Us Europeans simply cannot understand how the US tipping culture has been allowed to exist. It is terrible for everyone except restaurant owners. Don't pay your staff properly and expect customers to deal with that separately? WTAF?
I own a pub and restaurant and help run a Yacht club that has a very good restaurant and bars. In both cases we pay our staff well above minimum wage and oddly enough we have staff who have been with us for 20-30 years and do a fantastic job and our customers are happy. In the Yacht Club, there is a specific ban on tipping of staff. It does occasionally happen, but we prefer to deal with it directly. For example, we have just had an amazing summer and have done really well, so I'm just sorting out the bonus payments for all staff this morning. All of them will get an additional £500-1500 in their pay packets at the end of next month.
I realise it is a weird concept, but well paid staff means a good service, happy customers and from my perspective a successful business. We never have any issue recruiting or retaining staff, whereas other businesses in the hospitality world around us are always crying for staff and complaining that "no-one wants to work in the sector any more." They do, they just need to get paid properly and treated with respect.
I'm the same. I recently went for a meal and it came out to £84.80 I thought the waitress had been lovely, talking us through the drinks and helping us pick a starter. I paid £90. £5.20 as a tip. It was very unusual for me. I can't remember the last time I tipped in the UK. The service generally doesn't warrant it and often the staff are earning the same or more than I do hourly.
I’m not tipping for expected service, but if I’m with an obnoxiously drunk group and we’ve been catered to all night, there’s gonna be a £20 tip when the bill comes.
True. I nearly always tip at least a bit, mostly to not have too much annoying coins in my pockets. Like when I order a beer for 3,70 I just make it 4. But depending on the situation I tip more. If It's a busy night and I have to wait on the bar to order something, I'm not blaming the bartenders or servers but tip them a bit more instead. If we order a whole lot of stuff and constantly want something new the tip is obviously higher and when we spent hours there and everyone gives five bucks extra it quickly adds up to 30-50€.
If someone is unnecessarily rude or something I don't tip at all. Also I only tip cash. Here in Germany tipping a server with card is something I don't really trust. No idea if it gets split or just ends up with the owner.
I always see tips as a sign of appreciation (or an apology if I feel like I made their day harder then necessary like ordering and then remembering that I forgot something and making them walk a second time - it's something that is their job but I still caused unnecessary work) not something that should be required.
I'm in the UK too, will generally tip about 10% for good service in a restaurant.
However what I fail to understand is why their industry is often deemed worthy or tipsy, but my own isn't. I'm a Senior Paddlesport/watersports instructor at a watersports centre, when teaching people how to kayak/canoe/paddleboard I am often only focusing on very few people at one time (maximum of 6/8). Whilst on the water I am responsible for their enjoyment of the session, their learning, and most importantly their safety. I have undertaken many courses to qualify me to run these sessions at cost to myself and always at the end of the session get the "that was amazing, thankyou" etc but never a tip. And I will get paid about the same hourly rate as a waiter/waitress.
There is a complete disconnect between tipping and industries and where it should be done. I would argue that due to my training and mental load, and risk during a day that people in my industry are much more deserving of tips but we often leave the day with nothing extra
If you want tips in the water sports industry you need to be abroad. I don’t know the industry is like since brexit but I did 10 years of beach seasons and I was making bank on tips. The standard operators sun sail Nelson etc, wage was shit but if you are good with people you can easily make £500 extra a week. The hard part was not drinking it all away.
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u/RofiBie Aug 28 '24
Us Europeans simply cannot understand how the US tipping culture has been allowed to exist. It is terrible for everyone except restaurant owners. Don't pay your staff properly and expect customers to deal with that separately? WTAF?
I own a pub and restaurant and help run a Yacht club that has a very good restaurant and bars. In both cases we pay our staff well above minimum wage and oddly enough we have staff who have been with us for 20-30 years and do a fantastic job and our customers are happy. In the Yacht Club, there is a specific ban on tipping of staff. It does occasionally happen, but we prefer to deal with it directly. For example, we have just had an amazing summer and have done really well, so I'm just sorting out the bonus payments for all staff this morning. All of them will get an additional £500-1500 in their pay packets at the end of next month.
I realise it is a weird concept, but well paid staff means a good service, happy customers and from my perspective a successful business. We never have any issue recruiting or retaining staff, whereas other businesses in the hospitality world around us are always crying for staff and complaining that "no-one wants to work in the sector any more." They do, they just need to get paid properly and treated with respect.
The US tipping culture fails on both fronts.