Tipping in Restuarnts – Wife Annoyed

This is perfect, I’m ill in bed, Ransos, take a bow, you’ve cheered me up. 😆

What we need is a poll to work out if those who don’t/won’t tip are the selfsame people who micro-count the bill on a night out?

I don’t think we really need a survey to know the answer to that one. That joyous feeling when the bill comes and someone (usually the one who nobody actually likes, who somehow managed to get themselves invited) gets their phone out, hits the calculator, and starts jotting down how many glasses of wine everyone had, and who had a side order of onion rings. Then starts counting out the exact change. Everyone loves people like that! Don’t they? 😀

Ok what part of my job isnt covered by my wages/contract of employment?

Are you a waiter? If so, it’s the part you would normally expect to receive as a tip.

Are you a waiter? If so, it’s the part you would normally expect to receive as a tip.

I’m not a waiter the rest of your statement is irrelevant as is your first reply seeing as you havnt a clue what I do for a living. No one in the customer service industry I work in expects to receive any part of their wages as a tip.

It’s all part of the price customers agree to pay. If the service is rubbish customers don’t return so we are given a proper wage to include doing our jobs properly in the first place. If we then don’t give good service we get the sack.

If a service charge is optional and not included in the up front price then so should be the service? If no one then used the service then what would an employee be getting paid for?

I’m not a waiter the rest of your statement is irrelevant as is your first reply seeing as you havnt a clue what I do for a living. No one in the customer service industry I work in expects to receive any part of their wages as a tip.

Well yes brains, I don’t know what you do for a living, which is why I asked. You may not be aware, but waiters and waitresses expect to receive a tip. That is the convention in this country.

Your comment about “getting a proper wage” is more akin to the French system, where the service charge is itemised on your bill. I prefer it, but it’s not what we have.

You are of course free to not leave a tip, thus ensuring that poorly-paid people end up being very poorly-paid people. Well done you!

I’m betting ‘onion ring quibbler’ too 😀

ransos – Member
Ok what part of my job isnt covered by my wages/contract of employment?

Are you a waiter? If so, it’s the part you would normally expect to receive as a tip.[/quote]

So which particular parts of a waiters job aren’t covered by their hourly wage that the employer pays?

I definitely didn’t have any of the garlic bread……

So which particular parts of a waiters job aren’t covered by their hourly wage that the employer pays?

I knew you’d be the kind of guy who gets his calculator out when the bill arrives!

No bread? Unlikely

More like well done restaurant owners for perpetuating a system that enables them to pay lower wages to employees who, by the replies on this thread, are apparently happy to let it happen.

He had an extra topping on his pizza! They’re extra.

I’m just saying as this process needs to be fair. Why should I be out of pocket…..

So which particular parts of a waiters job aren’t covered by their hourly wage that the employer pays?

I knew you’d be the kind of guy who gets his calculator out when the bill arrives!

Well you were wrong about me not tipping, so I suppose it’s no surprise that you are wrong about this too.

Here’s an idea though, instead of looking daft by making really bad assumptions about me, how about answering the question?

More like well done restaurant owners for perpetuating a system that enables them to pay lower wages to employees who are apparently happy to let it happen.

I very much doubt they’re happy about it, but like most low-waged people, have little power to change it.

Of course, if we lived in a society where waiting staff were valued, we’d all be happy to bung them a modest fee we could easily afford.

And the ribs were £1.25 more expensive than the other starters……

I just want to make sure that everyone pays the right amount of the bill, so that its fair

Why are you crying?

Well you were wrong about me not tipping, so I suppose it’s no surprise that you are wrong about this too.

Here’s an idea though, instead of looking daft by making really bad assumptions about me, how about answering the question?

Well you were wrong about me saying that you don’t tip, because I didn’t. Are you trying to set a record “for most number of times being wrong in a single thread”?

But anyway, being generous of spirit, I shall answer your question: waiting staff duties are not hypothecated.

Well, I was driving and that was definitely Pepsi not Diet Pepsi

Sorry? No, the cheese was a £2.50 supplement.

Ransos, you said directly to me.

I’m beginning to build a picture of the sort of person who refuses to tip.

Suppose that was just a general observation and not suggesting anything 🙄

Suppose that was just a general observation and not suggesting anything

You’ve been very useful actually: by advancing various arguments as to why people don’t tip, it’s confirmed what I suspected.

….confirmed what I expected

Which is ?

I didn’t ask for bottled water either. But I suppose that’ll be split on the bill too. A jug of tap water would have been fine. I would have said that, if we’d have been asked……

That is the convention in this country.

No it isn’t. Never has been and it’s not now. It’s a discretionary gift for good/excellent service to recognise that what you have recieved is worth more than the price on the menu/list.

Which is ?

People will engage in any number of post-hoc rationalisations for being a bit tight. Cognitive dissonance, I think they call it.

