Tipping

Otis Driftwood

When Im in a restaurant I always tip unless the service is woeful or depending on how good the service is I would be inclined to give a more generous tip.

My general amount is about 8% but have gone above it for exceptional service.

So gents and ladies of tGC,do you believe in tipping and if so how much?

Is there a set figure ie a percentage of the bill that you give or do you have a set amount irregardless of the service.

Do I have a set amount regarding the service? :pac:

My standard is about 10%, less to nothing if it's poor and maybe more if it's great. Also depends on what kind of change I happen to have! :pac:

RedXIV

90% of the time, I'll tip a fiver, if I'm happy and I've the money. If its a really nice place and the service has been excellent, I've tipped up to €20. generally though, a fiver is good enough for me

CiaranC

Around 10% in ireland

ztoical

I tipped when I lived in the states as it's part of the culture there and if you don't people follow you out onto the street and yell at you but I don't tip in Ireland or anywhere in Europe. I don't see why I should tip for one service and not others.

source

10% if the service is good, maybe more if the service is excellent and I've gone away very happy.

If I'm not happy with the service I don't tip. More and more lately I've found that I'm not tipping. You'd think that restaurants would be upping their game in a recession not dropping the standard of service.

Also I do not tip if I get a foreign waiter/waitress who cannot understand basic English, A person who cannot converse with the customer or understand basic requests should not be working in the hospitality industry and will be getting no more than the cost of the meal.


(NB Please note that the final point I made does not apply to all foreign waiters/waitresses, just those who have no understanding of English.)

Also people, check your bill, if there's a service charge on it, DO NOT LEAVE A TIP, you're tipping twice.

sparky20203

Much like others, I will tip, IF I'm happy with the service. Normally between 8% and 10%. In the UK, and most other countries I have traveled to, tipping is common custom. In Ireland, it doesn't seem to be as common, which is somewhat unusual...

ztoical

sparky20203 wrote: »

Much like others, I will tip, IF I'm happy with the service. Normally between 8% and 10%. In the UK, and most other countries I have traveled to, tipping is common custom. In Ireland, it doesn't seem to be as common, which is somewhat unusual...

In most of mainland Europe tips are not expected as most countries, like France for example, have the service charge included on the bill, usually people just leave any odd change left over from the bill. It's become expected in alot of Eastern European countries mainly due to high number of tourists coming in. Tipping can bee seen as rude in alot of Asian countries.

source

ztoical wrote: »

In most of mainland Europe tips are not expected as most countries, like France for example, have the service charge included on the bill, usually people just leave any odd change left over from the bill. It's become expected in alot of Eastern European countries mainly due to high number of tourists coming in. Tipping can bee seen as rude in alot of Asian countries.

On this, if travelling abroad, you really need to check up on the customs of the country you're going to.

For example, if you say "Danke" in Austria when paying the bill, it means keep the change, and in Hungary leaving money on the table is considered rude.

parker kent

My tipping seems entirely random, I definitely don't think in terms of percentages.

sparky20203

Thats good to know.. Heading to eastern europe later this year, must see what the customs are before going there.

mikemac

Depends, if there is a service charge I never tip.

When I worked in a hotel some Canadians would leave a 1cent coin on the table. I believe this realy shows they were unhappy.
Wonder if this will ever take off in Ireland

Galvasean

I leave a generous tip if the service was good. No tip at all if it was poor. I suppose I'd average at about 10% (easy to calculate :pac:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-qV9wVGb38

goose2005

ztoical wrote: »

I tipped when I lived in the states as it's part of the culture there and if you don't people follow you out onto the street and yell at you but I don't tip in Ireland or anywhere in Europe. I don't see why I should tip for one service and not others.

If they follow you out of the restaurant, just do what Christopher Moltisanti did...

Dravokivich

Depends on the service I'm getting and what way the change is when sorting out the bill.

If I'm tipping it could end up between 10% - 20% when getting rounds at a bar...

Don't have much of a figure sorted for at a restuarant, but it'd generally be a few quid...

