It's not true that nobody tips in NL, but it's not mandatory; I still tip if the quality of the experience merits it. That goes beyond the responsiveness of the

It's not true that nobody tips in NL, but it's not mandatory; I still tip if the quality of the experience merits it. That goes beyond the responsiveness of the waiting staff, but also the ambience. If I'm eating in a glorified mess hall, which most restaurants devolve to if they optimize for number of seats, I don't tip. To me, a real restaurant also takes care of acoustics and privacy: you shouldn't have to raise your voice to be heard over the noise of the tables around you (or worse, the muzak). It's also why the whole concept of QR-code menus is antithetical to my idea of a good restaurant: if you're dining out, you're doing it to enjoy the company you're in. Having everyone at the table space out into their private phone world is not my idea of a nice evening.