a Damn Yankee but not quite a Reb either. What do you call rural Queenslander.... a Banana Bender? OK I will wear that with pride, although I am certain my American friends will have no idea about this name. Still better than a Crow Eater or a Cabbage Patcher or a Sandgroper. .. well that will dead set bend their brain and maybe even get their panties in a bunch. I am here by choice, not by chance, once asked if I would ever return to America, I asked ... Why. My children were born here, this is where our life is and I have seen the life in the USA and so thus I make an informed decision. I choose here. Australia is a great place to watch the insanity of the rest of the world from. Considering what has been going on, I love it here. I know my neighbors even though their home is many hundreds of meters away, we share phone numbers with each other and look out for each other. I know when they are not at home and watch if there is odd traffic in their driveway, we call each other if our dogs wander a bit more than normal, or their cow in in our yard. One neighbor has a peacock that does a walkabout and from time to time it will stroll by our house. We have well over a dozen Roo's that feed every evening in our back paddock as I keep the weeds mowed and thus promotes the growth of sweet grasses for the. In the morning the Kookaburra's swalk advising all the snakes that might want to venture out of hiding to not do so.. Twelve years ago a pair of wild duck decided to make our pond home, that year they had a dozen little ones, some stayed some left and it repeated year after year and now there are over two dozen that call our place home. They are not tame but they no longer fly away in fear but just waddle out of the way. It is a great place and a great life, but if you dont live here, welcome to visit as Queensland hospitality is legendary but if you biring your cashed up big city life to rural Queensland and drive up property prices we wont get angry but are just amazed at what you are doing to local prices. I get realtors knocking on our doors offering us four or five times the price (or more) we paid for our property. Fact is most properties around here sell and never get a for sale sign posted. Any way, welcome to Queensland.... well rural Queensland anyway. Been here over 30, think I will stay. I am harder to get rid of than a tic on a dog.

[@marionthompson3365]

Loved your Aussie slang usage. Dead set! 😂😂 Excellent. An addition to the names we are called by other states, must add cockroaches. Enjoyed your story too.

[@andrewgreaves56]

Sandgroper here. Australia would be a far better country politically in qld was sawn off and tipped into the sea. Lovely place but ruins politics for the rest of us 😂

[@debthomas2078]

I'm in my 50's and have never heard Crow Eater or a Cabbage Patcher or a Sandgroper. As Pauline said, Please Explain?

[@peterwilliamson9600]

​@debthomas2078 Crow eater is a South Australian, Sandgroper is a West Australian. Not sure about the Cabbage thing

[@rossawood5075]

Hi farmer Ken, absolutely agree, I am also on farm (Droughtmaster stud) in farming country , Scenic Rim, great neighbours, community and stunning scenery,

[@katieblackwater2233]

USA sounds really really awful 😞 As an Australian I'd never ever want to go to the USA - everything i see about it seems awful - apart from the beautiful landscapes - the landscapes are beautiful - but culturally it seems (to me anyway) really really nasty and harsh. Must be a huge relief to escape ❤

[@alliegal45]

I went once….that was enough

[@satihadadog5903]

Yeah I feel the same, and just too stressful

[@jamesc5801]

Extremely accurate comment. Landscapes probably the only reason I'd want to visit. Culture absolutely not. Although I'm sure there's a tonne of nice folks in the states.

[@pszczolka80]

Same. There are some places I'd like to visit and I have some relatives over there I'd like to see, but I've literally never heard anything about the US that would make me want to live there or spend much time there. It seems to me that the only people who move there are either from extremely poor countries (basically, the US is better than where they came from but that's a low bar to start with) or they're people who work in industries and come from backgrounds where they stand to make a lot of money in the US because everything is aimed at making privileged people more privileged.

[@Vaquix000]

As an Australian I'd love to go to (and live in) the USA. Nice accents, nice people. Never have to hear a bogan again, worse case scenario is I'll hear an annoying southern accent which is still godly compared to repulsive bogans.

[@billy4eyes512]

Whilst the US Government could pass laws to improve the minimum wage, it would appear that this is bridge too far... Tipping in Australia happens when you receive exceptional service. It's not an expectation. To be abused for not tipping when there is no service is appalling.

[@Pneumanon]

It isn't _not_ an expectation either. Plenty of waitstaff and bar staff (at least in Sydney) will give you the eftpos terminal with options for a tip and watch you in order to pressure you for a tip. Of course not everywhere does it, but many restaurants do. On a recent trip to Italy I noticed that the waitstaff there are often very conspicuous about not watching you while you conduct the transaction, and a tip is almost never prompted.

[@castorchua]

@@Pneumanon Ask them if there is an eftpos terminal with an Australian setting. I never tip, fuck that

[@Pneumanon]

@@castorchuaNeither do I

[@YeahNo]

@@PneumanonThe software used is usually American centred. Staff have no control over the software the company uses. The supermarket staff also watch you use the eftpos machine. They’re not expecting a tip are they? You’re projecting.

[@Pneumanon]

@@YeahNo Where are you from? Of course the business owners have control over the software and the settings it uses, and if that includes tip that is paid to staff then staff have an obvious incentive to pressure restaurant patrons into paying a tip.

[@sherrylovegood]

I’m Australian and I miss Vermont. I studied for awhile at Bennington College. It was the very first time I had seen snow fall. I remember it as such a magical place.

