I know in western countries tipping is quite popular, and it's even expected when you eat in a diner or resto. I'm wondering if you always make it a point to tip the service crew or you don't do it at all just so that you could save money?
If I can't afford to tip then I won't tip. I don't buy into the American way of things and feel guilty. It's not my fault the cafe or restaurant don't pay a decent wage. I tip if I can though, and I also don't buy into this ' if you can't afford to tip, then don't eat out' business either. You pay for the food and drink and service should always be discretionary. In the US I was always made to feel I should tip in the company of Americans (except my Jewish friend) but in the UK if you don't tip it's not uncommon.
I hate to admit it but I sometimes don't t when I'm short on cash. I try not to feel guilty about it as I feel it should be the business owners' responsibility to keep their employees financially stable, but it's a custom that has been with me all my life so even when I try to rationalize it I sometimes can't help but feel the guilt. I just try and be more generous when I do have more money lying around, though, just to even the score a bit.
We are good tippers. That's one way of sharing our blessings and it's a good gesture for appreciation of good food and/or good service. When we eat out, we always include the tip in our estimated computation of the bill. The tip is big deal to the food servers because over here their wages are quite low. For one person who dined, a tip of $1 is enough to make the food server happy. But when my husband and I dine in a classy restaurant, our usual tip is around $5.
I tip because I know how hard people work and don't get paid much, so I tip. Even if I can't afford much I tip. At drive-ins I try to tip, but did you know that some drive-ins say they don't accept tips. I try to tip what I can afford.
@Theo, If you are around such company that slightly pressures you to tip when you are not in a position to tip then you should avoid going out with them like the plague! @Corzhens, Do you also tip the hairdressers? I think the hairdressers/pedicurists and waiters are the only ones in our country that gets tipped often as a custom.
Some are family so I can't, but generally in the US we British can play the 'we don't do that' and aren't used to it, so people do know we aren't huge tippers. Basically and I know as many of us have argued this over and over, staff should be paid a decent wage and not paid extra for a service they already provide. It would be very different say like Nando's where you order yourself and the person just delivers to food and you do all the rest. I think tipping should be optional and I know in New York bussers make $170 a night in tips in a good restaurant.
Like JosieP - if I couldn't afford to leave a tip - then I wouldn't eat out - simple as that. As apart from the fact - that the savings from not leaving a tip would be negligible in comparison to the cost of the meal - if I really was looking to save money - then I wouldn't be going to eat out in the first place - particularly as the cost of just one meal out - would easily be the equivalent of three or four home cooked meals.
I will never understand why people are so brainwashed by the whole tipping thing. It is absolutely absurd to me!! I know that many people in the world are raised with tipping as one of their main social customs, but seriously - I have been told not to leave my house and buy food if I cannot afford to tip; that I should only go out if I can afford to tip. Are you kidding me? lol. I never tip. I only tip if I want to, which is rarely.
I only avoid tipping if it's a legitimately bad month for me financially. If I have enough money to spend without putting myself in a jam I'll tip like usual.
We apparently have the best paid waiters in the country on average, so I could probably get away with it. But I’m with @JosieP on this one - if I can’t afford to leave a decent tip, I won’t go out to eat in the first place. Plus if I’m a repeat visitor I’d be too concerned that people would tamper with my food because they assume I’m a crappy tipper…
@DreekLass, I'm actually surprised that tipping seems to be mandatory in western countries. It's like they force you to tip. Over here it's not even common and imposed, and if you give them $1 to $2 they appreciate it already. Why should you be responsible if they aren't paid well, right? Not eating out because you can't tip is absurd. A $1 tip for a $5 burger meal ain't that bad, right? Unless they complain that it's too small of an amount.
If I do not have enough money for a tip I will not go to a restaurant that needs me to leave a tip. There have been times when I wanted something to eat and barely had enough money with I would go to a fast food restaurant so that I do not have to leave a tip.
Particularly for people who give me personal service like the manicurist, foot spa therapist, haircutter and any other worker related to personal services receive a tip from me. Last Wednesday, one of our dogs was sick and I had her confined to a dog hospital. When I took her home last Friday, I gave the hospital attendant a tip of 1,000 pesos (around $20) for her concern to my dog.
I don't think they force you in most establishments, but the social pressure to tip is definitely there. America is terrible for this, as far as I understand. I used to wish that I was living in America, but the older I get and the more things that I learned about how the US does things, the happier I am about the fact that I live in the UK and was raised in the UK. Many people complain about one dollar tips, saying that you should tip more, which is ridiculous as the money does not belong to these establishments.
@DreekLass, Why do you even wish to live in the US? The UK is a first world country anyway, although I know it's a plus that the servings of food in the US are huge, so for people who love to eat like me that is a plus, lol. Heh, they should be grateful that a tip was left for them. I think the mininum wage there is $7 per hour? I don't see why they can't manage to live simply and austerely with that and they still rely on tips. @Corzhens, You are a generous tipper, I can only guess you donate generous amounts to charities and even in the church offertory? Lol. I remember when I had a haircut in one of those small salons I only gave 50 cents to the hairdresser, lol!
@sidney In many states, the minimum wage for tipped workers is much lower than the federal minimum wage. I’m pretty sure this is a huge reason why tipping is such a big cultural thing in this country. More info here:Log In
It is my husband who taught me generosity. When I was still single, I was so careful in giving money. You see, I grew up in an apartment and I have that realization that we had no property of our own so money is very important. But when I got married, I got to learn that sharing your blessings is good. In fact, the money you give comes back to you tenfold. And if the money doesn't come back, the smile on the face of the person who received my tip is more than enough reason to give again.
Lol. I don't, but when I was much much younger, I used to think that America was cool. and I always used to say that I was going to live there someday, but then I became an adult an saw all of the fuckery that goes on over there, and I am SO grateful that my soul chose to incarnate in the UK $7 is like £4 over here which is not much money at all. I think I earn more working online.
