Tipping - what are your thoughts

[Bob The Badger]

We went for a lovely meal with @Eatonram and his wife a couple of weeks ago to The Stepping Stones in Wadebridge.

When the bill came he insisted on paying.

Well, I say insisted, it may have been I just went to the toilet and refused to come out for an hour, I can't remember now.

But I offered get the tip because I'm magnanimous like that.

I put a tenner on the table and Mrs Badger threw in about £2.50 in change and we left.

After we left I realised it was only about 7% of the total bill. I went back, but only had a fiver in my wallet which still barely struggled over 10%. I explained my mistake and sheepishly gave our waitress another £5 and apologised for. stiffing her.

You'd have thought I'd just showered her first born with gold and she clearly didn't think I'd ripped them off with £12.50.

I know this is an American thing where you get so used to leaving 15% if you hate the servers and 20% if you think they were good.

But it's an American thing I quite like because wait staff are crucial to having a good time and they get poorly paid without tips.

I don't like the giving 15% for crap service, I wish it was a lot more discretionary than that and was on merit, but tipping well seems like anice thing to do. To me anyway.

Do you tip well?

Or do you think it's a waste of money?

 

[Anag Ram]

I work on around 10% assuming the service has been good.

 I don’t get too hung up on poor pay. That’s out of my control.

[RoyMac5]

Pay staff a living wage.

Maybe tip for extremely excellent service, otherwise it's their job init.

[Ewe Ram]

I don’t like being told to tip, they should pay servers properly. That aside, I do some serving as a volunteer and I’m surprised at how so many people don’t tip, not even a £1. I get what they’ve paid is expensive but when they know we don’t even get paid as it’s a charity they still don’t tip. 
But I have had some very generous tips, usually when diners are drunk lol

[Boycie]

Servers over here will get National minimum wage or above as places are struggling for staff.

If I’m not mistaken, servers in America don’t get a minimum set wage and rely on tips to make up their income.

Im an electrician, I don’t get tips for doing my job and that’s normally trying not to kill people ultimately.

Barbers, taxi’s we all assume these should have tips, why is this?   You’ve cut my hair correctly without cutting my ear off, you’ve driven me to the correct area without crashing into a wall?  Not sure I get it?

As for restaurants adding a 12% tip on your bill automatically, well that does boil my blood.  It’s so presumptuous that you’ve had a good experience and prays on the English nature of not complaining or making a fuss.

 

[Boycie]

7 minutes ago, Ewe Ram said:

I don’t like being told to tip, they should pay servers properly. That aside, I do some serving as a volunteer and I’m surprised at how so many people don’t tip, not even a £1. I get what they’ve paid is expensive but when they know we don’t even get paid as it’s a charity they still don’t tip. 
But I have had some very generous tips, usually when diners are drunk lol

Would you give your tip to the charity though? 

[angieram]

I usually tip in restaurants, taxi and the hairdressers, 10% or just under. 

When we stayed in the Marriott in Swansea they added the tip to the bill, but it was only 5%.

I think 15 - 20% is too much.

I might buy the bar person a drink occasionally in pubs I go often, but don't do it regularly.

Throw loose change in a cup in a café. That's about it.

[Boycie]

1 minute ago, angieram said:

I usually tip in restaurants, taxi and the hairdressers, 10% or just under. 

When we stayed in the Marriott in Swansea they added the tip to the bill, but it was only 5%.

I think 15 - 20% is too much.

I might buy the bar person a drink occasionally in pubs I go often, but don't do it regularly.

Throw loose change in a cup in a café. That's about it.

Ladies hairdressers are very expensive anyway aren’t they Ange?

[cstand]

I always left a bit of a tip for years but after learning about some of the  horrible customers my daughter had to put with when she worked in the service sector I give more than ever now but I am not in the Shaque Oneil league. ?
 

 

[angieram]

4 minutes ago, Boycie said:

Ladies hairdressers are very expensive anyway aren’t they Ange?

They flipping are! But my hairdresser isn't a partner so she's not the one raking in the profit.

I wished she'd go mobile then I wouldn't have to pay salon prices and she'dearn more, but she never will.

[Norman]

Do you tip the checkout workers or the bin men or anyone else on close to the minimum wage? 

They collect your plates and ask if you want sauces. Why you'd tip that is beyond me. It's an American pile of crap that comes from them not paying a proper wage to waiting staff over there. 

[angieram]

It's been a tradition to tip serving staff for all my life in the UK too.

Mum used to tip the binmen, window cleaner and paperboy at Christmas as well. Given we never had any money she was quite generous,  really!

I tipped my Hermes delivery person the year of lockdown as she was the only person we saw for weeks on end and her service was exceptional. 

It's sometimes just a nice thing to do.

 

[PistoldPete]

1 hour ago, Bob The Badger said:

We went for a lovely meal with @Eatonram and his wife a couple of weeks ago to The Stepping Stones in Wadebridge.

When the bill came he insisted on paying.

Well, I say insisted, it may have been I just went to the toilet and refused to come out for an hour, I can't remember now.

But I offered get the tip because I'm magnanimous like that.

I put a tenner on the table and Mrs Badger threw in about £2.50 in change and we left.

After we left I realised it was only about 7% of the total bill. I went back, but only had a fiver in my wallet which still barely struggled over 10%. I explained my mistake and sheepishly gave our waitress another £5 and apologised for. stiffing her.

You'd have thought I'd just showered her first born with gold and she clearly didn't think I'd ripped them off with £12.50.

I know this is an American thing where you get so used to leaving 15% if you hate the servers and 20% if you think they were good.

But it's an American thing I quite like because wait staff are crucial to having a good time and they get poorly paid without tips.