[@chadjcrase]

Well that's pretty close to a good country. 😃

[@lavalamp6410]

I visited Hawaii in 1991 and the one thing that stood out was the rudeness of the wait staff, compared to New Zealand. One time I went up to the bar, ordered a drink, got it and walked away with it, the waitress said in a very loud voice, there goes another one who didn't tip. I called back I paid for the drink, in full, what did she expect. I genuinely forgot because it is reflex, you order, pay, collect the drink and walk away, there isn't any tipping in NZ. Generally service was bad, even when I did remember to tip, those working there weren't very friendly, they very rarely smiled and the times I was at a restaurant the service was really bad. I was used to New Zealand service where people were very friendly and pleasant. I have been in Australia over 30 years now and the people here are very similar to NZ. I think there is no excuse not to pay staff a living wage, those restaurant owners should face criminal charges in my opinion for not paying their workers a decent wage, I also don't understand why anyone would work for them.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

Hawaii is not exactly one of our socially pleasant states. I know the US, more or less, did to Hawaii in the 1890s what Russia did to Crimea more recently, but Hawaiian residents paradoxically hate tourists and kinda wish that they'd all go away. To be fair, mainland American tourists (who are most of their tourists) can be jackasses. The scenery's spectacular, but so are many other places around the world. By the way, I love Australia, and love New Zealand even more.

[@alanb9337]

There is tipping in NZ, from what I understand, more prevalent in the inner city areas of the main centres and NZ tourist towns. NZ Tourist towns are expensive (relative to their wages) for service staff in rent etc in or commute to from towns/ villages outside.

[@jdb9388]

@@alanb9337Villages???? what is this Vietnam? lol theres no villages in New Zealand, and just like Australia we don't tip we expect the owner of the restaurant to be responsible for the employees wages

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

@@alanb9337people can tip in NZ & Australia if they want to buy it’s not required & usually only done when you receive exceptional service

[@KanyeKetchup]

You knew before you went there you tip d head 😂

[@chrissimpson9981]

Hi Ash - Welcome back. I’m looking forward to seeing why you are in Canberra. I used to live there for 20 years - now in Brisbane. I guess you can now see why the tipping culture is such a shock for Aussies visiting the U.S. I have been to the USA 10 times and always struggle with it. Who to tip, when, how much, etc - if 18% do you do it exact or round up (and I still don’t know the answer to that). You always seem to have your hand in your pocket - what for - and actual prices don’t seem to mean anything. And the US is already expensive enough when you go there with AU dollars. It really is an art and if you don’t grow up with it it’s difficult to figure out. It seems like you are becoming more Aussie now, and are seeing some things from our perspective - which is great. Love your blogs - all the best.

[@crispy5000]

As an Aussie, when I watch American tv shows and see the size of some of the coffee cups or mugs the actors are drinking out of some of them look as big as small bowls !

[@davideriolhickman876]

As an English migrant here for 50 years, I have never and will never 'tip'. I pay the price asked. This is the English way

[@Trebor74]

I'm English and I only tip at 1 restaurant. My wife is disabled and the restaurant is always friendly and goes out of its way to be friendly to my wife and her service dog. The last time we went the manager only noticed her service dog when we had paid and leaving. He profusely apologized,asked if he was allowed a sausage then rushed to the kitchen to get him one and cut it up for him. I tip them every visit.

[@davideriolhickman876]

@@Trebor74 an exception to the rule for personal reasons is acceptable. But as a rule I pay the asked price. I don't haggle or tip. That is my cultural tradition. Where I come from it would be an affront to be expected to pay More than the asked price.

[@fishmut]

Yes well said mate I don’t tip ether , the service this lady got in America and their attitude sais to me why would you tip them , do they realise customers won’t come back that pay them there wages they work for , glad I’m born Australian , I won’t go to America and if I did I’m not tipping for a crap service on top of what you just paid for, that’s insane to me. Pay better wages and give people a great service and tipping is not required , very simple.

[@jarrahgreensill2752]

This is completely opening my eyes, you have to tip AND get your own drinks AND clean up??? What the actual heck I've never once in my life heard of this. We truly are so lucky here in Australia.

[@janetharnwell7221]

Hello Ashleigh, Just found your video randomly and very happy for it. You are so sweet and I want you to know that you are welcome here in Australia and it’s now your home too! All the very best for future endeavours. Cheers, Janet.

[@HenriHattar]

i HAVE noticed average Australians in the street are actually NICE, it is the ONLY country in the world that does NOT have net migration to the USA. That means Australians PREFER it inAustralia.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

Damn right we do ❤

[@adamslaney5638]

Straya, no better place to live!

[@lois3444]

Well of course we prefer Australia! No brainer, lol

[@BonnieVincent]

not all.

[@HenriHattar]

@@BonnieVincent According to stats, and THEY don't lie.....YES!

