4 ms·

Exactly. I’ve been to plenty of places where I’m charged an upfront price in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress is beyond polite to me. Edit: To be clear, in

by oefrha 7y ago

Exactly. I’ve been to plenty of places where I’m charged an upfront price in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress is beyond polite to me. Edit: To be clear, in my experience I don’t find the service of an average U.S. waiter/waitress better than that of an average waiter/waitress in a country without a tipping culture.

alistairSH 7y ago
In my experience, the dining experience is worse in the US than other countries I have visited. I don't know if it's the tips, or something else, but American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok. I much prefer the European norm - they take my order, deliver my food, and wait for me to ask if I need something else. I'm not dining someplace to make a new friend, I'm there to be social with my existing friends or family.
- oefrha 7y ago
  > American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok. Ah yes, now that you bring it up, I’m definitely not a fan of that either. Another way tipping can add toxicity is when a guest isn’t aware of the tipping culture / not sure how much to tip, ends up not tipping or undertipping, and in those cases sometimes you’d notice nasty looks or other forms of visible grumpiness. (Checks don’t always include recommended tip amounts.)
- Mediterraneo10 7y ago
  > American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok They do this because they were instructed by their manager to do this. And the reason that managers want it done, is because they want the customers to finish their food and quickly vacate the table, freeing it up for the next customers. Of course they won’t tell you outright to leave, but they think they can psychologically obtain the same effect just by bugging you and making it hard for you and your fellow diner(s) to have a peaceful, leisurely conversation. This can happen in Europe, too. At a couple of cafes in my town, as soon as you drink the last drop in your glass, the waitress will rush over and ask if you would like to order anything else. Owners do not like customers who occupy a table for a long time on just one single purchase.
  - alistairSH 7y ago
    Makes sense, but in my experience, this starts well before we've finished our meals. It's unpleasant enough that I generally avoid all mid-priced restaurants in the US. Instead, I either eat at less expensive ethnic joints (which tend to have limited table service) or higher-priced options.

by oefrha 7y ago

alistairSH 7y ago

In my experience, the dining experience is worse in the US than other countries I have visited. I don't know if it's the tips, or something else, but American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok. I much prefer the European norm - they take my order, deliver my food, and wait for me to ask if I need something else. I'm not dining someplace to make a new friend, I'm there to be social with my existing friends or family.

oefrha 7y ago
> American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok. Ah yes, now that you bring it up, I’m definitely not a fan of that either. Another way tipping can add toxicity is when a guest isn’t aware of the tipping culture / not sure how much to tip, ends up not tipping or undertipping, and in those cases sometimes you’d notice nasty looks or other forms of visible grumpiness. (Checks don’t always include recommended tip amounts.)
Mediterraneo10 7y ago
> American wait staff (at least at mid-priced restaurants) are always in my face asking if everything is ok They do this because they were instructed by their manager to do this. And the reason that managers want it done, is because they want the customers to finish their food and quickly vacate the table, freeing it up for the next customers. Of course they won’t tell you outright to leave, but they think they can psychologically obtain the same effect just by bugging you and making it hard for you and your fellow diner(s) to have a peaceful, leisurely conversation. This can happen in Europe, too. At a couple of cafes in my town, as soon as you drink the last drop in your glass, the waitress will rush over and ask if you would like to order anything else. Owners do not like customers who occupy a table for a long time on just one single purchase.
- alistairSH 7y ago
  Makes sense, but in my experience, this starts well before we've finished our meals. It's unpleasant enough that I generally avoid all mid-priced restaurants in the US. Instead, I either eat at less expensive ethnic joints (which tend to have limited table service) or higher-priced options.