nukiwi

OH and I have just come back from a wonderful meal in a Vietnamese restaurant near where we live. Fantastic food and attentive service. However, before coming to NZ we normally leave a tip for good service but here we remember reading that tipping is not normally done.

Can someone please advise what is normal practice here. Do you leave a tip or not? We would hate to cause embarrassment to ourselves or the waiting staff in the restaurant.

CarolineSwan

cant help as i don't live there yet, but i would still leave a tip.it doesn't have to be a huge amount

caz

luvwelly

Restaurant staff do welcome tips but they are not expected...often in cafes there will be a tips jar/glass where you may choose to add a few coins as you pay at the till by EFTPOS.
Occasionally in more expensive restaurants, you'll get an option to increase the bill total by adding a tip but not in cafes usually.

As for everyone else...don't bother...hotel staff have even been known to refuse tips.....no one tips at the hairdresser....I think it might be to do with virtually everyone's wages being relatively low...people do not wish to have to pay extra on top.

It doesn't impact on the quality of service either in my experience, so don't lose too much sleep over it and reserve it for extra special service. It must be bliss for Americans when they get here ...'what you mean they won't chase me out the door and hurl abuse if I don't leave 15%?'

luvwelly

You'll soon change your mind on that one when you get here!

nelsonpom

I manage a busy restaurant and whilst staff don't expect tips they do appreciate rhem if they have worked hard and earned them. My staff love the sound of a foreign acceent as tips are much more likely then the tighter kiwis....

CarolineSwan

got to agree i hate when you are told you have to and what you must leave. i always leave a tip if i enjoy my meal and had good service but if food rubbish or service bad i don't so hate it when they automatically add it on your bill. i think this is cheeky at the end of the day they are being paid a wage a tip is just a wee bonus

caz

i dont see as to why i would change my mind , i have alway worked in the bar/ restaurant industry and have always said if everyone left a quid , im sure it would be the same there if everyone left a dollar, it all adds up at the end of the day

luvwelly

I'm thinking once you are balancing the Kiwi budget you may well change your mind...just wait and see....like you I do always tip in restaurants provided meal and service has been good.
Cafes - no because except for the tips box sometimes, they actually make it hard for you to tip, as in cafes you often pay upfront at till as you place your order, they give you a number to take away and then they bring your food to your table when its ready.....this system is very common in NZ.

CarolineSwan

we have this here in some places , ie food courts in shopping centres where i dont tend to tip , but def in restaraunts.. with hairdressers i have had same girl come for last 7 years , it costs me 25 quid she gets 30 , but who knows what i will do in NZ this is one thing im dreading as i love my hairdresser plus i never know in these places what your suppose to leave so if its nothing then that makes it easier lol, think ill just grow my hair really long again lol save the hassle

caz

nukiwi

Thanks for putting us straight on that. We always leave a tip for good service but we have heard of places where tips are refused We thought it strange that the bill did not give us the option to add a tip and therefore felt unsure of what to do. We will play it by ear next time.

Its strange you saying about not tipping hairdressers. I always tipped my hairdresser back in the UK and when I had my hair done recently here in NZ, automatically I gave her a tip and she went to give it be back but I insisted she had it. It does not feel right not tipping but I am glad of your feedback and will remember next time.

You are certainly right about America, its definitely expected there.

nukiwi

That was one of the things I dreaded was finding a good hairdresser. I must have gone into about 15 salons before I decided on one. The price range varied so much. My hairdresser back in the UK came to my house and I always tipped her too. Over here my hairdresser was really not expecting anything so I will know next time.

Good luck with your move over here

jupjup

We rarely tip, it really isnt expected and the new restaurant machines for the EFTPOS have an option to add tip and the last few times, we have come across it we have been told to just bypass that step.

We have been known to tip if its been a great meal and great service,

Hairdresser, again I have never tipped, but I got to know her quite well and use to take her in some home baking, or pick up a cafe coffee & muffin on my way to my appt for her. I have found its gestures more than tips here...

CarolineSwan

thats a great idea, my hairdresser always comes to my house and she always leaves with something , i.e a vase i was going to throw out or clothes for her daughter, thats what she says she will miss lol always gets a tip though

caz

Genesis

Been here well over 3 years..don't tip and have never been expected to. I once offered a tip and was told to spend it on my kids!!!! Great aye? No one tips me when I clean their house, car or garden. I HATE tipping and its for the boss to sort out staff's wages not the punter to underpin their crap wages!!!! Customers should NOT have to worry about such stuff..without the latter the staff would have NO job!!!

love30stm

I found a realy good hairdresser who is now a friend also...

just thought I would let you know my Hair costs about $150. for foils and a trim....cheap hey? I had extensions a while back and that cost me $500 not cheap but if my hair is looking good then I feel good.

what I like about the salon I go to I can have a glass of wine instead of Coffee

kiwinow

I hope tipping never becomes mandatory. I've never seen that option of adding a tip to a bill in a restaurant, but it is definitely your choice to do so. You won't be glared at or whispered about if you leave without tipping. We never tip taxi drivers or hairdressers. We hardly tip at restaurants but have once or twice when we thought the waiter outdid him or herself.