Should tipping be banned?

[Mladen]

4 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Hmm, should be able to still. Card machine doesn't need to be set up in a certain way. At the restaurant/pub I worked at over the summer we had a machine not specifically set up for tips, but if people asked to leave a tip they could. Just add the amount they want to tip when keying in the amount to the card reader, then the waiter/waitress takes the change out of the till and adds it to the tip jar.

I know, different countries, but I cant see why that couldn't be possible in Serbia. Tip is still in cash, that cash simply comes out of the till

If we are to start talking about things that should be possible in Serbia, but aren't, we will need couple of free days and at least a good bottle of rakija  That is how we, Serbs, discuss matters.

Yeah, I know it can be done, but why our banks/restaurants/government/whomever is in charge for this doesn't make it possible, I will have to think in advance and bring some cash with me...

[Raja]

16 hours ago, S John said:

 

I feel that even though the UK doesn't have the tipping culture of America

Hmmm - when I was in the UK, I left a tip after most of my meals.....no wonder I kept getting odd stares. 

[HexMachina]

1 hour ago, Raja said:

Hmmm - when I was in the UK, I left a tip after most of my meals.....no wonder I kept getting odd stares. 

Most/lots of people still do tip, it's just not compulsory as it is in the U.S.

[Which Tyler]

It's also only really eating out where tipping is normalised.

 

Despite threads like this, it still weirds me out when someone tries to tip me; I try to accept it with good grace, but I still suggest they put it in the charity jar - initially it felt quite insulting, like they were surprised that I am actually competent at my job.

[Theda Baratheon]

4 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Most/lots of people still do tip, it's just not compulsory as it is in the U.S.

I don't think id say most...I hardly ever do lmao 

[MercenaryChef]

22 hours ago, S John said:

Bumping this topic to ask a tipping question.  Scenario:

In a hotel in the UK.  Dinner served to room.  Like a nice dinner, not just ordering room service.  It is Christmas.

I feel that even though the UK doesn't have the tipping culture of America, this is a situation in which I definitely should tip.  The question is - what is appropriate?   Standard US style 20% of meal cost?  More since these people are spending their Christmas feeding / getting us drunk?

 

i personally think you should carry some nice cards in which you have hand lettered some favorite bible verses. you leave these in lieu of extra cash at the end of the meal.

or, you could tip them. if you are already being given a service charge perhaps not.

when we ate in england we were hit with a service charge at both nice restaurants we ate at. kair and i had dinner with three others at a notable and delicious steakhouse and at a mark hix restaurant where we were hit with a charge. i paid both. little did they know, silly american chef would have happily left more money than the suggested service charge.

recently a lot of restaurants in the states have began transitioning to a tip free experience. one such restaurateur is doing well with it. danny meyer is offering a archetype for a future that could well work in the states.

one thing i have began really hating is finding a suggested automatic gratuity on my bill. many restaurants will in fact print on the menu that it is included on parties of 6 or 8 or more. my own place does it. certainly if a guest isn't happy with it they don't pay it. on a recent business trip to hawaii my sous chef and i ate a very expensive meal at morimoto. we found our server had added 18% to our bill. food was outstanding, but service had been shit and he had the audacity. it turns out standard is to add 18% to all bills as hawaii has so many foreign travelers who do not know about tipping culture. 

 

[mormont]

3 hours ago, Which Tyler said:

It's also only really eating out where tipping is normalised.

That and taxis, and maybe hairdressers and other beauty services. Depending on how broadly you define 'eating out', bars and coffee shops also, although tipping at bars is somewhat different in that it's not really expected.

ETA - and the delivery driver if you get a takeaway.

[Isis]

S John: in that scenario I would ask if it's ok for you to tip them before actually going to do it. Sounds weird but can avoid awkwardness. Some employees are told not to accept tips for various reasons... I'd tip whatever you feel they merit, but 10% for adequate, 20% for very nice service is what I'd do. 

Tipping when eating out in the UK is quite straightforward now. Look at the bill, it will tell you if service is included. If it is (and it will tell you how much, generally it's about 12.5%) and your service was fine/adequate then you just pay the amount on the bill and you're done. If you think service was amazing then by all means pay the bill AND leave a tip. But generally, especially at a 'nice' restaurant just paying the service charge is enough.

If service is not included then it's up to you how much (if anything) you pay. Nobody will give you a hard time for NOT tipping. I would always tip a bare minimum of 10% in this scenario for average service. For great service I'd tip more.

If service is actively bad, I'd complain AND ask for any service charge to be removed. I've only done that twice and it was pretty matter of fact, no drama. 

Yesterday I got tipped by an American while serving in a London brewery taproom. We had no tip jar so it was a little weird but well intentioned and received.

