8 ms·

Tipping still happens in Europe and SE Asia it's just not silly like North America. In the UK we'd leave a few pounds typically, let's say table bill was 47gbp,

Tipping still happens in Europe and SE Asia it's just not silly like North America. In the UK we'd leave a few pounds typically, let's say table bill was 47gbp, you have be a shameless mingebag to collect the 3gbp change if you were happy with the meal and service. But we don't subscribe to the non sense of 10% tip if unhappy, 15-20% if happy, if crap you don't leave a tip or pay service charge.

ag56 9y ago
Most places in the UK now have an "optional" service fee of 12% on the bill.
- joe_fishfish 9y ago
  This is much more common in London than in the rest of the country. Thankfully.
  - sitepodmatt 9y ago
    Agreed, very much a London thing. Given it's optional at least you can tell them (or a manager) in the UK to take off if service is crap. In Asia, in places where the service charge is added then the service charge is rarely if ever removed, you can be screaming blue at them due to a chain inexcusable lazy fuck ups and they still wont budge on the service charge - loss of face, lack staff empowerment, 'till say no' etc... The addition of sales tax and service charge is more a frustration than tipping to me, tis why I hate restaurants in Asia that are ++ (10% SC + 7% tax). I'd like to ask them a) under what circumstances do I not have to pay the tax? b) if service is crap are you going to remove the service charge, the answer basically point to everyone pays it. I prefer wysiwyg pricing and tipping for the real extra mile. Also note service charge is rarely distributed fairly to staff that are serving you.
    - stordoff 9y ago
      Definitely something I've noticed more in London, though I sometimes see "Suggested gratuity: <amount/percentage>" outside of London (generally not included in the price by default). Incidentally, suggesting a tip (especially including it in the amount by default) makes me much less likely to want to pay one.
gambiting 9y ago
Most importantly, you don't have to tip in the UK. It's appreciated but literally no one minds if you don't.
- nmeofthestate 9y ago
  I've never had a meal out in the UK (with different people, family, work, etc) where a tip wasn't left, unless possibly when service was really bad.
  - gambiting 9y ago
    Sure, and I leave tips the vast majority of the time too - but I've had situations where I had no cash on me, the card machine didn't accept a tip, so I just left without feeling bad about it, it's not a big deal.
    - JoeAltmaier 9y ago
      Not to you I guess. The server has only a very fixed opportunity to get tipped in a shift. To miss out on one is actually significant. Not to mention depressing.
      - gambiting 9y ago
        And what am I supposed to do about it? My point is - in US not tipping felt like being an absolute asshole, to a point where people would be upset - they grew up in a culture that values money above all else and not being tipped is I don't know, an equivalent of being spat in the face? In UK I've never felt that way. I've had perfectly good meals that I didn't tip on, just like I did in France, Spain or Germany and it never felt like the server expected a tip. They might be a bit disappointed that they didn't get one, but that's their problem. I'm disappointed about a lot of things but that doesn't mean I'm entitled to them.
        JoeAltmaier 9y ago
valleyer 9y ago
> you have be a shameless mingebag to collect the 3gbp change This doesn't make sense in a society (like the US) where many (most?) people pay for dining out with a credit card.
- sitepodmatt 9y ago
  When paying by card you can still stick a few pounds or dollars in the sleeve. Even when CC receipts had the open Tip: ____ line most times I would zero it and leave a cash tip when a tip was in order, off the books, not % skimming to cover merchant fees etc..
  - Double_a_92 9y ago
    > When paying by card you can still stick a few pounds or dollars in the sleeve. That would seem cheesy af to me. Like "Here have some money you poor thing!"
    - Jolter 9y ago
      Isn't that what a tip is?
    - rypskar 9y ago
      What I have been told is that they want the tips in cash to not leave a trail for tax authorities to see. If they get the tip in cash they don't report it as income, if the tip is added to the card it get registered as tip and tax have to be paid. So basically tip is not only a way to get around paying the workers a livable salary but also a way to avoid taxes
      - walshemj 9y ago
        Its mainly to avoid the employer keeping the tip for them selves
        FireBeyond 9y ago
wmertens 9y ago
I always pay by card and where I live you can't add a tip so I never tip.

