Tipping in Restaurants

Aveline

Dickens I assume your post was aimed at American grans? Staff here are paid a living wage (at least and sometimes more) and don't rely on tips. However, they're human too so a little extra is always helpful.

It was in response to Daisymae and the episode with her brother in the USA.

Sorry, I should have made it clear.

I know staff are paid a minimum - at least - wage here. And I always tip. But I'm against it in principle.

It is a job. The staff should be paid a reasonable wage like any other profession and not have to rely on the generosity of others. It is a bit like having to beg for your wages.

Some restaurants include gratuities as part of the bill, and the money does not go to the waitress but into a pot where everyone takes a percentage. Sounds as though someone behind the scenes had told her to ask for the money.

I have never heard of that happening but I did witness a scene in a hotel dining room where a waitress who was leaving had been given a large cash tip 'to thank you for all the times you have looked after us so well'. The dining room manager demanded she gave it up, apparently staff policy, and a very loud tearful row ensued; she refused and I heard they docked the amount from her final pay packet.
When the Head waiter's wife was giving birth we gave him a Mothercare voucher, privately, to ensure the same thing didn't happen. It isn't the customers' duty to supplement staff wages, or make it up to the kitchen staff because they don't receive tips.

Judy54

We had a meal in a pub restaurant recently, the couple on the table next to us were just about to leave and the Waitress started haranguing them for not leaving a tip. She was really quite rude and we felt sorry for the couple who looked rather sheepish and just got up and walked out. We normally leave a tip and I know that some places have a service charge but to be challenged in that way in front of other Diners was not only awful but terrible to watch. If it was me I would have asked to see the Manager and made a complaint. How would you have dealt with it?

I don't believe this happened, and if it did, not in the UK.

Many UK restaurants use the 'Tronc' system where all tips are shared equally among the staff. I was interested recently to see in a job advert for waiting staff at an upmarket chain that pay was at a good hourly rate and staff could expect a minimum of £6000 in tips per annum on top of salary!

GagaJo, so you think that Judy54 is not telling the truth?
If I had experienced this from a waitress/waiter, I would have summoned the Manager. Usually, if a service charge is included in the bill, I would not leave a tip, unless the waiting staff were exceptional.

Patsy70

*GagaJo*, so you think that Judy54 is not telling the truth?
If I had experienced this from a waitress/waiter, I would have summoned the Manager. Usually, if a service charge is included in the bill, I would not leave a tip, unless the waiting staff were exceptional.

I think it's either fake or not a UK occurance.

Even service charges are not mandatory in the UK, let alone tipping.

As it happens, I always tip but that's a different issue.

How would you have dealt with it?

Continued on without tipping, as was apparently their choice.

I always leave a 10% tip.. I'm surprised people would choose not to. If the food is not great or the service not great I'd say so and probably be given a discount on the meal but then I'd still tip

I’m in the US where tipping is the norm. For an employee to call out or verbally abuse a non-tipper is rude and unacceptable. A tip may be expected but unless it’s added to the tab, it isn’t required. I would speak to the manager.

In my experience Generally in Europe tips are not expected and service charges are never added, though sometimes the customer might round the bill up to the next pound/euro.
It’s strange that some jobs expect to have tips while others don’t.

I don't think you can generalise about 'Europe'!! Service charges certainly are added by some places and some people do pay tips!

She'd have got the tip of my tongue though if there was no service charge on the bill I always tip directly to the waiting staff and never add it to the bill in case the owners don't pass on the tip.

I would still give a tip in Spain or Portugal, not sure if it is still expected in Italy.

In Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK I most definately would not.

We were once, six or so years ago, asked how big a tip the waitress should add to our bill before we paid it by Visa in a Chinese restaurant in Copenhagen.

"Nothing, " replied my husband, whose card we were using, "and don't expect us back either. The service wasn't all that good, and it is not good manners to ask for a tip."

We haven't been back, I may say.

Many years ago I worked as a stewardess on an airline. When I collected the trays from two very sweet older ladies, whose first flight it obviously was, they shyly tried to tip me. Problem - how not to offend them? The best thing I could do was thank them sincerely but say we were forbidden to accept it and give the money back. I have often wondered whether that was the right reaction.

I always leave a tip after a meal as I believe the waiting staff are mainly on minimum wage which these days is not enough especially if they have children but do think that perhaps if the prices are going up the staff should be paid more.
As a 16 yr old a waitress in my holidays and weekends I experienced a really nasty customer who was trying to impress his girlfriend, he complained about everything including the fact that the beer was flat so I asked the Manager to have a word. He tasted the beer and assured him it was not flat and the brewer was in the restaurant and drinking it but said that as he had just eaten a steak with garlic butter the beer may have tasted flatter than he was expecting due to the fat. He did give him another beer but he was still very rude to me despite me trying my best and being polite.
As he left he smirked and said "Your tip is on the table". I went to the table and he had a halfpenny tip so I had ran the full length of the restaurant holding it aloft saying in a loud voice Sir, you've left your halfpenny change. The girlfriend snatched the coin and pushed him out of the restaurant mouthing Sorry to me. Don't think she was impressed. I got a round of applause from the table next to his who were not impressed with his attitude and an extra big tip. I never expected a tip in those days but was always delighted when given one.

US resident here. We tip heavily because waitstaff get paid half minimum wage and are expected to make it up with tips. Minimum wage can be That’s why your service is generally very good in restaurants. Standard tip used to be 15% but nowadays is 20%. If you tip 10% or not at all it’s seen as an insult or a statement that your service has been very poor, for which the waiter can expect to be reprimanded . Minimum wage in NYC is $15 an hour, so your waiter is working for $7.50 an hour in a city where you can’t rent a bedsit much under $4000 a month. In other states minimum wage can be much lower.

I usually add the tip to my credit card payment as I often don't have much cash. I sometimes feel bad if it isn't possible to add a tip in that way as lack of cash may result in the waitress feeling insulted. I don't tip if service is poor or there have been problems with the meal unless they have been properly resolved. Usually if I ask to add a tip the server thanks me so I assume it isn't automatically expected. I'm never sure what to do in pubs where you pay at the bar on ordering. I tend to forget to leave a tip so the staff miss out when that is the system.

Haven't been to the US for around 5yrs now but previously lived there for a while and the practice back then was 20% tip unless you weren't happy with the service. Some went above and beyond and gave us free desserts/ starters/ drinks etc and in those cases we tipped more and always directly to the waiter, never included in the bill.
At home I would always tip 10% rounded up unless I wasn't happy with service.

Difficult one as I would always tip at least 10% unless service was poor

Gagajo It is fact and a UK occurrence.

In America we were asking the price of something. She said $40 plus the tip. They are up front and I wonder if this waitress was American.

Tipping most certainly happen in UK. Under the tronc system of sharing tips my DS recently had £230 as his share after one particularly busy day. It's a popular place and the staff try hard. Nice that the customers appreciate them so much.

As an ex Bar and Lounge Manager with Forte I would want to know, then the waitress would be taken aside, reprimanded and given a warning. If you feel brave, phone the pub and speak to the manager to explain. If it was me if I got no joy there I would contact the area manager/head office.

i usually tip if it is somewhere i am eating or a taxi, hairdresser etc, i would have asked for the manager and told him in my very angry clipped voice that he put it on the menu, if you eat here you have to leave a tip or be berated my the waitress, i would also say to other diners in a loud voice, regardless of the service you are expected to leave a tip. it is my choice to leave a tip, the servers get a wage and the tips are extras