Tipping

jwest said:
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
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The difference, non-existent as it may be to you, is that staff in McDonalds (other fast-food chains too, of course) have the following interaction with you: taking your money, handing you your food, then hustling you away quickly so they can serve the next person. There is very little they can add to this process to be recognised as having gone above and beyond the call of duty.

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?
 
Whilst not being able to consider this complete and final, Trip Advisor advises as below for the UK;

Fast food, cafes and coffee shops

No tips are ever offered in fast food restaurants.

In a cafe, you may receive waitress service to bring your tea, coffee, sausages, or whatever you have ordered to the table. In these establishments tipping is not usual. If you feel the service has been especially pleasant you can leave a pound, or your change in appreciation.

In coffee shops, such as Starbucks, there may be a tip jar on the counter, but very few customers offer tips.

In casual cafeterias, where you collect your food and place it on a tray, commonly found in tourist attractions, tipping is never appropriate.

Restaurants

In casual restaurants, where you pay for your order at a counter, but food is brought to your table, tipping is uncommon. You are welcome to leave a pound or two if you wish.

In restaurants where you place your order with your waiter/waitress and receive food, and your bill, at your table, it is usual to tip around 10%. The expectation does vary from place to place - in fine dining restaurants where you receive personal service, a tip would always be expected (while never compulsory, it would be considered rude unless there was a problem with the service), whereas in the most casual of restaurants tipping is not universal.
 
jwest said:
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
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I wouldn't tip in a michelin starred restaurant waiter if the service was average/poor.

It might be a sucky situation but I do not expect people who work in fast food places to add to my experience. I expect them to make sure the order is correct and the food is served to me in a timely fashion.

I do however expect a great deal more from the waiting staff at a 'sit down' restaurant.
 
Basher said:
If the service was great I tip. Only then.
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This, although you get some restaurants that add a 10% service charge to the bill which my missus rages at lol...she actually gets them to take it off especially if the service is really bad. If the service is good or excellent then she will pay the service charge. Sometimes i feel a bit uneasy when she does that but it doesnt seem to faze her:p
 
johnny6 said:
I wouldn't tip in a michelin starred restaurant waiter if the service was average/poor.

It might be a sucky situation but I do not expect people who work in fast food places to add to my experience. I expect them to make sure the order is correct and the food is served to me in a timely fashion.

I do however expect a great deal more from the waiting staff at a 'sit down' restaurant.
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Yeah, with fast food restaurants (and I use that term only to be factual), half of the time I'll be lucky to get a receipt or napkins through a drive thru. If I could tip for that service, I wouldn't.
 
I tip if I feel I've been looked after above and beyond what I'd expect of the staff.

Part of me feels like they're staff working in hospitality, they *should* be looking after me and I shouldn't feel the need to tip them, since it's their job.

However, it is also nice to feel that you're rewarding them for behaving the way they should.

It's a strange conflict.

I don't tip by default, I make a conscious decision to do so or not to, upon reflection of my experience.

I don't tip in 'fast food' restaurants as I don't dine there, but it's not different to buying food from the supermarket - why would I pay over the odds for cheap food?
 
AJK said:
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?
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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.
 
I tip at restaurants unless the service is bad and then am happy to pay only the billed amount minus service charge. I've had arguments in the past when I've removed the service charge from the bill due to poor service.

For poor service - I don't tip
For expected service - 10% tip
For excellent service - more than 10%
 
jwest said:
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.
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I give up, you're not listening, or more likely don't want to. No idea why I'm trying to convince you anyway.
 
Windle said:
I only tip if I receive service over and above what I would expect to be a decent level of service.
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Indeed. They work in the hospitality service - it's part of their job spec to look after customers. I don't feel the urge to tip for the sake of tipping - we're not in America where it's considered part of their salary.

People have called me tight before for not tipping :/
 
Because they are already being paid for doing their job, why on earth should they expect a tip for doing it properly in the first place?
 
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