[BigFatCoward]

On 04/12/2016 at 4:49 PM, Isis said:

 

Tipping when eating out in the UK is quite straightforward now. Look at the bill, it will tell you if service is included. If it is (and it will tell you how much, generally it's about 12.5%) and your service was fine/adequate then you just pay the amount on the bill and you're done. If you think service was amazing then by all means pay the bill AND leave a tip. But generally, especially at a 'nice' restaurant just paying the service charge is enough.

 

Though it is worth confirming if the service charge goes 'entirely' to the staff in addition to their wages, as this isn't always the case. 

[S John]

OK thanks for the advice all.  I'm gathering then that tipping 20-25% over the cost of the meal (after navigating any automatic service charges) would be considered a generous tip, and assuming good service, that is what I want to do considering it is a holiday.  Obviously we're gonna be on a budget but felt that it'd be a nice thing to tip a little above the baseline for the Christmas service so I just needed to figure out approximately what that baseline was for the circumstances.  I highly doubt I'll have any issues with the service as we'll likely be feeling warm and fuzzy off of a few drams of Scotch and it'd probably take something seriously egregious to yank me out of a jolly mood.   

On 12/3/2016 at 8:19 AM, MercurialCannibal said:

 

i personally think you should carry some nice cards in which you have hand lettered some favorite bible verses. you leave these in lieu of extra cash at the end of the meal.

 

True... what tip could be greater than the gift of eternal salvation?  I'll pray on it.  

 

On 12/4/2016 at 10:49 AM, Isis said:

 

Yesterday I got tipped by an American while serving in a London brewery taproom. We had no tip jar so it was a little weird but well intentioned and received.

Having tipped at a UK pub before, the experience of doing so was actually a little weird!  My first day in Glasgow (four years ago now!) I was walking around near the university, getting my bearings, and decided to go into a pub.  I ordered a couple of beers, drank them, and I guess due to deeply ingrained American-ness and being fresh from the States, it just felt so wrong for me to walk out the door and not leave a tip.  I knew it wasn't expected, but I awkwardly left a couple 1 pound coins on the bar which so obviously made the bartender feel awkward that I mostly stopped tipping at pubs after that other than to round up or something.  

[Isis]

13 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Though it is worth confirming if the service charge goes 'entirely' to the staff in addition to their wages, as this isn't always the case. 

Definitely! And where service is not included in the bill I will ask the server if they prefer a cash tip (ie, are they more likely to see it themselves if it is in cash?) rather than have it added to the bill. Many receipts will tell you that the service is included and that it all goes to the staff. Beyond that I don't know how you're meant to police it.

12 hours ago, S John said:

Having tipped at a UK pub before, the experience of doing so was actually a little weird!  My first day in Glasgow (four years ago now!) I was walking around near the university, getting my bearings, and decided to go into a pub.  I ordered a couple of beers, drank them, and I guess due to deeply ingrained American-ness and being fresh from the States, it just felt so wrong for me to walk out the door and not leave a tip.  I knew it wasn't expected, but I awkwardly left a couple 1 pound coins on the bar which so obviously made the bartender feel awkward that I mostly stopped tipping at pubs after that other than to round up or something.  

This reminds me of Fee's 20p tip. Not well received.

[Crazydog7]

Normally I would be on the side of the working man on this one but I was ordering takeout at an Italian restaurant tonight and a 10% tip was included in the bill.  I have gone to same place for 21 years and this has never happened before?  WTF?  

[Dr. Pepper]

I tipped someone the other day a standard 18% when I really didn't want to.  I keep thinking about it.  It was a hair stylist.  He cut my hair wrong and refused to correct it.  He colored my hair wrong and it can't really be corrected though that's not such a huge deal.  Then he kept randomly fat shaming me, saying "just water today for you, no food, not with this haircut."  I had chemical in my hair so it wasn't like I could just leave.  I don't typically like to punish poor service with no tip, but I know the stylists at this salon make a living wage and the tips are extra so it's not the same as minimum wage or less than half minimum wage servers relying heavily on tips just to live.  It was the first time that I really wanted to punish someone in the service industry by withholding a tip, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

In the future, should I withhold tip for service that bad?

[Isis]

7 hours ago, Crazydog7 said:

Normally I would be on the side of the working man on this one but I was ordering takeout at an Italian restaurant tonight and a 10% tip was included in the bill.  I have gone to same place for 21 years and this has never happened before?  WTF?  

For takeaway? Which you collected? Not really that much in the way of service for you to recognise. I wouldn't be impressed with getting hit with a 10% included service charge. Not cool.

ETA: Re. Dr Pepper's hair: how rude! First, no tip required here - after explaining to the stylist that they have not done what you asked them to do, I would also tell them that their unsolicited comments on your physical appearance are not polite. If you felt able to (depending on how bothered you were by this) I would say that you feel upset by these comments, the way you have been treated generally and that you now feel bad about yourself, which is the opposite of what you expect from a trip to the hairdressers. It is totally fair to point this out to them. They should really, at that point be offering you a discount or some sort of recompense. If this particular stylist does not accept your feedback in a 'good' way then take it to a manager, because that is flat out bad for business in general.

