c4countdown

As per title. How much do you tip?

As an example, you have a meal plus drinks in an ok restaurant. The waiter/waitress was perfunctory. The bill comes to £38.40. How much would you leave?

I'd probably round that to 45.

£45 sounds reasonable.

I actually hate the concept of tips, but we live in a world where they exist so I just go along with it. Really restaurants should pay their staff properly, and there's no reason why people who happen to deal directly with customers should get paid extra on top of their wage whereas people who work in other jobs don't.

I will leave cash only .
Usually a fiver if it's just the two of us.
So it's usually more than 10 percent.
I don't leave tips on a card payment.

The concept of tipping for me is I only tip Cab drivers , Hairdressers hotel maids and waiting staff.

In America you are made to feel you have to tip everyone that serves you in any way

I would probably tip £4 on that bill, but like Gavin, I hate the concept of tips. I usually aim for 10%, but might only leave £45 on a £41 bill, for instance. I rarely tip at all if it's a prepaid meal, in a pub for instance, even though they bring the food to you. I don't take many taxi rides, but I tip the taxi driver around 10%> This can go up in relation to how much I've had to drink. I only tip the bloke who cuts my hair at Christmas.

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Sun Oct 07, 2018 8:38 pm This can go up in relation to how much I've had to drink. I only tip the bloke who cuts my hair at Christmas.

Do you have one hairdresser per religious festival?

Like Gevin I just go along with tipping even though as a concept it is ridiculous. Under 10% seems cheap. Over 15% seems like you're showing off. So I fastidiously stick to between that range. I refuse to tip less for bad service or food but might up it for good service.

Jon O'Neill wrote: ↑Mon Oct 08, 2018 8:53 pm I refuse to tip less for bad service or food but might up it for good service.

You refuse to tip less for bad service or food?! Jeeze, I'll ask for my money back, let alone discuss not leaving a tip - why so British?!

About ten percent, boringly.

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 12:10 pm About ten percent, boringly.

I am told by people who have worked in restaurants that 10% is far more than the average tip. My own experience of eating out with other people and splitting the bill would also suggest that 10% is considered overly generous by many people.

The idea of going by percentage is actually a really stupid idea anyway. Does it take more effort to serve more expensive food?

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:14 pm The idea of going by percentage is actually a really stupid idea anyway. Does it take more effort to serve more expensive food?

Yes.

Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:15 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:14 pm The idea of going by percentage is actually a really stupid idea anyway. Does it take more effort to serve more expensive food?

Yes.

To carry it from the kitchen to the table?

Tap water must take no effort compared to a bottle of wine.

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:16 pm

Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:15 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:14 pm The idea of going by percentage is actually a really stupid idea anyway. Does it take more effort to serve more expensive food?

Yes.

To carry it from the kitchen to the table?

Tap water must take no effort compared to a bottle of wine.

Silver service will be expected to carry more at once, to pay more attention to angling direction, to have spent more on their work uniform etc. - not using this as an argument against your conclusion, but it is likely that fancy restaurant staff will be putting in more effort, and have had more extensive training.

Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 5:37 pm

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:16 pm

Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Tue Oct 09, 2018 2:15 pm

Yes.

To carry it from the kitchen to the table?

Tap water must take no effort compared to a bottle of wine.

Silver service will be expected to carry more at once, to pay more attention to angling direction, to have spent more on their work uniform etc. - not using this as an argument against your conclusion, but it is likely that fancy restaurant staff will be putting in more effort, and have had more extensive training.

Isn't that why you pay the fancy prices though.
I'm more likely to tip well in a Harvester if the waiting staff are friendly and efficient than, say, The Fat Duck

Am totally inconsistent with this. I usually aim for 5-10% for reasonable service but it depends how much cash I have on me. If I have less than £1 in change I will sometimes leave nothing as I feel a few miserable pence as a tip looks like you're saying that's all the service was worth, whereas if you leave nothing they might think you just forgot. I justify this to myself by recalling that in most restaurants the tips just go into a shared pot anyway. On the odd occasions when I've been so impressed by the service that I left a substantial tip, I really wanted to believe that it would go to the person who served us but I know that this is unlikely. I did once leave a sizeable cash tip on a neighbouring table after a party had gone because their waiter was hot.