No it isn’t. Never has been and it’s not now. It’s a discretionary gift for good/excellent service to recognise that what you have recieved is worth more than the price on the menu/list.

“Convention” and “compulsion” are not synonyms. It is conventional to tip in restaurants unless there is a problem with the service, as a glance at any travel guide would tell you.

Errr… I didn’t get a mint.

I always leave a tip unless the service has been awful. This is mainly because service jobs are poorly paid but demand non-stop effort from the staff.

Oh really? First hit from Google for “guide to uk tipping” is trip advisor (the biggest online travel guide);

Tipping
Context

Tipping is not always expected in the UK in the way it is in the United States or Canada. All staff in the UK, must by law, be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (£6.50/hr (2014 rate, lower rate applies to those under 21 years of age) whether they receive tips or not. An employer is not allowed to use tips to top up wages to the legal minimum.Therefore, unlike in much of North America, the need and culture for tipping is much less.

Equally, British people have a reputation in the USA for not tipping, and indeed many object vociferously to the practice, arguing that the cost should be included in the price of the food. Others however feel it appropriate to tip in various scenarios. As a general rule, it is very rarely expected that one tips in the United Kingdom, unless the service is above standard, but it is polite to forgo change, as a comvenience and politeness.
Polite? yes. Convention? nope.

Polite? yes. Convention? nope.

From the source you quoted, but conveniently left out:

“In restaurants where you place your order with your waiter/waitress and receive food, and your bill, at your table, it is usual to tip around 10%”

Polite? Yes. Convention? Most definitely.

Of course, if we lived in a society where waiting staff were valued, we’d all be happy to bung them a modest fee we could easily afford they would be paid properly in the first place.

Obviously you place a higher value on having your food and drinks brought to the table than I do. Being relatively low paid myself I’m quite happy to go to the bar for my drinks and I’d also be happy to serve myself and would also be happy to good to the kitchen to order and collect my food. 10% on a £50 food/drinks bill for a table of 4 people would, along with minimum wage would exceed my hourly pa by serving 1 table an hour. A high proportion of that would also be tax free. Hardly undervalued!

Equally, British people have a reputation in the USA for not tipping, and indeed many object vociferously to the practice, arguing that the cost should be included in the price of the food. on account of being miserable, stingy, joyless tight-arses, with no friends, who then get their calculators out and start arguing over the price of side dishes

FTFY 😛

I guess what it boils down to (in the UK – different in the states with different labour laws), is being a waiter in a bog standard restaurant any more worthy of being more than minimum wage than any other low wage work and should the decision to make that happen be the responsibility of the customer or the employer?

I have done a whole load of low wages jobs in the past – waiter, barman, delivery driver, shop worker, summer camp childcare, cleaner, shelf stacker, postal sorting office worker, vegetable picker. Some job, somewhere is going to be the lowest paid – I’m struggling from my experience of the role to see why it’s not the waiter. I’ve not done the sums but I’d hazard a guess that what I worked for as a waiter back in the day would not measure up to the minimum wage now and at the time time I didn’t feel hard done by so I’m not going to be guilted into feel obliged to automatically tipping unless the service is terrible. I’ll continue to be British and tip for excellence.

Being relatively low paid myself I’m quite happy to go to the bar for my drinks and I’d also be happy to serve myself and would also be happy to good to the kitchen to order and collect my food.

Isn’t that just called ‘staying at home’?

From the source you quoted, but conveniently left out:

And the bit you conveniently left out……

The expectation does vary from place to place – in fine dining restaurants where you receive personal service, a tip would always be expected (while never compulsory, it would be considered rude unless there was a problem with the service), whereas in the most casual of restaurants tipping is not universal.

Polite? Yes. Convention? Nope.

And a little more;

In some cases a restaurant may print ‘service not included’ on the bill or menu. This is a request for a ‘tip’! You are not obligated to offer anything, but 10% would be normal in this scenario if the service warranted any sort of tip..

Being relatively low paid myself I’m quite happy to go to the bar for my drinks and I’d also be happy to serve myself and would also be happy to good to the kitchen to order and collect my food

You do know it’s not compulsory to go to restaurants with table service?

Polite? Yes. Convention? Nope.

You do appear to have trouble with the meaning of “convention”

From this quote: “In restaurants where you place your order with your waiter/waitress and receive food, and your bill, at your table, it is usual to tip around 10%”

Does not imply that it is compulsory, or expected in every single circumstance.

Would you like a dictionary?

“You are not obligated to offer anything, but 10% would be normal in this scenario if the service warranted any sort of tip.. “

I see you’re still struggling.

Isn’t that just called ‘staying at home’?

Staying at home is when you cook it yourself. I’m happy to pay someone for their skill and ability to produce food to a much higher standard than I am able.

I’ll continue to be British and tip for excellence.

That’s not being British, it’s being tight.