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 ?

And do you tip at a checkout? Or tip a dinner lady or teaching assistant? Or the person who delivers the papers

Not at checkout.
Not generally TAs or dinner ladies.
But, as is conventional, the person who delivers the papers gets a tip at Christmas, much like the refuse collectors.

I still did this when I was on minimum wage and struggling. It's just the niceties of how UK society works, and it's rude not to, even if you don't see the logic of how the conventions hav come an out.

I tip (if I can afford to go out - maybe twice a year) because I know how hard it is to live on minimum wage. I'm a carer and get minimum wage even though people wouldn't be alive without us. Money is always a worry when you're on minimum wage.

I was mortified in the states in the summer when my friend was seriously peed off about tipping. She wanted to leave a couple of dollars and I had to tell her tip properly or I'm off home.

So she did tip and I'll never forgive her for saying 'for a tip that size I wanted a song as well'

I've no plans to see her again.

Is tipping a London thing that's spread more recently elsewhere? I've alway tipped and I remember my parents tipping when I was a child (in London). I do think the amount has risen, though - 10% used to be absolutely standard and it's now more of a floor.

felines could be, I've always lived in London and have always tipped. It's normal.

No its not wrong, and its not obligatory! Tipping in the UK is different to the US, where waiting staff basically live off their tips. I do tip if the service has been good, and depends on the price of the restaurant.

Is tipping a London thing that's spread more recently elsewhere?

No, I don't think so, I grew up not in London and my parents always tipped too. I think the people who are saying it's normal not to tip around them (in the UK) are either wilfully blind or surrounded by other cheap people.

So if you're on minimum wage yourself, you should still be obliged to tip "just because it's the done thing"?

Yes!

Is tipping a London thing that's spread more recently elsewhere?

I grew up in the South East, with family in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Went to Uni in Sheffield. Absolutely standard to tip in all of these places-I'm shocked by this thread!

I agree, there are many people in the UK living on minimum wage income, who in their type of job, do not receive tips: HCA, cleaners, porters, shop staff, road sweepers etc. But if I am happy with the service, I will give a small tip.

Wow ok didn't expect this to be debated throughout the night. After reading some of these replies I don't think I'm gonna start giving tips it seems there are enough generous people out there already who can afford to give tips

We went to the US, and yes we tipped as we know its the culture there, and that they have to survive on the tips, as they get the bare minimum wage, it is far better in the UK.

KERALA
I am not against social justice obviously
But you find those who point out the source of the problem with why tipping is mandatory rather discretionary than 'funny' and the suggestion of lobbying/campaigning for better pay for low wage staff an 'excuse'.

You've obviously got your mind stuck in this tipping vice that you can't seem to see that continuously tipping will not solve the problem of min wage staff not being paid a fair wage. What will solve the problem of the terrible pay they are on is a complete overhaul of pay structures for customer facing roles and other low paying non customer facing so that employers are forced to cough up from those profits that their poor staff are in many ways responsible for.

Tipping will ensure min wage staff stay in these terrible pay conditions.

In many ways it's rather like continuously sending aid to Africa whilst turning a blind eye to terrible policies that have caused the need for aid in the first place;yes distribute mosquito nets but what about policies regarding general sanitation? Sponsor kids to go to school but what about fighting for children's rights?

At the same time, and as many have pointed out here, what about hard working staff slaving away behind the scenes who don't get the tips? How is this fair?

The greatest impact will be made by a change is pay for all not ad hoc tipping.

Cookie there are many people who have said they are on minimum wage themselves and still tip. If we don't have enough money to pay for our food and leave a tip we don't have enough money to go out.

No I don't tip taxi drivers, the cost of the taxi is high anyway. If the taxi driver is not friendly personable, I am less likely to leave a tip.

there are enough generous people out there already who can afford to give tips

I can 'afford to give tips' because I consider it part of the cost of having a meal out/having my haircut/whatever. No one needs a restaurant meal, so in the same way I don't consider saying to the restaurant 'I know this bottle of wine is marked as £20 on the menu but I'm a bit skint at the moment so I'm just going to pay £15 for it', I also wouldn't go for a meal where I could afford the meal but paying a tip on top would break the bank. I'd go for a cheaper meal.

All this tipping in the UK, is a US import, rather like baby showers, and proms. Here in the UK I don't see it as obligatory as I do in the US, I tip at my discretion. When I do tip my hairdresser or taxi on occsion they really don't expect it, as they would in the US.

Waitrose that is rubbish! I am not going out and refusing to pay for my meal am I? Of course if I can afford to eat out I will. Doesn't mean I have to tip.

I personally think that tipping is not obligatory, you don't have to, if your happy with the service leave a tip of your choice, but if your not, don't.

So, I'msickofnamechanging what are you doing to address those pay structures? And are you sure that you couldn't do that and tip in the meantime? What exactly is your not tipping achieving in and of itself?

Ok, but why should you be obliged to prop up the waitress (or whoever) when it should be their boss doing it? You're already paying for your meal, and there's an element of the labour cost that gets paid by that, so why should you fork out extra to do what their employer should be doing themselves?

Makes no sense. Nothing will change if you continue to support this sort of thing "just because".

10% minimum unless service is bad

Out of interest, do all these people who think that you shouldn't tip because you're 'propping up employers who should be doing it themselves' also think that all tax credits should be removed? Because that's the much larger and significant way in which we all subsidise employers who pay inadequate wages.

Margaret Not sure what that is, as I'm not in the UK.

We manage just fine without tipping here in Australia.

It's not a London thing. I've lived all over the UK and have always tipped. I dont know anyone that doesn't tip at restaurants or the hairdresser. I just don't believe the people that are feigning astonishment that people tip. My grandmother was born in the 1920's and I remember she would always tip even at small cafes, it's not a new thing in the UK.
Also can't believe the attitude of the American upthread that doesn't tip in the UK as they're on holiday and the holiday has cost them alot. If I'd have adopted that attitude in Florida this year I would have saved myself many hundreds of dollars but its practically a hanging offence. Talk about double standards.