NFR Tipping in restaurants

[ron]

I think it appalling that the restaurant industry decides a menu price for the food to make their profits, then expects the diners to subsidise their wage bill for the front of house staff.
It's not far from developing a culture of "Can you spare any change, guv?" in a work environment where dignity ought to guarantee a reasonable wage without what are, in effect, handouts. 

[rweller86]

I always leave a tip of 10%+ but 12.5% is added to most places we go to anyway (London). If the service is poor, we won't pay it but fortunately not had to as for the 12.5% service charge to be removed so far!

[Lighthouse]

Not as exciting as the tipping league.

[colcliff]

 Hate tipping people should be paid a decent wage so you don't  have to tip
Why is it we tip certain professions and not other.
We tip waiters and waitresses , hairdressers , cab drivers but we don't tip shop workers many who are also on low wages
Does not really make sense

But I still do it

[dannyboi-ffc]

Hate tipping people should be paid a decent wage so you don't  have to tip
Why is it we tip certain professions and not other.
We tip waiters and waitresses , hairdressers , cab drivers but we don't tip shop workers many who are also on low wages
Does not really make sense

But I still do it

The only tip I've ever been given on the buses is a sweet from the old dears!

[Holders]

I tip if in a proper in restaurant and the service is good but I don't feel obliged to unless it's justified. I would resent a service charge being added automatically unless stated in the menu. I like the continental system where you get table service in pubs. They either remember or write what you've had on the beermat. When you come to pay you just hand over a bit more and say 'thank you ' which means keep the change.

[Southcoastffc]

I repeat (I know I'm a boring old fart) Service charge IS NOT THE SAME as a tip.

[MJG]

Hate tipping people should be paid a decent wage so you don't  have to tip
Why is it we tip certain professions and not other.
We tip waiters and waitresses , hairdressers , cab drivers but we don't tip shop workers many who are also on low wages
Does not really make sense

But I still do it

The only tip I've ever been given on the buses is a sweet from the old dears!

Or some choice words on what to do when you fail to stop ;-)

[terryr]

Always tip around 15%
It annoys me when they put a service charge on the bill and then ask for a tip when youre putting in your pin.....that's always a bit of a rip off ( another 15%= 30%).
Problem is the restaurants sometimes don't give ALL ( OR ANY) the service charge to the staff.
Restaurants should pay the staff. It shouldn't be down to the customers to pay their wages.
I've started asking the service charge to be taken off the bill as by law this is optional . I explain to the server that it isn't a reflection on them and I'll leave the equivalent in cash on the table or in the folder.
They've always been chuffed and as they get to keep the cash and "their tip" doesn't disappear into the owner's pocket.

[Logicalman]

I don't understand the whole tipping world. That's coming from a retail background where you see so many people on minimum wage. Aren't the people in the restaurant getting paid for the job they do, and probably benefits on top in terms of discount or free food?
Should you pay more in a supermarket to get served by Mary behind the till and get a discount if you serve yourself at the self service till? Genuinely interested as it seems to be a given that with so many people on minimum wage in many industries, it's sort of expected that you give more than has been asked for, for a meal or drink or whatever.

each to their own I guess.

I can see your point when referring to the retail world, though see my first comment concerning the min wage over here and you can then see why it's such common practice - and expected - in the US (beware those visiting - tips are as common here as they are not elsewhere).

Then again, comparing Mary behind the till with a food server is like comparing a footie manager with their star player in terms of fitness, there is none in reality. Now, if you had mentioned Bert in men's tailoring, that would be different, though I doubt Bert would serve up to a dozen people at the same time if the store was full (they only appear to serve one at a time in stores here - a second customer seems to do their heads in).

I think it appalling that the restaurant industry decides a menu price for the food to make their profits, then expects the diners to subsidise their wage bill for the front of house staff.
It's not far from developing a culture of "Can you spare any change, guv?" in a work environment where dignity ought to guarantee a reasonable wage without what are, in effect, handouts.

Totally agree. They put the prices up if and when there is a change to the min wage, but it is just a load of toss, as the increase in menu prices rakes in far above the extra wages they pay out. I guess one difference I have noted though is that US and UK restaurants do differ in their portion sizes, so perhaps the US customer feels better off (fuller iow) and is maybe more prone to tipping as well?

[filham]

Usually tip about 10% for table service providing both food and service is good.
Often wonder what happens to the money, do the staff have an agreement to share it among all staff including kitchen workers.
Also when Service is shown on the bill can we be sure this gets to the staff. If it does then why not just put up basic prices and increase staff wages, I suppose the answer is VAT and income tax would increase.

[Woolly Mammoth]

The Restaurant i was in last night had a sign up saying " EAT HERE, DIET HOME ".

[Forever Fulham]

In the states it's rare to find any service tip added to the bill, unless there is a party of 12 or more, then it's added automatically in a number of places.

Here we tip at around 20%, 15% if it's not that good service, and up to 25-30% for excellent service and food.

Min wage here is dismal, bordering on the criminal, 7.25 is the federal mandated limit, but States then change that as they wish. So a standard 40-hour week pays just 290 bucks a week, around 15K a year, nowhere near enough to live on tbh, so tips are often their lifeline to actually affording to live.

Totally agree.  My only exception to the rule of thumb you've set out is the meal where someone orders, say, an expensive bottle of wine or expensive set of drinks, or they buy a very inexpensive meal.  You have to temper the tip to a minimum and maximum depending on the circumstances.  Say the total bill is $200, but most of that is liquor or high cost wine.  I'm not tipping 20 or even 15% on the total bill.  I'll tip what's reasonable.  The waiter exerted the same effort bringing an expensive bottle to the table as he would have by bringing a cheap bottle.  Conversely, let's say you go to a quickie diner and order the senior special or some other really inexpensive meal.  Given 15% isn't going to cut it.