Penn

About 10%, depending on the nearest size note I have. But only if the service is actually good. This isn't America where the waitresses are given crap wages and have to make the rest in tips. There is a minimum wage here. I don't tip the checkout woman in Tesco.

If the service is actually really good, I'll tip. This whole culture of feeling like you have to tip is bogus. And I'm not being stingy, I used to work in the service industry. Tips were great, but a) I generally refused them at first out of politeness and the fact I get paid for the job anyway, and b) if I didn't get a tip, I thought nothing of it. Didn't bother me in the slightest.

Although people who tip with foreign currency should be shot. One woman gave me $5 once. At that point I didn't drive, and it would have cost me €14 to get a taxi to town to get it changed.

TouchingVirus

Only really tip in restaurants, never tipped in a pub before. My baseline is roughly 10%, but poor service will result in no tip and excellent service may result in more

Snowie

Im a very genrous tipper!

I worked in the food service industry wages are crap hours are long and I know how they feel so any were from 2 euros to 10 dependiong on what Ive got and were I'm eating...

Even if the sevice is crap Ill still tip...


my old bar we worked at we were getting tips of 250to 300 a week and every 4 weeks wed count up the bucket and get our share

_feedback_

The general consensus seems to be tip if the service is good. That would definately be my thoughts on it too. The amount really depends on the service too!

I can't stand bad service though, it winds me up.

foinse wrote: »

if you say "Danke" in Austria when paying the bill, it means keep the change, and in Hungary leaving money on the table is considered rude.

I learned the hard way in Poland too. Blurted out a nice loud "Dziekuje" and my change disappeared!

ToniTuddle

Having worked as a waitress in America I know the long hours they work and the unbelievable importance of tipping and the damn anger when folks don't! Which is why when I'm out drinking/eating over there I make damn sure to leave a really good tip.

I made the mistake a few times of putting faith into the customer that they would leave a tip....NEVER again! :mad: Once we knew a customer wasn't American we popped on the tip charge to their bills as guaranteed they never would willingly leave a tip.

Here in Ireland I don't tip as in fairness I rarely get to eat out in restaurants!
Only time I ever do leave a tip is normally with taximen.

The bar staff and waitress folk here are getting a decent wage it isn't like over in America so I never even thought about tipping. Maybe if I go out more to restaurants I might start :pac:

If you guys pop in for a salad or something small for lunch do you leave a tip? Or is this only evening meals that you leave tips for?

CiaranC

ToniTuddle wrote: »

If you guys pop in for a salad or something small for lunch do you leave a tip?

If a meal is less then a tenner for example, then a 10% tip is less than a euro. So yeah.

Galvasean

In situations where spend just under a tenner I'd generally leve 2 euro. I'd feel bad leaving less than a euro even if it is proper order.

I tip taxi drivers if say the bill is €18 and I have a twenty, they can just keep th difference.
Exceptions are when a taxi driver deliberately takes ages rooting for change (it's quite obvious sometimes). That or if they deliberately take the scenic route to bump up the fare. In those cases I wait and take the change. Mostly though, I'm quite happy to part with the difference.

The_Morrigan

I always leave a tip, even if the service is woeful.
I used to work in a hotel and lived off my tips so I understand that those that step up the service to the point of fantabulousness but not yet reaching annoyance by their constant checking up every five mins deserve to be given that little bit extra with regards to a tip

I don't have a set figure or percentage of the bill, it all depends on the total bill, the service and the amount of shrapnel I have on my person.

Cicero

Don't leave tip if service is very bad......otherwise, it's usually 10% with minimum of a Eur 5

muinteoir09

I will tip 15% most of the time but less if the service isn't fantastic. If the service is poor then obviously I wouldn't tip at all.

I have stopped tipping taximen, mostly because a) the fares are ridiculously expensive as it is; and b) many (or many it's just the ones I end up in) feel the need to drive a good bit below the speed limit and brake very early to hit more red lights.

When tipping in a bar, I will always tip well for table service. If the bar is busy and there is no table service, it is often useful to tip the barman so that you aren't waiting the next time.

