To not tip when eating out?

[JemimaPuddleDucksPuddle]

Saw a thread on another board that mentioned tipping when eating out and whether or not you should. The majority of posters seemed to think of a person as being tight fisted or ungenerous if they don't tip. I disagree and don't tip as a matter of routine, only if the service is exceptional. AIBU?

I just want to add that while I’ve made it clear I don’t agree with tipping - I DO TIP.

@MustardScreams obviously because I do my job for the satisfaction and not the money. However I do think it’s worth considering when you consider some job roles and what they’re paid vs others, why you’re tipping one but not the other. Bring me a pizza? Oh cool have 10%. Save my child’s life? No tip for you!

(Not saying I want to be given money for it, I obviously do it because I care - just it’s weird how we think regarding tips)

Personally I tip as stated above if it’s a dining trip, we spend multiple hours there, or really good service. If it’s your average trip to Pizza Hut for example not that I’ve been in years where most things are buffet, then no I’m not going to tip. Le Gavroche, then yes I’m most likely going to tip. Not sure where we picked the habit up though.

Always tip myself. I would be slightly embarrassed for a non tipper. Makes them appear tight miserly and lacking in manners.

You don't need to be embarrassed on my behalf. If you are in the UK, then laws have moved on and ensured that everyone is paid a minimum wage, so tipping only makes sense if you tip everyone who is on that minimum wage. (Am aware it is different in the States, for example.

It’s custom to tip wait staff. You can rail against it all you want but in our culture that’s how it is. Asking why other jobs don’t get tips is a bit silly

Why is it silly @MsTSwift ?
Why is it silly for folk to ask why a tiny minority of workers on min wage ought to get a tip, when the overwhelming majority it folk on min wage don't?

Although massive chains (giraffe I’m looking at you) who are sneaky and add 12.5% on when their service was shocking anyway... I’m asking for that to be removed if I notice. Happened just last week and was awful food anyway!

I always ensure the tip goes into the hand of the person who provided the service, ie cash and not included in main bill if I’m paying by card, minimum wage is still crap money for waiters, juniors in hair salons, etc

I always tip unless the service has been absolutely dire and wouldn't choose to spend my time with someone who didn't tip.

If you can afford to go to restaurants, you can afford to tip. It's a mean spirited attitude towards people who are taking care of you for an often poor wage (which should be better in the first place).

I always tip.

Restaurants, hairdressers, taxis.

What goes around comes around in my experience.

I think the key word here is ‘entitlement’. Tips shouldn’t be expected. Restaurants/bars/cafes shouldn’t add on service charges.
No-one should expect a tip just because some other customers have misbehaved either, that’s ludicrous! If you’ve worked hard and earned your wage that’s that.

I don’t get tipped in my job but then I don’t work til late night evenings and weekends on the minimum wage so it’s not really comparable.

...... so do you tip the person who shows you to your seat at the theatre, .......or checks your ticket..... or serves your popcorn at the cinema?..... or serves your bovril at the late night football game? .... or is security at the gig you went to? or the chap patrolling the car park into the wee small hours?.....or the lifeguard at the baths?...... or the cleaner in the office? (or, indeed the cleaner in the hospital / cinema / theatre / museum / football stadium / anywhere else for that matter) ?

When DD was a waitress she said tips partly made up for the appalling way she was treated by some customers.

I use to work in retail, I once had a customer scream in one of my Saturday staffs face at Christmas, cause we had run out of a book, apparently my 16 year old Saturday girl had ruined her Christmas

It makes up for antisocial hours and customers who are tosses.

Retail staff also have antisocial hours and customers who are tosses and in 15 years I never recieved a tip

I work 15+ hours each week as a waitress alongside my full-time job as a social worker.
I appreciate the point about minimum wage, however, it is a second job for most of the people I work with, consequently we lose 20% of our hourly wage to HMRC, plus we pay extra tax for the amount it is estimated we will get in tips, irrespective of whether we get them or not, which means we actually earn closer to £5 an hour.
I am always so,so grateful for any tips I receive, as the job can honestly be harder and as stressful as my main job and I wouldn't be able to pay my bills without them. Plus the instant gratification they provide is amazing for my self-esteem and getting me through my shift without losing the will to live.

