Do you believe in leaving a tip/gratuity (1 Viewer)

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
If I have experienced good customer service I always leave a couple of quid or if buying a round and the server has been good I’ll buy them a drink or tell them to keep the change

But my wife is firmly against tipping, we are going to America in about 6 weeks and I’ve explained that it’s a tipping culture over there and they look at getting 15%of the bill
 

MatthewWallis

Well-Known Member
Unless they’ve been really good then no, they’re paid to be there at the end of the day
 

Rich

Moderator
If I go Harvester and the girl has literally brought me some empty glasses and a couple of plates of food, does she deserve a tip?
 

Robccfc87

Well-Known Member
If I have experienced good customer service I always leave a couple of quid or if buying a round and the server has been good I’ll buy them a drink or tell them to keep the change

But my wife is firmly against tipping, we are going to America in about 6 weeks and I’ve explained that it’s a tipping culture over there and they look at getting 15%of the bill
Well my advice is you make sure it's you that settles the bill in America!!! Pretty sure they rely on tips to make up their wages.
Over here I'm pretty much like everyone else, a good service deserves a wee gratuity. Oddly enough my wife doesn't tip and I find it embarrassing whenever she foots the bill.
 

olderskyblue

Well-Known Member
A group of us had dinner in Boston once, and everyone threw some dollars into the "tip" pot and we gave it to the waitress when paying the bill. She came back and asked what she had done wrong.

We didn't count the "pot" and turns out we gave about 5% tip... the norm for good service there is 15-20%

The US experienced amongst us just threw in more cash, but the "first timers" were appalled and didn't want to pay up any more. We eventually made it up to 15% and all was good.

Tbf she had looked after about 14 of us rowdy brits brilliantly, the food was great, and I know they get paid little and rely on tips.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
I pay if its good service because you know they're on piss poor wages and are relying on it. Having said that I'm not a fan of the tipping culture. People should be paid properly.
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
I was with a group of French in New Orleans - just cafe food not of any quality - the chef / cook ( deep fryer operator )came out and confronted the group and virtually chased us off the place 26 people eating and drinking

Its against my principles to give over 10% - my bonus at work never got over 10% and i worked my chuff off so fuckem for more
 

SkyBlueDom26

Well-Known Member
I was with a group of French in New Orleans - just cafe food not of any quality - the chef / cook ( deep fryer operator )came out and confronted the group and virtually chased us off the place 26 people eating and drinking

Its against my principles to give over 10% - my bonus at work never got over 10% and i worked my chuff off so fuckem for more
Yeah if ya don't leave a tip they will kick off
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
If I have experienced good customer service I always leave a couple of quid or if buying a round and the server has been good I’ll buy them a drink or tell them to keep the change

But my wife is firmly against tipping, we are going to America in about 6 weeks and I’ve explained that it’s a tipping culture over there and they look at getting 15%of the bill

tipping culture is massive in the States and they get arsey if you don't leave enough.
When I went to Vegas I was talking to a bus boy who told me what the average wage was and what it got topped up to with tips of waiters/waitresses, busboys, taxi rank attendants etc.
Some of them do very well for themselves though I don't think Vegas is the norm.
In some of the more traditional bars in New York it's tradition to leave a dollar for the barman when you buy but after 3 or 4 he gets the round in for you, it's confusing as fuck!
 

Robccfc87

Well-Known Member
I was with a group of French in New Orleans - just cafe food not of any quality - the chef / cook ( deep fryer operator )came out and confronted the group and virtually chased us off the place 26 people eating and drinking

Its against my principles to give over 10% - my bonus at work never got over 10% and i worked my chuff off so fuckem for more
What would you do if there was a service charge of 20%?
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
What would you do if there was a service charge of 20%?
No choice but to pay but at least you know - in this case there was some tip but the food and the wait were not what you would expect in US- and US people would question the value I guess
 

SAJ

Well-Known Member
Certainly anything in the service industry in America you are expected to leave at least 10% primarily because tips may up about 60 of their earnings. With the exception of New York and Anything near Disney generally even with the tip it is still far cheaper than here and in my experience the food tends to be far better for an average meal.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
The US tipping culture is frankly ludicrous. I estimated I paid around $400 in just tips when eating out for about 3 or 4 nights in NYC last time and there was only ever 2 or 3 people eating at the most.

The $1-2 tip for the guy who whistles a cab 10 yards from the queue of cabs waiting outside hotels is the biggest piss take. I'll do it myself mate, cheers.

I don't have a problem tipping people, I normally do it regardless anyway unless it's very bad service. But the 15-20% expected tip in the US, which basically offsets the wages so the restaurant doesn't then have to pay, is a joke.
 

Si80

Well-Known Member
Certainly anything in the service industry in America you are expected to leave at least 10% primarily because tips may up about 60 of their earnings. With the exception of New York and Anything near Disney generally even with the tip it is still far cheaper than here and in my experience the food tends to be far better for an average meal.
10% is low in the US from recent visits. Most bills / checks that we had in NYC, San Francisco and LA start at 15% / 18% / 20% advisories for the tip.
Difference I always find is that the waiters / waitresses are always more attentive in the US because they are really working for the tip. In the UK the only time I've felt that was in decent restaurants.
I'll tip 10% most bills in the UK unless the service is poor. Then you're getting nowt.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
10% is low in the US from recent visits. Most bills / checks that we had in NYC, San Francisco and LA start at 15% / 18% / 20% advisories for the tip.
Difference I always find is that the waiters / waitresses are always more attentive in the US because they are really working for the tip. In the UK the only time I've felt that was in decent restaurants.
I'll tip 10% most bills in the UK unless the service is poor. Then you're getting nowt.

