tipping

[esprit350]

went to our local takeaway last night, and now christmas is looming the little box for tips has apppeard on the counter, I find this practice a bit like begging. I feel if a want to tip then I will , I dont like being asked, I am sure the staff in the take way get paid, so why do they need to ask?

I also hate it when tour companies print out hand outs with tipping guide lines,

what are your views please?

Edited November 30, 2007 by esprit350

[mr.oogieboogie]

no me neither, i dont get a tip in my job and dont expect to. strange a i do on holoday (when in rome do as the romans) i also hate it when people shake those charity tins in your face, i give to charity anyway but that pisses me right off

[Tentenths]

I never tip in a takeaway but always do in a restaurant - generally 10% in cash - provided the food/service has met or exceeded my expectations.

I do, however, take exception to restaurants that automatically add a 'service charge' to the bill... it tends to get deleted from mine.

[esprit350]

I think met expectations should not get a tip, this is what you are already paying for , exceeded what was on offer without extra charge then by all means tip.

[Advantage]

I think it's a very British thing not to tip. In most cultures other than here it's an accepted part of the service industry (hence the guidelines given by holiday reps), although I don't view the local takeaway as part of the service industry!

I'll gladly tip at restaurants/taxis etc, normally around 10% (I'll round it up to the nearest convenient denomination I have in my pocket) but if the waiting staff have been particularly helpful or welcoming then I'll be a touch more generous.

(Our dustmen are going to get a couple of beers this year because they're good guys - rare around here - and I want to keep 'em sweet!)

[Tentenths]

I think met expectations should not get a tip, this is what you are already paying for , exceeded what was on offer without extra charge then by all means tip.

Fair point, though my expectations tend to be fairly exacting.

Like Graham, I also 'tip' the dustmen as well as the postman and milkman at Christmas, the former with beer and the latter with a bottle of spirit... if you look after them, they'll look after you.

I also tend to round-up tradesmen's bills if I feel they've done a particularly good job.

[Loteuk]

Ticks me off when you have to pay for the grub up front including the old service charge and then the meal is crap (and stone cold).

I'm a bit of a winger when it comes to food but on the flip side the pound I give the restaraunt is worth...........er.........a pound - so why shouldn t the food and service be the same -

post 246 and breaking into a trot...............

[MPx]

Home or abroad, I nearly always tip in a restaurant unless its been totally crap. Also usually in the barbers ... but again just because of habit learnt from my folks as a kid. I dont agree that "they get paid anyway". My experience from the other side when I was a student, was that the wage structure (pittance) assumed that tips would make up the bulk of the remuneration.

I dont mind the Christmas box on the counter as long as its not rattled at me. Mostly I ignore them, but I was very well treated at my local chippy in Bromley over many years...and at my regular breakfast cafe and it made it easier for me to give them a Christmas box (which I wanted to do). How would you do it otherwise?

Its the embarassed giving side that I hate - I guess in any situation which is not familiar to me. For example, how do people manage to get through the hotel porter routine? Never know how, when or how much, so never do it.

I must say I'd prefer to be given an all inclusive price for whatever and not ever see any suggestion of tipping........

Mike

[matk]

As Graham says it's an expected cultural thing abroad in some countries, so I welcome advice from travel agents about what is expected and always comply.

Now over here I'm totally in agreement with you Howard. I'm not an automatic tipper, but always do IF things EXCEED what they should be. Like James I also hate automatic tip additions to a bill and always ask for their removal as a matter of principle. I hate this practise so much that if I've had exceptional service, but they do this, it sours the experience for me so much they don't get anything.

[Laura]

I don't tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I'll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doing their job.

B)

[superdavelotus]

It makes me laugh a bit how tight people are. Most of these workers earn minimum wage so where else will they get a few extra quid around Christmas? Some takeaways even pay their staff on the side so they get even less.

Just take a minute to think how fortunate most people on here are and most have reasonable jobs. Take away workers can only dream of the money some people earn who drive around in fast sports cars (as their second, third or even fourth cars!).

SO, my local takeaway will be getting a decent tip from me and not some brass slummy because I've always had great meals from them!

I agree about automatic tipping though

Dave Walters

[red vtec]

Nope don't tip, no one tips me when I do my job so why the hell should I expect to tip Taxi Drivers etc..

