Friends didn't "tip"....bit tight?

[tvsavec]

Me and three friends went to a little family run Greek restaurant.
The bill came to around £80 for four of us.
At the end of the meal
Friend 1 put £2 on the table and I also put £2
Friend 3 said "is that for a tip"
We said yeah.....she shouts for the waiter and hands him the £4 and says thanks
They didn't bother to put a couple of pound in each

Aibu to think it's a bit tight?

Neither do I dance about the place on my way out, holding my paid receipt aloft whilst cackling "Haha you losers, that's a £5 tip I've saved by being a mean tight-ass! Hohoho! I'm off to enjoy my fortune"

And anyone who says I do is lying.

Exactly. Funnily, I recently had conversation about tips with my husband. He insists it's the culture, that's the way things are, hospitality jobs are demanding and ungrateful etc. I asked him "did you tip every time you ordered a pizza while being at university and when budget was tight?". He said no. Fair enough. Then don't judge people who want to enjoy their meal, but may be on the same wage as waiters and nobody tips them for their job at asda, reception desk, call centre or such.

b) Where you have limited choice and will have to use the service again so don't want to piss them off (for example a hairdresser that's the only one in town)
im always torn on the hairdresser’s thing. Sure they’ve been amazing, I’m thrilled with my hair, but I only get my hair done every year or two because it’s so expensive. I don’t want them to think I’m not thrilled with the service, but I could barely afford the price and so cannot really afford to add to it. But they always run to you when you’re paying but they’re paid hourly like the rest of us, they must be given it’s illegal otherwise. Then you’re thinking do I tip who cut or coloured? When you really want to tip the poor young one who was sweeping the floor and is hoping someday she or he will get more experience?

My hairdresser is the owner of the business, so I don't tip her, but I do tip the junior who washes my hair and brings the drinks.

So all the non tippers either eat alone, or pay the whole bill, or only eat on company expenses.... is what I've got from the responses to the tight lipped comment. I was referring to splitting a bill. I imagined it must be a bit awkward being the only one not to tip, but evidently not!

I was referring to splitting a bill. I imagined it must be a bit awkward being the only one not to tip, but evidently not

I'm never the only one. In fact I can't think of any meal out in the last few years when anyone has left a tip. Non-tipping has become the norm in my circles.

And I suppose anyone who left their own tip, in a group of non-tippers, would just put down whatever they liked. No issue.

If I've asked to remove a service charge before, which was for terrible service, the manager has always come to the table to enquire why. Not sure why that is funny.

If you cannot afford to eat out at places that clearly state on the menu that a service charge will be added to your final bill, then you should not eat there and find a different establishment.

What, they ask every single time?! How rude of them - you don’t have to give an answer.

Service charge is optional.

some people find it handy because it saves them calculating a tip if they are inclined to tip. But it’s not mandatory.

That's some amazing business model to implement right there, how about put this on a sign outside 😂.

You must feel really special being some one who tips, it must really elevate you above poor people who do not 🥱

Non-tipping is completely normal where I am, but people would pay the service charge, though. The only people I can think of who wonder about tipping would be my very elderly parents from a small town - they’re not sure of the etiquette. They’re from a time when tipping at a restaurant was normal, though, and those days are long gone.

"you cannot afford to eat out at places that clearly state on the menu that a service charge will be added to your final bill, then you should not eat there and find a different establishment."

Why? Service charge is optional. The actual service of your food is included in the price. Why should a restaurant automatically include a tip in the bill?

Only happened twice and yes, both times the manager came to the table to ask what the issue was.

Pretty standard I would have thought. You advertise a service charge and if customers sit down and agree to the terms, must be an issue if you ask for it to be removed.

Well the terms are “You can eat at this restaurant and opt-in to a service charge if you wish”.

V weird that - unless you complained when paying - a manager would challenge your reason for not paying a service charge. I’d be saying “Because I don’t want to and based in this interaction I won’t be returning”

I just point out that it’s not compulsory. As stated in their own T&C’s. And if I do tip I’ll give it directly to staff.

Managers can ask, but they can disallow it. I won’t be returning to any place that asks anyway.

You sit down and eat somewhere you know will charge you for service. It is stated on the menu it will be added. Then you deliberately remove that charge as you won't pay it, it is a dick move.

You can do the passive aggressive 🥱 all you want, you’re still being an arsehole. Remove service if it has been awful by all means, but to remove it because your company will not pay yet you choose that establishment to eat in, arsehole move.

Everyone just leaves however much they want. Why would that be awkward?

Also plenty of people who pay by card just add their tip on.

I’ve had a few people suggest a group tip and I’ve just said no. Hasn’t stopped them eating with me last time I checked.

Why is that a dick move when it’s the business themselves who chose not to make it compulsory?
They could just raise their food prices.

They didn’t and instead added a removable service charge.

Btw some places have a compulsory service charge. That’s different. If it must be paid, it must. But if it’s not it’s just following the rules.

Ugh cannot stand these banal “yOU’rE aN arSEhOle iF YoU dO X” types beliefs. I mean, are you 4 years old? You declare that a person - who otherwise may be a fecking Nobel peace prize winner for all you know - is objectively an ‘arsehole’ because they don’t tip. I’d hate to lead such a narrow, small minded life.I’d hate to be so thin skinned!

It’s also worth mentioning that many, many people couldn’t give a flying fuck that some rando on the internet thinks they’re an arsehole and your words, which I’m sure in your head have a sued maximum impact, are something people are pissing themselves laughing at

Everyplace I’ve worked, the kitchen staff (not chefs, as they usually have a higher wage) get included in the tips - we couldn’t do our jobs without them doing theirs

I can’t remember going anywhere to eat, even a basic cafe and not leaving a tip. If I was with people who didn’t leave one, I’d make up their “share”. My (rather elderly) dad hands over a £1;coin, pressing it into the hand of the waitress as if she’s going to be ecstatic about it 😂 I just make sure that she’s seen the note I’ve left on the table before we leave .

Flutterbybudget, you sound absolutely graceless. I hope your dad didn't see that.

Probably best that you wave the note around so that everybody can see you are a Good Person. Better still, see if you can get one of those giant notes so that people can see exactly who is giving the Worthy Tip!

You seem to have missed the point, but I’m guessing that you don’t think waiting staff deserve a decent tip at all, and should be grateful for your loose change. Please do us a favour and keep it, because that’s just an insult