ag56 9y ago

Most places in the UK now have an "optional" service fee of 12% on the bill.

joe_fishfish 9y ago
This is much more common in London than in the rest of the country. Thankfully.
- sitepodmatt 9y ago
  Agreed, very much a London thing. Given it's optional at least you can tell them (or a manager) in the UK to take off if service is crap. In Asia, in places where the service charge is added then the service charge is rarely if ever removed, you can be screaming blue at them due to a chain inexcusable lazy fuck ups and they still wont budge on the service charge - loss of face, lack staff empowerment, 'till say no' etc... The addition of sales tax and service charge is more a frustration than tipping to me, tis why I hate restaurants in Asia that are ++ (10% SC + 7% tax). I'd like to ask them a) under what circumstances do I not have to pay the tax? b) if service is crap are you going to remove the service charge, the answer basically point to everyone pays it. I prefer wysiwyg pricing and tipping for the real extra mile. Also note service charge is rarely distributed fairly to staff that are serving you.
  - stordoff 9y ago
    Definitely something I've noticed more in London, though I sometimes see "Suggested gratuity: <amount/percentage>" outside of London (generally not included in the price by default). Incidentally, suggesting a tip (especially including it in the amount by default) makes me much less likely to want to pay one.

gambiting 9y ago

Most importantly, you don't have to tip in the UK. It's appreciated but literally no one minds if you don't.

nmeofthestate 9y ago
I've never had a meal out in the UK (with different people, family, work, etc) where a tip wasn't left, unless possibly when service was really bad.
- gambiting 9y ago
  Sure, and I leave tips the vast majority of the time too - but I've had situations where I had no cash on me, the card machine didn't accept a tip, so I just left without feeling bad about it, it's not a big deal.
  - JoeAltmaier 9y ago
    Not to you I guess. The server has only a very fixed opportunity to get tipped in a shift. To miss out on one is actually significant. Not to mention depressing.
    - gambiting 9y ago
      And what am I supposed to do about it? My point is - in US not tipping felt like being an absolute asshole, to a point where people would be upset - they grew up in a culture that values money above all else and not being tipped is I don't know, an equivalent of being spat in the face? In UK I've never felt that way. I've had perfectly good meals that I didn't tip on, just like I did in France, Spain or Germany and it never felt like the server expected a tip. They might be a bit disappointed that they didn't get one, but that's their problem. I'm disappointed about a lot of things but that doesn't mean I'm entitled to them.
      - JoeAltmaier 9y ago

valleyer 9y ago

> you have be a shameless mingebag to collect the 3gbp change This doesn't make sense in a society (like the US) where many (most?) people pay for dining out with a credit card.

sitepodmatt 9y ago
When paying by card you can still stick a few pounds or dollars in the sleeve. Even when CC receipts had the open Tip: ____ line most times I would zero it and leave a cash tip when a tip was in order, off the books, not % skimming to cover merchant fees etc..
- Double_a_92 9y ago
  > When paying by card you can still stick a few pounds or dollars in the sleeve. That would seem cheesy af to me. Like "Here have some money you poor thing!"
  - Jolter 9y ago
    Isn't that what a tip is?
  - rypskar 9y ago
    What I have been told is that they want the tips in cash to not leave a trail for tax authorities to see. If they get the tip in cash they don't report it as income, if the tip is added to the card it get registered as tip and tax have to be paid. So basically tip is not only a way to get around paying the workers a livable salary but also a way to avoid taxes
    - walshemj 9y ago
      Its mainly to avoid the employer keeping the tip for them selves
      - FireBeyond 9y ago

wmertens 9y ago

I always pay by card and where I live you can't add a tip so I never tip.