To Tip or not to Tip - what are the rules?

mrslancaster

would love to hear others thoughts on tipping since we are coming up to the season of goodwill.

when tipping started there was differences in the economic status of the individuals. now most people travel, stay in hotels, eat in fancy restaurants without needing to be wealthy like in the past.

Most people add a % to a restaurant bill for good / excellent service but does that happen if the restaurant adds a service charge. people don't tip in fast food outlets, sandwich bars, pizza shops, chippers, ethnic takeaways or retail outlet, but staff provide good/excellent service. Do they deserve a tip?

work in a house by plumbers, gardeners, electricians, or hairdressers, beauty treatments etc. What about physios/ personal trainers or taxis, barmen, bin-men, car valets, car breakdown, car/bike service.

The list is endless and it's hard to know when a tip is expected or if it would be an insult to the person who is trained/educated/experienced professional. I don't know anyone who ever tipped a doctor, dentist, vet, solicitor, pharmacist, nurse, but they all provide good/excellent service, so what are the rules??

Who should get a tip and how much, or is there any need for tips at all?

blinding

Always Tip Clothesline and tell them to put their Shirt on it .

murpho999

This is not America, people here are well paid.

Tipping should be small and as a thank you, and not a fixed percentage or expected.

I don't get why people tip waiters, taxi drivers and hairdressers but not barmen, office workers , fast food staff, shop assistants, nurses etc.

Caryatnid

mrslancaster wrote: »

How about work done in the house - plumbers, gardeners, electricians, or for personal services like a hairdresser, beauty treatments etc. What about a physio or personal trainer or other services like taxis, barmen, bin-men, car valets, car breakdown, the guy who services your car or your bike?

(OK, don't attack me about gender neutrality in different jobs - I'm just discussing tips)

At the risk of derailing your thread, isn't exactly that a root of whole problem?

maudgonner

Never tip. It freaks the poor cows out.

blinding

Tip the Hairy .

dazftw

I've only ever tipped when someone brings something to me, i.e delivery drivers.. Thanks for saving me the hassle of going out and doing something for myself.

wally1990

If I take a cab and it's 7 or 8 quid, I'll just throw a 10
13 or 14, take the 15 buddy

Restaurants 45 and above , keep the change from my 50 ,
Good meal, eg cost 45 , I'd throw 55

Take out , same thing as taxis , round up to nearest 5 and keep the change

I'm not spending my life worry about the 2 or 5 euros here and there to be honest , meh

If it's clearly a bad service or meal, then nothing at all

If I'm with a group I'll throw 10 to 15% onto my bill generally

If I'm in a deli, or garage I always take my change

These become habits at this stage

fryup

if the waitress is cute and gives me the glad eyes then i tip

Waiter / waitress.
Hairdresser.
Taxi.
Food delivery man.

Nobody else ever.

ShamoBuc

In Florida atm and it's crazy, tip for fúkin everything!

I don’t tip anywhere but the US as you simply have no choice there, it’s an idiotic practice and it really annoys me over there.

No one tips me for doing my job so why the hell would I tip someone else for doing there’s after already paying for the service out of my hard earned money, feck off.

blinding

Terry Eager Yam wrote: »

I don’t tip anywhere but the US as you simply have no choice there, it’s an idiotic practice and it really annoys me over there.

No one tips me for doing my job so why the hell would I tip someone else for doing there’s after already paying for the service out of my hard earned money, feck off.

But in America don’t people actually rely on this money ( tips ) for their wages .

blinding

blinding wrote: »

But in America don’t people actually rely on this money ( tips ) for their wages .

A small fee maybe but most are paid properly and many we’re always paid well but still got/get tipped such as bar tenders, taxis etc.

Anyway I do tip in the US as you would nearly get shot for not doing it (unless you eat in places that you pay at the start like fast food and I nearly eat in these just to avoid tipping).

In Ireland though I never tip nor anywhere else in Europe but it’s not expected anywhere else in Europe outside of Ireland and UK anyway, you never see tipping on the continent.

sweetie

Terry Eager Yam wrote: »

A small fee maybe but most are paid properly and many we’re always paid well but still got/get tipped such as bar tenders, taxis etc.

