Tipping 10% of the bill seems a lot to me

[ElderAve]

I'm prepared to be flamed but let me explain my logic.

Now DC are grown up, when we go out to dinner we are usually 4 adults. We don't do it very often but like somewhere "nice" so when we do, two courses plus drinks probably cost £150-£200. We'll be in the restaurant say 2 hours and the waiter will typically have 5/6 other tables (?).

That's an awfully good hourly rate if everyone leaves 10%.

Would you leave £20 on a £200 bill for 4 people? If not what is a fair/reasonable amount to leave?

If they reply they do not get the tip, we have personally given them 10% of the bill in cash & let the manager of the restaurant know

What's the point of letting the manager know? The manager will just then take the tip off them?

@ElderAve

We go out in a small group to an [excellent] self service buffet restaurant where they ask would we like to leave a "service charge". We ask if - as we served ourselves - we can have a reduction of the bill!

"Last week the waitress refused to let us leave, as we were £2 short of their 'suggested'gratuity!!! (although had more than covered the whole bill). Utterly disgusting, especially as the service was non-existent and rude!"

How was that resolved in the end, @Elouera ?

We always tip 10-20%, and our usual bill for 2 is £100+

I tip 10% on meals up to £50 and then meals more than that get reduced

They’ve done the same amount of work usually, so either the produce is more.

Tipping traditionally is against food value and no drink value which people forget and restaurants forget that when they add their 10/12% onto larger tables

I always tip. I’ve worked in the trade. Treated like shit

The tip won't just go to the waiter. I work in a 4 star hotel with a fancy restaurant. The tips are shared between all staff from bar staff to housekeeping, all front of house and all kitchen. So approx 50 people at least in my workplace.

I generally don't tip unless in a large group. 10% would be the usual amount then.

The tips all get divided up amongst the bar/restaurant/kitchen staff. I always tip unless service is bad.

I always tip 10% but it’s out of custom and a sense of obligation more than anything else, and not wanting to be seen as mean as a result. I do question why we tip restaurant staff but not other unskilled / low wage service providers - I know waiting is a hard job but I’m not sure it’s necessarily harder than working in retail or catering or caring.

Like a pp, most restaurants I eat at automatically add 12.5% onto to the bill. I don't begrudge them as I used to be a waitress myself and was grateful for any tips. Our tips were shared with chefs and other kitchen staff.

Minimum wage is hardly a lot so I'm happy to factor a tip in when deciding where to eat.

If the service has been acceptable I always tip at least 10%

Depends on the service for me, but I don't generally tip more than a couple of pounds. It's used to keep the hourly rate low, and I won't encourage that.

Yes I tip between 10% and 15% and preferably in cash if I have it. This isn’t new to the U.K. and it is part of our culture and not some weird American import. If you can afford £200 for dinner you can afford a £20 tip.

Service above what I expect then yes I tip. Usually 10% but if its me and husband but if I have my teens with me and a big bill I would probably leave £10.

I work in healthcare and although not on min wage myself a lot of my colleagues are. We are regularly spit on, hit, hair pulled etc as well as being on our feet for 14hrs with often no break, food, drink and holding in a wee. My colleagues are on min wage but they don't get a tip and you can't say that waiting staff have it harder then them so deserve it more.

In the UK everyone gets at least minimum wage so I don't think we should feel obliged to tip. I tip if I feel I would like to and hate being made to feel guilty if I don't.

If I am abroad I follow the tipping culture as understand the tips make their wages , but in the UK that isn't the case so tips are a nice extra for being a great service provider and shouldn't just be expected imo.

@hollowtalk chefs get paid more

I would be embarrassed to not leave a tip, unless the service or the food was very bad.

If its included in the bill then i'll just pay it.

If not, then ill tip if the service has been amazing. If its just been standard then no.

Im in the UK

Is London some sort of weird tipping bubble, then? In London, it’s been standard to tip at least 10% for as long as I can remember (ie back to the 70s). If the tip isn’t already added on, I’ll leave 10-15%. Service would have to be really poor for me not to tip, and then I’d probably say something.

I would be embarrassed to not leave a tip, unless the service or the food was very bad.

Agree.

@krong not meant to be condescending. The last place I went was the states and I was told they work for their tips. Also know other countries that do. Good to know I don't need to tip if I go to Spain though

So a waiter would expect/is receiving £60 an hour in tips?

What's the experience of people doing this work? Do "most" people leave 10% in reality?

I sometimes feel embarrassed to leave it, it seems flashy to leave so much!

I always tip 10% in cash.If service is very good I leave 15 %
Worked in enough underpaid restaurant jobs as a student !!

OP, where do you go that's 'nice' but doesn't automatically charge service?

So a waiter would expect/is receiving £60 an hour in tips?

Often a restaurant isn’t busy and it’s probably usual for a busy night to have one change of customers (if it’s a nice place they won’t rush you). So even if a waiter/ess has six tables, some will be on more of a budget than others. Plus some places share the tips with all the staff rather than the individual.