I'll tip in a rerstaurant if the service is very good, but that is all.

[Bibs]

I generally tip restaurants, taxi's etc if the service was ok or good. If it's dire, they'll not get anything. At my old company we'd go out for dinner for xmas and spend over a couple of thousand quid and when 15% is automatically added to that bill it's just not funny! I tip the dustmen if they do something for me like take away a huge load of stuff, they'll get a tenner for helping out but our local dustman now are a bit, erm, rubbish and leave the bins all over the place and recently left a box full of packaging to empty over the drive which wasn't very good.

Here's a nice story. My uncle was a milkman and told me this. He's been on the same milkround for 25 years and when it came to his last day he was doing well with tips, a bottle or two, some nice cash here and there and when he got to one house the young housewife answered the door in her negligee and invited him in. She took him upstairs and gave him a good seeing too which he enjoyed very much then took him back to the kitchen for a cuppa and gave him

[Laura]

I don't think it's a case of being tight. I'm sure most people would agree that they are happy to pay that bit extra when the service is that bit extra special.

Don't get me wrong, I earn enough to pay my bills & live comfortably enough but no matter how hard I work I don't get an extra few quid around Christmas. Also, if I don't do well in my job I get the sack I don't still expect to be tipped.

I used to deliver Chinese take-away to earn a bit of extra cash on top on my day job. I used to get paid

[arbell9]

I find the concept of tipping bizarre.

Lets taking waiting on tables, all they are asked to do is politely communicate to you, carry full plates from the kitchent to the table and take empties back again. Now that does not require skill and is therefore not a high value service. This is the basic service.

However, if say they have taken time to learn about the food on the menu, suppliers, details about the cooking processes and communicate these to you, then they will have added to your restaurant experience in a positive way.

so do you tip for this? it depends if they charge and arm and a leg for food and drinks then no, the restaurant owner should be paying these staff a better wage because they are clearly superior to the average.

Just because one eats in a restaurant or out gives no indication of wealth. Some people save hard earned cah for these things so why should they pay "extra".

I also object to the notion that if I earn more money, I should be more generous. I pay for what something is worth not now much it is plus a bonus because my wallet is fatter than the average joes.

I certainly dont walk into a car showroom and go, that cars 20 grand, well here is an extra 10% because you went the extra mile to sell it, and I earn more than you.

Also its more degrading to assume someone is poor because they have a lower paid job, this is true in a lot of cases, but some people , particularly women do extra simple jobs so they have "their own money" even though hubby earns a thick wedge.

About the service charge, if its up front on the menu then you know a proportion of your bill is going to pay for the service. You have the choice to eat there or not. if its not clearly displayed on the menu then it should not be added.

Bottom line is pay people a decent wage and charge appropriately for the product. Then every one can be happy.

Alex

Edited November 30, 2007 by Alex --GT3--

[mdw]

Tipping seems to be a way for employers to get away with paying poor wages. If I pay for a meal I expect it to be served properly as part of the price. I dont see why tips are required just to get people do their jobs properly. In fact its insulting to the member of staff as you are saying that they have to be bribbed to perform their jobs well. I charge the correct rate for my work and provide a good quality service. Self employment helps to concentrate the mind!

[iainskea]

In Oz (my impression only), there is no tipping - we prefer to just "keep the change mate"

Most folks are the same social standing - trying to get by, so there is not much difference between the bloke eating the meal to the bloke serving the table.

No tipping required.

Iain

[Kimbers]

I love the tipping societies like america as I've noticed everyone wants to be ultra helpful!! When I was over in LA me and some mates were drinking in a busy bar. We gave the guy $20 and asked him to look after us, which he duly did...well beyond the call of duty and ignored those Brits who were snottily saying "I don't tip". He looked after us so well we gave hime another $20 on the way out.

In the UK I generally tip 10% in restuarants, Barbers, pub (get yourself one mate) and hotels.....funny how I always get looked after above their normal requirements!

Incidently if you pay the 10% service charge auto added to a bill it rarely goes to the staff, this happened at my daughters last place of work.

[superdavelotus]

I agree with your comments here.

Tipping seems to be a way for employers to get away with paying poor wages. If I pay for a meal I expect it to be served properly as part of the price. I dont see why tips are required just to get people do their jobs properly. In fact its insulting to the member of staff as you are saying that they have to be bribbed to perform their jobs well. I charge the correct rate for my work and provide a good quality service. Self employment helps to concentrate the mind!