[@rb-pk8ds]

Born in the USA, moved here to AUS 30+ years ago ... tipping, the visual prevalence of guns & flags, so much fructose corn syrup ... we try to make our visits in late November to soak up all the cold and the holiday cheer and the decorations ... then we get home in time for Carols by Candlelight :-)

[@Pushing_Pixels]

It's bizarre that the US government granted the restaurant and service industries an exemption to paying minimum wage. They are, as far as I know, the only industry that gets this exemption. If Americans want to fix their out-of-control tipping culture, lobby your government to end the exemptions. The fact that you are pressured to tip at a self-serve checkout just shows how insane it has become, as now the employers themselves are exploiting this sense of obligation to fleece customers, without even bothering to employ someone. As for the poor standards of service, it seems like it fits the pattern of a "cycle of abuse", where a person on the receiving end of abusive treatment will then pass that on to other people. If an employee is treated like crap by their employer (say, by not paying them a reliable wage), then they won't care about the business or its customers at all. On some level they probably hope the business fails, and that comes out in their work behaviour. This happens everywhere with bad employers and managers, not just America, but I can see how it could become the norm in an inherently exploitative industry. On the surface, it would seem that chasing tips to survive would be an incentive against that kind of thing, but if tipping is culturally mandated then it doesn't really work that way. I would be interested to know if service standards have fallen across all industries, or whether it's more of an issue specific to industries where there's less security in terms of pay rates and benefits.

[@MegamixCentral]

Aussie born here with annual family holidays to Los Angeles since I was 2 years old. I went back to Los Angeles after having not been for about 10 years just this year and I did notice not only is the tipping culture way more aggressive, but all of a sudden America is like double the price of Australia! We used to go over there and consider the food to be cheap and the fun activities to be cheaper, but now it's like we're paying double. If not three times the price of what you would get in Australia! The food was the same quality and the service was the same quality except we were paying double if not triple for food and accommodation and a lot of that has to do with the extra little taxes and the fact that you have to tip almost a minimum of 20% these days, especially when they make it so easy with the little iPad screens.

[@lindarichardson3020]

I love that you get Australia. Check out the song "I still call Australia home". Being Australian means: if you can - you do; please and thank are free; random acts of kindness are valued; volunteering is part of your social contract...

[@shadout]

First time I went to the US was 24 years ago. When I came back the GST was introduced and people were freaking out about it. I was saying - hey, at least it requires that the GST is built in the advertised price. I spent months getting used to not really knowing how much I was spending until it was time to hand over the cash thanks to taxes and tipping. It made me appreciate paying what is quoted and nothing more.

[@plodimsocks]

It is often the case that, having lived in Aus now for a while, you can no longer ignore things that seemed simply normal. It happened to a family friend from Chicago, that when she went back to visit family, she called her husband in tears over how she was being treated, and his response was ‘yeah, that’s how you’ve always described your home town.’ She simply hadn’t realised what it felt like when you’d experienced something better. Now, we aren’t the best at all communication and and general niceties, but from my limited experience, new immigrants are always delighted to be acknowledged when you say good morning as a register operator.

[@KC-gu6bi]

I'm a US citizen living in Australia. You are spot on about the tipping and service in the US. I was really surprised when I went home in February. I found people to be sort of disconnected more so than before. The US has it all backwards. I feel like it's a real treat to have a $5 or $6 chai if I get to sit down, enjoy it and not have to worry about a tip. I don't mind paying more when I know the server is not worrying about not getting paid well.

[@coffeeenut]

it’s crazy!

[@DanielBatt]

I had a big argument at Disneyland when I said that the whole tipping culture was corrupt. The barman wasn't happy. I said, "Look, I'd love to reward good service, but doing so, because management won't pay you what you are worth, feels like it's not me that's being extorted, it's you. You okay with that? The answer was obvious. When my son and I ended in a Chelsea bar steakhouse, I asked the waiter how he got paid. He said he just worked for tips, even though he could guide someone around the best cuts of meat that would grant him $45 an hour here in Australia. I kinda felt like being part of his exploitation, and part of doing nothing to get him out of this 'servitude', for want of a better term.

[@courtneylees9133]

Ok. As an Aussie who has lived in the US for a short period the idea that you have to tip, as in, it's an unspoken mandatory thing irks me so much. For one, I have been chased down the street being told I didn't pay my bill and they were stumped when I said no, that's your tip because it was an incredibly poor meal and the pace of service was so bad and just overall lacklustre that I ended up anxious as a solo young female traveller for my safety. The next thing is the overt fake aspect of interaction. There's a certain type of put on personality that a lot of service staff will adopt that screams creepy and "I'm only being nice to you for your money" when in Aus it's much more relaxed generally because we aren't solely relying on the customer to pay our way. The constant hovering and pestering too. Like no, you don't need to check how I'm enjoying my meal because if there was an issue you'd know about it.

[@TerraChild1978]

So I'm an Aussie, I lived in the States for a year back in 2003, and went back on holiday in 2018. It really did feel very different. Be it some where like Macca's to a fancy restaurant. 03 general CX service was far superior for the lower cost places. The upper class, they now feel less like service and more like a security team watching with how they stand over you. The other thing, I was going back and forth between the US and Canada at the time. 03, you did not really feel a difference in the patriotism between the countries. The US was very much, "aren't we lucky, we're the best!" . When I went back in 2018, the patriotism felt far more aggressive, and angry. Less "we're the best!" And more "flip the rest of the world". I won't even get into the idea that tourists should should agree politically that seems to have come about since Trump. So weird!

