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[Food] The NSC Great Tip Debate

What’s your strategy?

  • Always tip. I value restaurant staff (and/or don’t want to look like a tight arse)

    Votes: 25 23.1%
  • I tip according to the food and service.

    Votes: 78 72.2%
  • Never (and don’t mind my food being gobbed in)

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 2.8%

  • Total voters
    108


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,193
The Fatherland
Fixtures out and digested, World Cup not quite started, so it’s the perfect time to debate this.

What’s your opinion?

Poll to follow.
 


Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Apr 30, 2013
13,763
Herts
I always tip; always in cash, unless there’s a compulsory service charge (when I take note and don’t return). If there’s a suggested service charge, I ask the wait staff to remove it, and then tip as below.

10% if everything’s fine, 15% for very good service, 20% for truly exceptional (maybe once a year), 30p if the service is really poor - I don’t want them to be in any doubt that I forgot to tip.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,193
The Fatherland
I always tip; always in cash, unless there’s a compulsory service charge (when I take note and don’t return). If there’s a suggested service charge, I ask the wait staff to remove it, and then tip as below.

10% if everything’s fine, 15% for very good service, 20% for truly exceptional (maybe once a year), 30p if the service is really poor - I don’t want them to be in any doubt that I forgot to tip.

Same here. I also tip cabs and the hair dresser. I’m a bit old school I guess.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
How about tipping over and above the bill when it already includes a tip? If they include the tip on my bill I never leave more.

Always tip in cash and at least 10% for decent service, sometimes more if it is very good.

No tip if the service is crap and with attitude

I also tip hairdressers, taxis, the AA man and any workman who goes the extra mile when doing jobs.

Postie always gets a decent tip at Xmas, used to tip the binmen when they collected the bins but since I now have to put them out and they often leave paper and things that tip out of the bins when they are attaching them to the dustcart I no longer bother.
 


Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Apr 30, 2013
13,763
Herts
Same here. I also tip cabs and the hair dresser. I’m a bit old school I guess.

Yep, I tip those two as well - 10% for taxis, 40% for my hairdresser. Though, the latter is my neighbour who charges me a fiver, so I give her £7...

I slip a tenner or £20 to visiting workmen (boiler repair man, sparky, plumber etc), and a tenner to each refuse collection crew at Christmas.

I also drop any copper change I get into the shop’s charity box - cba to carry it around.
 




Diablo

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 22, 2014
4,173
lewes
I always ask that discretionary service charge is deducted from bill. I then give approx 10% in cash to waiter/ess.
 


Beanstalk

Well-known member
Apr 5, 2017
2,454
London
As someone who worked in pubs and restaurants for 5 years (3 in Brighton) tips change everything.

Worked in a restaurant down by the seafront where 10% optional service charge was added to every bill (99% of customers had no issue with this) and it made all the difference. Hours were often long and people were often incredibly rude, frequently to unacceptable standards. The extra money in tips (could double my wage on a good night) was some relief to what would feel like a pretty taxing job a lot of the time.

Personally, I believe that anywhere the staff are paid minimum wage and still provide a good service, you should tip.
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 11, 2003
59,193
The Fatherland
As someone who worked in pubs and restaurants for 5 years (3 in Brighton) tips change everything.

Worked in a restaurant down by the seafront where 10% optional service charge was added to every bill (99% of customers had no issue with this) and it made all the difference. Hours were often long and people were often incredibly rude, frequently to unacceptable standards. The extra money in tips (could double my wage on a good night) was some relief to what would feel like a pretty taxing job a lot of the time.

Personally, I believe that anywhere the staff are paid minimum wage and still provide a good service, you should tip.

Difficult to argue against this. I worked in a restaurant during my A levels (The Coach House in Rottingdean) and whilst the punters were generally pleasant it’s a tough gig at times and the tips made a huge difference. The owners were fantastic though, I had friends who worked in other places with tossers for bosses and they had it tough most of the time.
 


Tricky Dicky

New member
Jul 27, 2004
13,558
Sunny Shoreham
Same here. I also tip cabs and the hair dresser. I’m a bit old school I guess.

