I would never give a tip in a cafe where I order a couple of quick items that are brought to the tabel and that's it. On the rare occasions I enter a fast food place , it would never enter my mind to tip. In a restaurant having a 3 course meal, yes I will tip if I get good service, but never more than 10 % usually less. My wife says she would expect to pay about £60.00 for a cut and colour wash, if its a good job she will tip £5.00. I have never givem a tip in a Barbers, currently paying £8.00 for a haircut [ possibly they charge more in one of those Turkish Barbers, we have had an epidemic of them recently in our part of the UK, usually no customers in them when I walk past-money Laundering like nail salons?].
I only ever tip in restaraunts. Even if I pay by card, I tip with cash which I leave under the plate. Of course I check to see if a tip has been added to the bill, before I determine how much tip.🙂
I saw a video on just this subject recently, from the USA too. The woman was going nuts because she'd found a self service vending machine (can't remember where) that when it came to pay at the built in card reader it asked for a tip. Outrageous.
Come on… who else would would work 24/7 .. fair pay for androids.. ! The servicing charges are horrendous these days..£50 call out , that’s before you even think about parts and labour..
It's a group thing. Everyone throws in a tenner or a twenty. If there's a few quid over the waitress gets it. Even the waiter but he will be a she nowadays.
US businesses like the tipping culture, it enables them to advertise false prices. They may advertise a meal for $20, but that is not what it will cost you, that could be $24. In the UK, at Christmas I gave the chap who regularly delivers my food order a fiver for a Christmas drink and had to push it on them, they were definitely not expecting anything.
Christmas tipping postman ,recycling guys,regular courier…i think it all needs to be £10 or maybe £20 these days..theyre your lifeline throughout the year..
I think youre under a misconception about Cake Chicks Dara….”handing a cookie across the counter” the job will be a grind on minimum wage,nobody will appreciate the 40 hours they put in …shift work,so they can’t plan their lives…the manager will decide when this week they can have time off…they suffer gossiping and intimidation ,from other staff members ,bullying from management Low pay,low self esteem,then when they can go home they have to work out how to live on a pittance..and struggle with debts,even if they are prudent economists.. and every ounce of effort is squeezed out of them ,perform or go home conditions, Then they have to be super sweet to the customers…or they get bullied by them..
With contactless payments more prevalent in the UK I think less people are getting tips, usually the only people who get tipped are taxi drivers,barbers and bar staff, everyone should be entitled to at least the minimum wage and holiday payments
I make a point of having a few quid on me to give the waiter a cash tip. Pay the bill on my card though, so the business has to put it through the books!
Was in the US for several months last year but am American living in the UK for 30 years. At Starbucks my niece had to explain (in a somewhat condescending and exasperated way) why I needed to leave a tip for counter service. I pointed out to her that wealthy companies with huge profits want me to subsidise their employees' wages whilst also spending my money on their goods or services. Lunacy! God bless Europe and the living wage. No more than 10% tipping in the UK and a jolly good thing!
We paid £15 for two coffees and one piece of cake in the uk….. but the ambience and staff were lovely..they had car chargers too…but your right i dont think anybody would tip in a UK Starbucks..unless your name is Mr Bezos.. What we need now is mag chargers on every table…Mr Starbuck,and better deals on the Starbucks tat shelf But tipping in a USA Starbucks might be a different game of cricket.always listen to the locals on these matters…
@@MagentaOtterTravels well i think ,that if you go into that same Starbucks regularly over the year ,your favourite team members ought to trouser one of your tenners for their Christmas box..its only polite..a white envelope with a card and your tip..with their name on it.. The same goes for the butchers department in your Walmart , Waitrose or Lidl, they serve you your juicy cuts all year too. And the Lady that passes over the counter that delicious gateaux all year for you…dont ignore them…theyre on minimum wage remember..show them your appreciation at Christmas..if they weren’t on minimum wage your grocery bill would be higher than Helena..i say put them all on a decent family wage and whack up everybody’s grocery bills to pay for it…or failing that force the megacompanies to pay them a proper wage out of their fabulous profits..or blackball that shop..cut the CEO mega salary and distribute that sum fairly around…stop their golden hello’s and golden goodbye’s ..lets have some sunny days for the staff..
what annoys me is is the takeout places that didn't need tip before now add it at credit card check out like 5 guys, subway, panera bread. its annoying. I was dennys and there a person who handed me my takeout bag as I was swiping my card stated " on next screen is where you put your tip". Um No won't be doing that buddy unless you served me this food at the restaurant dine in.