[@ctay237]

Proud Aussie here - I love that we don’t have a mandated tipping culture. Our wages are paid in consideration of cost of living and minimum standards. That said, if I receive exceptional service, particularly in a fine dining setting, it’s wonderful to be able to offer a small tip as a ‘bonus’ for the efforts of staff. No expectations generally though, and usually gratefully received.

[@doubledee9675]

Born and bred in a suburb of Sydney. We've been to the US 3 times, and the need to tip has always been such a shock. It's now almost at the stage where you need to tip the driver and guard of an ordinary subway train.

[@JohnLee-pt5jz]

I have been to America a couple of times everyone excepts a tip.😊

[@RE101213]

I've tried tipping at a few places in Australia and have actually been told by the employees that they are not allowed to accept tips!

[@floriaaemilia52]

Good. Treating customers well is a normal part of the job description, not a special added service. Also I've found that if you want employees to be rewarded, leaving a review where you name that person, or writing to the owner/company complimenting that staff member, has a much more significant lasting effect both in terms of them possibly being officially rewarded by their employer and their job position being more secure.

[@bravemac8612]

I love how different your language has been lol. I am from CT and am living in Melbourne for almost 8 years. I will say it usually takes us Americans at least 2 yrs to see how much better it is here. Don’t get me wrong I love home but this is HOME!!!

[@BeBeXGen]

So happy you've become more aware of why Aussies find American tipping culture so nuts! I resent having to tip the cashier at a convenience store where I"m buying a packet of mints. Seriously - that's insane.

[@coffeeenut]

it’s so crazy!

[@lara6873]

I also spent four years of my childhood in the US and returned as an adult to visit. Everything you’ve said rings true. Personally I hate the tipping system- a higher minimum wage should be enforced like it is here so that only exceptional service has the option of being tipped. I felt like I was paying for people to be nice to me and it felt really insincere and also having to do maths at the end of a meal is annoying! I bought a martini at a bar which was $20 usd (way over priced for us) and gave the bartender $50 usd thinking I’d get change and tip later but he just kept all the money! I was too confused at the time to do anything and because it was so busy I couldn’t follow it up. Also had a ‘small’ pizza at rainforest cafe in Vegas that is equivalent to our family size 😂 so sad because one of the best things about America was that people used to be genuinely positive and optimistic - that seems to have changed on the whole. 😢

[@dasta7658]

(Live in Australia) When my daughter was 15, her school did a trip to Canada and then the US. All the kids were excited about going to the US not so much for Canada. When they returned they loved Canada way more than the US. Leaving Vancouver they drove across the US border into Seattle. She said all the US border staff were extremely rude considering it was a tour bus filled with well behaved school kids and teachers. She said Seattle was like being in a freaky dream where nothing made sense and people were either creepy, aggressive or rude. They travelled down the west coast and one of their activities was to cycle across the Golden Gate bridge. She wasn't a bike kind of kid and struggled. She said all the Americans were rude about it and no one helped her whereas in Canada the locals would make jokes and helped her out. When they hit LA they went to some well known shopping spot and many went to buy shoes. She said the staff were really rude, wouldn't give them the time of day when wanting to try on shoes and then expected to be tipped after paying for the shoes. I get they probably have teenagers window shopping all the time, but there is no excuse for bad customer service. I don't know if this helps validate what you experienced.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

Seattle and SF are two of our very worst cities socially. LA can be very pretentious in certain neighborhoods. I wish I could say that I'm surprised, but I'm not. I'm sorry that your daughter had to experience all that. I'll bet her cohort would've had a better experience in some place like Chicago or the Rocky Mountains.

[@dasta7658]

@@fromrighttoleft8328 That would make sense then, they thought it was because they were teenagers & tourists.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

@@dasta7658 West Coast cities have also had some serious issues with rowdy, crime-committing teenagers. As a result, patience has worn thin with many of the locals. Local district attorneys have been very weak on prosecuting, even basically tying cops' hands behind their backs (an overreaction to a few cops being way too violent). Crazy as it sounds, it almost becomes a matter of proving that you're a good soul minding your business - and, if you're quickly passing through, you don't have time to prove that you're not a stereotype.

[@magnetictheory]

Aussie here. Lived in LA for two years way back in the naughties and while the tipping culture was an obvious cultural adjustment, service was great back then. Servers were generally more polite and helpful than what I was accustomed to, and because they depended on tipping it encouraged a friendly attitude. Might seem fake, but when you're doing it for a living it does attract certain types of personalities that are comfortable talking with customers. Had some great conversations with servers. Went back recently and it's nothing like I remembered. There's tipping for self service! If anything stores should tip the customer for helping themselves. Here's 10% for packing your own bag we just charged you 10% for. There's this presumed entitlement like you're expected to tip just for being there. On top of not including sales tax I had to adjust to all over again, that really did my head in.

[@davidlloyd7597]

Compulsory tipping seems outrageous for self service, and a rip off

[@robynmurray7421]

7:45 In Australia, it's not uncommon to see signs at businesses, especially retail and hospitality businesses, reminding customers to be polite to the staff. While it's sad that customers have to be reminded to be nice, it's good to see businesses standing up for their staff and admitting that the customer is not always right. Also, when ordering at a business, Australians usually say please and thank you, not just "I'll have", "I'll take", or "give me..." which is horrible.

