5 ms·

Calculating 10% ain't that hard killer -- just move the decimal point over. 36.22 becomes 3.6. Multiply that by 2, round up/down as you feel is warranted, and

Calculating 10% ain't that hard killer -- just move the decimal point over. 36.22 becomes 3.6. Multiply that by 2, round up/down as you feel is warranted, and go with it. Plenty of the card readers even offer pre-calculated options when paying with debit/credit (usually 15%, 18%, and 20%). If that's too difficult, horrendous, and annoying to do then chances are you shouldn't be eating out in the first place.

Jedd 6y ago
Thanks, but as a metric-loving Australian, you don't need to espouse the benefits of base-10 to me. My point remains that forcing everyone to consider a tip of varying amounts in a wide range of social / fiscal interactions, is a needless cognitive burden. Approximately 95% of the planet gets by somewhere between 'just fine' and 'much better' without it.
- boring_twenties 6y ago
  I've never been to Australia, but my experience traveling in Germany, France and the Netherlands is that service ranges from "adequate" at best to "abysmal," with the average case being much closer to the latter. In the US, I'd say service is "excellent" more than 95% of the time, and I don't think I can recall a single instance of worse than "adequate" in my life. I have no idea if tipping sufficiently explains this, but it sure seems at least plausible...
  - Jedd 6y ago
    FWIW, my anecdata is different. I've travelled - both short work stints and holidays - in ~30 countries over the space of a few decades. I don't know if I could confidently pick the worst service experience across that time, but a sit-down dining comedy club in Manhattan (NY, USA) would probably be towards the top of the list. I tend to be non-demanding, accommodating, and convivial etc, so that may have skewed most of my experiences across Asia and Europe towards the positive end of the spectrum.
    - boring_twenties 6y ago
      There are some other contenders for "worst," but this is the most fun story to tell. Restaurant in the Netherlands. We walk in, there's a podium and a sign to please wait for the hostess. We wait for several minutes, finally get impatient and walk around the restaurants. Find two young girls chatting away in the back. They notice us, but continue their conversation for another minute, then ask us what we want. We ask to be seated. No problem, they seat us. Another 5 or so minutes go by, we get up and find the girls again. "Can we have some menus, please?" It didn't get any better from there :P Ever since that I avoid all sit down restaurants in that country, full stop. Luckily, I don't mind döner kebab for breakfast lunch and dinner!
      - Jedd 6y ago
        Yeah, that would put anyone off. I've only spent a week in Amsterdam, but I don't recall any negative experiences at all. When travelling I do tend to eschew touristy areas - other than having to look at specific places / objects, access museums or historic sites, etc - then a quick escape to less tourist-heavy areas. I'm sure we all do the same in places we live, and therefore know well, but I guess holiday mode puts us in a more sanguine mood.

Jedd 6y ago

Thanks, but as a metric-loving Australian, you don't need to espouse the benefits of base-10 to me. My point remains that forcing everyone to consider a tip of varying amounts in a wide range of social / fiscal interactions, is a needless cognitive burden. Approximately 95% of the planet gets by somewhere between 'just fine' and 'much better' without it.

boring_twenties 6y ago
I've never been to Australia, but my experience traveling in Germany, France and the Netherlands is that service ranges from "adequate" at best to "abysmal," with the average case being much closer to the latter. In the US, I'd say service is "excellent" more than 95% of the time, and I don't think I can recall a single instance of worse than "adequate" in my life. I have no idea if tipping sufficiently explains this, but it sure seems at least plausible...
- Jedd 6y ago
  FWIW, my anecdata is different. I've travelled - both short work stints and holidays - in ~30 countries over the space of a few decades. I don't know if I could confidently pick the worst service experience across that time, but a sit-down dining comedy club in Manhattan (NY, USA) would probably be towards the top of the list. I tend to be non-demanding, accommodating, and convivial etc, so that may have skewed most of my experiences across Asia and Europe towards the positive end of the spectrum.
  - boring_twenties 6y ago
    There are some other contenders for "worst," but this is the most fun story to tell. Restaurant in the Netherlands. We walk in, there's a podium and a sign to please wait for the hostess. We wait for several minutes, finally get impatient and walk around the restaurants. Find two young girls chatting away in the back. They notice us, but continue their conversation for another minute, then ask us what we want. We ask to be seated. No problem, they seat us. Another 5 or so minutes go by, we get up and find the girls again. "Can we have some menus, please?" It didn't get any better from there :P Ever since that I avoid all sit down restaurants in that country, full stop. Luckily, I don't mind döner kebab for breakfast lunch and dinner!
    - Jedd 6y ago
      Yeah, that would put anyone off. I've only spent a week in Amsterdam, but I don't recall any negative experiences at all. When travelling I do tend to eschew touristy areas - other than having to look at specific places / objects, access museums or historic sites, etc - then a quick escape to less tourist-heavy areas. I'm sure we all do the same in places we live, and therefore know well, but I guess holiday mode puts us in a more sanguine mood.