The comments about earning more money ect, I think people have got the wrong end of the stick. I wasn't saying just because you earn more you should be more generous, I was trying to say that the is a difference between people who earn minimum wage. Usually in restaurants and takeaways, money never goes up. I know it's your choice to work there but some people have limited or no other choice to work year in, year out at the minimum wage.

In most places where I've worked PAYE, you get a christmas bonus or a yearly bonus. I've had years where I've missed out due to changing jobs etc. If I didn't get a bonus, I would certainly get a raise.

Now Iam self employed, non of my customers tip me but I don't expect to or need the money neither.

I agree with some of the comments here, like tipping binmen (sorry waste refuge engineers!) if they've done me a favour over the year but this year, they've been shocking so I wont tip them this year.

Also, we now have three bins that are emptied by different companies or at least crews and they only come every two weeks!

As for the window cleaner, he usually gets a bottle of spirits off me but this year he been missing for about 6 months, so they won't be getting a tip. I bet you they come round to clean my windows between now and Christmas

So all my tip money will go to my local takeaway as they give me preferential treatment and the food is always great!

[Advantage]

Interesting to read some of these comments. A lot of them seem to be from the Brit point of view, it'd be good to hear from the guys across the Pond because I think they'll have a different perspective.

Agree with Tony's comment above about the service charge not always going to the staff. That's one of my pet hates, so I'll endeavour to pay the bill via a card and use cash to tip the waiter etc.

[superdavelotus]

Kimbers, you don't look old enough to have a daughter who works!

Incidently if you pay the 10% service charge auto added to a bill it rarely goes to the staff, this happened at my daughters last place of work.

Dave

I never tip with my card, always cash and hand it to the waiter/waitress who served me!

Interesting to read some of these comments. A lot of them seem to be from the Brit point of view, it'd be good to hear from the guys across the Pond because I think they'll have a different perspective.

Agree with Tony's comment above about the service charge not always going to the staff. That's one of my pet hates, so I'll endeavour to pay the bill via a card and use cash to tip the waiter etc.

[Autocross7]

Tipping, in the South especially, is pretty standard based on where you are and what you are getting. For example, we do not tip at take out places or any venue that you do not really leave a counter. However, at a coffee shop (Waffle House IS the best), you always leave a tip... ALWAYS. It is usually a couple dollars and does amount to "keep the cahnge" as stated in Aussi - but only if the service was correct and good. If the service is very good the tip is usually a bit more than a couple dollars.

Now, the interesting part that is mostly a Southern thing - if the service is bad or poor... we still tip. We leave 0.25 cents - in plain view as not to be missed. It says, "hey, your service sucked, you did not do your job, AND I did NOT forget the tip".

I have traveled all over the states and stayed, working in various places, for long periods at a time, and I can say without any doubt... service in the South is usually much better. So, tipping is just the way it is here... and we don't mind too much.

Cameron

[mayevora]

Agree that the standard 10% is usially paid when eating out. What I dont agree with is how the tips are sometimes spread. The restaurant that my wife worked in untill 2 years ago had a policy of pooling all the tips and then shareing them out at the end of the month between all the employees equally. (Including the posh owner of the place who was already minted) So If I had been given really good service by a particular member of staff - they dont benefit anymore than the 'do I have to/can't be bothered' member of staff.

If/when I tip, I like the person who deserves it to actually benefit.

[Laura]

Now, the interesting part that is mostly a Southern thing - if the service is bad or poor... we still tip. We leave 0.25 cents - in plain view as not to be missed. It says, "hey, your service sucked, you did not do your job, AND I did NOT forget the tip".

That I like, I've done it once or twice. Left a few pence to show that I didn't just forget the tip I just thought they were rubbish.

I think that sometimes says more than not tipping.

[stephenbirdsall]

That I like, I've done it once or twice. Left a few pence to show that I didn't just forget the tip I just thought they were rubbish.

I think that sometimes says more than not tipping.

I think I've only done that once or twice - and I left feeling really embarrased.

Shouldn't have really, as I was in effect saying the same thing, that I didn't think their service was up to parr.

I like the idea of getting the barman a drink when ordering the first round, I normally take an age to get served at the bar!