[@fromrighttoleft8328]

Fully agree on all points. Also, I admit, I used to be one of the many Americans who would thoughtlessly say "I'll have" or "gimme." Before the pandemic, I took a lot of trips to Australia, New Zealand, and east Asia. Pretty quickly, I realized that the Americans who begin an interaction with "may I have..." and end with "please" and "thank you," were *far better* received by the locals. I have since become more conscientious and incorporated that into my daily routine.

[@geishanguy]

Yes, this is so true! And it's not just in the service industry either. It's just a real cultural difference that I've had to work on with my (American) partner. We come from the British way of using many pleasantries and being a lot more indirect, rather than just directly asking for what we want. Most Aussies and Brits would say something like "would you mind passing the salt please?", whereas most Americans (in my observation) just say "pass the salt", then they might say thanks or they might not. And if this is what you grew up with, it obviously doesn't seem rude. But for me it's been a shock! My friends had a lot to say about my partner's manners when he moved here, and I've had to really teach him how to be polite in Australian culture, whereas he's had to teach me not to take offence so much with his friends.

[@MickH60]

@@geishanguy I don't get your post at all, polite is polite in every country in the world, it doesn't matter where you come from, if it's not second nature to be polite then collectively , as Americans, you've let your standards fall , and it makes you sound like entitled twats. This is what happens when you've been led to believe that Americans are superior to everyone else, only to go overseas and realise that its all a lie.....

[@tonydoggett7627]

The Covid period caused many outbursts to staff for just doing their job. Hence the signs.

[@chrisnewtownnsw]

interesting topic. I'm from Sydney and I visited the West coast of America and I had an absolutely amazing time but I've gotta say the tipping thing stressed me out. Never knowing if I had given enough or too much. The stress of thinking "did I tip that tour guide adequately or do they secretly resent me for not tipping enough". Besides that I had such a great time being with the Americans.

[@coffeeenut]

yes! people can have lots of resentment too

[@salipullar544]

Smaller population here. And Australians only tip if they want to . Plus better wages here

[@davideriolhickman876]

Also, Australian service culture is the direct descendent of English culture. The English do not as a rule tip. We stand in line and pay the full price and say please and thankyou. Tipping is mercenary in way the English would rarely be...

[@fc7424]

Population size has nothing to do with tipping

[@stevehewlett67]

Double the wages Here

[@davidlean8674]

@@stevehewlett67 Not the point. If part of your wages are incentivised by profit, you should have a target & bonus scale defined too. In USA, the business transfers most of the risk to the employee. If they decide to stay open at a time where there are few customers, their wage bill is negligible. The employee just works for nothing. As they have no one to beg from. In contrast, if the business needs to consider wages, they would consider the market opportunity correctly & not open.

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

@@stevehewlett67closer to triple in the service industry. $30 causal here which is $20 US, I think US min is $7 something so nearly triple the pay here. I think there’s even a $2 something min if they are somewhere where tipping is good and above a certain amount. That’s nuts. Do a good job you don’t actually earn more?

[@shegocrazy]

One of my kids owns a Cafe in hobart. Customer service is #1. Always acknowledge a customer even if you are busy serving someone else. It might just be a nod or a smile but it makes all the difference. Full table service of course and no tips expected.

[@coffeeenut]

so true! goes a long way

[@MrKirby2367]

Australian living in Australia re tipping that’s a hard no. I go into a shop to purchase an item or service I’m not obliged to go into that shop, I’m employing that shop to provide me the service. I’m absolutely not going to help the shop owner by subsidising his payroll by tipping. You are employed by the shop not me. If the owner doesn’t pay you enough that’s between you and the shop owner. I will not make up any short fall in the wages of the employee. Absolutely ridiculous.

[@crustydownunder]

As an Aussie, the whole tipping thing is disgusting. It supposed to be a tip, not a charge. In Australia, if we don't get good service, or the staff are rude, we don't go there any more, and everybody knows that. Yes, some drongos do tip in Australia, but thank God it's not a thing here.

[@coffeeenut]

so fair!!

[@TheRealMarxz]

tipping annoys the hell out of me but when I go to a restaurant with a large group either friends, family, or co worker in the old days of cash we'd often round up the bill to the next even $10 as "a tip" but reality it was more that it just cut the BS having to collect coins from people and divvying back any coins in the change . Now days we just round everybody's order up to the next dollar, one person pays that total with the extra as a tip (usually under $10) then everybody transferes the rounded up amount to the person who paid

[@floriaaemilia52]

Exactly, staff should not need to rely on tips to pay their bills, and the consequence if staff don't offer good customer service is that you lose the customer (and if they are casual they might have their hours cut in favour of a staff member who is better with customers) not that you don't get tipped enough. So good (though not over-the-top) customer service is expected as just part of the product being sold, not as an add-on to the product price. I'd rather staff just be paid well (even if it means the product is sold at a higher price), than support the expectation that tipping is ever required here.

[@Helena-ou8ry]

Drive through ATM’s freaked me out, why would you not get out of the car to go to the bank. The lack of people walking everywhere, the American’s where horrified when we were going to walk 5 blocks to the shops, they were like “are you to broke to afford a car “ and we are looking at them like freaks going no where just not fucking lazy

[@MojoMaddison]

Serious question, but isn't walking in the US dangerous? Won't they shoot you if you go near their property or a cop stop you for being suspicious?

