to tip or not to tip, that is the question?

[joko]

what do other people consider right regarding tipping?

I thought tipping was a way for people to reward staff who have been especially attentive and gone beyond the call of duty.  not something that is practically demanded and even added to your bill without your permission!

I don't see why we are expected to supplement their wages. Their bosses should be made to pay them a decent wage instead of relying on the generosity of the customers to pick up the slack

I find i get increasingly annoyed at people who expect tips regardless of the level of service they have provided and who get visibly irritated when they don't think you have given them enough.

why also are we expected to tip some people but not others? and even when sevice has been appalling.

is it too much to expect people to do the job they are employed to do by their boss and by us to a decent standard and not dependant on a reward?

we don't tip shop assistants who show us where the item we want is, carry it to the till for us, bag it up or even gift wrap it for us, yet we are expected to tip someone who has merely performed the job we are already paying them to do, such as a taxi driver? - and particularly when you are already paying over the odds for something anyway.

the amount of times i have been grossly over charged for pizza, and taxis because they either think you won't know or that if its the weekend you might be too drunk to notice

 and why tip the pizza delivery boy? why not tip the person who has actually cooked your food?

we don't tip postmen. we don't tip binmen. we don't tip our doctor, or bus driver, or cinema usher.

I am not adverse to tipping i just don't like being made to feel like i have no choice

its all a bit strange. who made these unwritten rules i wonder. what do you think?

[jacko50]

Iagree with you joko ,i am always arguing with the good lady about tipping .as you say i am not against it but i don't like tipping as a matter of course .we went to an indian eat what you want buffet once and you tottally served yourself ,plates ,knifes ,forks the lot , it was about �7.50 each so i felt that a tip was not required as no one had been anywhere near us let alone serve us or help in any way and she still wanted to leave a �4.00 tip . 

[Buenchico]

In some jobs (e.g. taxi driving) the tax man assumes that the employee receives tips and levies tax on them whether or not any have actually been received. (So, if you don't give a tip, the driver still has to pay tax on the non-existent tip!).

I usually give tips but I try to relate it to service and nothing else. (e.g. If I've had good food with poor service, I'll either leave a very small tip or none at all. If I've had revolting food but with efficient and friendly service, I'll probably still leave a fairly large tip for the waiter). I suppose my only exception might be when I've had an outstanding meal + outstanding service, then I'll leave a really big tip. (I've given a �60 tip on a �90 bill before now).

And what's this about not tipping bin-men? You mean I shouldn't have handed over that �20 note at Christmas? (I was brought up with the rule that the bin-men, postman, newspaper boy, milkman and breadman all receive tips at Christmas. This was on an impoverishered council estate. Any neighbour who didn't do this would have been ostracised for months!)

In some countries, e.g. Singapore, it's illegal to give or receive tips. All that happens is that people seem to 'forget' to give you your change!

Chris

[jno]

I once stayed at a hotel in Florida which discouraged tips. Needless to say you could never find a member of staff when you wanted one. Why should they be looking out for you when they're already paid? Current rate of tipping in the USA seems to be about 17% which adds hugely to the bill for just about anything - I can remember when it was more like 10%. I reckon 10% is a fair enough margin for good service, as well as being easy to calculate. But note in the UK how often establishments add a service charge - but then leave a space blank on your credit card bill in hopes that you won't notice, and add another tip. Cheeky blighters.

[ICEMANSAV]

bl00dy hell that [more] does come in useful!

[kev100]

I agree with you joko 100%, to be presented with a bill for a meal in a restaurant which was mediocre and be TOLD that you WILL pay a 15% surcharge is unacceptable to me and I always deduct the gratuity.

The worst restaurant in Britain for this is the Ravi Shankar in Drummond street London. I paid for a �35 meal for two and found out that if you pay by credit card as I did, the waiter doesn't get the �5 tip the owner keeps it even though he wasn't even there when we were served.

Adding 15% to bills for meals should be made illegal.

[Marsh]

Some menus warn you of the percentage they are going to add on so I suppose you could say that by ordering from the menu you have agreed to the surcharge.  However, I believe that you are not legally obliged to pay the service charge.  I have crossed it out a couple of times when the service has been annoyingly poor and there was no comment. Perhaps they didn't want other customers listening to me explaining exactly why I had removed it.

[Woodsz]

We were in a restaurant in America once and a couple got up and paid the bill at the door the waiter ran over to us and said �Don�t they know their supposed to tip me� I will stop there because my better half tells me I shouldn�t have said what I did to him. (He didn�t get a tip from us either) He was never around until someone gut up to go.
Now the Canadians are more subtle they say �Do you need any change� (nice one)
and on a cruise ship you are told what you should give the head waiter, the waiter, buzz boy, and the chambermaid �2 to �3 per day each per person and your charged an extra 15% on any drinks you buy, like Joko is saying you are expected to subsidies their wages and when this becomes the norm the service drops

Yes I do tip but I decide what I think the service is worth

[pizzajohn]

I have allways tipped anyone who has done something personel for me paperboy,taxi,waiter,ect.I am now aged 59 and lost my business last year and can get no benifits.  Unable to find full time employment I was given an old car by a friend and became a part time pizza delivery man. In spite of the so called minimun wage I found under payment rife in the cattering business.I work 5pm to 12.30 am  for �30 per shift or �4 per hour with no holiday or sickness pay nothing extra on bank holidays.I have to use my owncar and petrol any where in a 3 mile radias for a flat rate 50p per delivery. People who call in the shop pay the same as people who get free delivery.  most people dont tip especially the people who are better off. When I deliver to a person with a large detached house and 2 new BMWs a 6 mile round trip 80p petrol and get no tip they make me sick. I have learned a lot about people this year.