Tipping....how much do you leave?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4632424/How-tip-world.html

"It is a dilemma every holidaymaker has faced while dining out overseas: should you leave a tip? 
While tipping is customary - and even expected - in most Western nations, in other parts of the world, tourists risk offending staff if they leave money on the table after the meal. 
It can also lead to overspending on a holiday budget as a tip can add up to 25 per cent to any meal out.

New research from the Good Housekeeping Institute reveals where in the world you should expect to tip, and how much is an acceptable amount to leave.
Sara Benwell, Consumer Editor at Good Housekeeping, said: 'In Japan, there is a no-tipping culture, and you may offend your waiter if you try to give him some money, while in America, tips are very much expected, and it's rude if you don't leave anything." 

We leave around 10% in restaurants...if service charge is added we don't leave anything.....apart from a nice smile as we leave.

Depends. If the food is bad and the service is bad, I don't tip.

HoratioTarr wrote:Depends.  If the food is bad and the service is bad, I don't tip.  

Definitely.
I cant remember the last time the food or service was bad enough not to tip though.

I have a male relative....he is very proud of the fact that he never tips....on principle.
He is rolling in it btw.

We always leave a tip, we thinks it shows appreciation, which it does.

Syl wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:Depends.  If the food is bad and the service is bad, I don't tip.  

Definitely.
I cant remember the last time the food or service was bad enough not to tip though.

I don't think tipping should be compulsory. They've got a fucking cheek adding 20 percent to a bill, IMO.

No I don't think it should be added to the bill either. It's the persons choice, not theirs.

Tipping is for service. If the food's bad, that's another matter. Over here, wait staff is paid minimum wage in anticipation of tips. It's unfair not to.

I typically tip 20%.

I don't know really. I don't work it out, I just leave a bit extra, or tell them to keep the change. I do that with taxi drivers too.

that chart is wrong Australia and New Zealand is 10-15% only if good service and you want to, it is not expected.

I tip if its good service and I know I'm going to go back there.

Original Quill wrote:Tipping is for service.  If the food's bad, that's another matter.  Over here, wait staff is paid minimum wage in anticipation of tips.  It's unfair not to.

I typically tip 20%.

Twenty per cent? Ye gods, I couldn't afford that.

I always knew that I should have followed my first career inclination and become a lawyer.

Raggamuffin wrote:I don't know really. I don't work it out, I just leave a bit extra, or tell them to keep the change. I do that with taxi drivers too.

Often the gratuity is added without your knowledge.

Original Quill wrote:Tipping is for service.  If the food's bad, that's another matter.  Over here, wait staff is paid minimum wage in anticipation of tips.  It's unfair not to.

I typically tip 20%.

No, it's the whole experience. Here in the UK, sadly, we sometimes don't have the standard of food or service that you have in the States or in other countries. I'm always amazed at how shit the food is in the UK, particularly in our pubs and take aways. I sometimes tip if the service is good and the food is shit, but I'll always complain about it. If it's both, there's no chance of a tip from me. We're not generally a nation of complainers. That's the problem.

On an American forum I was on, when the subject of tipping came up they all seemed to tip between 20 and 25%....which is a lot more than the average Brit does, and I know because I worked in the catering trade for years.

When we are out in restaurants, if everythings OK, we leave 10%.
When we go to more casual places and have to get drinks from the bar etc we leave a couple of quid.

Most of the places we go to now don't add service charge....which I hate paying.
Once, years ago in town we went to a posh new restaurant, ate a mediocre overpriced meal, suffered indifferent service which bordered on rude, when we got the bill OH refused to pay the service charge.
The waiter followed us out complaining...OH felt like decking him.

Suffice to say the restaurant wasn't open long.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Original Quill wrote:Tipping is for service.  If the food's bad, that's another matter.  Over here, wait staff is paid minimum wage in anticipation of tips.  It's unfair not to.

I typically tip 20%.

Twenty per cent? Ye gods, I couldn't afford that.

I always knew that I should have followed my first career inclination and become a lawyer.

It is true that I do a lot of entertaining in this business, and it's wise to keep your favorite restaurants and staff happy. You don't want a client to have a bad experience because last time you under-tipped. I consider it a necessary cost of doing business.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Original Quill wrote:Tipping is for service.  If the food's bad, that's another matter.  Over here, wait staff is paid minimum wage in anticipation of tips.  It's unfair not to.