Anyway I do tip in the US as you would nearly get shot for not doing it (unless you eat in places that you pay at the start like fast food and I nearly eat in these just to avoid tipping).

In Ireland though I never tip nor anywhere else in Europe but it’s not expected anywhere else in Europe outside of Ireland and UK anyway, you never see tipping on the continent.

Service industry people in the US are not well paid and you're tips make them their living. I don't like the system either but that's the way it is.

John_Rambo

Dublin family, so we tip.

Restaurant serving staff - 10 to 15% if the service and food is good.
Bar staff - the odd 20 or 50c for a round. (always appreciated and works well towards the end of the night)
Barber - €1 or €2. It's a convivial pleasant place with an excellent service.
Taxi driver - maybe €1 but sometimes nothing.
Deliver food guy - maybe €1 but rarely order food.
Have a regular DPD delivery guy that gets a bottle of wine once a year. We like him and he'd text us if we're not there to hide the delivery.
Postman - gets a bottle every year, he's a good guy and looks after us.
Ethnic noodle/shushi bar/crepe/Tex-Mex joint - maybe change (€1) in the tip jar.
Creche workers - good quality hand creme at xmas
We have a cracking mechanic that really looks after us with cars and camper, always there for an emergency with low prices - good bottle of wine the odd time.
Cycle mechanics - €2 tip for servicing the bikes once a year.

It doesn't add up to a huge amount of money. I see it as a low cost gratuity for good service that ensures future better service that stands to us. If our mechanic has two calls in one night. I know which one he'll head to first.

If there's a service charge there'd be little or no tip.

We certainly don't tip professionals like solicitors, doctors etc... they, like myself don't need to be tipped.

Plumbthedepths

I don't tip, it is up to the employer to pay a liveable wage I have already paid for the product or service. If the wage is poor get a different better paying job, simple.

LirW

Terry Eager Yam wrote: »

In Ireland though I never tip nor anywhere else in Europe but it’s not expected anywhere else in Europe outside of Ireland and UK anyway, you never see tipping on the continent.

Not entirely true. Grew up in a country where it's the norm to round to the next euro, I had a job in a cafe while studying and it's done everywhere besides fast food. Realistically you're talking cents at a time and everything under 10 euros is rounded to the next 50c. It would be considered impolite not doing it, but tourists get a pass since it can be a bit confusing (husband found the custom on how it's done confusing and it took him a while to understand). Other countries around (I'm from a border region) have very similar customs.
Tips are small and casual but you grow up with the custom that you tip for everything involving food and taxis, while beauty services are at discretion and not expected and often handled with a piggy bank, so if you enjoy your haircut, you throw a euro or two in the piggy of your stylist.

Potential-Monke

It depends. Like others have stated, in America most run of the mill waiting staff are on far less than what we call minimum wage, and they need the tips to survive. I still don't think it's right to automatically take it, had my parents not informed me that handing in a note and expecting change just doesn't happen, I could have had a few fights with less than acceptable service over there.

But, in Ireland, everyone should be on minimum wage, that's the law. And while minimum wage is not exactly livable, imo, the service would want to be properly good, with added value, before I tip. I served in many different places as a certified waiter (feck all else to do after the leaving), and I never expected tips. But I always tried to go above and beyond and add value, and got tips most of the time. What annoyed me was having to share it with the kitchen staff, who are already being paid more than me.

Anyway, I don't tip anyone in this country unless they deserve it. Especially delivery drivers. They nearly expect you to tip them and will wait for it. Sorry, no, I've already paid the €2 delivery charge, which I expect goes to the driver (if not, that's an issue between the place and the driver) on top of their wage. As has been said above, we're tipping people for simply doing their job, and not across all sectors...

It's worth checking your receipt. A lot of places include a service charge to cover the need to tip.

Personally, I rarely tip unless the service is particularly good.

Dj Stiggie

Terry Eager Yam wrote: »

A small fee maybe but most are paid properly and many we’re always paid well but still got/get tipped such as bar tenders, taxis etc.

