When do you give a tip? (For service!)

[alta-pete]

25 minutes ago, Paxo said:

Why are so many places so keen on this service charge automatically added to bills? Can't get away from it in Edinburgh these days, and it's quickly becoming 12.5% rather than 10.

I get that it effectively increases their turnover by 10%, but surely also has a detrimental effect on profit margin?

It’s pure profit. And allows them to pay the staff less as they can then say the staff tip rate is improved beyond leaving it to the vagaries of the customers who wouldn’t otherwise tip without being nudged/hoodwinked. 
 

ETA: it’s not pure profit, it’s phree munny. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by alta-pete

[Soapy FFC]

6 hours ago, TxRover said:

I take it the servers are mandated a certain minimum wage? Over in the land of the free, the minimum wage hasn’t changed in 14 years (still $7.25/hour for untipped workers and as low as $2.13/hour for tipped workers) and has the abominable provision of a lower minimum for “tipped” employees. Some places tried raising server wages and telling people they didn’t need to tip, but with higher prices on the menu, people went next door (and tipped there making the prices effectively the same but the diners felt they were cheaper).

Some States and Cities have higher minimum wages than the Federal minimum. There’s now a nationwide push by the restaurant business to allow as young as 14 to sell/serve alcoholic beverages and work extended hours…cheaper labour.

My cousin, who lives in Maryland, used to be a waitress and was only paid tips.

[Paxo]

1 hour ago, alta-pete said:

It’s pure profit. And allows them to pay the staff less as they can then say the staff tip rate is improved beyond leaving it to the vagaries of the customers who wouldn’t otherwise tip without being nudged/hoodwinked. 
 

ETA: it’s not pure profit, it’s phree munny. 

But the staff ultimately get the tips which are automatically added to every bill though, don't they? Are you saying it's a ploy to attract more/better staff?

[invergowrie arab]

11 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I find tipping a Deliveroo driver with pre-payment means the food arrives hotter.

Thats not how deliveroo works.

[alta-pete]

11 minutes ago, Paxo said:

But the staff ultimately get the tips which are automatically added to every bill though, don't they? Are you saying it's a ploy to attract more/better staff?

The more/better staff bit I don’t quite get; but the staff will I hope get the tip but that with the potential management deductions as referred to earlier and then also subject to PAYE/NIC deductions.

Call me subversive but me having paid the PAYE/NIC on that tip money already I don’t see the crime in trying to knock the £5/10/20 directly into their pockets.

And there’s also the immediate recognition (rather than me being lost into their end of month payslip) that we’re decent tippers that’ll (hopefully) get us a top table/service next time too. 

[DA Baracus]

So it's a bribe then?

[Fullerene]

 

[Dan Steele]

I've always thought it odd that we happily/grudgingly give money to the person who walks from the kitchen carrying a plate yet the kitchen brigade responsible for the nosh don't get anything. 

[Paxo]

3 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

The more/better staff bit I don’t quite get; but the staff will I hope get the tip but that with the potential management deductions as referred to earlier and then also subject to PAYE/NIC deductions.

Call me subversive but me having paid the PAYE/NIC on that tip money already I don’t see the crime in trying to knock the £5/10/20 directly into their pockets.

And there’s also the immediate recognition (rather than me being lost into their end of month payslip) that we’re decent tippers that’ll (hopefully) get us a top table/service next time too. 

I thought you were saying that businesses who automatically apply tips could attract more and/or better staff because they can generally guarantee a higher tip revenue.

Of course, tips are taxable income, so I have no issue whatsoever with those who earn them paying their way like everyone else.

[welshbairn]

18 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

Thats not how deliveroo works.

How does it work? I get thanks for the tip when it arrives nice and toasty.

