In London when you eat out and pay by credit card, just about all of the restaurants allow for you to add the tip on the credit card slip. This saves you having to remember to tell the waiter(ess) to add on X amount when he/she disappears with your card. In Liverpool however this isn't as common and often you then have to haul out some cash to leave for the tip. Which is a pain as it's both easier to see what I spend as one amount and I can claim the meal in when working out of London.
Last night myself and 4 colleagues went to a fine restaurant called Mustard for dinner. We paid by card but I didn't actually look at the bill as I was on the far end of the table and we split it 3/4 to 1/4 anyway. We paid and left as one of my mates was feeling quite ill and just wanted to get back to pass out in the hotel. I smiled and said goodbye to the waitress and she said goodbye but didn't seem all that happy.
When we got in the car, the cogs started clicking and I asked to see the bill, which had no service included (as is oft done these days). I realised that we had not left any tip, and having waitered myself realised why the waitress didn't look all that impressed. She was friendly and had done a good job and did deserve her tip.
I was about to drive off when I changed my mind. What was preventing me going back in was the fact I felt embarrassed and didn't want to walk back in and apologise. I decided that that simply wasn't good enough, and even though my colleague didn't care as he was feeling ill and just wanted to get back (I am the same when ill) I decided to go back in, even if it made me feel really uncomfortable.
I embarrassed myself only in that I pushed the locked door, then pulled the push door and then eventually managed to get in the restaurant. The waitress wasn't there, but the head waiter (who had also served us was). I apologised, and asked if I could leave a tip. The head waiter said that it wasn't a problem, was very thankful, and gave me some change and took the tip.
On leaving I realised that instead of feeling uncomfortable and a bit of a knob as I had when I was sitting in the car, I never felt rather good. Even though I hadn't done anything actually 'good', as I should have tipped in the first place, going back in was the right thing to do and I am glad I did.
Also I can now return to the restaurant, which is exceedingly good.
1. steve
Ya just a big softie at heart aren’t you. For the record I wouldn’t have gone back.
2. Suzy
Good for you. Wait staff (in the US, anyway) make minimum wage and need their tips to survive - though now they’re taxing the tips, too!
3. Daisy
Good on you. Definitely the right thing to do.
4. razorhead
Humph. Restaurant owners should pay staff a decent wage and not rely on guilting out the customers to subsidise their wage costs.
Having worked extensively in kitchens, I can’t remember a time when my measly wage was supplimented by a tip on the basis of exceptionally clean cutlery or beautifully prepared food: that went to the serving staff, who would piss off home as soon as the doors closed regardless of the kitchen staff working another couple of hours on tidy/prepare.
Don’t tip it’s evil. Patronage should be enough reward.
5. Adrian
Razor, I agree entirely, even more so in the States where you tip excessively, and have a separate post I want to write on this issue.
However, having waitered myself, I still thought it was wrong not to tip, not because I was making some sort of stand, but because I forgot or couldn’t be bothered to go back.
6. steve
So, did you shag her?
7. Adrian
Of course not. Just left her a tip.
Where did I get this reputation from? :-)
8. Wendy
I heard that when dining out in Korea, you tip before the meal. I was told that TIP stabds for, to insure punctuality and that it is a wise move to tip the staff before the meal to insure you are well taken care of. Has anyone heard this or are my friends teasing me? I also would also think that if what they say is factual, the use of insure would be with an E as in ENSURE thus discounting what they are telling me. If anyone could let me know if they have heard of this tipping before a meal is somewhat accurate, or maybe done somewhere else in the world, I’d sure appreciate it.
Wendy in Seattle - wpaulinec@gmail.com
9. The B
ok realise this is a really old post but it’s come up in your comments and I can’t not say this -
The trouble with tipping by card is that it generally goes straight into the restaurant profits, whereas cash goes to the waiter. So at the moment you (or your company) are just paying more for your meal. If you want the staff to get more money always pay cash, no matter whether it’s a hassle.
10. Adrian
As far as I know it varies from restaurant to restaurant. When I waitered, we got all our tips no matter how they came to us. I know some restaurants pool tips (and a proportion goes to the kitchen staff), but I can’t see it being legal for restaurants to take the tips as profit.
11. The B
ooh you know what; i thought this was common knowledge but have just googled it and maybe i have been believing a MYTH! HORRORS. i just found one article saying that it used to be that tips on credit cards were subject to NI but now can be deducted first, but that was what led to the belief that tips on cards never got to the waitresses. Loads of people have told me that. Goodness. Now I know not what to believe…
12. The B
ah -HAH - sorry, investigated a little further cos I hate being wrong. hee hee. here - legal in that they can use it to make up the minimum wage. Story here