I typically tip 20%.

No, it's the whole experience.   Here in the UK, sadly, we sometimes don't have the standard of food or service that you have in the States or in other countries.    I'm always amazed at how shit the food is in the UK, particularly in our pubs and take aways.   I sometimes tip if the service is good and the food is shit, but I'll always complain about it.   If it's both, there's no chance of a tip from me.   We're not generally a nation of complainers.   That's the problem.  

The problem is that under-tipping for inadequacies in the food does not get back to the cooks and food preparation staff.  So the message isn't conveyed.  Many a bad dish is due to the recipe anyway, and that goes to the executive chef (often the owner), and s/he is not dependent upon tips.

Penalizing the wait staff is misunderstood, and will simply result in you (the tipper) having a reputation as cheapskate customer.  The next time you come in (with a client) you may receive rude, sloppy service...unfortunately, because of miscommunication.

Original Quill wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

No, it's the whole experience.   Here in the UK, sadly, we sometimes don't have the standard of food or service that you have in the States or in other countries.    I'm always amazed at how shit the food is in the UK, particularly in our pubs and take aways.   I sometimes tip if the service is good and the food is shit, but I'll always complain about it.   If it's both, there's no chance of a tip from me.   We're not generally a nation of complainers.   That's the problem.  

The problem is that under-tipping for inadequacies in the food does not get back to the cooks and food preparation staff.  So the message isn't conveyed.  Many a bad dish is due to the recipe anyway, and that goes to the executive chef (often the owner), and s/he is not dependent upon tips.

Penalizing the wait staff is misunderstood, and will simply result in you (the tipper) having a reputation as cheapskate customer.  The next time you come in (with a client) you may receive rude, sloppy service...unfortunately, because of miscommunication.

We have a different attitude to tipping here, and if someone did receive sloppy service because a previous diner hadn't tipped sufficiently, I don't think that server would last long.
I think your waiting and bar staff may get paid less than ours ...maybe they rely on their tips more.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

The problem is that under-tipping for inadequacies in the food does not get back to the cooks and food preparation staff.  So the message isn't conveyed.  Many a bad dish is due to the recipe anyway, and that goes to the executive chef (often the owner), and s/he is not dependent upon tips.

Penalizing the wait staff is misunderstood, and will simply result in you (the tipper) having a reputation as cheapskate customer.  The next time you come in (with a client) you may receive rude, sloppy service...unfortunately, because of miscommunication.

We have a different attitude to tipping here, and if someone did receive sloppy service because a previous diner hadn't tipped sufficiently, I don't think that server would last long.

Actually, it's quite common...and is more subtle, so that it doesn't get back to the owner. The owner and the employee are on the same side of the 'arms-length' transaction, and generally side with one another.

Of course, that isn't to say that a really bad employee doesn't get fired occasionally. But, in matters of extracting money from the customer, employers and employees usually see eye-to-eye.

Syl wrote:I think your waiting and bar staff may get paid less than ours ...maybe they rely on their tips more.

I know...you are right. The service industry in the US is much more laissez-faire, and in fact waiters wouldn't have it any other way. A good waiter, in a good restaurant, makes a great lot of money. We don't have servicio lines on restaurant tabs, indicating that service is already paid for. And that's because a good waiter knows how to extract a lot more out of the customer.

But the reciprocal is also true: the restaurant pays the waiter minimum wage, knowing that the customer will tip well. A lot of the art of running a restaurant is in pumping up the customer so as to get him to tip well, thereby keeping costs down and quality up. That's why restaurants that pool tips don't do as well.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:I don't know really. I don't work it out, I just leave a bit extra, or tell them to keep the change. I do that with taxi drivers too.

Often the gratuity is added without your knowledge.  

They generally state if it's included don't they? Tbh, I don't often go to the sort of places where one leaves a tip anyway.

Raggamuffin wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

Often the gratuity is added without your knowledge.  

They generally state if it's included don't they? Tbh, I don't often go to the sort of places where one leaves a tip anyway.

It has to be stated on the bill if service charge is added.