I don't like the giving 15% for crap service, I wish it was a lot more discretionary than that and was on merit, but tipping well seems like anice thing to do. To me anyway.

Do you tip well?

Or do you think it's a waste of money?

 

Paying tips by cash goes down well with waiting staff. Just adding it to the bill you don’t know where the money goes. 

[Tyler Durden]

 

 

[JoetheRam]

Not a chance would I tip anyone in this country. 

Especially in a restaurant - the cost of the meal includes the cost of waiting staff and chefs as well as ingredients. Hence why your Carbonara isn't £1.00.

Postmen, binmen and milkmen all receive at least minimum wage, so why would I tip them? Most of the time my mail is wet, my bin is left 30 yards from where I left it, and I don't have milk delivered. Wouldn't be any different if I gave them a Christmas bribe either.

I round up in Europe to the nearest ten if it's a good meal and good service, usually because food is cheaper and I'm in a generous holiday mood, but they have minimum wages too so not sure why I still do that. Might review that in future now that I think about it.

America... I bitch and moan about it before I go and rewatch the Reservoir Dogs opening a few times, but it's their culture, so I'm a good little tourist and follow their 'rules'.

Edited June 5, 2022 by JoetheRam

[cstand]

1 hour ago, angieram said:

It's been a tradition to tip serving staff for all my life in the UK too.

Mum used to tip the binmen, window cleaner and paperboy at Christmas as well. Given we never had any money she was quite generous,  really!

I tipped my Hermes delivery person the year of lockdown as she was the only person we saw for weeks on end and her service was exceptional. 

It's sometimes just a nice thing to do.

 

I can remember being twelve years old and doing a paper round I was really grateful for receiving Christmas cards, sweets and money, even from people who on the odd occasion I put the wrong newspaper through their letter box because I was too busy reading the Ram newspaper. ?

We always tip the binmen and postie at Xmas.

We also tidy the table before we leave to make easier for the staff in cafes restaurants and pubs when having a meal, take glasses back to the bar after having a beer.

Edited June 5, 2022 by cstand

[Tyler Durden]

Just now, JoetheRam said:

Not a chance would I tip anyone in this country. 

Especially in a restautant - the cost of the meal includes the cost of waiting staff and chefs as well as ingredients. Hence why your Carbonara isn't £1.00.

Postmen, binmen and milkmen all receive at least minimum wage, so why would I tip them? Most of the time my mail is wet, my bin is left 30 yards from where I left it, and I don't have milk delivered. Wouldn't be any different if I gave them a Chrismas bribe either.

I round up in Europe to the nearest ten if it's a good meal and good service, usually because food is cheaper and I'm in a generous holiday mood, but they have minimum wages too so not sure why I still do that. Might review that in future now that I think about it.

America... I bitch and moan about it before I go and rewatch the Reservoir Dogs opening a few times, but it's their culture, so I'm a good little tourist and follow their 'rules'.

This. I dropped the Steve Buscemi clip in there as it succinctly sums up the attitudes to tipping. 

I'd refuse to go to a restaurant where they had a service charge added on out of principle.

I've raised 2 letters of complaints about the service from my postman over the past 3 years so would be addled to then tip them. 

If the service was above and beyond in a restaurant then yes would be inclined to reflect that by giving a tip but not automatically just for effectively doing the job which they are paid to do. 

When I'm on holiday ditto I tipped the tour guide whom showed me round Pompeii recently as I thought he had delivered an extremely informative and interactive session.

More often then not am trying to avoid being ripped off as a tourist never mind voluntarily paying extra for services. Italy was the worst by far closely followed by Thailand.

[RoyMac5]

29 minutes ago, cstand said:

I can remember being twelve years old and doing a paper round I was really grateful for receiving Christmas cards, sweets and money, even from people who on the odd occasion I put the wrong newspaper through their letter box because I was too busy reading the Ram newspaper. ?

We always tip the binmen and postie at Xmas.

We also tidy the table before we leave to make easier for the staff in cafes restaurants and pubs when having a meal, take glasses back to the bar after having a beer.

Binmen used to get a 10 bob note in an envelope tied to the dustbin lid handle, made sure your rubbish got collected! Lol. But who would you tip now with wheelybins/post delivery, it's often different people at different times anyway. 

I can understand tipping for a personal service ooh err missus, but for people doing their jobs? Where to stop?

We also tidy tables/glasses, having done table clearing as a student the way some people would leave plates/dishes and tables always was a constant source of disgust!

[Comrade 86]

My thoughts are tip if you wish to, don't if you don't. I typically leave at least 10% in restaurants unless I've received poor service. If I have a really good experience, that's reflected too. Buying a barman a drink seems like good sense to me in places I visit often, if only because it ensures prompt service when the places are busy.

[Ram-Alf]

I've been to Canada and the States, Tipping is "the law" I didn't like it there and I don't like it here, Do we tip the people who serve you at a takeaway...no, I've tipped when I get a smile and maybe "was everything OK with your meal", If the meal was poor...I say so! and have.

Here's one to think about, I worked for a friend as a cleaner/gardener at a pub/restaurant in Shardlow, They'd have "tip money" in pint pots on the counter under the spirit decanters, I asked my friend do we(2 of us)get a share...no was the answer, The rest of the staff who shared the tips said and I quote "we don't give a service to the customers", We only kept the restaurants toilets clean, The tables et al clean, Carpets hoovered, Gardens kept spotless and they said we didn't give the customers a service.

Officially we didn't get a share of the tips, Unofficially I did, As I'd help myself to a handful of coins when cleaning the bar area, There's still a stigma with staff where "cleaners" are concerned, Wherever I've cleaned I've come away with the spoils of War.