Tipping

[deird1]

Read an article on tipping (with, yes, quite a lot of discussion about Aussies) this morning, and got interested...

Poll #4972 tipping

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 27

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How much should you tip in restaurants?

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0%
0 (0.0%)

0% ...but then, I'm Australian
4 (14.8%)

5%
0 (0.0%)

10%
5 (18.5%)

20%
15 (55.6%)

25%
0 (0.0%)

30%
0 (0.0%)

50%
0 (0.0%)

ridiculously huge amounts
0 (0.0%)

it really depends on the service
3 (11.1%)

Tipping...

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sucks
5 (19.2%)

is great
5 (19.2%)

is annoying, but can't be helped
12 (46.2%)

I'm Australian, and laugh at people who tip
3 (11.5%)

I'm a waiter, and glare at people who don't tip
2 (7.7%)

why be stingy?
15 (57.7%)

why not just pay the waiters properly?
17 (65.4%)

ticky!
12 (46.2%)

tip!
7 (26.9%)

ticky again!
9 (34.6%)

My general position:
- America, for some insane reason, underpays people and expects them to earn most of their salary through tips. Were I in America, I would (reluctantly) tip everyone. After all, it's not their fault their work conditions stink.
- Luckily, I am in Australia, where tipping is not expected. So I don't tip - unless the place was really brilliant, in which case I might add my spare change to their tip jar...

Comments

[gillo]

In Britain we tip a very limited number of people. In a taxi I generally pay to the nearest pound and tell them to keep the change unless they have been particularly helpful, in which case I might give a little more. In a restaurant I usually give 10%, because I know they are taxed on the presumption they get a certain amount each month. Always cash, though, never added to the card payment. And yes, waiters should be paid adequately and it shouldn't be necessary. I usually give my hairdresser a fiver if she's done a good job of hiding my grey locks. Other than that, most people tip removals men and often give a tip at Christmas to postpersons, milkmen and paper deliverers.

Generally tipping is rare here outside those groups, and would normally never go beyond 10%. It's not considered particularly mean not to leave a tip, either. I can't get my head round the tipping culture in the US.