You say that, but I went to TGI's in NYC, thinking it will be alot better than the UK ones, the waitress looked uninterested, but still hand wrote 15% good, 18% great, 20% excellent with a smiley face on the check.

Edit : and the food was shite.
 

Si80

Well-Known Member
You say that, but I went to TGI's in NYC, thinking it will be alot better than the UK ones, the waitress looked uninterested, but still hand wrote 15% good, 18% great, 20% excellent with a smiley face on the check.

Edit : and the food was shite.
Chain places in NYC are the only places I've had service that I didn't feel was worthy of the tip.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
The US tipping culture is frankly ludicrous. I estimated I paid around $400 in just tips when eating out for about 3 or 4 nights in NYC last time and there was only ever 2 or 3 people eating at the most.

The $1-2 tip for the guy who whistles a cab 10 yards from the queue of cabs waiting outside hotels is the biggest piss take. I'll do it myself mate, cheers.

I don't have a problem tipping people, I normally do it regardless anyway unless it's very bad service. But the 15-20% expected tip in the US, which basically offsets the wages so the restaurant doesn't then have to pay, is a joke.

in Vegas I was told they earn 60 grand in tips, and this was yearsd ago. They're on better than minimum wage as well!
The whole tipping thing was introduced by the mafia, To Improve Personal Service so they didn't have to pay people wages, you could always try complaining to them!
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
10% is low in the US from recent visits. Most bills / checks that we had in NYC, San Francisco and LA start at 15% / 18% / 20% advisories for the tip.
Difference I always find is that the waiters / waitresses are always more attentive in the US because they are really working for the tip. In the UK the only time I've felt that was in decent restaurants.
I'll tip 10% most bills in the UK unless the service is poor. Then you're getting nowt.

was in New York and had a really nice meal in a place on West 52nd so left a decent tip.
The manager saw how much I left and didn't think the waiter had been attentive enough and I saw him giving him a bollocking so he came back over while we were getting ready to leave and gave us a lowdown on the local area, best cocktails, best happy hours, best late night drinks etc.
 

bringbackrattles

Well-Known Member
As a window cleaner I love Christmas, not because it's a time of celebration etc, no sod that rubbish, it's because I get loads of tips! Some customers give me a tenner, and a few even put a twenty pound note inside a card. Then again a lot say " get yourself a pint, then hand over a quid! "
 

fellatio_Martinez

Well-Known Member
In the UK I might leave an extra £2-3 if the service is especially good but it's generally quite bad over here.

I was at an all inclusive resort in Mexico where the staff truly work for tips. They were ridiculously attentive. In the restaurants, waiters would bring me a fresh beer whenever my drink was half full. They wouldn't let me lift a finger the whole time I was there. I got out of my seat to get some ketchup one morning and our waiter almost had a heart attack "please meeester, please do not move, I give you everything"

It felt like I had slaves so out of guilt I tipped them well.

When we left I had $20 in my pocket and gave it to the bell boy who dragged two heavy suit cases in 35 degree heat for ten minutes. He almost cried when I gave it to him as that's easily a few days wages.

He also gave a great blow job. So it was well worth it.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
in Vegas I was told they earn 60 grand in tips, and this was yearsd ago. They're on better than minimum wage as well!
The whole tipping thing was introduced by the mafia, To Improve Personal Service so they didn't have to pay people wages, you could always try complaining to them!

I'm on it ;) "Hey, Tony!"
 

Evo1883

Well-Known Member
Won't be off to the States any time soon then, why on earth would I tip somebody just for doing their job.. Strange culture
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
Don’t worry Trump has increased employment for nowt - soon you will tipping the car salesmen when you buy - kin nonsense
 

Badger

Well-Known Member
Last time I was in the states we were told that anyone in the service industry is taxed based on 20% tips regardless of whether they get that or not.

We found that a 15% tip was expected when the service was bad.

We did find 1 restaurant in SF where they advertised that they paid their staff proper wages and they did not expect tips, we left a small one anyway
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
15% in restaurants unless it's overly expensive for what I had in the first place, or service has been poor.

I did know of someone who if the service charge was added by the restaurant would cross it off and correct the bill downwards...
 

B-Ban-Boogie

Well-Known Member
My take on tipping (after being here in the U.S for 15 years)

It think it actually depends on where you are :
If in Florida, I basically double the first number (if below $100 then double the first 2)
So basically if the bill is $20 i tip $4..... if its $36...I'll tip $6 (or $7 if the service has been good)
If its over $100 say $140, i tip $14.

In New York or a high 'tax' city, i tip off the tax, not the whole bill.
You can be fucked if i am paying 18-20% tip on a bill of $65 when i all the wife and i had was a coffee and sandwich.

I have only ever 'not' tipped once. The service was awful. Food took forever to arrive and when it did the starter and main meal arrived at the same time.
Girl made out if was our fault?? Then it was 'warm' so we got up and left and we wrote on the bill... "No tip as the service was a disgrace!" haha..
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
If I have experienced good customer service I always leave a couple of quid or if buying a round and the server has been good I’ll buy them a drink or tell them to keep the change
But my wife is firmly against tipping, we are going to America in about 6 weeks and I’ve explained that it’s a tipping culture over there and they look at getting 15%of the bill
20% is considered normal now.
But there are places you don't have to tip anyone, like McDonalds, Burger King or any other self-service place.
The real rip-off at eating places is the price of a soft drink.
Basically you get a glass of ice with about 4 ounces of drink for three dollars.
An insider tip for inexpensive eating in the US, Hospital cafeterias.
They are everywhere, usually limited choices but decent food and self-service (no tips).
 

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