Tipping In Restaurants

[thehawk]

Do you? Is it expected in the UK?

And when did it become the norm in the UK things like automatic service charges being added

[bridgdav]

I only ever tip if the service is above the standard expected..

I always insist that auto/optional service charge is removed from the bill, then they get nothing.

Its credit crunch Britian FFS.

Tightwad I know.

[lawrence567]

If i enjoy the meal & the service is good they get a tip, if it's not, i dont!

[brickwall]

lawrence567 said:

If i enjoy the meal & the service is good they get a tip, if it's not, i dont!

+1

If I do tip, it's about 10%.

[camgear]

Same here, if it's just a £15 lunch or something, I'll tip about £2 though, I'd feel a tightwad tipping anything less.

[Poledriver]

Normally tip 10% if service/quality is good. Nothing if service mediocre, or if they try and add a compulsory 10% to the bill.
If the service/quality is particularly poor I normally leave a 5p tip, just to let them know I haven't forgotten!

[kaese]

Poledriver said:

Normally tip 10% if service/quality is good. Nothing if service mediocre, or if they try and add a compulsory 10% to the bill.

Same as me - I resent having to tip 'by default' in the States.

[Mercer89]

If your tipping by default, whats the point? surely it'd just be easier for all to add the 10% onto the prices? least then you know upfront what your paying!

[Silent1]

Anywhere that adds tipping as standard i get taken off the bill, i'll tip if the service is good, i'm not paying the wages for a standard meal!

[Justayellowbadge]

Normally round up to the next note and leave.

Good for them if the bill is £15.01, not so good if £19.98, but I guess it balances out.

[shirt]

i tip if i get good service, which is becoming increasingly rare. i no longer visit a once favoured restaurant as i dsicovered they were adding an automatic tip with no mention of it on the bill slip, and i was tipping on top of that. cheeky fkers!

[NDA]

I normally add 10% if something's better than expected. One of the things I dislike is the wireless card reader thing you're handed by your waiter who hovers, with a false coyness, whilst you enter 'yes' or 'no' for a tip.

On many occasions I have added 1p with the less than convincing explanation that I thought I had pressed £10.00 instead of £00.01

[Jasandjules]

Silent1 said:

Anywhere that adds tipping as standard i get taken off the bill, i'll tip if the service is good, i'm not paying the wages for a standard meal!

Me too.

Plus, if I tip, I leave it in cash on the table so the serving staff can collect it (I have in mind that some places the managers will take the tip if it's paid for on the card, though that could be a myth).....

[dmitsi]

NDA said:

I normally add 10% if something's better than expected. One of the things I dislike is the wireless card reader thing you're handed by your waiter who hovers, with a false coyness, whilst you enter 'yes' or 'no' for a tip.

On many occasions I have added 1p with the less than convincing explanation that I thought I had pressed £10.00 instead of £00.01

I don't like them either, nearly tipped £33 the other day for a £30 bill. Just realised before I entered the pin. If they add a service charge I get it removed, I quite enjoy explaining the reasons for a lack of tip.

[grumbledoak]

I don't mind leaving a tip if the service was good; I'm well aware that the pay is little better than slavery. But bugger 12% etc; 10% and round up is relatively generous.

But I do make a point of leaving it cash.

[Silent1]

Jasandjules said:

Silent1 said:

Anywhere that adds tipping as standard i get taken off the bill, i'll tip if the service is good, i'm not paying the wages for a standard meal!

Me too.

Plus, if I tip, I leave it in cash on the table so the serving staff can collect it (I have in mind that some places the managers will take the tip if it's paid for on the card, though that could be a myth).....

Some restaurants will take the tips to pay the wages and only once they've earnt over their wage per night do they get paid tips, Chilis for instance do it.

Hence why leaving cash is better

[ali_kat]

Jasandjules said:

Silent1 said:

Anywhere that adds tipping as standard i get taken off the bill, i'll tip if the service is good, i'm not paying the wages for a standard meal!

Me too.

Plus, if I tip, I leave it in cash on the table so the serving staff can collect it (I have in mind that some places the managers will take the tip if it's paid for on the card, though that could be a myth).....

Same here

[ben_reza]

i usually leave at least 10%, rounding up to the next note.

[shirt]

Silent1 said:

Some restaurants will take the tips to pay the wages and only once they've earnt over their wage per night do they get paid tips, Chilis for instance do it.

Hence why leaving cash is better

seriously? feck me, the staff they employ must be right idiots.

[aaak]

as a hotelier my credit card machine does not have a tip facility although a tip can be added to the total.
I believe a tip indicates good service and food and should not be an automatic right. Built in tips are presumptious and bad service in themselves and should negated
Quantities are an interesting subject, a single lady stayed five nights last week and left £90, almost 20%, people who leave pennies are being sarcastic and i take as displeasure, nowadays more than 5% is good, 10% excellent.