Anyway I do tip in the US as you would nearly get shot for not doing it (unless you eat in places that you pay at the start like fast food and I nearly eat in these just to avoid tipping).

In Ireland though I never tip nor anywhere else in Europe but it’s not expected anywhere else in Europe outside of Ireland and UK anyway, you never see tipping on the continent.

Pretty much everywhere in Europe except for the Nordic countries has a tipping culture.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Terry Eager Yam wrote: »

A small fee maybe but most are paid properly and many we’re always paid well but still got/get tipped such as bar tenders, taxis etc.

Anyway I do tip in the US as you would nearly get shot for not doing it (unless you eat in places that you pay at the start like fast food and I nearly eat in these just to avoid tipping).

In Ireland though I never tip nor anywhere else in Europe but it’s not expected anywhere else in Europe outside of Ireland and UK anyway, you never see tipping on the continent.

In America? They most certainly are not. They should be, but they’re not. Begrudging the worker who didn’t implement the stupid system of not paying wait staff a living wage is bitter stuff. Eating mostly in fast food places to avoid tipping is kinda pathetic. Sacrificing good meals and nice restaurants for that? Christ.

Tell me how

In America and still can't figure it out.
Am seeing a local here and have asked her to explain it to me and I'm still at a loss. You tip a waitress in a restaurant or barman but you don't tip someone who makes you a takeaway pizza but do tip if you get it delivered (I can understand this last bit, but why tip a barman but not someone working in Starbucks or Pizzahut or wherever??
And apparently if you do tip, then it's 20%, less implies you weren't happy with the service and as low as 10% is the equivalent of telling them everything was fine but then going home and cutting the back off them as we do back home.
Apparently you always tip the guy who fills your gas. That to me looks like a serious earner if he's getting 20% and filling a car every 5 minutes. I must ask my friend about that actually.

s7ryf3925pivug

10% to waiters if they're not rude or sh!t. I'm engulfed in black rage when they don't seem to appreciate it.

blinding

Blake Broad Meatloaf wrote: »

10% to waiters if they're not rude or sh!t. I'm engulfed in black rage when they don't seem to appreciate it.

Check your white privledge unless you are black

facehugger99

dazftw wrote: »

I've only ever tipped when someone brings something to me, i.e delivery drivers.. Thanks for saving me the hassle of going out and doing something for myself.

I bet you don't tip furniture delivery drivers.

munster87

John_Rambo wrote: »

Dublin family, so we tip.

What’s the relevance of a Dublin family?

Potential-Monke

munster87 wrote: »

What’s the relevance of a Dublin family?

Need to prove they're better than the rest of the people not from Dublin?

s7ryf3925pivug

blinding wrote: »

Check your white privledge unless you are black

It's synesthesia, not anything to do with race. (Also I was exaggerating in an attempt to amuse.)

Potential-Monke

Blake Broad Meatloaf wrote: »

It's synesthesia, not anything to do with race. (Also I was exaggerating in an attempt to amuse.)

I know really sweet f all about synesthesia, but from my limited reading and YouTube articles, some of it sounds amazing. I'm sure that's not always the case, but I'd love to be able to see sound as colour without the assistance of hallucinogens!

sweetie

sweetie wrote: »

Service industry people in the US are not well paid and you're tips make them their living. I don't like the system either but that's the way it is.

From my understanding this is no longer true in most cases but of course the idea that it is is still pushed to make people tip more.

Also as I said a lot of the service industry are well paid, bar tenders definitely do yet get tipped heavily for example.

I still tip over there as their ridiculous system would nearly mean you are treated as not paying if you don’t. But outside the US I won’t tip, I’m very strongly against it and have often ended up in arguments out with friends as I will simply not add extra money to the pot for a tip and that sort of thing. It’s an idiotic practice that if everyone stopped doing it the expectation would stop.

Dj Stiggie wrote: »

Pretty much everywhere in Europe except for the Nordic countries has a tipping culture.

No they don’t, I’m in many countries regularly for work which means lots of meals out, taxis etc and there is no tipping nor an expectation for it to happen.