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Main site > Forums > Household & Travel > Going Out Deals > Do you tip in restaurants?
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      benten69
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    • By benten69 29th Aug 16, 8:59 AM
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      What's this?

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    Do you tip in restaurants?
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    • 29th Aug 16, 8:59 AM
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    Do you tip in restaurants? 29th Aug 16 at 8:59 AM
    Wasn't sure if this was the right place to put this, so admin, please move if needed.

    Do you guys (and girls) tip when you go for a meal out? Personally I hate the idea, and it's even worse when you've got the waiter standing next to you as you select "No" on the card machine.

    However, I always say that I don't get tips for doing anything extra and providing good levels of service in my job, so why should I pay others extra for a basic service their employers should be paying them for. In my previous role I saved the company £20,000 a day in penalties by delivering the project on time (a week early in fact), but I didn't get anything extra for it, because quite simply, it was my job.

    Hence, I don't agree with tipping. They are doing a job & getting their hourly rate, so why do I need to subsidize it? Tesco don't tell me to pay extra if I go to a till vs going to the self checkout.

    However, if there is a large group of us and say the bill comes out to £18 each, we'll all chuck in £20 and let the waiter / waitress keep the change. That's the only scenario it works in for me, as it saves everyone the hassle of finding change, waiting to get their change, etc.

    What are peoples thoughts?
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Page 16
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    • By Murphybear 5th Dec 18, 2:06 AM
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    Murphybear
    When I left school I got a job as a waitress in a Department store restaurant while I was waiting to go to University.

    This was probably one of the hardest jobs I ever did. This was in the 1970s long before the minimum wage. We weren't paid much and were rushed off our feet especially in the lunch hour. It was hard to keep smiling when things hurt . We relied on tips back then. One really lovely man came in very often and always sat at one of my tables and always left me a big tip. He wasn't chatting me up as one of the other girls thought, he was my father

    I always remember this job and will always leave a tip if service has been exceptionally good.

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    • By Domayne 7th Dec 18, 5:58 PM
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    Domayne
    Yes if the service was good. If they add the service charge automatically then no, i do not.
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    • By yousuf22 11th Dec 18, 11:17 AM
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      What's this?

    yousuf22
    Tipping is not mandatory
    Tipping is neither mandatory nor its amount rates the quality of the service. I usually pay a fraction of money to the servers, because I do not like to fade away their expectations.
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    • By New and Improved Me 11th Dec 18, 12:53 PM
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      What's this?

    New and Improved Me
    As a general rule - I don't 'Tip'.

    When you go out to eat, the prices are clearly listed for the items you order.

    The establishment has spent time and energy to work out these prices based on their costs (Materials/Labour/Running Costs etc.) and a % of Profit they want to make.

    I pay the price listed on the menu for the items I order.

    Once I've paid the listed price, why should I pay extra for the service.

    The servers have been employed and are being paid for the job they are doing.

    I don't expect anyone to 'Tip' me in my job, why are the servers any different.

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    • By little_green 22nd Dec 18, 9:03 PM
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    little_green
    i dont tip for pretty much the same reasons as above. end of the day your being paid to do a job so why would i tip. no on tips me for doing mine! XD

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    • By Barny1979 23rd Dec 18, 2:23 PM
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      What's this?

    Barny1979
    “
    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..... ”
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    • By pantaiema 23rd Dec 18, 3:47 PM
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      What's this?

    pantaiema
    A question to those who tip here in the UK. A lot of people on MSE here are providing you the useful answer to your questions. In some cases it is equivalent to the professional services such as the one on finance, mortgage. Did you tip/pay them? Did you tip your doctors, dentists, pharmacists? Did you tip the young boys girls working in fast food chain like McD, KFC, Subway. Did you tip your bin man? If not why not?? Keep in mind the young boys, girls bin man probably need more money than the waitress in the restaurants?

    People could probably understand when it is done in the US because waitresess is expected to top up their salary from tips. But here in the UK everyone get a decent minimum wage. The waitresess might be earning more than bin man. Say one of your young son, daughter or you yourself are working in McDonald none if them get tips. Are you feeling comfortable, you, your sons, daughter do not get tips while you tip other people in the restaurant?