[@jamesfrench7299]

Real freedom.

[@coujo65]

The desolate inner cities and towns. Car park madness.

[@bwana-ma-coo-bah425]

they also have drive through viewings at funeral parlours too.

[@UltimateGattai]

​@@MojoMaddisonI'm not American, but I feel like that is kinda a thing. But I've also read that everything is more spread out in the US, whereas in Australia, it's a large country too, but everything is relatively close together. I can go to a movie, do my grocery shopping, visit various apparel/book/game/whatever stores all in the same shopping centre, or at least, all within relatively short walking distance. I don't think you can do that in the US.

[@sandramarc4858]

I am Australian..years ago visiting Hawaii my husband and I had dinner out and left what we thought was a decent tip. As we walked out the waiter chased us downstairs screaming that it was not enough..everyone watching! We were so embarassed..my husband handed him some more money and we left..we didnt want to eat out after that!

[@ozzesty7314]

I've never been to the USA. But as an aussie, we generally do not tip unless you get exceptional service. Workers get paid quite well, and restaurants have a surcharge for weekends and public holidays.

[@bob2shred894]

I moved to Oz in the late 90s. I ended up having a long period away from travel from 2011 to 2023. I was in shock how the Tipping was so out of control. I went to a dunkins in Boston and they expected a tip. I was in awe. I went to a hardware store with my dad and a guy helped us bring some stuff to the truck and he expected a tip. It's over the top now

[@supergran62]

I was in Chicago in 2017. It was crazy. I had no idea what was doing with tipping.

[@kappy-nf6uh]

Having lived in Asia, Europe, the US and now Australia, I never quite understood why service workers in the US are so underpaid and therefore so dependent on tips. It's up to the employer to pay fair wages. But I will say that I did experience reverse culture shock upon returning to Australia after living in Japan for eight years. But that's another story for another day.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Let me guess, lack of manners and poor public discourse?

[@mutualbeard]

My son spent a year in Japan as an exchange student. His culture shock was coming home. I recall him telling me about how one of his friends asked him if could now speak Asian. It was a year well spent.

[@pszczolka80]

I briefly lived in Japan and experienced the opposite of this girl's culture shock, in that tipping was not allowed (this was a while ago, things might have changed). I'm in the habit of tipping for exceptional service and I was also chased down the block by a waiter... to give me my tip back! It was explained to me later by a friend that it's considered an affront to the establishment because you're suggesting that they don't pay their staff properly and that a waiter accepting a tip would be insulting their employer.

[@davidlloyd7597]

​@@pszczolka80I now live in Western Australia but grew up in New Zealand and a lot of Kiwis in the service industry there would hand tips back. I know. As a student, I worked in a Cafe. Kiwis never tipped but Americans did and most staff there handed it back. This was in the mid 70s

[@RAF286]

My last trip to the USA left me thinking that the tipping has lost its focus. It is now just an "add on" and has nothing to do with the level of service given.

[@coffeeenut]

so true!

[@deancarbery3766]

It’s so nice to hear how much you appreciate our country and happy you’re here 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺👍👍👍👍👍

[@pauld8869]

I agree with you about the tipping. As you say it used to be 10% was pretty standard in the US, Canada and even UK. But if it is expected now to get up to 30% on top of the bill that gets pretty exy, especially if you are NOT getting the service. Its an "I expect to get the tip" Even if I dont give you service! That would be taking the Pee.

[@miniveedub]

Quite a few of the US bloggers and reactors I’ve watched have commented on how out of control tipping has become . You’re not alone in noticing it.

[@alternate1868]

I am so happy to be Australian Zero ambition to visit the US

[@iancomputerscomputerrepair8944]

This is my first of your videos I have seen as your video appeared on my feed. I have visited Australia 4 times and I think Australia is fantastic. I am from the UK. Here in the UK you only tip if you want to and you consider the service a good service. I have just come back from Tasmania. I am now going to watch your other videos.

[@bogglesmymind]

Yep, I experienced the "Customer Service" first hand a few years ago when I did a trip to the US a few years ago. Was supposed to be there for 3 weeks but after 11 days, I changed my flight and just wanted out of there asap - the service there was atrocious. It was like there was no "service" in their Customer Service. Even flying on one of their national airlines, the aircraft was left dirty and unserviced, the hostesses looked exhausted and dishevelled, asking for assistance in a shopping centre to find products, the person muttered something and walked off etc etc which was a shame because I really wanted to enjoy my time there but as soon it wasn't to be but as I was on my Qantas flight, I felt comfortable again - it was a weird feeling. Actually, my best experience was at a quiet bar in NY just up from the M&M / Hershey store by Times Square and the waitress was there amazing but overall, the service was underwhelming. In reflection, I've come to realise a possible reason for the service and don't put it down to the staff per se... might go back one day and fi I do, I'll definitely go back to that bar again...

[@toddrowlands2002]

Yeah g'day, Welcome home, we ALL missed you. I have noticed that in some cafes here the tip jars and signs are getting bigger on the counter asking for tips. Which is hard now considering we are becoming a more of a cashless society.

[@coffeeenut]

thank you!

