the waiter doesnt have to be nice to you. and if he is he deserves a little reward.

I like it

It's a metaphor for big dicks.

so I NEVER tip in cafes/bars etc, unless it's something extraordinary. In restaurants however (not that I go very often, and even the few times I do go I'm hardly ever the one to pay) I kind of feel that it's more expected.... And try to aim for the 10% extra. Unless they've got like 12,5% service charge or whatever included.

but that doesnt mean we should pay them not to treat us like shit.
if they act like wankers then we should just tell the manager, not simply deny him some money

and i waved the change!

i just did the job i was paid to do, which involves a degree of friendly service, just like any other job that involves people. i just cant see for the life of me why this profession is deemed so important that we pay extra

if the food is good, or the service is good, i'll usually tip around 10%.

i don't usually tip at lunchtime, or in a place like pizza express or big "chain" restaurant - the food's usually not great and the tips can end up in a slush pool.

that said, i wonder if i should tip on the basis of the quality of the food if the tips don't go to the chefs? it's a quandary.

Only to see my pikey friend attempt to pocket the tip I've left.

Unacceptable.

but i never think its fair that restaurants pay their employees less on the proviso that tips shuld make up for it

And if its average I tip as well. In fact I think i've always tipped.

I only tip cool/nice taxi drivers though. The one who double checked with me I wasn't a student "because they are fucking scum" and told us about a lovely thai brothel where "for an extra tenner she'll let you come in her mouth" didn't get a tip.

from the sternest eastern European girl. I was on my and the place was really quiet and she was so shit at being a waitress and so damn sour that I got really uncomfortable and left before I'd finished my crescent of crisps.
I tipped a pound on a £4.20 sandwich 'cause the tip cup was right in front of the till.

I don't feel like I should have to tip everyone providing a service.

But I have Scottish AND Yorkshire roots.

no-one's made a joke about fly-tipping so far. oh well

find it a little disconcerting when, if you're paying in a restaurant on a card, the machine asks if you want to add a tip- especially when the waitress is looking over your shoulder waiting for the machine back. :S

Japan has it right - tipping isn't necessary cos 99.9% of the service is impeccable. Whereas New York = slightly odd. You pretty much HAVE to tip 15% or whatever otherwise its totally out of order. Why not just add it to the final bill??!

is that when i worked in a shop (bookshop) i did of course not expect tips no matter how nice and helpful i was, whereas when i popped out for lunch and stopped by the cafe next door, they would expect tips for pouring me some coffee in a takeaway cup. even though they did less to deserve it than i normally did in my job. SENSE? IT MAKES NONE.

is if I'm having a meal with friends and I don't want to cause a fuss.

If the price you charge isn't enough, raise it. I really don't care if someone I'll never see again doesn't think I'm generous.

its the obligation thats pushed on everyone that gets me. If these people need tips so badly cos they get a bad wage then so does half of the country. this is why we have a minimum wage!! so we dont have to worry about people getting screwed over

then definately. After all, it's how some people make a living (tips etc) although glad I don't live Stateside as it's ridiculous how your hand is constantly being put into your pocket to pull out money for tips.

tipping in bars seemed so retarded

a pint for me and my firend please

umm and yeh I guess five dollars for you too

for err pouring them.

But yes 15% in restaurants if the service was good.

For example recommending a really nice dish on the menu then they probably deserve a tip, but not usually.

and 60% of my tables tip. I earn £4.60 an hour, based on the fact that tips make up for it.

I always tip if I'm in a restaurant too, it's polite, and I know how bad the job is. Trust me, many customers are dicks, and are impatient.

There's this place called Above Audio in Brighton where for just puring you a pint they put out a little tray for a tip, even on a student night when clearly no one is going to tip.

always at least 12.5 per cent.

in clubs though i don't, what's the point. like in the notting hill arts club they gave you a tray when you buy your £2.10 bottle of beer, which is really annoying. i have tipped when the barman made me a cocktail though, it took him a few minutes.

even just moderately good.

It's out of hand in the US/Canada though, waiting staff will sometimes confront you at the table if they don't feel you've been generous enough, anything below 20% is seen as tight out there and if you're somewhere decent they'll often angle for 25/30%......

It's a bit of a fucking cheek really, the restaurants should pay their staff a living wage so they don;t have to rely on guilt tripping the very people whose patronage of their place of work keeps them in work in the first instance.

Also, does anyone else find it unfair that the kitchen staff/chefs don't get the tips? Surely, their work is more arduous and/or skillful.

for serving a grumpy and demanding public. When you work somewhere full of investment bankers you see the abhorent arrogance and think "oh christ". These are the sort of people who will snap, snap their fingers, and treat waiting staff like absolute dogs.

When you see that attitude it just makes you go the other way. So I usually always tip if the food is half decent enough and the service too.

That said I never bother in places like Won Keis (sp). Don't ask me why.

If the service and food is absolutely dire, I'll have no hesitation in crossing out the 12.5% "discretionary service charge" and getting them to recalculate the bill. Waiting two hours for your starter because the chef has had a hissy fit and walked out doesn't get my extra cash.

I always tip cab drivers too, and even more so if work are footing the bill.