gratuity in the UK

[newtron]

OK, what's the deal with tipping wait staff in restaurants in the UK?  As an american, I am in the habbit of leaving a 15 to 20% tip if the service is satisfactory.  Before we moved to the UK, we were told that you don't have to leave a tip, but when we asked our waitress about it, she informed us that she was expecting a tip.  So my wife and I still leave good tips, but we noticed that hardly anyone else does, and there are many times when the people we tip seem surprised that they have recieved some extra money.  We also noticed that in general, service in the US is better than it is here in the UK.  So which is it?  Are you  or aren't you expected to leave a tip for wait staff and bar tenders?  I guess the main question is - is the average wage that a waiter or waitress recieves so small that they depend on tips to make up a substantial portion of their income as it is in the US?  

[landie]

As you said, newtron, service seems to be better stateside. Give a tip if you feel that the service warrants one.

[kempie]

Leaving a tip won't make the service any better, unless you pay it beforehand!

I generally reward good service but you should expect good service anyway as the staff receive wages to supply the service to the customer, so why the need to pay again.

[trionam]

As a general rule I leave 10-12% if the service is good 20% is extremely generous but as you mentioned maybe the wages in the US are substantially lower so maybe thats why high tipping over there is common, the only time I dont leave a tip is if the service charge is included in the bill which annoys me as I prefer to decide what amount to give.

[newtron]

I would agree with that attitude kempie if I knew that the wait staff were well compensated.  In the US waiters and waitresses are paid well below minimum wage and therefore depend on tips to make a living.  It is because of this that the service is better in the US as the wait staff knows that good service equals good tip.  So here in the UK, it seems like either they are getting paid well enough so that they don't have to provide excellent service as they get paid the same either way or they don't bother trying to provide excellent service because they wont' get a good tip either way due the the attitude that you described.   I find these small differences in cultures to be interesting.  This one of the reasons we moved here: to experience these differences.  

[Glossopswift]

10% is usually the magic figure, but only if you feel the service has been good. Check that a service charge isn't included in the bill, if it is don't pay again. As a student (&^% years ago) I was a barman and a waiter and I was never offered a cash tip in either role (I must have been bad) but I was often told to buy myself a drink. In the 3 bars I worked I was told to accept politely, take 20p and put it in a pot to be shared out later! Where's the fun in that?

[silly moo]

Some people do and some don't.
No 'rules' really.
Also 12% service charge often added to bill anyway - which I doubt goes to waitress!

[kempie]

'In the US... paid well below minimum wage'

newtron - in the UK we have a government set minimum wage so tipping shouldn't even be an issue.  Why do we not tip nurses, shop assistants etc.? 

p.s. I don't mean to come across as a skinflint (tightwad)... I tend to tip 10-15%

[magicdice]

about 10%, depending on what sort of place you are in & how the service was. tipping bartenders isn't really that common

[Peter Pedant]

Newtron 1 leave a tip for waiters/waitresses and it should be 10%. I never give more.

2. make sure the tip is in cash - the restaurant should not pay VAT on this, as it counts as personal income for the waiters

3. do not put your tip on the credit card, the restaurant owner will pocket it (and probably pay VAT on it)

4. it has recently been held lawful - now get this- for the restautanteur to use tips to top up his waiters wages to the (UK) legal minimum. Yup fraid so.

5. be political, have a view, shout scream or scratch, but for God's sake tip the staff - its not their fault!, and they need the money

[Artemis]

You should expect good service in any restaurant. But if a service charge is added and if it is compulsary it will say on the menu, so no tip. But you might get exemplary service and I think that deserves a tip.

Waiters/waitresses are probably on the minimum wage and a tip helps. You also may be remembered the next time you visit and that is always nice. I never leave more than 10% as a tip.

[smudge]

My husband usually leaves 10% & sometimes a little more.

[Dudley]

In England as opposed to the US, a service charge is often added (although it can be ignored) and if it is, surely there is no need to leave a tip as well. In the USA they seem to like the tipping system whereas here, I think the majority find it patronising and somewhat embarrassing. Also why does it apply to just a few services like table waiting, hotel staff and taxis? No one expects to tip the sales person in a shop or a bus driver.

[andy hughes]

As you will have gathered buy now neutron, what you have here is a culturl divide.

Americans are perfectly happy tipping - everyone knows the amounts, and it's normal and standard practice.

Here in the UK, tipping is frought with problems, and it sends the Brits into hissy fits. Do I tip? How much? Will it look like I'm being patronising if I do, or mean if I don't? These are the problems Brits anguish over all the time - a remnant of our class system I suppose.

If you are happy to tip, and it appears you are, then fine I'm sure most people in service industries accept that Americans do tip, but you'll go a long wsay to find a Brit who does so as a matter of course, or who feels wholly comfortable doing it. Repressed? Us? As you would say - you betcha! 

[kick3m0n]

I always tip if the service is good...have no qualms about it at all.  I usually go for 10-12%, but a bit more for really very good service.   I've waitressed in the past.....very difficult and tiring job at times, and it was poorly paid, so I never hesitate to tip good staff.

[Octavius]

I never leave a % per-se since often this is included in the bill or inflated meal prices.  It always depends on the politeness, attentitiveness and service provided by the waiter/waitress but I only tend to leave �2 - �5 (for 2 people dining) on a scale of how nice they were, not how much the restaurant charges for their meals. 

[newtron]

Thank you for all of your responses.  Like I said, it's these little differences in culture that make moving to another country a strange experience.  The range of responses definitely explains my observations.  kempie, I didn't mean to sound arguementative.  You have a legitimate point.  I was just explaining how it worked in the US.  We also have a government set minimum wage, but hourly wages for wait staff is the one exception based on the arguement  that Peter Pedant mentioned that tips bring the wage up to or passed the minimum wage requirement.  And it works.  There are some waiters and waitresses that make some pretty good money (depending of what resaurant they work at).  I also agree with Peter Pedant's last point: Please tip the staff, they need the money.  I admit I probably pay extra attention to this detail because I worked as a waiter for a few years.  Any way, thanks again.  This turned out to be an interesting discussion.  

[natalie_1982]

I haven't read all of the answers because it's Friday afternoon and I cannae be bothered!

However, I always thought that if you had a designated waiter/ress then you would tip a standard 10-15%, or 20% if the service was particularly outstanding (or you're tiddled).

If you don't have a specific 'person' (like say at a Beefeater/ Brewsters/ Hungry Horse type joint) then don't tip.

Also, a lot of places nowadays I have noticed add the service charge for you so you could wind up paying it twice!

[purplefish]

My dad says, if you intend on going back, leave a tip, if not don't bother ;o)