Tipping

[jwest]

I have seen this topic come up few times on here, but after going out for dinner with my parents last night I have been thinking about it and I can't understand why tipping is still a custom here.

So can anyone tell me, if you tip in restaurants do you also tip the staff in McDonalds? After all they are doing the same job for just as little money. Not to mention any other profession on minimum wage that you don’t customarily tip.

Are you aware that it is up to the restaurant what they do with tips, it does not necessarily all go to the person that served you?

What are you actually tipping for, because the food was good? in which case why are you leaving it for the waitress/waiter. Is it because the staff that served you was polite? Surely that should just be a prerequisite of the job. Or because they were a nice person? Which would be ridiculous, imagine having a chat with someone in the street and then giving them a couple quid because you liked them...?

Although this topic is most applicable to restaurant staff, obviously we tip many professions. Frankly I think it is almost degrading, by tipping you are creating a strong, almost Dickensian divide between you and the worker as if you have control over them, or that your of a higher social status.

So what I really want to know is why you tip, how can you justify it?

FYI I am only referring to tipping in the UK, obviously in the US for example it is a different case as tips are used to make up their salary.

 

[jwest]

Never ever tip, society tells you too, **** society!

Exactly, it is so typical for people to do something just because you're expected to

 

[jwest]

Sure, if you consider being served by a miserable, emotionless group of individuals, providing non-food to be a similar experience to a Michelin star restaurant, then by all means, tip away.

But they are still providing a service.

Why do you tip? because you had quality meal? surely if you were going to a Michelin starred restaurant that is exactly what you would expect and the cost of eating there has been priced to compensate that.

 

[jwest]

We are expected to do a lot of things as a society. Do you go about trying to reject them all?

Only the anachronistic ones

 

[jwest]

Not even a remotely comparable one, and if your argument is based on McDonalds offering the same service as a proper restaurant, just give up now.

Not even remotely comparable? a waiter/waitress in a 'proper restaurant' is at the bottom of the food chain (pun intended), they are low skilled and have virtually zero level of responsibility and they get paid to compensate that, so why are they rewarded with a tip.

 

[jwest]

Unless they've taken into account the tipping convention and effectively underpay their staff/pay them a lower basic salary than you'd expect (and charge less) in anticipation of customers tipping?

Is this still legal, I know it was a few years ago, but I thought that loophole had been fixed?

 

[jwest]

An individual standing behind a counter punching a few buttons on the till, is not the same as someone serving you at a table whilst striking up a conversation and making recommendations to you. Surely you can see that.

Of course, but tipping someone for having a conversation with you and making recommendations? that's stupid, I can recommend you plenty of meals in restaurants, I'll even throw in some conversation, but are you going to pay me for it?

 

[jwest]

Bhaahhhaaa you're funny, McDonalds staff do not do the same job as a decent waiter.
Only tip if its very good service, dislike allready added on tips. Unless its clearly advertised. Then its just part of the cost of the meal.

No, but a decent waiter, as in one working for a Michelin starred restaurant, will be paid well compared to one working in pizza express, so why would you then tip them on top of that.

Staff in McDonald's work just as hard, I'm not saying we should tip them, but I want to know how people can justify tipping certain employees and not others

 

[jwest]

If you're the one who brings me my food, then yes.

It is part of there job you shouldn't reward them for having a basic level of decency

 

[jwest]

In a table-service restaurant, firstly the basic level of service is higher - food and drink will be brought to you, plates cleared, etc. Then, it's up to the server to add value to your dining experience(!) in order to "justify" a tip; perhaps by checking on your satisfaction, offering to refill drinks before your glass is empty, and so on. The better the restaurant, the more of this you can expect, of course.

Do you really not see the difference?

Exactly, that's there job, it is what they receive a salary for. I am not saying that someone in a fast food outlet and a restaurant have the same job description.

 

[jwest]

I give up, you're not listening, or more likely don't want to. No idea why I'm trying to convince you anyway.

I have an opinion, its not that I'm not listening. I don't believe you should reward someone in a low level job for providing a good service, they should just do it, if they can't, well then there is a hell of a long of people that can replace them

If I do a good job, the customer does not pay me more.

So far this topic has only concerned waiting staff, what other professions do people tip?

I would be interested in who else you tip AJK?

 

[jwest]

What is expected of them?

Just bringing food out?

Providing in-depth reviews of the wine?

Creating a unique dish not on the menu because you don't fancy anything that was listed?

What's expected? What are they being paid for?

We're talking about tipping for going over and above their responsibilities/our expectation.

The thing is, it's hospitality and if you can't meet the basic requirements, which would be bringing food out, being polite and accommodating, knowledge of the products etc, then you should be in a different job.

Providing in-depth reviews of the wine and creating a unique dish not on the menu. That is beyond basic waiting staff requirements and I imagine would be on a higher salary anyway

 

[jwest]

Who do I need to justify it to?

You don't need to do anything, I asked a question and I would appreciate an answer.