Something else that is impacted by US tipping culture is what organised travel people do. This was something that I found out through a friend who works with travel agents. Another friend was organising a European River cruise, travel agent friend pointed out that it was important to check out the Cruise companies. Avoid those that cater for US tourists, reason being they tip constantly on the trip and that then puts non tipping tourists in a difficult position and so they're peer pressured into tipping which then makes that river cruise experience much more expensive. Her recommendation was to go with a cruise company that catered to Australian tourists (who pretty much never tip!) and have the same river cruise experience at a lower cost. I was mildly appalled by this advice as part of the joys of travel for me are to meet people from other countries and life experiences, I would hate to spend money on an European cruise and then travel with a boat of Australians whose lives generally would be similar to the life I live in Australia.
Oh my goodness, that is very interesting! I can understand why you were given that advice, but I agree with you. Much nicer to travel and meet people from around the world!
Hi Dara, elderly English person here, I have never had a problem with tipping. Having been a barman in my younger days, I have always given bar staff a drink, or cash equivalent. In restaurants, 10-12.5%. Increasingly, restaurants seem to be adding a gratuity of 12.5%, to the bill, which is always pointed out and if you are not happy with the service, there is seldom a problem if you ask for it to be removed, something I have never had to do. I think you're right, the situation in America, has become crazy. It should never be forgotten, that you can take your custom where you wish and as a customer, you should never be taken for granted. I haven't been to America, for about forty-five years, but I really think I would struggle with your current tipping culture. No wonder you enjoy your time spent in The U.K., at least you don't get chased for a tip, nor guilt-tripped if you don't leave one. To date, our shop workers haven't started demanding tips for doing their jobs, but seeing as the norm is to slavishly follow what happens in America, who knows what will happen. I enjoyed your rant and didn't think you were in any way unreasonable, best wishes..
@@marke.blewer1279 thanks so much! In the past several weeks we have traveled all over Britain from the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland, Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, and now we are in Kent and Sussex. I've noticed that it's frequently difficult to leave a tip in a pub if you don't carry cash! They always tell you the amount and then you just have to tap and pay. Trying to get them to add a tip is quite a faff!
I find that most sit down restaurants we go to in uk now add 10% to bill for tip already. For counter i dont tip if paying by card if cash then i would chuck the loose change in the jar. For my hairdresser i tend give her a fiver. But the works out at less 5%
You live in a metro area with a lot of tourists, so I'm not surprised that they are adding gratuity in sit down restaurants. I'm glad it's only 10%, which seems very reasonable.
Here in the U.K., I might tip a little, if it’s been a nice experience. Being friendly and efficient are the basics of the job. I only tip substantially when a server has been very helpful or has really gone out of their way to improve my experience.
I agree. Sometimes we are more work for the server when we eat a meal (Ian requires a LOT of ketchup, LOL!) or we have special requests. And often, Ian and I split a mains and a dessert... so our bill might be relatively small but we still give the server a generous tip because it's not THEIR fault we don't drink anything but tap water and we don't order a lot of food!
I'm English and hate the US tipping culture. In UK I might tip if for some reason the service I need or get is not what would normally be expected (a large group, a restricted diet, help that would not be usual). Regarding the current US system, why should the tip % have increased? I also hate that your (US) prices don't include the tax, why not?
I don't know why the % tip has increased... but it is annoying when the cost of food has increased so much as well! Yes, not including tax is also annoying. Knowing what your final bill will be is always a guessing game! Did you know that the sales tax varies by state but also by city and town? Just bizarre!
