Do you tip in restaurants?

TA#6

bobmacuk wrote: »

would you tip in a whimpy or greasy spoon cafe?

In a greasy Spoon, yes, but thats usually just the change from whatever I pay in the tips jar on the counter.

Former_MSE_Lawrence

Poll Started 10 April 2007: Do you tip in restaurants? If you go out to eat, and there's no service charge added to the bill, which of these is closest to your usual, personal tipping policy?

E. I tip roughly 10% 52.4% - (4369 Votes)
B. I only tip on rare occasions of exceptional service 16.2% - (1356 Votes)
D. I tip less than 10% 13% - (1084 Votes)
C. I tip less than 5% 5.9% - (496 Votes)
F. I tip roughly 12.5% 4.6% - (387 Votes)
A. I never tip 3.9% - (328 Votes)
G. I tip roughly 15% 2.7% - (230 Votes)
H. I tip more than 15% 0.8% - (72 Votes)

Total Votes: 8322

Thanks to everybody that voted. To discuss these results, please click reply and post below.

irishwench69

I still don't feel bad about not tipping most of the time tbh - but looks like I'm in the minority........ **meh**

IW x

Elspeth

Interesting thread. I do tend to tip (around ten per cent) but only for good service. Excellent service tends to get a bit more. Like many people what gets my goat is restuarants not making clear that the service charge is optional, and worse, adding the charge and then leaving the card slip open for tips. Many people seem unaware that the service charge is at their discretion. Some restaurant managers too perhaps; I was 'thrown out' of an Indian, that had delivered appalling service all night, when I refused to pay the 20% 'eat-in' charge.

Elspeth

Since my last post I've done a bit of Googling. Seems service charges CAN be mandatory, but tend not be stated on menus as such because if they're something the customer has to pay the owner would have to pay VAT. If it's 'optional' the owner doen't have to cough up 17.5% of it to the tax man.

Which makes it all a bit complicated when it comes to what to do what the service has been rubbish...

If you're interested, I found some useful stuff here: http://www.advicenow.org.uk/go/feature/feature_77.html;jsessionid=aIQoBls7Yr29
and http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/e24.pdf

burbulady

Whenever I go for a meal with my husband, and he pays by card, he'll be in charge of tipping. He normally rounds it up by 10%, and often asks my opinion. If I have cash with me (rarely!), and/or we're paying in cash, then good service will be rewarded by 10%+, and I'll get more actively involved in the gratuity amount.

When I go out with "the girls" for a meal, the system changes:
We now bring little stocking-filler type gifts out with us to supplement (or replace, if we're broke) the 10%-for-good-service. We'll explain to them that we'd love to tip more, but can't afford to; so "here are some goodies to demonstrate our gratitude".
Items included have been stuff like discount vouchers (eg MacDonalds or Vue etc); sugar free mints, free sample sachets (eg shampoo, skin lotions); fortune cookies; lollies; postage stamps; nice pens; clean hankies; one-use eyedrops phials.....and much much more!!
Above-and-beyond the call of duty service will get a quiet word of praise about them to the manager.

We've always been treated well, so either we're lucky, or our positive attitude rubs off on them!

mikeywills

I never tip using my card, it very rarely gets to the waitresses, I only tip in cash, and not that often either. The service has to be good and courteous for me to consider it, it is not a matter of course. They are paid to do a job and they are prepared to earn whatever they can get, if they do not make the effort then they get nothing.

emily_jackson

i don't really understand the concept of tipping. businesses should set fair prices for their goods, and then if you're happy, you should tell them. if not, complain. you've already paid their wages by buying the product. people in poor countries are fighting to get paid a fair price for their goods

RedStar_3

It is polite to tip waiting staff in the same way that it's polite to say please, thank you and excuse me, wait your turn in queues, hold doors open for people, etc etc. It's got nothing to do with the money, it's just a matter of etiquette. Every country has a different tipping tradition whereby it's polite to tip certain people if they provide a decent service. It's just manners.

RedStar_3

ianaddisonuk wrote: »

maybe i should start asking the parents of the children i teach for a tip?

A lot of my friends are primary school teachers and they seem to get presents at Christmas from all their pupils, plus thank you gifts at the end of the school year when their pupils move on to another class. They get paid to teach these kids, but it's still considered the done thing for them to get a present from each and every one twice a year as well. How's that any different from tipping? Tipping is just a polite gesture like giving your teacher a box of chocolates at Christmas.

I have another friend who is a nurse and she and her colleagues are constantly getting given boxes of chocolates, toiletries, bottles of wine, flowers etc by grateful patients and their families, purely for doing her job. Does anybody moan about that? Why moan about tipping, then?

If you don't want to tip, don't. It really is that simple. But don't preach to those of us who do.