[@floriaaemilia52]

I'm determined to ignore those signs and so far have not noticed any negative consequences for doing so. I do not want Australia to become like the US. I'd rather pay whatever price is advertised, even if significantly higher, than have to work out what the right tip is. And it turns out according to this video tipping doesn't result in better customer service. Which doesn't surprise me - in Australia if you don't do your best in serving customers, you risk not keeping your job (either you're casual and your hours will be cut in favour of those staff who offer better customer service, or your boss will start looking for any instant-dismissal-worthy reason to get rid of you). Trying to offer good customer service is a way of keeping your job secure and increasing your odds of promotion, and being nicer to customers generally lowers the odds of them being aggressive to you.

[@Robochop-vz3qm]

Aussie here. Lived in the States for years but been back in Australia 20 years. Worked in the awful service industry in the States, if they paid employees properly then workers wouldn't have to be rude and expect tips. Everywhere u go u have your hand in your pocket, or rather they're in yours... Painful, awful place. " have to pay for the room in advance do ya"? - Michael J Crocodile Dundee " your in my town now trust me" - Sue Charlton, Newsday. About accurate.

[@theadventuresofzoomandbettie]

re service levels linked to tipping. americans whenever tipping comes up often believe that their system where you get better service there because of the tipping culture is really out of line. sure we went places that gave decent service, but it wasn't any better to the decent service we get at home back in australia. they seem to think if there was no pay linked directly to how the customer felt treated, that the servers wouldn't do a good job - where I believe knowing you're getting a good wage no matter what, leads to people being genuinely happier at work. the service we received often felt fake/forced when we were in the usa, which we don't get back home. We were there in 2019, just before the pandemic, and it only seems worse now from what we hear with the tipping levels, and to us it already felt out of control!

[@garryrichardson4572]

Hello from Tasmania. I live in a little town called Bracknell which is 20 minutes from Launceston. This makes me want to go to California to set up an Australian themed café. It would be fun seeing positive responses to Australian politeness and courtesy. ( getting all staff to talk like the late Steve Erwin)😂. Paying the staff a living wage and refusing tips. If you get back to Tasmania would you visit Christmas hill ice creamery and Ashgrove which is 5 minutes up the road?

[@floriaaemilia52]

This is a great idea and I think it would be super popular. Do it!

[@selinatakerei2392]

I really wish people would stand up and say something when they see staff being abused. The amount of times I’ve had to stand up to a guy twice my size (I’m a skinny little woman) because everyone else is staring at the floor absolutely astounds me. I’ve been threatened by a man while defending an old guy behind the counter at the post office, and nobody said a damn thing. He even waited out the front with his chest all pumped up waiting to hit me just like he’d threatened. The man I defended is the only one who cared about my safety. Why do people stand by and ignore 16 year olds being abused by 30, 40, 50 year olds? 70 year old abused by 30, 40 year olds? I don’t care what country you’re in, that is not acceptable behaviour for an adult. For anyone, but for a fully grown, middle aged, likely a parent or aunt/uncle, adult… it’s horrendous that it is so common. But it’s all the more sickening because 99% of the population stands by and pretends it isn’t happening because they don’t want to get involved. Want the world to be a better place? It takes involvement. People have their heads stuck so far up the arses of birds and bees they forgot about the flies and honey.

[@davidlloyd7597]

I can't say I've ever seen this happening

[@laxota72]

I tend to tip 10% in Aus and most staff are overjoyed/shocked . USA last time I had several servers that were crap and expecting 20 PER CENT. Didn’t have one that was grateful Having said that every times this month in South Africa and one woman I tipped 10 bucks Aus which is about 1100 rand on a 100 Aud 10000 rand bill and they lady cried and thanked us for helping her family so much😢 puts it in context. Having said that it is super difficult to achieve paying for anything dining with Afrikaans ppl when visiting so I kept tipping lots more on the side

[@grekiely6245]

Thanks for the New England visit :) Had three years in Canberra during the early '90, big country town and good to get around - thanks to the Designer, WBG.

[@rodpope7838]

Canberra is a great place as well - lots to see and do if you know where to look. Please please please take the time to visit the Australian War Memorial!

[@coffeeenut]

thank you!!

[@petergale9200]

When people compare prices USA to Aust, they need to add the ( almost compulsory ) 20% tip, and the “ plus taxes “ ( ? 5-10 % ) . In Aust, the price on the menu is the price that you pay. In USA the service by waiters can be over the top, whereas it is attentive but respectful.

[@simob7862]

I visited the US a few times for Uni, the first time I went was in the late 90s and it was generally okay, on my return trip in 2017 I noticed that even then the pay in the catering and service industry was awful. The people that served us in the hotel said the same things that they worked for tips, and long hours. When I showed them the base wage of barperson and the penalties for working nightshift and public holidays or weekends they were very shocked. I actually got a message from the two ladies who were thinking of doing a year in Australia at the ANU and ACU both in Canberra doing Nursing. One live in the UK and the other lives in Melbourne married an Australian have 2 kids

[@Adicteknologies]

I work at food works, I don't have to greet the customers that walk in but I do being nice isn't hard and it also kinda make life alot easier for everyone including yourself really :)

[@Amanda-uc5jq]

Our service staff do get a minimum of nearly $30 an hour if they are casual (which most are) which is about $20US which is what? About 3 times the min wage in the US, I would guess that and the fact that most places will not accept a customer screaming at staff for any reason makes for a more pleasant job & therefore you get better service?

