Re: No tip with a tip
 

Hahahahahaha. Great stuff.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

[QUOTE=AishaA;9675143]Well, you're a feisty lot aren't you? I'm still not sure I understand the thinking behind tipping, but I'm more informed about it...
I believe it's more of a thank you, you've done a good job. I remember my Dad working out how much to tip when we went for family meals (I remember Berni Inns), when I was a little girl. He was neither wealthy or American, I think tipping has been done since time begun, whether it's buying the bartender a drink - which they usually take after their shift OR monetary value as especially in the UK it is illegal to be intoxicated and serving alcohol.

Tipping is the norm in the UK too (and in any other country I have visited). I can't believe you worked in the hospitality industry and think that not tipping is acceptable if the meal and service was good.

I don't think you should tip if the service and or food is substandard.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

[QUOTE=Piff Poff;9675821]OOOH Berni Inns!!!

Re: No tip with a tip
 

The thing that gets on me nerves the tipping over there is sometimes I just want a couple of pints and just want to go to the bar and get them not have to use the sulky 18 year old dressed like an extra from an 80's film getting them for me adding to the mad price of beer anyway.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

A lot of time it's not as easy as "get another job". When I was working as a waitress/bartender it was because it was the only job I could do that paid enough to support myself while still going to school full time. At the time (25+ years ago) my wages were about $3.25/hr and I lived on tips. Yup. They don't tip here in Australia. Therefore, wages for waitstaff are about $18-20/hr and prices of meals out reflect this. Today for example I went to lunch with a friend. Not a fancy restaurant, just a little cafe near the beach where you have to order and pay at a counter and they (might) bring it to you. My Caesar salad and orange juice was $23. Coffee after $4.25 for a small. Again, not an expensive place, just an average lunch out.
Ok, here's the view of someone who worked their way through school as a waitress and bartender. I started working as a waitress in a truck stop at 15 when I left home. In order to stay in school and get my grade 12, I needed a job which would allow me to work evenings and weekends but also earn me enough to pay my rent and buy food. Waitressing did that. My wages were very low - just less than $3 per hour when I started but with tips I could afford to live and carry on getting an education. As soon as I was 18 I started bartending in a family owned pizza place, where the wages were a bit lower, but the tips were better. Back in the mid 1980s I could bring home on a very good night over $100. Just for doing a really great job of keeping everyone's glasses full.

I was very happy to work for crap wages and tips because I was a good waitress and a good bartender. My customers always had attention and I tried hard to always provide a positive experience for them. I see here how truly awful the service is and they don't care. They'll still make the same $20/hr whether you get good service or not. Restaurants and bars are called the "Service Industry". It's a pay for service type job and the better the service, the better the pay.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I must admit that the tip potential for a day/nights work makes me a little uncomfortable. If everyone leaves 15%, a server can earn a very tidy wage.

OK, it's shift work, etc etc, but the hourly amount can almost resemble that of an engineer or other tradesperson.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Or a nurse doing 15+ hours shift :eek:

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I don't think nurses do 15+ hour shifts anymore and the RN's get paid at least four times minimum wage and then they get shift bonuses and extra pay if they are called in on days/nights off.

Some nights a person waiting on tables can bring in a hefty bonus, these nights are the busy ones and the ones where everything just works right and you get an above average tip off one or two tables, a lot of nights you might clear an extra 30 quid (or less), for working 6-8 hours, without a break - you can't take a break if your customers need you.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

at least twice a week i get rotad double shifts. doubles are between 12 and 15 hours. we NEVER get a break. the only 'break' you get is if you smoke and run out for a cigarette for 2 mins. which is at one of the fire exits. stood up.
pretty much every restaurant ive come across will give their staff breaks on double shifts for at least half an hour if not an hour. we simply do not have time though and it is not at all possible for us to have a break as the restaurant is pretty much full all day and from 5 o clock there will then be a waiting list for tables.
obvs its illegal but if you want to keep your job...
tbh though i often pick up more double shifts than i already have. and after ive finished working we'll go out drinking till 8am and then start back again at 12. might as well do it, and earn money whilst im still young and can survive it!

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I have no problem not leaving a tip when I have been on the other end of rude, incompetent waiting staff who think they're doing me a whole big favour.

But I would always stop and tell them why. I firstly start with "do you enjoy your job?" if the answer is "yes" I then go on to say why it looked like they didn't!

If it was "no, I hate my job, and I'm only doing it because of ........." and a decent enough excuse and a conversation is struck up I might change my mind and leave them a cash tip in their hands.

However, if I have a great night out with the girls and the waiting staff have remembered my drink, always kept me topped up, been 1st class in their interaction I am an "extremely" generous tipper. They've actually contributed into the night becoming a success.

My new hairdresser does exactly what I want, we have a good old chin wag and the last tip was half of the cost of the bill because she's great and I really like her. If things change, the tip will.

One thing that really bothers me is the practice of young girls (only the waitresses) half way through an evening out with the girlies (never when I'm with my husband) giving us the bill and asking us to divvy up so they can collect their tip because they've finished for the evening and the next shift are coming in.