    By the end of the day it is your money but keep in mind your action spoil the market raising pressure expectation to anyone else to do the same. At some point you might become pensioners with poor pension pot, or people who were relying on benefit. You are now under pressure / great expectation to provide tips even your pension / benefit might be less than what this waitresses are earning.
    Last edited by pantaiema; 23-12-2018 at 6:25 PM.

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    • By NeilCr 23rd Dec 18, 4:27 PM
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      What's this?

    NeilCr
    “
    A question to those who tip here in the UK. A lot of people on MSE here are providing you the useful answer to your questions. In some cases it is equivalent to the professional services such as the one on finance, mortgage. Did you tip/pay them? Did you tip your doctors, dentists, pharmacists? Did you tip the young boys girls working in fast food chain like McD, KFC, Subway. Did you tip your bin man? If not why not?? Keep in mind the young boys, girls bin man probably need more money than the waitress in the restaurants?

    People could probably understand when it is done in the US because waitresess is expected to top up their salary from tips. But here in the UK everyone get a decent minimum wage. The waitresess might be earning more than bin man. Say one of your young son, daughter or you yourself are working in McDonald none if them get tips. Are you feeling comfortable, you, your sons, daughter do not get tips while you tip other people in the restaurant?

    By the end of the day it is your money but keep in mind your action spoil the market raising pressure expectation to anyone else to do the same. At some point you will become pensioners with poor pension pot, or people who are relying on benefit. You are now under pressure / great expectation to provide tips even your pension / benefit might be less than what this waitresses are earning.
    Originally posted by pantaiema ”
    I suspect much of this is to do with the time spent and the personal (!) service involved. A waiter/waitress can spend a number of hours dealing with your group and their ongoing requirements. All your examples are "in and out". Perhaps a better comparison is the hairdresser who many people do tip.

    And not everyone "will" become a pensioner with a small pension pot or be on benefits.

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    • By pantaiema 23rd Dec 18, 6:38 PM
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      What's this?

    pantaiema
    “
    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..... ”
    That is cheeky... Taking advantage of other people generosity...

    Sorry!

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    • By pantaiema 23rd Dec 18, 6:40 PM
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      What's this?

    pantaiema
    “
    I suspect much of this is to do with the time spent and the personal (!) service involved. A waiter/waitress can spend a number of hours dealing with your group and their ongoing requirements. All your examples are "in and out". Perhaps a better comparison is the hairdresser who many people do tip.

    And not everyone "will" become a pensioner with a small pension pot or be on benefits.
    Originally posted by NeilCr ”
    Your dentist, doctors, surgeon, dentists nurse, nurse in the hospital might be spending more hours with you if you need to be hospitalised. Did you tip them? If not why not?
    Last edited by pantaiema; 23-12-2018 at 6:42 PM.

    Sorry!

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    • By NeilCr 23rd Dec 18, 7:20 PM
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      What's this?

    NeilCr
    “
    Your dentist, doctors, surgeon, dentists nurse, nurse in the hospital might be spending more hours with you if you need to be hospitalised. Did you tip them? If not why not?
    Originally posted by pantaiema ”
    Probably because

    a) they are likely paid a lot more than a waitress - especially dentist, doctors, surgeons. ETA I strongly believe nurses should be paid more.

    b) Arguably, if NHS, I am already contributing to their salaries through taxes, NI contributions. If private I suspect they are doing fine anyway.

    c) the waiter/waitress is contributing to my enjoyment of a night out - particularly, if the service is good. Not sure medical staff (much as I have huge, huge respect for them -my mum being a nurse) are doing that!

    d) it's how it is. There's professions/jobs who get tipped and there are those that don't. My mum would never have expected to be tipped but she happily tipped in a restaurant. Do you tip anyone?

    ETA.

    On the couple of occasions I have been in hospital for any length of time I have returned with chocs and flowers to thank the nursing staff for their superb care. Perhaps it's about showing appreciation in different ways?

    After all it tends to be policy for NHS staff not to accept cash gifts

    https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/coi-qa-provider-managers.pdf
    Last edited by NeilCr; 23-12-2018 at 8:24 PM.

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    • By Nick_C 24th Dec 18, 7:14 AM
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      What's this?

    Nick_C
    “
    Did you tip your bin man?
    Originally posted by pantaiema ”
    It used to be common practice to tip the bin men, the coal man, the milk man, the paper boy, the postman...

    Its usually now a sackable offence for a binman to accept tips. And some binmen are on over £30k and have second jobs. But they work hard in all weathers.

    I will continue to tip in restaurants where it is custom and practice to do so, and where wait staff get low pay in the expectation that they will earn generous tips by providing good service.

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    • By pantaiema 24th Dec 18, 9:40 AM
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      What's this?

    pantaiema
    “
    It used to be common practice to tip the bin men, the coal man, the milk man, the paper boy, the postman...

    Its usually now a sackable offence for a binman to accept tips. And some binmen are on over £30k and have second jobs. But they work hard in all weathers.

    I will continue to tip in restaurants where it is custom and practice to do so, and where wait staff get low pay in the expectation that they will earn generous tips by providing good service.
    Originally posted by Nick_C ”
    Binman salary? Do they earn more than waitresses?
    https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/bin-man-salary-SRCH_KO0,7.htm

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    Many waitresses in the restaurant are students. They have something bright in their future. I fully believe many binmen if offered the job as the waitresses they will choose to become waitresses given the nature of works. Also many binmen are more likely to be breadwinners with some family members to feed. In contrary to binmen, waitresses are normally young which could mean they are more unlikely to have family in this stage.

    So those who tips in the restaurants why do not you tip your binman?

    Keep in mind this is UK not US. In the US waitresses are earning so little and expect to top up their salary via tips. In the UK everyone get minimum salary reflected their skills. The binmen are not earning more than waitresses.

    Are you doing that because someone such as your girlfriends, colleagues, business partners are watching you and you do not want to look stingy? Are you doing that because you have experienced to be treated like king?
    Last edited by pantaiema; 24-12-2018 at 3:22 PM.

    Sorry!

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    • By Nick_C 27th Dec 18, 11:06 AM
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      What's this?

    Nick_C
    So many vague statements in that post.

    Having worked for 10 years in waste management, I know that some bin men are on over £30k and have second jobs.

    Bin men's wages, and waitresses wages, very enormously depending on where they are working.

    Sorry!

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    • By Kim kim 28th Dec 18, 7:37 PM
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      What's this?

    Kim kim
    I give my postman a small cash xmas box.
    But not the binmen.
    The postman is a lovely chap who chucks my packages over my locked side gate saving me a 4 mile round trip to the sorting office.
    The binmen are an unhelpful bunch!
    For years I had an old wheelie bin I used to gather my general waste, in bin bags. We have a back door collection policy, so they’ll come in as far as your back door to get rubbish. Now I have mine in a wheelie bin half way up the drive, so well within the distance.
    They didn’t take it once so I called them. They decided it was against health & safety to dip into a wheelie bin & remove bags.

    Sorry!

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    • By Barny1979 28th Dec 18, 7:42 PM
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      What's this?

    Barny1979
    “
    They decided it was against health & safety to dip into a wheelie bin & remove bags.
    Originally posted by Kim kim ”
    This is standard across all areas, nowadays would you be sticking your hand into a bin which might have needles, broken glass etc in?!
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    • By Guerillatoker 28th Dec 18, 8:25 PM
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      What's this?

    Guerillatoker
    I tip anyone who provides me a personal face-to-face service (generally only if it already costs money, otherwise it feels a bit odd) but they do have to actually provide good service, I never do it as a matter of course or through social anxiety.

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    • By Flamed 28th Dec 18, 8:28 PM
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      What's this?

    Flamed
    All this could be easily sorted by including a service charge for each item on the menu and if people feel the service was above and beyond, they can add an additional tip.

    I know in some countries it is considered rude to tip.

    Sorry!

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    • By Barny1979 28th Dec 18, 8:41 PM
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      What's this?

    Barny1979
    “
    All this could be easily sorted by including a service charge for each item on the menu and if people feel the service was above and beyond, they can add an additional tip.

    I know in some countries it is considered rude to tip.
    Originally posted by Flamed ”
    How would you know that the service charge got to the staff?
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    • By Guerillatoker 28th Dec 18, 10:51 PM
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      What's this?

    Guerillatoker
    “
    All this could be easily sorted by including a service charge for each item on the menu and if people feel the service was above and beyond, they can add an additional tip.

    I know in some countries it is considered rude to tip.
    Originally posted by Flamed ”
    I resent service charges.

    They should let me fetch it from the kitchen myself.

    Sorry!

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