Neonjack

I find the whole thing bloody annoying. I'm not against tipping in principle, but the etiquette surrounding it pisses me off.
If i get good service, I'll happily tip, but I don't work on percentages. Like others, it depends on the note or change I have in my pocket at the time. i.e - for a 35 euro dinner with good service, I'll leave the change if I have two twenties, but equally, I'll just tip two euro if I happen to have 37 quid.
I detest being made to feel like I must tip. Drives me up the wall. If some waiters put as much effort into the service as they do into mute tipping pressure, with all the body shapes and sidelong glances involved, they'd make a fortune.

stupidusername

ztoical wrote: »

I tipped when I lived in the states as it's part of the culture there and if you don't people follow you out onto the street and yell at you but I don't tip in Ireland or anywhere in Europe. I don't see why I should tip for one service and not others.

I also disagree with this culture we've adopted of tipping in restaurants. I've tipped out of feeling i should, i've also tipped (less often) out of feeling it was deserved. But it used to drive me mental when I worked in retail. the job I did involved going to great lengths for customers and not once did I ever get a tip, it was part of my job (though sometimes I did go above and beyond even that) so why should anyone else getting the same wage as me get tipped for doing their job? The only real reason I would anymore is because you're made to feel you should. but thing is I can't bloody afford it! I base where I eat (when I get to eat out) on what I know i'm going to get and how much it'll cost me, and whether or not i can afford that. and why should I take into account that it could cost me a chunk more because of this culture that has creeped in here.

Iago

I always tip when service is good, when it is exceptional I'll tip more. Generally I work off percentages but I don't tie myself to them although it would be very rare in a restaurant that I wouldn't leave >10%.

Taxis are different, in a lot of cases I just don't want to carry change around so if it's €19 I'll tip €1 and if it's €16 I'll tip €4.

I also tip for deliveries etc, normally I'll just make it up to the next € or two.

Otis Driftwood

Id be the same as Iago in that I always tip delivery drivers.The delivery charge is usually only around 2 quid so would always give a couple of quid extra.

2 stroke

I usualy tip for good service & value but I'm going to adopt the idea of tipping 1 cent if I'm not happy. I don't base my tip on percentage, if a meal is expensive, they should look after their staff. However for a cheaper meal I usually leave more than 10%. eg, my working day lunch is usually less than €10, I usually tip €2 to €3, an expensive meal, I'd probably give max €2.
I also regularly tip for puncture repair, haircut, homedelivery and postman & binman at Christmas.

population

Lads if any of you make it over to Italy for a holiday, do not tip. I was doing my usual 10 per cent thing when I got here first and I was actually starting to get funny looks from some waiters. The only people to tip and it is just a few coins mind, are the baristas in the South of Italy because usually they are the best in the world but unlike in the North do not have contracts.

Cicero

Otis Driftwood wrote: »

Id be the same as Iago in that I always tip delivery drivers.The delivery charge is usually only around 2 quid so would always give a couple of quid extra.

It's the one time I tend not to tip- unless it's "free delivery" locally which I don't tend to be able to avail of where I live....I think paying the 2 eur is enough for this service

IpreDictDeatH

Ive never understood this tipping lark. So tell me, when i tip in a restaurant where does that extra cash go?

monkeynuz

I don't tip very often and if I do it is probably only a few Euros.

My argument is that, for good service it should come free, exceptional service gets a tip and bad service gets a complaint and I would ask for a refund!

About time people expected good service as a rule of thumb, not an exception!

That's my bit, now crucify me lol!

Monkey

The Sparrow

I used to tip becuase I felt that it was part of general etiquette and I suppose I felt some pressure to conform. But now I've decided that it is a ridiculous practice unless you are in a country like the States where workers are being paid very low wages (even that annoys me but I'll respect their culture no matter how ridiculous it seems).

In Ireland I see no compelling reason for tipping. We have a relatively high minnimum wage so that should negate the need for tipping. Why should a waitress or waiter or taxi driver get extra money for doing their job well? That is what they are supposed to do!