Second, hairdressing is the one field where I know that you are not expected to pay for your visit unless they have done what you asked. If they did not they are supposed to make it right. You can take it as far as declining to pay for the work (until they fix it or suggest how they plan to fix it) and still be in the right. They may suggest giving you a discount on a future appointment or something similar but they are obliged to acknowledge that they have erred.

 

[baxus]

9 hours ago, Dr. Pepper said:

I tipped someone the other day a standard 18% when I really didn't want to.  I keep thinking about it.  It was a hair stylist.  He cut my hair wrong and refused to correct it.  He colored my hair wrong and it can't really be corrected though that's not such a huge deal.  Then he kept randomly fat shaming me, saying "just water today for you, no food, not with this haircut."  I had chemical in my hair so it wasn't like I could just leave.  I don't typically like to punish poor service with no tip, but I know the stylists at this salon make a living wage and the tips are extra so it's not the same as minimum wage or less than half minimum wage servers relying heavily on tips just to live.  It was the first time that I really wanted to punish someone in the service industry by withholding a tip, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

In the future, should I withhold tip for service that bad?

Definitely yes.

Tip reflects your pleasure with the service provided. If you're not happy with the service, you don't tip.

[MercenaryChef]

tonight I saw the ugly side of tipping.

my servers were unhappy that there were six of them on the floor.  they were of the mind 4 could handle the night.  really they just wanted to get more guests and make more money.  I questioned them on whether guest satisfaction was more important than their own greed. it is a sad and brutal side of it. 

[Dr. Pepper]

15 hours ago, Isis said:

For takeaway? Which you collected? Not really that much in the way of service for you to recognise. I wouldn't be impressed with getting hit with a 10% included service charge. Not cool.

ETA: Re. Dr Pepper's hair: how rude! First, no tip required here - after explaining to the stylist that they have not done what you asked them to do, I would also tell them that their unsolicited comments on your physical appearance are not polite. If you felt able to (depending on how bothered you were by this) I would say that you feel upset by these comments, the way you have been treated generally and that you now feel bad about yourself, which is the opposite of what you expect from a trip to the hairdressers. It is totally fair to point this out to them. They should really, at that point be offering you a discount or some sort of recompense. If this particular stylist does not accept your feedback in a 'good' way then take it to a manager, because that is flat out bad for business in general.

Second, hairdressing is the one field where I know that you are not expected to pay for your visit unless they have done what you asked. If they did not they are supposed to make it right. You can take it as far as declining to pay for the work (until they fix it or suggest how they plan to fix it) and still be in the right. They may suggest giving you a discount on a future appointment or something similar but they are obliged to acknowledge that they have erred.

 

 

13 hours ago, baxus said:

Definitely yes.

Tip reflects your pleasure with the service provided. If you're not happy with the service, you don't tip.

I look at my credit card balance and I'm so annoyed now.  I wish I had grown a backbone and didn't tip and also demanded some recompense for their complete screw up.  I almost wish I were a yelper if only to relieve some of the frustration.

At least I know for future salon visits. 

[sperry]

On 12/7/2016 at 9:49 PM, Dr. Pepper said:

 

I look at my credit card balance and I'm so annoyed now.  I wish I had grown a backbone and didn't tip and also demanded some recompense for their complete screw up.  I almost wish I were a yelper if only to relieve some of the frustration.

At least I know for future salon visits. 

 

It's not too late to call the manager of the salon and tell them about your poor experience. They will almost assuredly try to make it right, and speak to or fire the stylist in question. If they don't try to make it right to you, then it's an easy choice to find a new stylist as well as post a facebook message tagging the salon in question and broadcasting the poor service to everyone you know.

 

 

[SerHaHa]

Quote

It's not too late to call the manager of the salon and tell them about your poor experience. They will almost assuredly try to make it right, and speak to or fire the stylist in question. If they don't try to make it right to you, then it's an easy choice to find a new stylist as well as post a facebook message tagging the salon in question and broadcasting the poor service to everyone you know.

I agree that a phone call to the manage is in order, based on what Dr Pepper described.  I disagree regarding using social media, we've all seen the litigious outcomes that have happened because of this - justified or not.  Also, the reaction of the interwebs can be unpredictable, many cases where justified poor reviews have been posted, the party who posted them then gets piled on by the web instead. 

[Rhom]

Went to a pricey restaurant the other night just my wife and I.

At the conclusion of the meal, there was a printed note from the restaurant explaining that an 18% service charge is included in the bill and that if I felt the service had been exemplary to "let the manager know" and I could add more.  There was a slot on the standard credit card receipt to add it in, so I did add more.

However, as I thought more about it... why not just charge 18% more up front???  If my meal was $100/person, why not make it $120 and call it a night and let me tip as normal?