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

View Respondents

How much should you tip in restaurants?

View Answers

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...

View Answers

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

[slaymesoftly]

I hate tipping. But it's pretty much expected everywhere, and, as you said, people aren't paid a living wage in many jobs (mostly waiters, I think), so you feel like you have to tip them. It's gone completely away from the idea that if someone has treated you exceptionally well, or worked especially hard for you, you can reward them with some extra money that goes directly to them and not to the establishment. However, now, it's become something expected whether it's been earned or not. A waiter in a good (pricey) restaurant or club can make a hell of a lot of money in one night. And, although they have to report a believable figure to the IRS, I'm sure it's easy to slip several hundred dollars past them each week. :)
ETA - and, the expected amount seems to have increased from 15% to 20% in most cases.