I don't get paid extra when I do my job well and it's not like i earn a massive amount above minnimum wage. And many taxi drivers probably make more than me so there is no way I would leave a tip.

MiniSquish

I have waitressed alot over the years and I don't really expect tips all the time. Lunch time and Breakfast time for example most people don't tip and in turn when I'm eating out for lunch or breakfast I don't tip either. I also don't tip if the waiter/waitress is rude and every request from you is greeted with a sigh or a roll of the eyes. At dinner I would always tip if the service was good and the waitress was attentive and quick to sort out any extra requests or deviations from the menu.

People that are troublesome customers, that monopolize a lot of your time and then after it all leave nothing as a tip really annoy me and I have to say that if people started doing that leaving 1 cent as a tip too, waiters/waitresses in Ireland would probably run out the door after them too. Although if that was done to me I'd be quite upset as I'd take it as a personal failure even if on the off chance it was just an unpleasant customer.

Azureus

I never tip if theres a service charge-something I always check.
I dont tip taxi drivers, unless it comes to €19.50 or something-they can have the change.
I usually leave my change with delivery guys, unless they're one of the ones who prick about taking ages getting it together in the hope you'll say 'ah its grand just keep it'.
If im out for dinner its the only major time I tip, and its usually around 10% or leftover change (once its not too measly). I dont tip if I'm not leaving really happy though, eating out is expensive enough.

micayla

The Sparrow wrote: »

I used to tip becuase I felt that it was part of general etiquette and I suppose I felt some pressure to conform. But now I've decided that it is a ridiculous practice unless you are in a country like the States where workers are being paid very low wages (even that annoys me but I'll respect their culture no matter how ridiculous it seems).

In Ireland I see no compelling reason for tipping. We have a relatively high minnimum wage so that should negate the need for tipping. Why should a waitress or waiter or taxi driver get extra money for doing their job well? That is what they are supposed to do!

I don't get paid extra when I do my job well and it's not like i earn a massive amount above minnimum wage. And many taxi drivers probably make more than me so there is no way I would leave a tip.

Taxi drivers don't earn minimum wage, their wages are based on fares and many work 7 days a week just to get by.

I would tip, like most, if the service is exceptional. I've worked in most areas of the service industry and it's a ****ty place to work, so if someone goes above and beyond then I'll tip them. Even in retail I've received tips!

I would agree with others when they say if you don't like the service don't tip AND complain. Not enough people do this and the service remains poor.

the_syco

Galvasean wrote: »

Exceptions are when a taxi driver deliberately takes ages rooting for change (it's quite obvious sometimes). That or if they deliberately take the scenic route to bump up the fare. In those cases I wait and take the change.

I take the change, and ask for a receipt if I think they were being slow, or going the long way. Heck, most of the time, I tell them the way to go. If I don't know the way, I don't usually tip.

=-=

Dominos, I tip if the pizza is delivered piping hot, and all dips are delivered. Takeaway deliveries I tip, as I find if I constantly tip them, my food always gets to me hot. Oh, the food will get to you regardless, but I find if you tip, and they know you tip, the food gets to you first. Personally, when I worked in a pub, I'd favour the tippers in regards service. I find delivery people the same.

Mind you, both Dominos and local takeaway deliveries are free delivery. If somewhere charges delivery, I tip less, or don't order from there. Unless I'm drinking, I sometimes find it cheaper to collect from the places that charge delivery.

=-=

Restaurants, if I get the food as I ordered it, and I'm not waiting around for a while for the food (and I have the change on me), I usually tip. I find I tip rarely in Dublin. Down the country (Limerick, Kerry, Cork, etc), I would probably tip the most.

mikemac

the_syco wrote: »

Mind you, both Dominos and local takeaway deliveries are free delivery.

Dominoes is not free delivery even though they advertise it.
The delivery is worked into the price and then they give a discount if you collect it yourself.

