Is tipping a N. American thing?

[Zeeman]

Yes, this is true to an extent. Here in Aus, we tip, but ONLY if the service merits it. I have noticed that often they add a tip to the bill when I have eaten in the US or Canada, also in many parts of Europe, yet I did not believe the service warrented it.

Z...

 

[El Orans]

A 15% tip is included in your bill here, so I only tip for extra-special service.

 

[annasea]

<snip> I have noticed that often they add a tip to the bill when I have eaten in the US or Canada, also in many parts of Europe, yet I did not believe the service warrented it.

Z...

REALLY?? I've been eating out in Canada for over 30 years and have NEVER seen a tip added to the bill. Sure it wasn't just a tax?

 

[chip104]

In the PI the tip is very small relative to the bill and even then it's not required. In Canada I put down %15. In US, 10%. Here I put down only 1% or so of the bill.

Ask anyone here in the service/tourism industry and they will always say that North Americans tip the best compared to others.

 

[RonFrank]

Hmmm... I wasn't aware that you don't tip on alcohol, and I actually worked in the restaurant business for a while. Of course I rarely order drinks when I'm out, so it doesn't matter to me but I used to tip on the total including tax and alcohol.

Bartenders certainly expect tips on alcohol. They make about the same amount as the wait staff, so if you are not tipping on alcohol, then they don't make enough to make the job worthwhile.

I'm not miss manners, but IMO tipping on drinks is expected, and rude not to do so. Maybe not the standard 15% that one tips the Wait staff as there is less work in grabbing a beer or mixing a drink. But if you don't tip on alchohol, don't expect well mixed drinks as the bartender is not going to appreciate getting stiffed.

 

[RonFrank]

the part that always confuses me is, if it is added on by "them" and is not optional, is it still a tip? I think in many European countries the tip is added by the establishment.

I did not tip in Iceland because my beer was ten dollars.

If your beer was $10, then you WERE tipping my dear! Even the most expensive beer in the states rarely runs that much for a 6-pack. So while I'm not sure what the cost of beer is over the counter in Iceland, it sure sounds like the profit margin could be as much a 1000%.

IMO if they are adding a *service change* that is a tip. The owner of the establishment that I was discussing this with has no such service fee. I may suggest to him that he starts adding one for foreign customers as this is a bit of a delema for him as he watches his staff work their tails off for little compensation. It's a very good way to loose staff. His establishment is next to the Denver convertion center, so a good number of his customers are foreign. This is a Tai, sushi, chinese place, so naturally when the convertion is largely Asian they fill his establishment and his staff sees next to nothing in the way of tips.

Convertion attendees are generally easy to spot as they wear preprinted convention passes, so he could easily start adding 15% to the bill of those whom display such badges.

 

[RonFrank]

So it sounds to me like tipping is a world wide thing, however only in N. America is the customer free to tip as they see fit. Adding a 15% *service fee* IS a tip if only by another name. I find it annoying when an establishment automatically adds the tip into the bill (in the US this is typical when the party is 6 or more people) because if the service stinks, is slow, or the food is not well prepared, then I don't have the option of lowering the tip amount based on the service.

So basically in the rest of the world the wait staff can do a poor job, the food can be substandard because the gratuity is forced down the customers throat. Hmmm, interesting.

 

[ScubaKimmie]

Shouldn't we really tip gas station attendents???

 

[minnesota01r6]

Wow, I don't know where you people live but here in Minnesota the tip for decent service is 20%; poor service is 15%; and terrible service gets a penny. If you are only tipping 10% on a regular basis, DON'T GO BACK TO THAT RESTAURANT - you will get some "extra" ingredients in your food if they recognize you!

 

[mstevens]

Wow, I don't know where you people live but here in Minnesota the tip for decent service is 20%; poor service is 15%; and terrible service gets a penny. If you are only tipping 10% on a regular basis, DON'T GO BACK TO THAT RESTAURANT - you will get some "extra" ingredients in your food if they recognize you!

One more reason not to eat in Minnesota

20% from me would require extraordinary service. If I'm spending $50-150 per person for a meal, I expect competent and properly-paid staff. I'll certainly pay the server $15 per person on a $100 per person tab for service if it's decent. I won't pay a server more than I make as a physician for the same amount of time unless you can convince me that the server is saving lives. I make about $185/hr (pre-tax, etc.) for time spent face-to-face with a patient if I get paid at all. That does not include large amounts of time spent on the phone, writing letters and filling out forms, reviewing labs and charts, etc. on that patient's behalf (none of which is reimbursable). If I pay a server $45 in tip for my family of three for a 2-hour meal and they spend a full quarter of that time working directly with us, they're making what I do. There's no way that's ever happened at the best restaurants I've been to. Besides, the server has at least a couple of other tables going at the same time. If they expect to make more per hour than this, they need to change fields.

Of course, for cheap meals I usually tip $1/head for tabs up to $5-6 per person and $2/head for tabs between that and $10 per person. At the low end a server does need to make a decent hourly income, and 20% or so is perfectly reasonable. There's no way a server deserves $30 for taking the order for and delivering a $120 appetizer unless she's at serious risk for being sued for everything she's got if the kitchen uses cardamom instead of cinnamon.