[TxRover]

7 hours ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

One of the things i really dont like about americans is when you see them talking on twitter or elsewhere about how europeans ‘dont tip’ and how generous they are etc etc. when ive been in the states ive seen how much these arseholes tip and i sure as f**k tip more than they do. Some of the really rich religious ones even rub it in the waitresses noses by writing shite like ‘i give my 10% to jesus’ in the tip field. Also on a cruise in Alaska last year the way they speak to waiters etc is genuinely appalling. One guy with a ‘vietnam vet’ hat on was the worst ive ever seen, speaking to a wee irish girl on the ship like she was scum, I clamped him and he didnt like it. 

There are a number of groups of the religious ones who have religious tracts printed with a portion of a $5, $10 or $20 bill printed on it so it can be left on the table under something or folded so as to seem a generous tip…only to show the venial server the error of their worldly ways. The actions of the business owners aren’t much better, with compelled pooling of tips and such. Even better, the tips now get reported to the IRS (non-cash) as taxable income…plus the tipped income counts toward minimum wage calculations to save the employers money.

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, Dan Steele said:

I've always thought it odd that we happily/grudgingly give money to the person who walks from the kitchen carrying a plate yet the kitchen brigade responsible for the nosh don't get anything. 

I always assumed tips in restaurants were shared amongst all the staff.

I’m not a fan of service charges but some restaurants make it clear that this is split amongst waiting and kitchen staff.

[invergowrie arab]

1 hour ago, welshbairn said:

How does it work? I get thanks for the tip when it arrives nice and toasty.

Deliveroo are only delivering to you except for very occasionally they will take a "stacked" order when there are two addresses very close to each other taking orders from 2 restraunts close to each other. 

It's not like the traditional takeaway where the guy goes out once an hour with 20 meals.

So you are always getting your order first whether you tip or not.

[parsforlife]

Tipping culture as a whole is weird and I can see it almost completely dying in Europe as we move away from a cash culture.   Not uncommon for servers to instruct me to hit no on card machines the ask to add tips.

Think how many stars you give in a review is becoming more valuable to someone. 

[RH33]

9 hours ago, Dan Steele said:

I've always thought it odd that we happily/grudgingly give money to the person who walks from the kitchen carrying a plate yet the kitchen brigade responsible for the nosh don't get anything. 

It varys, one place I worked the KP got a cut but the chefs didn't. The hotel I worked the kitchen, the tips shared between everyone once every 6ish weeks.Think most people tipped as they settled the bill at end of stay. 

[Cptn Hooch]

9 hours ago, Fullerene said:

 

real science

[Crazy Days]

In a restaurant in Toronto a number of years ago the bill arrived and showed that they had added service charge. Waiter then queried as to why I was not leaving a tip. Remove the service charge and I will leave a tip I told him only for his to reply that they expected patrons to pay the charge and leave a tip.  He was disappointed that day.

[welshbairn]

7 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

Deliveroo are only delivering to you except for very occasionally they will take a "stacked" order when there are two addresses very close to each other taking orders from 2 restraunts close to each other. 

It's not like the traditional takeaway where the guy goes out once an hour with 20 meals.

So you are always getting your order first whether you tip or not.

I think that must have changed, they've started offering premium delivery so you can jump the queue. I'd rather the extra goes to the driver.

[hk blues]

10 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

I think that must have changed, they've started offering premium delivery so you can jump the queue. I'd rather the extra goes to the driver.

Our food delivery service offers 3 'levels' of delivery - the difference between top and bottom is negligible in terms of time so I choose the bottom option.  This has just started and I suspect it's the thin end of the wedge and once bedded in the time (and price) difference will be stretched.  

[Dan Steele]

8 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

I always assumed tips in restaurants were shared amongst all the staff.

I’m not a fan of service charges but some restaurants make it clear that this is split amongst waiting and kitchen staff.

I'd like to think all tips are shared in restaurants. Checking out in hotels I'll ask if tips are split amongst staff. 

55 minutes ago, RH33 said:

It varys, one place I worked the KP got a cut but the chefs didn't. The hotel I worked the kitchen, the tips shared between everyone once every 6ish weeks.Think most people tipped as they settled the bill at end of stay. 

 

Love that the KP was included.