Tipping in the UK - what's the etiquette?

[zcacogp]

Chaps,

A bit of etiquette advice needed. What's the rule on tipping in the UK? (I know there have been a number of threads recently on tipping in the US, but this is UK only.)

I take the view that service has to be excellent before a tip is given. If things are as to be expected, I'll pay the expected price (i.e. that listed on the menu). Only if things are better than expected will I tip. And yes, this means that if I am somewhere that includes a 'discretionary' 10% (or - worse - 12.5%) tip on the bill then I'll ask to have it removed. I am always happy to explain why (with a smile) I'm not tipping, but I am always surprised (and disappointed) at the number of places that get quite 'challenging' when I say I am not going to tip. (Such behaviour confirms my decision not to do so ...)

Mrs zcacogp thinks otherwise; she will usually tip, even if things are poor. I think this is wrong; expecting a diner to pay more for sub-standard service is very wrong.

This post is written on the back of a significantly less-than-stellar experience this evening at a very well-known restaurant in town. A place with a big reputation that we hadn't been to before but have been meaning to try for a while. They had errors in the booking, kept us waiting for 10 minutes at the reception desk, didn't give us the window seat we had booked and the starter my wife wanted had 'run out'. Mrs zcacogp still was happy to pay the 12.5% that was tacked on the bill, but I wasn't. (In fairness the Maitre'D was very gracious, asked politely what was wrong and listened attentively while I explained; good feedback is surely a welcome thing for any business.)

Am I too harsh?


Oli.

[PJ S]

Sounds just right - and most women will not want to cause a fuss, so yours is no different in paying the gratuity.
Was the food itself okay, or was that a bit of a letdown too?
With all you've mentioned, I'd have been looking comp'd, although waiting time isn't unduly excessive.
You can't legislate for late arrivals or slow diners, so unless you had a show to get to afterwards, and tight for time to spare between the two, then your waiting time is reasonable.

[sherman]

Depending on what time your booking was for a starter running out is not the end of the world and waiting 10mins for a table and not getting the exact one you wanted at decent restaurant on a monday night should say how well thought of the restaurant is by everyone else..

As for tipping 10% is the norm but I would be put off if the restaurant put a tip on the bill already. Thats like asking if everything was ok with your meal whilst bringing round the bread basket.

[ambuletz]

IMO, no you aren't too harsh. We aren't greedy kids like the US who demand something for nothing. I'm not going to tip a waiter for being polite, or knowing the menu, they're supposed to, they're representing the restaurant. Likewise, I'm not going to tip if the food I deem is acceptable, it should be, it represents the restaurant. If the food & service is good, my 'tip' is a 'tipoff' for other people, and i return now and then. This is even more so in large restaurant chains. Why should I tip for somebody who takes 20minutes to get me a glass of water?

The only time I will tip is if they exceed my expectations. This can be the waiter having a certain charm about them, or not making me feel like they're just putting on a nice 'face'.Also if give me a free drink or something extra like sneaking in some extra wings in a starter. Or if the food is priced very cheap, but I think is worth alot more.

[davepoth]

If the service is good, I'll round up to a nice round number somewhere around 10%.

[21TonyK]

Completely agree with the OP. IMHO no restaurant should be adding a service charge in the UK. Service staff should be polite, attentive and know what they are doing. If they don't then they need to be told where they are going wrong and not leaving a tip is a guaranteed way of improving their performance!

[N Dentressangle]

I've always tipped 10% in restaurants, unless things haven't been right.

For group meals, I don't like the automatic 12% or whatever any more than most, but I've come to the conclusion that on those sort of occasions it's better not to make a scene if service is poor and bring something unpleasant into a nice event for the sake of a few quid. I'll pay the 12%, but assume the restauranteur realises the reputation implications of a poor experience for a whole group of people rather than just a couple - the number of people who are going to hear bad publicity about the place will be exponential.

Restaurants that take the piss with their group bookings never seem to last very long, I guess for this reason.

[alfa pint]

I'm an ex waiter from my student days, so I know both sides of the fence. On a good week, I used to make more money from tips than from wages (this was well before minimum wage kicked in) - but I was a good waiter, in a high turnover restaurant where we prided ourselves on good service and minimal delays in cooking the food. If you wanted a relaxing meal, you didn't come to our restaurant.

10% tip is for average service. I tip more for exceptional service, say 15%. I don't penalise the waiter if something happens that's beyond his control, but expect him/her to rectify it promptly. If his service is poor, then the tip goes down. I have left token tips of 10p before for poor service, and sometimes just left no money at all.

One of the things that used to gripe me was the stingy bds who would empty their pockets of loose change to give me a token £1.50 tip on a £60 meal and expect me to be grateful for their offer. This would be after faultless service from me and the kitchen. Such behaviour is either ignorant or just plain rude.

[Georgiegirl]

I was once told that if you wish to tip it is better to ask for the service charge to be removed and then tip direct with cash - as that way it will go to the person you want it to rather than the restuarant itself. Is this true?

[Stu R]

Georgiegirl said:

I was once told that if you wish to tip it is better to ask for the service charge to be removed and then tip direct with cash - as that way it will go to the person you want it to rather than the restuarant itself. Is this true?

Yep

[OllieC]

I think Mr Pink's rant in Reservior Dogs is pretty much the same as my view on tipping

[Deva Link]

alfa pint said:

I don't penalise the waiter if something happens that's beyond his control,...

This is the key thing in my view - you're tipping the waiter. If you have a problem with some other aspect then ask for the manager and get the bill reduced, but still give the waiter their normal tip, if they've done their part of the job.

To be fair, I've never had a problem with this in the UK, but I've seen ignorant Brits penalising the waiter in the US, where it really does make a big difference to their pay. One guy said "that's the way it works where I come from", somehow forgetting that he was somewhere else at the time.

[kmcbride]

Stu R said:

Georgiegirl said:

I was once told that if you wish to tip it is better to ask for the service charge to be removed and then tip direct with cash - as that way it will go to the person you want it to rather than the restuarant itself. Is this true?

Yep

Yeah def

[Mermaid]

kmcbride said:

Stu R said:

Georgiegirl said:

I was once told that if you wish to tip it is better to ask for the service charge to be removed and then tip direct with cash - as that way it will go to the person you want it to rather than the restuarant itself. Is this true?

Yep

Yeah def

some restaurants state on the bill that all tips go to the waiting staff team (often you have different people bringing you drinks etc) -in that case best to leave it on the bill.

[spikeyhead]

I always intend to tip 155 but deduct 5% for each bit of bad food or service.

Unfortunately I've often left nothing.

[anonymous-user]

I don't tip based on percentages, as I feel the cost of what I eat and drink has nothing to do with the effort and attitude of the staff preparing, cooking and serving it.

Therefore, sometimes I leave what equates to 5%, sometimes 25%, depends on the overall experience, the total bill, and how much I've had to drink during the meal (more drunk = cheerier mood = leave a bigger tip)