Off Topic Tipping etiquette?

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Bum_Chinned_Crab said:
Actually that analogy doesnt work for waiters or bar staff at all unless the waiter you're tipping also made the food for you or the bar staff brewed the drink. You basically just talked yourself out of tipping people in the catering industry.
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Exactly. If the food tastes really good, do you get out of your seat, go to the kitchen and slip some change into the chef's pocket? No, you may ask someone to compliment the chef and that is all.
 
Sterling Archer said:
Fair point, but the wage is the lowest you can legally earn, the responsibilities for that job don't stop at pulling pints and serving food. Also, the employers do say £6.50 plus tips, which I suppose is a little unfair in a country where it isn't mandatory.

While a 16 year old in a shoe shop might have to occasionally unpack some stock, they'll never have to do a line clean, or scrub glass shelves, or deep clean a glass washer, or deal with drunken morons. I couldn't afford to pay my staff more than minimum wage, I honestly would've if I could because some of the crap they had to put up with was inexcusable from some people.
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So, you're an employer yourself? Presumably at a restaurant? If that's the case then I can understand why you're in favour of tips; it makes up for the fact that you can't pay your own staff adequately. As customers, it's not our fault. It's your responsibility, mate.
 
Bum_Chinned_Crab said:
Ok then, how about a postman? Why doesnt he get a tip every time he walks to your house in the pissing rain? Or if you're having some home improvements done - would you tip a guy who built a new garden wall for you?
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But don't postmen get a bonus of some sort? And we used to tip our postlady and milkman at Christmas every year, pretty handsomely if I recall.

Bum_Chinned_Crab said:
Actually that analogy doesnt work for waiters or bar staff at all unless the waiter you're tipping also made the food for you or the bar staff brewed the drink. You basically just talked yourself out of tipping people in the catering industry.
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The chef's (who are paid more) prepare the food, it's then up to the front of house staff to make sure everybody enjoys their experience. If there's a problem with the food, why should the waiter be punished?
 
Sterling Archer said:
But don't postmen get a bonus of some sort? And we used to tip our postlady and milkman at Christmas every year, pretty handsomely if I recall.



The chef's (who are paid more) prepare the food, it's then up to the front of house staff to make sure everybody enjoys their experience. If there's a problem with the food, why should the waiter be punished?
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Do the waiting staff have their wages deducted? No, then they're not being punished.
 
Sterling Archer said:
But don't postmen get a bonus of some sort? And we used to tip our postlady and milkman at Christmas every year, pretty handsomely if I recall.
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At Christmas? So I can eat in a local restaurant every week without tipping and then nip in at the end of the year and slip them a fiver, yes?

Sterling Archer said:
The chef's (who are paid more) prepare the food, it's then up to the front of house staff to make sure everybody enjoys their experience. If there's a problem with the food, why should the waiter be punished?
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I didnt say anything about that. You're the one who came up with the 'shirt in the shop' analogy. The guy making the shirts gets paid more than the shop staff. Why is it the shop staffs fault if there's an issue with the shirt? Give him a tip if you're happy with it and the way they sold it.
 
Sterling Archer said:
Well, not even about the money, some customers are less forgiving and can dish out some pretty horrific verbal abuse for something that in all honesty wasn't their fault.
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How about a ticket inspector on a train? They get loads of abuse when the train is late and it's not their fault so when they ask for your ticket nicely, give them a tip.
 
Bret Dilkington said:
Yes, but what's that got to do with wages?
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Well it doesn't, it's about etiquette isn't it? It's about being polite and acknowledging good service. I was always happy with people provided they'd had a nice time, I honestly didn't care about tips. What annoyed me was the people who got on their high horse about it. If you aren't going to leave anything, fine, you'll not get any better or worse treatment than somebody who does. But don't start trying to justify it, not when I'm working 14 hour days 6 days a week and you've just sat on your arse eating a fillet steak.
 
Sterling Archer said:
Well it doesn't, it's about etiquette isn't it? It's about being polite and acknowledging good service. I was always happy with people provided they'd had a nice time, I honestly didn't care about tips. What annoyed me was the people who got on their high horse about it. If you aren't going to leave anything, fine, you'll not get any better or worse treatment than somebody who does. But don't start trying to justify it, not when I'm working 14 hour days 6 days a week and you've just sat on your arse eating a fillet steak.
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That's fine then because I've never got on my high horse about it in a restaurant. I'm always very polite to bar staff and appreciate their hard work but I've never left a tip. I only shared my opinion because guess what? The title of the thread is 'Tipping etiquette?'.
 
Bum_Chinned_Crab said:
How about a ticket inspector on a train? They get loads of abuse when the train is late and it's not their fault so when they ask for your ticket nicely, give them a tip.
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That grinds my gears an all, why are people such ****s to the people who aren't at fault? Why do we have this need to vent our frustrations at people who aren't in control? What gives them the right to speak to another human being like that?
 
Bum_Chinned_Crab said:
Depends where it was sourced from but I take your point. That wasnt really the issue with his messed-up analogy.
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It sounded better in my head.

It just dawned on me that I went to China Red (the old Coach and Horses in Dunswell, one of the best I've had in a long time) on Saturday and I tipped and they didn't seem to mind.
 
Bret Dilkington said:
As a patient, would you ever tip a doctor or a nurse? The NHS has suffered cuts and nurses in particular work long hours and arguably don't get paid enough for the work they do. What about a fireman after saving you from a burning building? I've worked with my old man a bit and he's a joiner; whenever a customer buys him some beer for a job it's out of the ordinary. That's a gesture of good faith, especially when a job is completed quicker than expected. Tipping in the catering industry is expecting the customer to pay your wages when that should be the employer's responsibility.

By the way, I've never left a tip for a meal and I've had no problem. If a waiter or waitress confronted me about it, "Join a trade union" would be my exact response.
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Aren't you about 15?

My guess is you've never actually paid for a meal.
 
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