Last job I had I worked lunchtimes in a country pub for years, the clientele there, mainly business men or couples, hardly ever tipped. They would congratulate  on the service, the cooking (not my domain) the fresh flowers on the tables, the ambiance, and the bar chat was great, most of the customers came back time and time again....but they very seldom tipped.
I could have gotten drunk every lunchtime with actual drinks offered to me, but apart from Christmas when they did tip well.....money was seldom added to the bill at the end of their meals for a tip.

Raggamuffin wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:

Often the gratuity is added without your knowledge.  

They generally state if it's included don't they? Tbh, I don't often go to the sort of places where one leaves a tip anyway.

Not in some restaurants. Chinese are the worst, they love sneaking it on here. Usually the bigger restaurants. You have to read the small print on the receipt.

My argument is this...I pay good money to buy food in a restaurant and if they don't pay the waiters enough, that's not my problem. Up your prices if you want to pay the wages but don't insult me by charging me a fortune in the first place then adding 20 percent for your staff. Also, it's happened in more than one restaurant where the gratuity does not go to the staff but to the manager.

If a waiter is attentive and friendly, I'm happy to tip them cash so I know it goes into their pocket. What I don't like is when a restaurant charges a tip then pockets the money themselves.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

They generally state if it's included don't they? Tbh, I don't often go to the sort of places where one leaves a tip anyway.

It has to be stated on the bill if service charge is added.

.

yes, ,but sometimes they don't tell you, they just add it. And if you don't check the bill, you have no idea. It's not compulsory either. You can ask for it to be taken off the bill. If you have a meal that costs £90, then that's £18 you're forking out that you may not know about.

OK, I'll admit it. I've always wanted to do this.................

Me, In a broad Scottish accent befitting the Laird of Dunans (true! true!) to waiter in posh restaurant after a somewhat undistinguished meal: "Now, laddie, would ye be wanting a tip?"

Aforesaid waiter: "Well, yes sir, if it pleases you sir."

Me: (conspiratorially): "Weel, never, ever ask a Scotsman what he has under his kilt..."

Fred Moletrousers wrote:OK, I'll admit it. I've always wanted to do this.................

Me,  In a broad Scottish accent  befitting the Laird of Dunans (true! true!) to waiter in posh restaurant after a somewhat undistinguished meal: "Now, laddie, would ye be wanting a tip?"

Aforesaid waiter: "Well, yes sir, if it pleases you sir."

Me: (conspiratorially): "Weel, never, ever ask a Scotsman what he has under his kilt..."

The old ones are always the best....

Fred Moletrousers wrote:OK, I'll admit it. I've always wanted to do this.................

Me,  In a broad Scottish accent  befitting the Laird of Dunans (true! true!) to waiter in posh restaurant after a somewhat undistinguished meal: "Now, laddie, would ye be wanting a tip?"

Aforesaid waiter: "Well, yes sir, if it pleases you sir."

Me: (conspiratorially): "Weel, never, ever ask a Scotsman what he has under his kilt..."

Lol...reminds me of an incident at the Radisson in Edinburgh.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Syl wrote:

It has to be stated on the bill if service charge is added.

.

yes, ,but sometimes they don't tell you, they just add it. And if you don't check the bill, you have no idea.   It's not compulsory either.  You can ask for it to be taken off the  bill.  If you have a meal that costs £90, then that's £18 you're forking out that you may not know about.

I thought it had to be displayed somewhere...even if its in miniscule writing on the menu not the actual bill.

this is interesting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/01/restaurants-to-be-banned-from-adding-discretionary-charge-to-bil/

A few years ago there was lots of publicity that certain restaurants (including a couple we always took Grandkids to) kept the tips when it was added on to the bill.
Since then we always pay by card and hand the tip in cash directly to the waiter or waitress.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:OK, I'll admit it. I've always wanted to do this.................

Me,  In a broad Scottish accent  befitting the Laird of Dunans (true! true!) to waiter in posh restaurant after a somewhat undistinguished meal: "Now, laddie, would ye be wanting a tip?"

Aforesaid waiter: "Well, yes sir, if it pleases you sir."

Me: (conspiratorially): "Weel, never, ever ask a Scotsman what he has under his kilt..."

Haha.....but tbh, if anyone had ever asked me if I wanted a tip I would have been insulted.

Either tip or don't tip...but don't bloody ask.