Tipping! Am I old fashioned?

getz · Oct 20, 2014

Last week eating out at a couple of restaurants I paid the bills using cash. On each occasion I left what was obviously a tip.What surprised me was the waitresses returned the tips. I assured them the extra money was for them ,they were taken aback. Because most people pay by card these days, is this an easy way out to skip the tipping culture?

Chicken Runner61 · Oct 20, 2014

You sure the service wasn't already on the bill?

Rogero · Oct 20, 2014

In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

drew · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

Depends on the cost of the meal! If the meal price is cheaper then what is the problem. I always understood that serving staff didn't have high wages so as to encourage excellent service when the tips would supplement their wage.

getz said:
Last week eating out at a couple of restaurants I paid the bills using cash. On each occasion I left what was obviously a tip.What surprised me was the waitresses returned the tips. I assured them the extra money was for them ,they were taken aback. Because most people pay by card these days, is this an easy way out to skip the tipping culture?

Not necessarily. In some eateries, when paying by card you can add a gratuity. Alternatively, pay by card for the meal and leave cash for the tip.

The Mole · Oct 20, 2014

I always tip with cash after I discovered some chains do not give the gratuities from credit card payments to the staff

atfc village · Oct 20, 2014

I'll leave a tip if it is good Food service etc. A few years back in a Restaurant in Bulgaria tried to tip a waiter ,not realising you tipped the one who took your order .It caused untold scenes the 3 course meal and beers came to roughly £7 .50 and i'd left £3 in tips.

Pogue Mahone · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

Different cultures, different 'rules'. You know before you go that 20% is the norm over there. Without large tips the waiters' wages are very low.

Eating out in the States still comes out cheaper than it does here, even when factoring the 20% in. So where's the problem?

Bozza · Oct 20, 2014

If you were paying the whole thing in cash, it's only common politeness for waiting staff to return all of the 'change' and not make the assumption that all excess money is being left as a tip, even if it seems blatantly obvious that is the case.

SIMMO SAYS · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

I spent over £100 on tips in the two week Florida trip this year

That's nearly 24 pints of :drink:

FFS!!!!!

essbee · Oct 20, 2014

getz said:
Last week eating out at a couple of restaurants I paid the bills using cash. On each occasion I left what was obviously a tip.What surprised me was the waitresses returned the tips. I assured them the extra money was for them ,they were taken aback. Because most people pay by card these days, is this an easy way out to skip the tipping culture?

Not de rigeur in McDonald's

thedonkeycentrehalf · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

Tipping is very much the norm in the US although at 15% on average - 20% is for very good service. As others have said, the wages are very low which is why they go out of their way to give good service and therefore get good tips. I believe that they are also taxed on the assumption that they will receive a certain amount of tips so if you don't tip it can actually cost them money.

pasty · Oct 20, 2014

The Mole said:
I always tip with cash after I discovered some chains do not give the gratuities from credit card payments to the staff

Absolutely this. I always tip in cash whatever method I use to pay the bill.

Pretty pink fairy · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
In the US they expect 20% ridiculous. it spoilt eating out.

my mrs and I pay for our meals twice when we add on the tip :ohmy:

regards
DR

Rogero · Oct 20, 2014

Pogue Mahone said:
Different cultures, different 'rules'. You know before you go that 20% is the norm over there. Without large tips the waiters' wages are very low.

Eating out in the States still comes out cheaper than it does here, even when factoring the 20% in. So where's the problem?

It is not cheaper out there ,and service is no better. In fact service is much better in this country. People say that they do not earn much, well it is the same here.

ForestRowSeagull · Oct 20, 2014

At the pub I worked at over the summer we were taught to return any change to the customer even if it were blatantly obvious it were a tip, you musn't assume they were leaving it for you. With respect to card payments if the bill were £55 but they paid £60 on card (and made it clear it was a tip) we took £5 out of the till and put in the tip jar - perhaps I got lucky with the pub I worked at!

Pogue Mahone · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
It is not cheaper out there ,and service is no better. In fact service is much better in this country. People say that they do not earn much, well it is the same here.

Well we should tip more, then.

Barrel of Fun · Oct 20, 2014

Pogue Mahone said:
Different cultures, different 'rules'. You know before you go that 20% is the norm over there. Without large tips the waiters' wages are very low.

Eating out in the States still comes out cheaper than it does here, even when factoring the 20% in. So where's the problem?

They'll never be able to afford health insurance, unless they work three jobs?

fat old seagull · Oct 20, 2014

Bozza said:
If you were paying the whole thing in cash, it's only common politeness for waiting staff to return all of the 'change' and not make the assumption that all excess money is being left as a tip, even if it seems blatantly obvious that is the case.

This is true, leave themselves open to claims of dishonesty even if as Bozza says it's obvious. You need to make it clear it is a tip. For me in this country I pay what's on the bill by card, and tip by cash. I feel that way at least who served us gets the tip....all 5p of it. :wink:

fat old seagull · Oct 20, 2014

Rogero said:
It is not cheaper out there ,and service is no better. In fact service is much better in this country. People say that they do not earn much, well it is the same here.

I lived in Washington DC for 14 months and I can assure you that eating out there is at the very least 10% cheaper than here. And for me the service is much better, almost to the point that it becomes patronising. Also lots of extras in most restaurants like water, bread are free, as usually are extra hot beverages.

Rogero · Oct 20, 2014

Just looked this up ,the new norm in the States is now 30percent and is heading north.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/tipping-15-percent-25-30_n_1900559.html

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