Me too, though I don't seem to have a comprehensive tipping policy. Cabs I tend to round up to the nearest pound unless it's too little. Barbers I probably add 2 or 3 quid to a £14 bill - the mid-cut chat might dictate the amount. I don't tip dustmen, postmen. Sometimes tip take-away delivery chaps - though I rarely have take-aways these days.
 


Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patreon
Oct 27, 2003
20,938
The arse end of Hangleton
I generally tip waiting staff. I do expect something more than just having a menu slapped down on the table and meals thrown at me though. I expect a little bit of interaction from the waiting staff - recommendations from the menu etc. I never pay a service charge.

I used to tip taxi drivers but as prices went up and the service went down I stopped and now with Uber tipping seems an irrelevance.
 
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Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,110
Surrey
I always tip; always in cash, unless there’s a compulsory service charge (when I take note and don’t return). If there’s a suggested service charge, I ask the wait staff to remove it, and then tip as below.

10% if everything’s fine, 15% for very good service, 20% for truly exceptional (maybe once a year), 30p if the service is really poor - I don’t want them to be in any doubt that I forgot to tip.

I don't have the 20% level myself, I believe 15% should be plenty. I haven't done the 30p thing but I do love that idea so I'll be following your example going forward. :thumbsup:
 


BN9 BHA

DOCKERS
NSC Patreon
Jul 14, 2013
21,448
Newhaven
I tip in a restaurant if the service has been good, definitely wouldn't tip if the service was crap.
Even if the food isn't 100% that isn't the fault of the waiting staff.
I don't use taxis very often but when I do I tip the driver, I wouldn't if one deliberately went round the houses for extra fare though.
 


Yes Chef

Well-known member
Apr 11, 2016
1,815
In the kitchen
When I eat out I automatically have it in my head to tip, it's possibly some kind of professional empathy. If I don't then it's because something has gone considerably wrong, not just a petty gripe.

It's worth bearing in mind whether kitchen staff get a share of the tips as well :)
 




Yes Chef

Well-known member
Apr 11, 2016
1,815
In the kitchen
I tip in a restaurant if the service has been good, definitely wouldn't tip if the service was crap.
Even if the food isn't 100% that isn't the fault of the waiting staff.
I don't use taxis very often but when I do I tip the driver, I wouldn't if one deliberately went round the houses for extra fare though.

This isn't necessarily true, chef's often come unstuck when compensating for front of house mistakes
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patreon
Oct 8, 2003
49,331
Faversham
According to food and service UNLESS the menu shouts 'service not included' impying the staff won't be paid unless I tip. In which case I don't tip and never return.
 


Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patreon
Jul 17, 2003
18,274
Valley of Hangleton
I watched a game once in one of the Amex boxes, those of you that have experienced this somewhat different match day experience will know that you have a dedicated server who gets your drinks from somewhere else and brings them in as when required.

On that night the unofficial leader of the box insisted on a tenner a head tip for the young lady!!! There were 12 of us in there........
 


maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
12,938
Zabbar- Malta
I always tip in restaurants and taxis.

But it's odd that having worked in other service industries where tipping isn't the norm, I have to wonder why do we tip people for doing their job.
Checkout operator at the supermarket gives superb service but gets nothing.
Assistant at DIY store gives advice but gets nothing.
Barmaid/ Barman in a pub? OK, we always used to buy them a drink but how many do that now?
 




BN9 BHA

DOCKERS
NSC Patreon
Jul 14, 2013
21,448
Newhaven
This isn't necessarily true, chef's often come unstuck when compensating for front of house mistakes

Sorry I don't know what you mean, I've never worked in catering.

Maybe I should have explained my point.
When out for a meal a few months back I ordered deep fried Brie for starters for myself and my wife, the Brie was still frozen in the middle. Both were obviously sent back.
The waiter wasn't at fault in my opinion and his service was very good, so he was tipped.
 


Hampster Gull

New member
Dec 22, 2010
13,462
Um, I tip if it’s a good experience not because I am trying to make a sociological point or to try and compensate the base pay (and yes I’ve been a waiter) or whatever. My threshold though is pretty low so nearly always tip but when the service is really really poor then I don’t. I have only once asked for the pre loaded tip to be removed.
 



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