Do you tip in restaurants?

sclare

Whether you agree with tipping and whether you do tip, are two different things that aren't necessarily connected.
Personally I think tipping is odd and illogical. Why show appreciation to one set of people who serve you in some way, and not to others?
BUT, the poor person who serves me in a restaurant shouldn't be the person who suffers for my views. His/her wage is based on the assumption that he/she will be tipped in addition. And his/her budgeting is based on that too. So assuming they've done their job well, I'll tip them.

Frankiepie

So here’s my issue with tipping. Everyone is saying how poor restaurant staff are paid minimum wage and so they tip them. Well, I worked a minimum wage job for 4 and a half years in a store and various other stores after with no tips. Most shops you go to will be paying their staff minimum wage. I’ve been able to find very few jobs that pay above that are in shops.

No matter how will you work in these stores you’ll never get a tip. I did once have someone offer me one but my boss said I couldn’t take it. And yet if I was in a restaurant it’s expected?

So no, I don’t believe people should be tipped for doing their job unless we tip all minimum wage employees in all sectors we encounter. I don’t think you deserve a tip for following your job description and often doing the bare minimum.

If I have had amazing service like one girl looked after a large table for a party and was attentive and awesome I’d probably tip them. But they’ll also have a cover charge for the large number of people in most cases.

We don’t live in America and we don’t need to act like it. Tipping just is pointless to me.

gloriouslyhappy

This is theft - and from your friends too! - disgusting:

wrote:

I sometimes going out with friends and this guy airways waits for us to put our share in which includes a 10% tip and then all he does is make the money up to the total price of the bill, so he ends up getting all the tips and I'm not quite sure how many times were going to go out before he feels guilty about it. Grrrrrrrr.
Originally posted by ChrisK.....

Barny1979 wrote: »

They'd swiftly be excluded from future invites.

I agree with Barny1979 - my little pensioner group would swiftly exclude anyone who stole other people's money like this, he's using his 'friends' to pay for his meal and depriving the staff of their tips. Whether or not you agree with tipping, this person is no friend to anyone. And I doubt he's ever going to feel guilty about it, probably been getting away with it for a while - time to stop him!

Takmon

sclare wrote: »

Whether you agree with tipping and whether you do tip, are two different things that aren't necessarily connected.
Personally I think tipping is odd and illogical. Why show appreciation to one set of people who serve you in some way, and not to others?
BUT, the poor person who serves me in a restaurant shouldn't be the person who suffers for my views. His/her wage is based on the assumption that he/she will be tipped in addition. And his/her budgeting is based on that too. So assuming they've done their job well, I'll tip them.

No they are paid minimum wage just like other low skilled jobs. They arn't paid less and have their wages topped up with tips like in the USA.

If they budget based on a variable such as tips being guaranteed then that is a fault with their budgeting.

REJP

I worked years ago in a top quality restaurant as a waiter, for long hours and low pay. Tips all went in to a scheme called the Tronc, and each month were shared between all staff, cleaners to chefs, we did not always get what a customer meant an individual to get personally, but 60 years ago that was how it was done and you liked it or moved on.
Like many people now, I tip according to the standard of service. I never tip bad service, and sometimes argue and take off the service charge if poor service or food, always dealing with the manager.
In USA tips are considered part of wages. I have known cases of waiters chasing people outside a restaurant for not tipping, usually visitors who are unaware of the system.
In old USSR and now in the different Soviet Union states do not tip waiters, it is considered bad manners. When I lived there the only people who got tips were hairdressers and taxi drivers. In China do not tip unless you want to be thrown out of the restaurant . A small "tip" for people going to eat in restaurants in China, always leave a little food on your plate as a sign you have been well fed, a clean plate can be seen as insulting the host by indicating you are still hungry.
I never tip on credit card, I always hand it in cash to the worker.
And as some people do, I have given a bonus to a builder or electrician or plumber who has done a good job in a courteous manner.

REJP

It is not an instruction, it is a sensible suggestion which does not warrant a sarcastic reply on this forum.

savingsusie

I do not think one should feel obliged to tip, it is a matter of personal choice. My OH and I have a meal at the same restaurant weekly, we receive excellent service, sit at same table, staff know our individual choices eg always put a steak knife out for me(arthritis in hands),always give extra veg and even keep a supply of OH favourite ice cream flavour just for him! We tip £5 every occasion, (approx 10%). They deserve it, and the proprietor shares tips with all staff, including chefs and cleaners too.
If we go to a local Toby Carvery or Harvester type meal we never tip as we do not feel an individual waitress has done anything other than take an order for food or drinks.

amber_cloud

benten69 wrote: »

I don't agree with tipping. They are doing a job & getting their hourly rate, so why do I need to subsidize it?

People who don't tip have obviously never worked in a restaurant or bar. The wages are rubbish, the work is hard, and yes the establishments should pay a living wage but the reality is that they rarely do. Customers who are too tight to tip won't solve the problem of low wages for staff. If you can afford to go out for a meal, surely you can afford to leave a couple of extra pounds for the wait staff, especially if they've gone out of their way to make sure you've had a nice time?

ViolaLass

amber_cloud wrote: »

People who don't tip have obviously never worked in a restaurant or bar.

Untrue, obviously.

Cefca

amber_cloud wrote: »

The wages are rubbish, the work is hard, and yes the establishments should pay a living wage but the reality is that they rarely do.

This is also the case for many other jobs in many other industries.