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 ?

think they banne doing that elle unless im mistaken

I don't think you are BU. I dislike the expectation of always tipping at restaurants too.

The exception is if it's a big party i.e., 8+ people, each ordering multiple courses and drinks all night. In that case I think it's fair to leave a tip to acknowledge that the table was high-maintenance.

But if it's just a couple of people, requiring only a handful of trips by the waiter (to take order, bring dishes, bring bill), and no special requests or fanfare, I really don't see the need for a tip.

It's different in the USA, where wait staff aren't paid properly, so they RELY on the tips. Which is dreadfully unfair - because if the wait staff aren't super-smiley and fawning to the customer's satisfaction, the customer can then punish them by withholding the tip.

If wait staff are paid fair wages in the first place, there is no need to tip as a matter of course, and tipping is then a discretionary gesture for truly excellent service - as I believe it should be.

YABVVVU

Waiting staff earn minimum wage, which is impossible to live off. They need and deserve their tips. If you really can't afford an extra pound or two then maybe you should rethink your spending.

Maybe it's normal in London. We don't tip. Haven't done anytime we have visited London either. A weekend in London is bank breaking enough for us.

Not in the UK. We never tip here

What utter rubbish.

I have never not left a tip, except once where the waiter was extremely rude to me. I have never eaten out with friends who don't tip either.

Maybe you have mean friends?

With you furfur. Totally the done thing in town

Utter rubbish? Do you know me and my husband well, sweetie? I said WE never tip here. I wasn't referring to the entire fucking Kingdom!

I have never not tipped ! 12% to 15% in the U.K. depending on how good the service was.
My DD1 worked in a restaurant during sixth form and always got good tips.
So when you are on holiday, do you not tip waiting staff? On cruises it is certainly expected.
I'm glad to do it, it's a hard job to be good at, but I am stunned at how many on here see it as unnecessary. Suppose that explains why more and more places are adding a service charge on the bill.

Wow, what a delightful reply. And you said 'not in the UK', which suggests to me that you were referring to, you know, the whole country. Which is 'utter rubbish'.

'Sweetie'

I always tip 10-15% as long as the service is good.
I've worked in restaurants. its hard work and the pay is crap.

If I went out with a friend and they didn't tip I would be mortified.

Most of the people I come into contact with are on minimum wage. Shop assistants, bus drivers, receptionists, customer service advisors etc. sorry but waiting staff are not special, they don't stand out of the crowd in the mix of the millions of people that earn minimum wage. I also earn minimum wage and can't and won't tip people.

YANBU OP.

Lottie I agree, I would also be mortified if any of my friends were so mean. In fact, it would probably change my opinion of them.

Leaving tips is nothing to do with the wage people are on.

Taxi drivers and hairdressers are often on pretty good money, yet those jobs still seem to be amongst the specially chosen few that attract tips. I do tend to tip in restaurants, because I don't tend to come across bad service often, but I have no problem with not leaving a tip if I only get the bare minimum in service or courtesy.

Eevee...... Bus drivers earn a lot more than minimum wage!
In fact I don't think any of the people you mentioned do (in general), apart from shop assistants.

Yanbu I only tip for really excellent service

Why do some minimum wage jobs "deserve" tips? I've worked in minimum wage jobs dealing with the public but not in roles that ever get tips.

If you're going to tip your wait staff you should tip the shop assistant, care assistant, teaching assistant, dinner lady, etc etc

I'm in the UK and couldn't imagine not leaving a tip, unless the bill said that service was included.

Um... teaching assistants are NOT on minimum wage!

I've always been brought up to tip in restaurants unless the service was awful. I'd be quite mortified if a friend took me for dinner and didn't tip.

Lottie I have friends in all those jobs I listed. All on minimum wage.

I'm in Yorkshire and I've never not tipped in a restaurant, oh tell I lie I have once, my starter never came and my main was cold, I did leave them with a deathly glare in its place.

Min wage:

Under 18: £4
18-20: £5.55
21-24: £6.95
25&Over: £7.20

You should be tipping servers.

I'm in the uk and always tip. I don't know anyone who doesn't. Waiters, hairdressers, beauticians. Just because I can't tip all on minimum wage, i don't see why I should use that as an excuse to not tip those I do come across.
It's just a nice thing to do.

I always tip in restuarants and I tip my hairdresser as well. I waitressed for years and the job of a waitress is to make sure you have a good time. Receptionists, bus drivers, shop assistants, delivery drivers etc, are not doing that for you. As for the American who mentioned you would be considered a mean Brit for not tipping, do you know who I found the worst for tipping in the UK? Americans! You seem to think you don't have to bother when you are on holiday and yet the rudeness I found in the US, of bar tenders and watiresses hearing my accent and telling me that I had to tip, before I had even ORDERED, I found astounding!

YANBU. I don't tip either.

As others have already said, lots of people do menial jobs for minimum wage and don't receive tips. Why are waiters/hairdressers so special?

If I go out for something to eat, I often look at the menu online beforehand so know how much my meal is likely to cost, why should I then pay an extra 10-15% on top?

I might earn minimum wage myself, going out to eat might in itself cost so much of my wage that it doesn't happen very often, I can't afford to pay extra on top.

Same with getting a haircut, over £30 for less than an hours work giving me a cut and blow-dry? That's how much it costs, if you want 10% extra on top then include it in the bloody price in the first place!

Once had a dreadful row in a restaurant in a catering college where the staff were desperate to please and really working their arses off.
Had a very nice meal which was extremely good value.
Three of us wanted to leave a decent tip, the fourth (a notorious tightwad) refused on the grounds that 'nobody ever gave me a tip for doing my job.'
He was a fucking banker. (Not a euphemism. Although that applies too).
The rest of us chipped in to cover tosspot's his share of the tip.