Do you usually Tip on top of the bill when you eat out?

[LunarLass]

Hi everyone,
Just curious, how many of you usually leave a tip when you eat out?
I generally don't, but the other day, we went out with some friends who always tip. This time, I stuck to paying just for what we ordered—no tip—and you should've seen the looks on our friends' faces! Our bill came to £55, so it wasn't exactly cheap, to be honest. The meal was lovely, no complaints there; it's just that I don't usually tip out of principle, since they're getting paid for their job like anyone else

I do tip in the UK (only if no service charge is already included) but never more than 10%. Normally it's just a few loose coins or I round up the bill to a reasonable amount.
Certainly not like in the USA where tips of 15% or even 20% are considered the norm.

I tip if there’s the option to add it to the bill when I pay (unless a service charge is already included).

I don’t generally carry cash around, though, so if there’s no option to add it on the card machine then I can’t tip.

As 12.5% is automatically added to the bill in almost every restaurant now, I feel guilted into paying it because they make such a fuss of taking it off the bill. I've only declined to pay it once, because of truly abysmal service, and the server had the gall to have a go at me about it!

That’s not true. My DS has severe allergies and they just go and fetch a book and make you look through it, or told to look on the website. Twice we’ve been told by wait staff that something was safe when it wasn’t. Nobody with life-threatening allergies would trust a teenage waiter/waitress to know whether a meal was safe.

Supermarket staff also have to put up with rude customers, but we don’t bung the cashier at Tesco an extra £15 when we do our shopping because they’re on minimum wage.

I always used to - was brought up to by my parents. I've stopped doing it though, for a variety of reasons; mainly because the price of dining out has shot through the roof. I also think service and the quality of the food is usually just 'ok' sometimes pretty bad, so they don't deserve a tip. If somewhere was really good then I would leave 10 percent. I don't ever remove service charge added to the bill though.

10% always on all meals where you eat in. From Pizza Hut to a posh place.

it’s a terrible system but it’s the one we have. They need the money.

I don't get tips, so many on min wage don't. I don't tip as I can't afford to and this is normal where I'm from.

I think adding a service charge in restaurants is weird.
No other service has this added on,so why are restaurants so special?

My neighbour is a health care assistant. She works long unsociable hours caring for people and their families. No one tips her . Why?
She held the hands of people dying during the pandemic as visitors were not allowed. She is a band 3 on a very low wage but does incredible work dealing with all sorts of patients.

Maybe the NHS should add a service charge to supplement her salary.

It's a topsy turvy world isn't it

My parents tipped bar staff, taxis and hairdressers as well as waiting staff. If you're OK for money why wouldn't you?
I'm proudly parsimonious but I tip loads even on my small pension. It's just kinder. More decent.
However I don't tip taxis or hairdressers. They seem to be well off enough.

I prefer it if the service charge is already added, but if not I tip around 10%. I would probably have left a £5 tip on your £55 bill.

Of course I tip, I simply count it as part of the cost of the meal. I’d not look aghast if someone didn’t, I’d just add the tip and say nothing.

A waitperson?
Waiter or waitress. The term wait staff makes no sense, sounds like an order!

You're (correct spelling), very unnecessarily rude

I tip if the service and food have been very good.

Unless service is added at a decent rate, we always tip around 20%. It’s just part of the cost of eating out.

What goes around comes around!
do you need directions to pedants corner? No, I’m sure you’re a regular. Do you like the spelling?

I always tip a minimum of 10% (unless the service charge is included or the service was terrible) - even though I work minimum wage jobs myself. It's not a race to the bottom. I also tip the change to taxi drivers. Will often tip bar staff 'one for yourself' if I've been in a pub all night - and am happy if they take it as a drink or as money. I cut my own hair, so I don't tip my hairdresser (she's not very good!).

I have a 'friend' who is such a cheapskate she will pick up the tip if I leave one (I always leave in cash as it's more likely to go to the serving staff). It's just so miserly. And yes, I do judge people who don't tip. I know from being self employed that it's rarely the genuinely hard-up who are reluctant to part with their cash.

But I tithe to charity too (a leftover from being a Reformed Baptist), as experience has shown me that you get out of life what you give, not what you cling on to, one way or another.

I always tip unless the service or food was bad. When out with friends we calculate the amount we put in to include a tip.

Your post was removed

Yes, we always do unless it’s terrible service.

Given op hasnt returned, do you think she was just kicking the hornets nest?

A question for the people who say they tip for good service, what are you counting as 'good service' because it's something that's quite rare in my experience.

Things that are 'bad service' that seem to be fairly standard in a lot of restaurants, both independents and chains

Giving you a crap table because it suits them - on top of other diners, near the toilets etc.

Asking you what you want to drink when you've barely sat down.

Disappearing for ages when it's clear you want to order or pay.

Not bringing change back when you've paid in cash because they're hoping it's a tip even if you've put in say 3 x £20 notes for a £45 bill.

Not having a clue who ordered what when they bring it to the table

Interrupting your conversation or waiting until you've put food in your mouth to do the 'check back' but then panicking and no knowing what to do if you say anything other than being satisfied with the food.

Failing to bring the right drink despite being asked three times and lying about what the drink they've brought actually is.

Clearly just going through the motions/upselling when you still have food and drink/haven't finished your main so are unlikely to want a dessert.

And that's without getting onto taking forever for food to arrive, half the menu being unavailable or it coming out at very different times or being badly cooked or not what you ordered.

I am in Scotland and this is not true.

I always tip at least 10% as does everyone I know.

This is why there is usually a service charge added for groups even if not for everyone.

I have a relative who doesn't tip in groups and will actually reduce his contribution by the amount of tip that others leave so as there is no tip at all for the waiter. Needless to say I avoid going to restaurants with him now.

If there is a service charge added then I wouldn't expect anyone to tip on top of that except in exceptional circumstances. But if there isn't then I'd expect my friends to tip 10%. If they don't do this I'd avoid eating out with them again.