To tip or not to tip, that is the question...

S

StaroftheSea

Registered User
Messages
114
Hi all,

I recently got shot down for suggesting that it's ridiculous to tip each and every time one goes to a restaurant. My point of view is:

We are not a tipping nation. Never have been. Granted we have always been influenced by american culture but nonetheless the last generation did not expect tips, so why should the current generation? If one wants to be tipped then go to a country where tips are the norm.

I am not against tipping for exceptional service or food or indeed if one's just in a tipping mood. But tipping as standard gives the wrong impression. Tipping should be the exception rather than the rule in this country.

Until now I would have tipped most of the time, and would have felt obliged to and a little embarrassed if I didn't - even if I wasn't impressed with the service or it was simply adequate. Now I'm wondering why I felt like that. This is Ireland. Print your price and don't expect a tip.

Just wondering where you all stand on this?!

Thanks.
 
Isn't the american tipping culture to make up for low wages, whereas here we now have a minimum wage.

I usually reserve tipping for good and better than expected service. If waiter/ess chats, smiles, is particularly helpful, remembers the orders, etc, then tip is left. If food is virtually slopped down, no attempt at helping, no memory of who ordered what, forgets an item from the order - then no tip.

daughter waitresses and always telling her to be helpful and to earn her tips - saying that, she isn't badly paid but tips are nice little extra. She earns over the minimum adult wage and is still only under 18 herself, so fairly well paid IMO.
 
I usually tip about 10% but, in the last few years, I deduct the cost of the wine before doing my calculation. In other words, I just tip on the food part of the bill.
 
If there is a service charge then I don't tip.
Though I know well that charge is going into an account to run the restaurant, it doesn't go directly to staff.

If there is no service charge, possibly tip if the service is good.

I'm terrible at complaining though
Usually say nothing, sit there fuming, and then blast the place to every friend, work colleague or family I get talking to.
I'm not alone in Ireland who do this!
 

Yeah, you're a pure, typical Paddy!!!

I never tip if there's a service charge either. I expect nobody does.

Our neighbour's daughter worked as a waitress in a suburban Chinese Restaurant in Cork for a few years and she told me that every single penny left in tips was divided amongst the waitresses each night. It actually encouraged me to keep going there.
 
I agree if there is a service charge I don't tip. I waitressed in America and 15-20% is the norm but you only get $2 per hour for working so you make your money from tips.
 
I recently had a meal with 3 friends where the service was absolutely terrible. We were all giving out about the service during the meal and I also complained to the waitress in a very nice way. However, when the bill came I was on my own when I suggested that we shouldn't give a tip. The other 3 thought that that would just be mean. I think we need to change our mindset. I am more than happy to pay for good service (it doesn't have to be exceptional, just good)...but I refuse to pay for bad service anymore.
 
I tip when everything is above and beyond - the food, service, ambience etc.

Otherwise I don't. If everything is just 'fine' then no - why tip for no real reason?

I used to tip routinely (unless there were real problems) but I grew out of that.

As for service charges?

I simply won't eat there - within reason.

micmclo said:
Usually say nothing, sit there fuming, and then blast the place to every friend, work colleague or family I get talking to.
Click to expand...

In fairness, this approach probably does them much more harm in the long run so you have your victory!

I love complaining now that it's a relatively new found activity - there's a way to do it though. Don't be apologetic as it just defeats the purpose - be firm, calm and polite but to the point.

It's very liberating.
 
I couldn't understand when on a holiday with The Travel Department outside Boston everybody was complaining about the poor rep who was with us for a week as we toured around. These self same people then all tipped her at the end of the tour after bitching about her non stop? Some people are terrible cowards.
 
I work in a restaurant and depend on tips. Tips have declined substantially in the last year particularly. In general the same people tip as always did, but to a lesser amount and I would estimate that 75% of our patrons tip. I have always tipped even prior to working in a restaurant at a rate of approximately 10%. I would not tip if service was genuinely bad but I have previously tipped even if the food wasn't great if I found the service to have been decent.

