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

Always tip and think less of people who don't tbh.

I don't usually tip and I'm strongly against the culture and social pressure to tip. I have worked hard all my life in low wage work and do not receive tips for the work that I do. I don't see it as my role to boost the wages of restaurant workers and I believe it to be the job of the employer to pay higher wages to begin with to their workers, rather than rely on the good will of people already paying for a service or might have saved up for a while for said meal. Often tips trickle on over to the management, anyway so you never really know where they're going. If you tip because you want to help boost the wages of people on low wages, great but please consider workers such as carers or retail workers who also deserve that wage boost when deciding where to channel that extra money. I wish society would stop shaming people on low wages calling them "tight" for not tipping when the REAL tightwads are the businesses who don't pay their staff properly.

Rubbish that people don't tip in Scotland. We tip exactly the same as everywhere else.

I/we always tip.
Although had an embarrassing moment recently where you had to enter your tip and I accidentally pressed okay to £1! I would rather have left nothing than tipped £1!

Oh but yesterday I went for lunch somewhere where you had to go and get your own drinks at the counter, order your own food on the app and get your own cutlery/sauces etc. I didn’t tip on the app order!
Other than those sorts of places though I always tip.

No. It's not the custom where I live.

Yes, unless the service is shit.

Always! Its mean not too

I tip if the service is good but a maximum of 10%, nothing if a service charge is added.

Yes I always tip but only because it's expected of me and I'd hate to disappoint the waiter. I think restaurants (and everyone else) should pay proper wages and charge us accordingly. I like it when they add a service charge. Even better if they mention upfront that they will add a service charge because then you can budget for it. I don't want to have to think of how much to tip or judge the service when I'm just trying to relax. Why is it my job to motivate the staff?

i always tip, the staff put up with some pretty awful customers, and for not much money at all. After a tranche of various customer service jobs as a student I know I’d never want to do their job for love nor money ever again, but I’m very grateful that they do, and usually with such professionalism and friendliness. I feel I’m lucky enough to be able to afford to eat out these days, so why not make the serving staff’s day a little better too? I also remember as a truly impoverished student what difference a few quid can make. Generally they are working for something closer to the minimum wage rather than the living wage.

I always tip unless the service was awful. I also check with the waiter that they actually get the service charge. When I first left home I was a waiter and the tips were essential. I did one day in a place where the staff didn't get the service charge. Hopefully rare but always worth checking

I wouldn't tip simply for food being brought to my table. It's for service provided and I say that with a hospitality background. I don't believe in always tipping just because it's the done thing.
I remember an old manager years ago giving us a talk on good table service - 'leave them wanting for nothing and watch the tips roll in' so if I was simply carrying food to a table I wouldn't expect a tip.
If a service charge is added to all bills I expect excellent service all the time.
The first place I saw it was a restaurant in Covent Garden more than 20 years ago, but the service was excellent, so I happily paid it.

However, wages should never ever be subsidised by the paying customer. Unfortunately there are many unscrupulous employers in hospitality.

Always, unless it's a self serve/order at the bar place (and if they bring the food out I still leave a little). But a proper restaurant I always tip, though I notice more places are adding it in for you.
I judge people who don't as mean.

Agree. I’m nearly 60 and tipping always been the norm in my lifetime.

In fact I think people tipped more generously back in the 70’s/80’s/90’s than they do now. My parents always tipped about 15% and no they weren’t wealthy - eating out was a irregular treat

Wow it's like a different world on here sometimes.. how the other half live.

Yeah it's brought out all the snobs looking down on the rest of us who are lucky to be able to afford the meal out.

I'm currently in France. Not been here in a long time and the tipping culture seems to have completely changed. Now 'service compris' is the norm, but I can't help myself adding a few euros.

To be fair it’s a very different culture in France and they generally don’t expect tips (or at least nothing more than a couple of €). We went out to eat yesterday and we were waiting about 30 minutes just to have our drinks order taken. They don’t badger you like they do in the UK. If you want something you ask for it, and they don’t mind keeping you waiting. If we had similar levels of service in the UK we’d never tip. We’d be horrified! I actually prefer it. You never feel pressured here to leave quickly as soon as you’ve finished eating.

Everywhere i eat has service charge now at 12.5% minimum.
I don't tip on top of service charge.

Unless the service is truly exceptional, then no. As others have said, there’s a minimum wage now so no need to tip. It’s crazy to tip someone for doing their job.

I always tell them to remove the service charge as well. If the owners or managers want to bleed their customers dry they should initiate their prices in the food costs in their menu’s to effectively include the service charge. But they don’t, because they know full well most people would rather (reluctantly) pay it instead of ‘making a fuss’.

What do you think about friends who "decide" how much to tip? Happened recently with some friends of Dh's. "Everyone leaves 5£ OK?" I thought that was cheeky, but not my friends so I didn't say anything..

Unless service charge is already added I would tip around 10%
We usually round it up
If service is exceptional I will sometimes pay on top of service charge or more than the 10%, but check that it’s actually going direct to the person

No. I don’t always tip. If there’s a service charge I ask for it to be taken off and leave a tip if I feel it’s warranted. In cash.

Good service I will always tip and tip generously. Always in cash. But we so rarely get good service now k often don’t. And by good service all I mean is efficient, a bit of a smile, eye contact and a quick “sorry let me sort it” if something is wrong.