I never tip, I think it’s very outdated practice. My visits are always very simple: 2 courses + glass of wine and I’m out. I don’t ask many questions, don’t require any changes. And I’ve never met exceptional service to be honest. Why should I tip?
And I never go to places where 12.5 % adding automatically as a tip. I don’t think it’s fair, it’s just an attempt to hide higher prices.

@WizzyWanta I’m sure you can split your personal allowance between jobs. Might be worth doing that if you earn under the personal allowance threshold. If you don’t the fact that it’s a second job is a red herring as you’d be paying 20% anyway iyswim.

Ahh sorry just saw you work full time as a social worker. In that case of course you’re above the personal allowance threshold so you’d be paying 20% on the surplus anyway.

"...... so do you tip the person who shows you to your seat at the theatre, .......or checks your ticket..... or serves your popcorn at the cinema?..... or serves your bovril at the late night football game? .... or is security at the gig you went to? or the chap patrolling the car park into the wee small hours?.....or the lifeguard at the baths?...... or the cleaner in the office? (or, indeed the cleaner in the hospital / cinema / theatre / museum / football stadium / anywhere else for that matter) ?"

Arguably, the level of personal care isn't quite the same as the staff who do, traditionally, get tipped. In the case of quite a few of the other people on that list that I interact with, they aren't allowed to accept tips or gifts.

plus we pay extra tax for the amount it is estimated we will get in tips,

This really is the key point.

If you don’t tip, you are very possibly docking your waiter’s wages for the night as they will be taxed for assumed tips whether you leave one or not.

I've heard it all now. Waitressing is more stressful than being a social worker? You can't be a very good one then Wizzy.

No I don't tip unless the waiting staff have gone over and above which they rarely do as customer service is generally non existent these days.

I've never understood the concept anyway. Its just subsiding a private business. They should pay their staff more.

‘The majority of posters seemed to think of a person as being tight fisted or ungenerous if they don't tip.’

Yes. Why don’t you just own being cheap instead of trying to justify it? I bet you don’t pay the ‘suggested donation’ at museums that are free entry either.

I tip waitresses if it's a proper sit-down restaurant, but this is mainly because I've been a waitress myself and so I empathise with the staff about how nice it is to get a tip. I wouldn't tip at a buffet or a delivery driver.

I hate it when tipping feels compulsory, such as in the states - the definition of tipping is that it's not obligated! & why should I tip the staff on a cruise ship when they're paid a basic wage AND get free accommodation and food on top?

I don't tip now. I've only ever had minimum wage jobs, have always had shitty customers at least a few times a day, have always had to work fast and stood up the whole shift. Pretty much all minimum wage jobs are like that, most don't get tips.

I'm now a student, but when I'm next in my newest, crap, minimum wage job, I'll not be giving tips then either. Nor do I tip taxi drivers or hairdressers. Though I can't afford those, which negates the issue really .

I think anyone who wants to enjoy a nice meal and doesn't want to tip should cook for him or herself at home. It's an appalling lack of social grace and tight to boot. If I went out to a meal with someone and s/he didn't tip the waiter, I would make up for it myself and then never eat out with them again. Good meals should be about generosity flowing in all directions; ungenerous people ruin the evening.

DH always tips but I have started to take a closer look at the bill. If service charge is added on then I stop him from 'extra tipping'
If the service was crap then I remove the sc or we don't tip.
If the service was good but the food wasn't then we make sure waitress pockets the tip and it's not shared with the chef

A PP mentions giraffe. We had a meal there once when the waiter asked if he could keep the change from the bill!!

I'm American. My taxi fare to Heathrow was £60 and I gave a £20 tip. The driver never acknowledge it and I was wondering why. I even had to ask him to get my suitcase out of the back for me.

I use to work retail in my early 20's for a very big company, I received a few tips so did other colleagues but we wasn't allowed to keep them we had to add them to the till, hence why I always give any tip I received back to the customer informing them I personally wasn't allowed to keep the tip all tips go to the company too and after working there it's put me off tipping anyone as never sure where the moneys going

I can just imagine you spending your evening appraising whether or not the service was 'exceptional' because you've nothing else to talk about. This isn't typical behaviour of pleasant people others want to be around. If I was eating out with you in a group, I'd be embarrassed and so would any other person in my circle. But I doubt you're in groups like that often.