[@ooohnooo8029]

Please, please.... the company's just need to pay their employees a fair 'basic' wage... that any worker deserves for the job they're doing.. Then no one feels uncomfortable about level of service, how much to tip etc. Its all standardised and if not.... Complain to the manager. Pay people what they deserve. 💜💜

[@ricecrash5225]

As an Aussie who visited the US the tipping was hard to fathom. Also the level of homelessness, the number of police and how poor the infrastructure was. I’ll just say I was glad to come home.

[@colleenmccarthy6145]

Thank you for saying so many nice things about Australia. Your city looked amazing with all the snow. I hope to visit USA one day.

[@Helena-ou8ry]

I have always found the service better in Australia than the USA, but both better than the UK

[@techo61]

Here's a 'tip' Ashleigh, when tipping is set as a percentage of the bill, then inflation is already factored in by the same percentage, price goes up, so does the tip as a percentage of those price rises. The unfortunate cultural differences are that Australians 'tip' with our repeat business whereas it is apparent the US service industry places no value on repeat business (proved by you being chased across the street). I was fortunate with my several trips to the US in the '80s and 90s, all I needed to say was two words and all service workers excused me from tipping. What surprised me in the last century was the fact that US service workers understood tipping wasn't a global thing. Perhaps their wages have become significantly worse. Oh, about the rec carpet thingy, come to Sydney and my wife and I will roll out the carpet, all the way up to the bar...

[@ZootZinBootZ]

I grew up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney but currently living inland - I'm used to a lot of different things to this slower pace but im sure international differences would be out of this world fir you ... the culture shocks are wherever you go. Enjoy everyone ❤ Burlington coats !! Vermont marble - you come from beautiful places so to love Australia like you do is a very special thing ❤️

[@cherylhmackie]

Yes I had culture shock moving from Southern Adelaide to Western Sydney. It took years for me to get use to it. Have been here 10 years and I still have trouble. It just goes so fast pace.

[@ZootZinBootZ]

@@cherylhmackie hehehe aa an Oxford Street native from Paddington to go beyond Parramatta puts me in slow motion - it's really funny - time stands still for me by the time I'm past Bathurst 😄

[@micheledix2616]

Welcome back Ashleigh. Enjoy Canberra, love the waymyoumsay Canberra correctly❤

[@take.action2023]

I work in hospo industry in Australia and I hate tipping culture in the US. I really hope it’s not going to happen here.

[@keithmitchell3282]

Australians always follow what happens in America ( tay tay CRINGE) but dont let this tipping thing take hold here ,staff are paid enough in Australia (welcome home)

[@lillyjozinovic]

Omg Keith ! U know that us Aussies are being paid enough , seriously ?? That's why we Aussies don't follow fools like you.

[@barnowl.]

Australia/ns DOES/ DO NOT ALWAYS follow what happend/s in America. We are our own country with our own history and culture. Australians are far more forward thinking in so many ways !

[@SenorNavel]

​@@barnowl. Unfortunately this trans gender identity crap seeped through into Australia.

[@wyzolma99]

​Unfortunately some aspects of Australian culture are heavily influenced by American ideas.

[@IssyKew]

I've managed and worked in an Australian cafe for 20 years - we have a policy of refusing tips, or if a customer insists, we donate it to a local charity. As a result, our customer service experience is just really genuine and we see this reflected in how our customers treat us. I think it's so un-Australian to tip, I just don't want any part of it. I do think what is underpinning it is that Australians do not see service staff as lower class at all. We have extremely wealthy and very poor customers and both groups treat our staff as their equals. Another thing I absolutely hate is this relatively recent trend to start calling us Mam & Sir!! Had never had one customer ever say it until about 10 years ago - I've thought about it a lot and the subconscious reason I think Australians never did it (and don't like it) is because it implies a hierarchy in status and at the same time is sort of mocking. We only use Sir & Mam to people like teachers or older people where there is a clear hierarchical structure of elevated respect. I have also seen a recent trend in some foreign customers making a point to treat service staff as if we are low status (won't look us in the eye, won't engage, make a point of making an over the top mess for us to clean up) - it's obvious that where they are from, treating service staff as equals could potentially reduce their status so they don't - From an Australian's point of view it just makes them look really insecure. I've found Indian women especially to be like this but the longer they are here, the more they lose it thankfully.

[@saltlight5689]

You’re in Canberra? My home town!!! Hope we are treating you well 😊

[@coffeeenut]

thank you!

[@phunk8607]

Well only if she stay north side…

[@edwardleecaliforniausa]

Hi Ashley happy Friday night and I hope you having amazing day today and I loved your vlogs and you are amazing Supporter

[@mangotree7346]

WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA 🇦🇺 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 The best country in the world 🌎

[@garyspeed8961]

No ,, a great country but after 20 years living in Vietnam.... its better :)

[@earlr9381]

I have an issue Tipping when its not truly Optional and its not on the Menu Price list upfront with the Tax.

[@coffeeenut]

most of the time now it’s not optional :/

[@tallylol-bd1yk]

Gosh, as an Australian, I'm sorry to hear the things you experienced in your home country. I think it sucks that customers are guilt-tripped and pressured to tip more just because the employees are underpaid... It doesn't seem right...