Restaurants - please ask who gets the tips

becominganobsessivesaver

I recently went out for dinner to a restaurant in a local chain (I won't mention the name, but I'm based in Newcastle) and after the meal I innocently asked if the staff would get the tip if I put it on my credit card. I was absolutely shocked to be told (in a whisper) that not only would they not get that tip, but the staff get none of the cash tips either. A quick search on google supported this.

So before tipping please ask the question, your money may not be going where you want/expect it to!

Detroit

I'm not a great fan of tipping in principle, to be honest.

Good service should be the default position, with the price paid covering the service received in full.
There should be no need for the customer to further contribute to staff wages, just because they've done their job.

It also unfairly advantages customer facing staff over others who may have worked equally hard to contribute to the customers experience.
I go for a meal and give the person who carries it from the kitchen 10-20% of the bill; but the person who cooked it for me nothing?

Sometimes the system you describe at least means tips are shared equally amongst all staff. Although I know in other cases tips are retained by the company.
Whichever, the customer is still paying extra for something that should be included.

The system in the U.S. is ridiculous, with staff in customer facing occupations in high end services earning hugely disproportionately to the requirements of their role.

becominganobsessivesaver

Detroit wrote: »

I'm not a great fan of tipping in principle, to be honest.

Good service should be the default position, with the price paid covering the service received in full.
There should be no need for the customer to further contribute to staff wages, just because they've done their job.

It also unfairly advantages customer facing staff over others who may have worked equally hard to contribute to the customers experience.
I go for a meal and give the person who carries it from the kitchen 10-20% of the bill; but the person who cooked it for me nothing?

Sometimes the system you describe at least means tips are shared equally amongst all staff. Although I know in other cases tips are retained by the company.
Whichever, the customer is still paying extra for something that should be included.

The system in the U.S. is ridiculous, with staff in customer facing occupations in high end services earning hugely disproportionately to the requirements of their role.

I agree, but in this case the tips only get shared in that the directors pay their wages (I expect minimum wage), so for example if a large group went, I'd be happy for my tip to be split amongst the staff working that evening, or even based in that restaurant but not working, instead it is just additional income to the company.

FreddieFrugal

I never tip - just out of principle. As Detroit above said - good service is just part of the role that they're paid for.

adequate pay should be reflected in the price of the food on the menu - not be expected to be topped up by the customer as some kind of charitable donation.

When we go out we like to know how much a meal is going to cost - that's why I hate these sneaky places that tag on a gratuity to your bill without asking - then you have to go through the awkwardness of getting it removed.

Don't like the feeling of being scammed especially when you've just wanted a nice meal.


I absolutely hate the tipping culture that you see in some countries and really glad that it hasn't taken hold here (yet?)

Georgiegirl256

Don't agree with tipping either, and even less so now after reading the OP. As has already been mentioned, good customer service should be there anyhow, and not just forced on because they think they'll get a higher tip (I am aware some people just offer good service anyhow), they get paid a wage, I don't see why people should pay them extra.

It seems to be mainly just restaurant staff and hair stylists that get (or expect to get) paid tips, and I don't agree with it. If I had to pay a certain profession a tip, it would be Nurses, hard working and underpaid.

And don't get me started on them just adding a service charge on to the bill. The price you see is the price you should pay, why do I need to pay extra for my food to be brought to me and for my order to be taken?

pollypenny

Many of our local pubs and restaurants are staffed by sixth-formers. One girl told us that they never get the tips.

Ironically, the place in which she worked has just closed.

baby_lemonade

becominganobsessivesaver wrote: »

I recently went out for dinner to a restaurant in a local chain (I won't mention the name, but I'm based in Newcastle) and after the meal I innocently asked if the staff would get the tip if I put it on my credit card. I was absolutely shocked to be told (in a whisper) that not only would they not get that tip, but the staff get none of the cash tips either. A quick search on google supported this.

So before tipping please ask the question, your money may not be going where you want/expect it to!

Interesting, thanks.

There's one chain of pizza restaurants where they automatically add 10% to your bill anyway. Cheeky so and so's. You do get good service in there, but if that 10% isn't even going to the staff who served you then you shouldn't pay it.

WibblyGirly

I work in retail and can be with customers for up to an hour helping them select items/sizes giving advice etc. I don't get a tip for that! I never tip in restaurants as they give me less time than I give most of my own customers.

JReacher1

If people didn't tip in restaurants then the price of food would rise as the restaurants would need to pay staff more to perform the role of waiter.

If you can afford to eat out you can afford to pay 10% tip to the person who waits on you.

I accept many people don't tip and hide behind the age old argument of "I work in a shop and I don't get a tip" but that's really just how they excuse being tight.

Georgiegirl256

JReacher1 wrote: »

If people didn't tip in restaurants then the price of food would rise as the restaurants would need to pay staff more to perform the role of waiter.

If you can afford to eat out you can afford to pay 10% tip to the person who waits on you.

I accept many people don't tip and hide behind the age old argument of "I work in a shop and I don't get a tip" but that's really just how they excuse being tight.

Why though? People who work in retail get paid a wage to do their job. People who work in restaurant get paid a wage to do their job. Why should the people in a restuarant get a tip? Seriously am curious as to why you think that. If someone believes that someone has given a good service then I can understand why they might want to tip, but why isn't that the case for all professions? Just puzzles me why it's just usually the two professions (hospitality and hairdressing) that it seems to be expected in?

"Need to pay staff more to perform the role of the waiter"? But that's their job!

baby_lemonade

Generally I never bother tipping, but I don't see anything wrong with it in principle. A lot of people tip their hairdresser, for example. And in France and the U.S. it's normal to tip at restaurants.

But OP has said that at that particular chain of restaurants the tips go to management, not the staff, which is what I take issue with.