Around here, the local postman gets €20 or maybe €10 or even just a tin of roses every Christmas. Just the done thing.
It's different in a city where you don't know your postman, in a rural area you know the postman and they know you and all your children.
Hey, the postman probably saw you grow up!

Detour

I live in the States and tipping is very much part of the culture. 20% is generally the rule of thumb for meals, haircuts, things like that. Drinking in a bar it's a least a dollar a drink. At Christmas you need to tip the doorman of the building about 100$. All adds up, but you've just got to accept thats the way it is over here.

On one occassion I deliberately didnt tip (awful service, forgot to put in our order, and was rude when we reminded her), so I didnt tip. She followed me out of the restaurant and demanded to know why I didnt leave anything. I couldnt believe the neck on her! Even in this extreme case the girl I was with (American) was embarrassed that I didnt leave anything.

the_syco

feelingstressed wrote: »

Dominoes is not free delivery even though they advertise it.
The delivery is worked into the price and then they give a discount if you collect it yourself.

Meh. €10 for personal pizza, garlic bread + can of soft drink + delivery is pretty good in my book.

feelingstressed wrote: »

Around here, the local postman gets €20 or maybe €10 or even just a tin of roses every Christmas. Just the done thing.

Aye. I know someone who gave their postie 10 year old whiskey; the postie would put large deliveries (computer parts, etc) into a certain box - stopped my mate from having to goto the sorting office to collect them...

cherile

If you asked me in 2007 it would have been 15% almost standard unless the service was brutal but now it is very much dependant on service and the establishment.
A nice restaurant done well is still 15% but aid the service is bad the tip is next to nothing. Still feel a little bad sometimes tipping badly but treat every euro like a hostage now I'm afraid

CDfm

We tip a fiver or 10% but if the service or food is poor we do not tip and complain.

This applies to our regular haunts and we eat out once or twice a week

Cicero

One thing I can't understand is people who order beef in a fish restaurant and then complain coz it's not up to scratch....go to a good steakhouse if you want good beef..fish restaurants are for lovers of fish...simples.:cool:

petebricquette

I wouldn't eat out a huge amount (girlfriend is away = no dates) so when I do I look into the place and get people's opinions on it. That way I rarely end up going somewhere where the service is sh!te and I can relax. That said, money is tight as everyone knows so I would only leave a tip if the service is exceptional, the food is great and the place itself is nice.

I've been coerced by guilt far too often into giving someone a tip who barely met the lowest standards of service and competence but no more. I'm still amazed at how often waiters/waitresses get orders wrong though. You'd think the proprietor would have a zero tolerance policy on that sort of carry on.

Feckfox

0%

source

Cicero wrote: »

One thing I can't understand is people who order beef in a fish restaurant and then complain coz it's not up to scratch....go to a good steakhouse if you want good beef..fish restaurants are for lovers of fish...simples.:cool:

If it's on the menu, then the chef should be able to cook it to a high standard. I don't buy into the whole it's a fish restaurant so don't expect the steak to be good crap. Meat is relatively easy to cook. So there's no excuse for a bad meal.

I'm paying over €20 for a steak and it's crap, then I won't tip and I will complain. Fish restaurant or not.

Otis Driftwood

foinse wrote: »

If it's on the menu, then the chef should be able to cook it to a high standard. I don't buy into the whole it's a fish restaurant so don't expect the steak to be good crap. Meat is relatively easy to cook. So there's no excuse for a bad meal.

I'm paying over €20 for a steak and it's crap, then I won't tip and I will complain. Fish restaurant or not.

Too feckin right.

Steak is one of the easiest things to cook so there really is no excuse for a sub par one to be served.

Sunnyisland

Mostly I will leave some sort of tip no matter what, If the service is extra good including manners /food/service they certainly would get an extra tip.

sam34

if the service and food are good, then i will tip, around 12 to 15%.

if the service is crap, i wont tip and i will explain why (rarely happens, tbf)

however, i detest the attitude that tipping is mandatory, like in America. it is one of the things that really puts me off the place. i find their attitude and pushiness regarding it to be very off-putting.