They obviously don't want to lose their tips to the next set of waiting staff. Very wrong, the second I caught on to this the tip was down to 10%. I shouldn't have to be getting my credit card out half way through my evening and stopping my conversation because you've finished your shift and want paying. This is of course a management problem which I have taken up with them but would simply never go back. I never go back to a restaurant/pub a second time if they messed up.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

It is annoying when you think of how much youre losing in 'changeover tips' but I see it as how much I also make when its me coming into a changeover shift. swings in roundabouts.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

That's something I find odd here, changeover shifts halfway through the night. When I was in the hospitality trade you would stay with your table until they were done, you might start one for the next wait staff and you might help someone out if they were swamped, drinks and bread roll and even order in some cases but you wouldn't leave your guests.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Different restaurants have different policies.

I was just downstairs having a drink with one of my servers and she had deliveratey delayed the start of her shift as the girl before her had had a quiet afternoon so she wanted to give her the chance to earn more cash.

It does seem to me that there is a clique on this thread who are happy to return to the UK way of fighting your way to the bar and crap service, so they don't have to pay a tip.

It's a shame really as the service in North America is probably the best thing about the place.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I agree, on the whole, the service here is good, it was something I noticed when I first arrived. I suppose what some people have a problem with is not being given the choice of whether they want to be served or are quite happy to go to the bar themselves. Just out of interest, what happens if you sit AT the bar?

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I mostly like to sit at the bar and the only difference then is that you pay as you go rather than run up a tab. Otherwise, yes, I'd much rather the booze comes to me, than me go and collect it. I do miss rounds though - splitting the bill at the end just isn't the same.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

The barman/maid gives you drinks. You either ask or (more likely) they offer.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

So are you still expected to tip?

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Yeah, it's not the same without rounds being bought. Maybe tipping and service are the reason why you don't get that "pub feel" here...

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Yes.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Yes, we do tip to supplement poor wages. Of course workers should be paid fairly, but in this day-and-age employers are in a race to the bottom to see who can screw-over their employees the most. And before anybody gets on to say why can't they two jobs, why should anyone have to work themselves to a frazzle, with the effect that it also has on any family they might have, just somebody can have a reasonably priced meal. And I tip because not only the server, but also the bus-boy and front-of-house hostess have contributed to my enjoyable evening out, and will get a share of whatever I leave as a gratuity.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

definately!! even in retail, where the staff arent earning tips they always say hi etc when you go into a shop. and when you try clothes theyre asking how you are. asking how you are as a greeting is big in north america.

the 10 days i was in vegas - i think i heard more 'your welcomes' after ive said thank you than ive ever heard in my life.

we tipped a waitress $15 on a $25 bill just because we liked the way she said youre welcome. well it was a 'youre so very welcome' but it was great. hard to explain ha

Re: No tip with a tip
 

You haven't been very long I think. In the UK you can pay a bill with a cheque, but in america you pay a check with a bill.

Fascinating, eh?

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I detest shopping generally, but this aspect particularly. If I'm forced to go into a shop to buy stuff then I expect to be left alone to browse and not be harassed into an pointless social interaction by staff on commission.

Re: No tip with a tip
 

ahh yes i forgot about commission. i hate how over friendly they are in shops but thought that was just how they are. i would avoid going in some shops that were empty just because i knew how harrassed id get.

i dont think in england most shops are on commission. i was in Mango in vegas and this women just kept following me and commenting on everything i was looking at then i kind of lost her and as soon as i picked something up and headed to the till she practically ran to get to the till like she was trying to get there before anyone else. mango is a big chain of fairly cheap clothes though, why are they on commission??

Re: No tip with a tip
 

If you don't want help, then just say so, let them do their spiel at the beginning (they have to do it) and then just say, I'll ask if I need help, but I like to look on my own, the sales associate should then let the others that are working know that you want to be on your own. If your in the shop for a long time or obviously searching for a size, then you can expect some help, but you should then be left alone again.

There are only a few clothes stores where you get commissioned staff (Le Chateau and some of the shoe shops and the beauty depts in department stores spring to mind). Most other stores the staff are just expected to meet their targets, they don't get anything for it though. For example I think my target yesterday was just under $1000, I had to sell 2 PWP (purchase with purchase) and sign up 2 rewards - rewards are easy - their free, I usually fail spectacularly on PWP's but I sold just under $4k, I was tired out last night:eek:

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Really? I had you down as a hard hitter ;)

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Mr Ultra-runner,

You're very cute 'n' all, but are you ever off here? Oh sorry, I just saw, you live in Ottawa... :p

Re: No tip with a tip
 

IYeah, I usually say something like that. It's probably because I'm used to just going in m&s, picking out a couple of t-shirts and socks, paying and leaving within 5 minutes;).

Still, now I don't live within walking distance of any shops I buy off the internet where possible. Just ordered some from eddie bauer online - it's 30% off today you know;)

Re: No tip with a tip
 

Strangely enough, I knew that:rofl: - I went into work for 3 wasted hours today:rolleyes:

Re: No tip with a tip
 

I ordered this today :thumbup: