To not want to leave a tip ?

[cookieswirls]

Went for a meal tonight nothing fancy just pizza and my friend seemed mortified that I didn't leave a tip. I was paying for our meal and I generally don't leave tips. Ive never left a tip for anyone actually not taxi drivers, hairdressers, waiters is that mean of me ?

Why do the tippers feel the need to put in for the non tippers? It's your choice to tip and it's their choice not to tip. Why would their behaviour effect yours?

It's just so arbitary. Why is serving food seen as tip worthy? Why not retail, or care work? Equally shitty pay, more necessary, yet almost no-one tips, ever? I just can't see the logic in it.

And what some people see as good/excellent service, really is just the basics of the job - knowing the menu, being nice, pouring drinks, taking orders, bringing food. What level of shitty service would they have to stoop to for the tippers to not tip?

I do tip by the way, most of the time, but generally because I can't be arsed with all the politics of it. Tipping wait staff when almost no-one tips many millions of other poorly paid service workers makes no sense at all.

I make up the tip for my mean friends. I still like them even though they are mean. I'm not judging... much!

Roussete Separate issue, but even McDonalds are constantly upselling by trying to persuade you to have a meal instead of just a burger, or a large meal if you ask for a meal.

They all do it, all the time, I find myself saying 'no thank you' a lot when ordering food, they all try to make you buy more than you wanted.

It's a bit off calling the minimum wage care worker mean for not tipping if the only way they can afford to eat out is to only have one course and one drink and not leave a tip to someone who probably earns quite a bit more than them because half their patrons are throwing extra money at them for just doing their job.

Oh god yes, Barbara totally agree MaccyD's are famous for it! My DD once worked at BK in holiday time, she hated upselling but got in real trouble if she didn't.

Regarding automatic service charges... The only time I've had automatic service charge on my bill have been when I was down south in London and when we've been a large table. I do tend to pay it because it's easier than the hassle of getting it taken off. I have had it taken off when we had bad service though.

Adding a service charge just doesn't seem to be a huge thing round these parts.

It's honestly like the women who accept relationships with horrible men... it's the 'norm' and they feel they have no choice - and can't get anything better - so they put up with it.

No wonder service is generally bad in the UK. There's absolutely no incentive to improve it because of the tippers who don't know any better!

No it's nothing like that.

What an odd comparison.

Very rarely unless the service has been really good. If they are just doing their job and I feel the service wasn't that wonderful then no. I refuse service charges, I will pay the amount I feel fair for the service and refuse to be told.

I've stopped tipping my hairdresser - I earn just over minimum wage and she drives a convertible sports car. (Although I did once when she did sort something wrong with DDs hair out at same time)

I do tip in restaurants (esp as DH is usually paying) but only for decent service. I hate being ignored, I hate asking over and over for the same thing - and I particularly hate waiting 10 minutes for a bill (this is all when its not super busy btw)

I've been a waitress myself - amazed at how many servers do as little as humanly possible

Lyin no no no. I would not tip if the service was bad. I have withheld the 12.5% service charge once too when we had appalling service from a really rude waitress. It's not blind acceptance here.

It is exactly like that, Fame. Sneery posters who accept mediocre as the norm, berating other posters who don't.

Nobody has answered the same question posted numerous times either... WHY are some services worthy of tipping and others not?

Given the dearth of response on that it must just be that tipping is a cultural norm for sheep who don't actually know what they're tipping for. It's irritating to be told again and again how mean someone is for not tipping by such posters.

And you are comparing this to women who are victims of domestic violence.

You think us passing comment on something so arbitrary as tipping is irritating.

I think your comparison is cruel.

Well when you put it like that, Fame, yes, but not ALL women who put up with bad men are victims of domestic abuse so assume that I was referring to those (which I was) and I don't want to be cruel so let's leave that there.

The point I was making is that nobody is able to give a reason why they're tipping some services and not others. There seems to be no answer yet so many blether on about how mean non-tippers are when tippers are brainlessly following a sheeplike convention. That's not intelligent, is it?

I tip in restaurants because the staff are generally on minimum wage and waitressing is a shitty job. Cleaning up after other people, scraping cold left over food, wiping down tables left in an absolute state and picking spilled food off floors?
Not to mention the sheer, downright rudeness of some customers.

Yes Lello but WHY are you not tipping Carers? Nurses? Breakfast waiting staff? All of those are doing the same - and worse - shitty job.

"Given the dearth of response on that it must just be that tipping is a cultural norm for sheep who don't actually know what they're tipping for. It's irritating to be told again and again how mean someone is for not tipping by such posters."

And it's irritating to be called 'sheep' for tipping in a restaurant.

I think it was covered above - we hand over money to waitresses, hairdressers etc and it is a nice gesture to add a bit extra if you feel they've done a good job. For a nurse for instance, no money changes hands so you wouldn't be tipping. And is a cultural norm so bad? I don't think so.

Rousette, why not breakfast waiting staff then?

The irritation is not with tippers but with posters calling non-tippers mean for not following a convention.

I've already said that I tip - but am not happy about doing so for average service. Some people are, I'm not.

... and because you're already handing over money doesn't seem a very good reason.

The more I read other posts the more I think it is just a convention without a modern day basis in the UK - and it's unfair to NMW workers who fall outside of this practice.

You hand money over to shop staff as well

I'd give to breakfast staff if I felt they went over and above and handing money over to shop staff is different. It's a 30 second transaction, not a 2.5 hour meal with lots of to-ing and fro-ing and me asking for more horseradish for my roast beef lunch! I'm not afraid to admit it's a convention I adhere to with no trouble

(Have to say here, I'm not talking mega bucks! Just a token )

Breakfast waiting staff? I leave a tip.

Nurses and carers are not allowed to accept any sort of financial tip/gift/incentive

Totally agree with LyingWitchInTheWardrobe

You dont go to my shop then rousette

And to be fair you dont see my family eat...we are lucky to make 30 minutes

Maybe it should be based on time...like car parking

It's old fashioned and patronising, YANBU.