It never fails to amaze me how some people can run up a bill for €300 or €400 euro and not feel the need to throw the waitress a fiver. It's just plain mean. To be fair most Irish people are good like this and we always break our necks for our customers. We are always busy and the averages work out in terms of our tips.

We charge service on tables larger than 8 and this service goes straight into the tip bowl there and then and is divided between the wait staff on that night. 10% goes to the kitchen and is divided equally between them all from head chef down to the kitchen porters. If service charge is applied to a bill, we always bypass the optional gratuity button on the credit card machine but about 25% of the time the customer will add a tip. We draw their attention to the fact that they are already paying service and that we get it and still about half of those still leave the extra.

A.
 
ali said:
We charge service on tables larger that 8
Click to expand...

In the restaurant business you give somewhere a lot of custom and they charge you more, not less

Any other business it would be the other way around
 
I was in Captain A's today. We were served by one waitress but another waitress gave us our bill. I noticed that the waitress who gave us our bill had her name on the bill, not the waitress that served us. We left a tip but I wonder who ended up getting it because at the cashdesk there is a section where all the waitresses names are and little bundles of coins beside each name.
 
America has gone overboard. Even a barman/lady get a tip for just handing you a drink. I was in an Irish bar in Califonia and did not tip because I thought barmen did not get tips, until I was told diffferently. Well if they call it an Irish bar why would they expect tips?
 
Its so expensive to eat out in Ireland that I find myself more and more often just leaving a tiny tip just because 10-15% of the bill is so dear!!!

I do tend to tip in general though unless the service or food (or something else) has been abysmal. I waitressed myself (in the US mind you where I depended on my tips), and have never lost the habit.

Do people just tip in restaurants? I tip taxi drivers (unless they are complete eejits), and in the hairdressers as well.
 

You have to tip in all bars in the USA.

How much?? I'm not sure. A dollar a drink or per round??
 
micmclo said:
In the restaurant business you give somewhere a lot of custom and they charge you more, not less

Any other business it would be the other way around
Click to expand...

Yes, I too am curious as to why service charges are applied to groups above 6 or 8 people??
 
truthseeker said:
I waitressed myself (in the US mind you where I depended on my tips), and have never lost the habit.
Click to expand...

Maybe you can answer this, I've never been to the US so maybe you know
But when I worked in Irish hotels the very odd time an American tourist would leave a 1cent coin on the table

I was told it was meant as an insult and statement to the staff there.
Leaving a small Candian coin in an USA restaurant was the same thing also.
True or urban myth?

I found a few 1cent coins in Irish hotels, was I useless?

Anyway, I tend to tip in the barbers mostly as the staff are legends and we have great chats. Plus they are on terrible money considering the apprenticeships they do.
Taxi drivers? You're having a laugh!
 
micmclo said:
But when I worked in Irish hotels the very odd time an American tourist would leave a 1cent coin on the table
Click to expand...

My understanding of waitressing in the US was that, yes, a 1 cent type of tip was a signal that they were very unhappy with the service. Its the fact that they bothered with the tip at all. No tip could mean they didnt like the service, they had no change, they forgot, they dont tend to tip, theyre tight etc... But a 1 cent means theyre making a point.

Cant say I ever experienced it myself, I either got tipped normally or on rare occasions got tipped brilliantly, or on rare occasions had the diner skip out without even paying the bill - let alone the tip!!
 
truthseeker said:
Do people just tip in restaurants? I tip taxi drivers (unless they are complete eejits), and in the hairdressers as well.
Click to expand...

Same principle for me anyway - tip the odd taxi driver - if he has gone out of his way. If he is just doing his job then no, never.

As for hairdressers, being er...follically challenged...I do not find myself in this position but herself always tips.

I would regard this as different though as often hairdressers do go out of their way - it's the nature of what they do, getting it just right, trying to figure out "you know, like the one Posh had before the one before she has now - now definitely not the really wierd one - don't give me that one whatever you do..."

etc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register