Oh my, one of the things that worried me the most when I came to live in the United States was the tipping system! I was terrified I'd get it wrong. I didn't know when to tip and how much to tip. I hate it when they automatically add a gratuity. I now feel guilty if I don't tip at least 20%. My husband is a big tipper, and being British I feel rather miserly about it. Employment rights in the US in general, especially with the minimum wage regulations for employees is truly shocking to a Brit. Salon services have rocketed over here. On top of that you are expected to give a large tip. I notice a big difference when I go to the UK. It amazes me that even when it is counter service the employees expect a tip. Really?! A very interesting topic, Dara. Very well narrated and presented ❤
If it’s a nice restaurant lots of Brits tip, not so much a basic pub lunch maybe and certainly not every time you wanted a snack from Greggs or a cookie from a bakery that wouldn’t be accepted here, as I’m sure you would probably know.
The girls in the Casinos in Vegas literally have to live off their tips, which is why you'll normally see them leaving very little to the imagination. I've been to a few and thought I'd walked into a strip club. But, those $1 tips over the course of a day soon add up for the punter. 2 peoples drinks at $5 a time every 20 minutes or so, for 10+ hours, that's a minimum of $150.
@@adrianboardman162 $150 for 10 hours is a ridiculously small wage for the work they do. $15 per hour. Nobody should need to do 10 hour shifts for peanuts. In Australia the minimum wage for hospitality workers is about $28. Plus how many hospitality workers in the US don't have the "luxury" of working in Vegas.
@@ShaneNixonFamily No, for the punter, it works out at $150 an hour. The waitresses will be getting on average more than that as there's usually more than 2 people in their section. On average, they're going to serve 15 - 20 people per run. It shouldn't be that way, they should be on a working wage, but depending on the shifts they pick up, the tips are the difference between paying the bills or not.
Like you I spend almost half the year in the US (Florida) and the remainder in England. You have hit the nail on the head - the tipping in the US is totally out of control. What you didn’t mention was that back when 15% was the norm the service was top class. Now the service is some of the worst I have ever experienced and the tip expectation is so much greater. It’s time for the US to change their payment model and at least people would know what their bill was going to look like when they choose their meal! Don’t get me started on the tax not being included 🤭
I’ve substantially reduced eating outside, I might get a togo order but that’s it. I’m really annoyed by the tip culture. I can appreciate tipping if I get served. But sometimes even togo orders they expect some tips. Hell no, y’all not gonna get any tip from me for waiting at the counter.
Precisely. I walked up to the counter and placed this order and waited for it. I'm doing all the hard work! Your employer should pay you enough for handing me food across the counter ;-)
Dara - thanks for all this info. I am off to Texas in 3 weeks to hopefully see the total ellipse of the sun. In the meantime, thanks to you for the info in your videos - no one is running off with my credit card in a restaurant to swipe it to pay for a meal; no one is being tipped for doing for doing nothing in the hotel. I have not been to the US for 16 years, the last time I was there the taxi driver actually said to me you must tip me! This was despite the fact that I had paid the fare for the ride from the airport, San Francisco, as part of my air fare. In the Uk I do tip my hair dresser, I normally tip at a restaurant if service is not included, I never take a taxi as it is too expensive but if paid in advance do not. Black cabs in London will demand a tip so do not use them. As you know we do not tip in a pub as it is not necessary unless you are over the moon with the service. Americans ought to pay their workers a living wage, that is why they moan when in Europe as the staff costs are included in the overall cost of hotel, meal, etc. But it is better than tipping culture which is demeaning to all concerned. Why do you have to be nice to someone awful? Just to get a tip? This is the feudalism that the USA, along with the use of the word “gotten” and the Queen Anne gallon (7.5 pints), has not move on from. Sorry but I have never gotten over it. Keep up the good work!
Not been states for a decade, got a road trip coming up so this is useful to know! It is frustrating to see a price then do the sales tax and tip maths. I bet tips paid by card never fully reach the people providing the service.
When eating out in the UK family and I routinely give 10% as a gratuity for table sevice. In a few establishments the server might also ask if the diner would care to give a very small amount to a national or local charity, which we usually do.
Finally watched this. Yep, totally agree. Tipping is insane in the US but it is probably the only place I'd tip a server because I know the minimum wage is abysmal. The fact the the minimum wage presumes tips is outrageous. It is practically a violation of human rights. In Oz I used to tip a bit - rounding up a few bucks etc. But I rarely do anymore unless the service was outstanding. I remember a US based restaurant, it may have been the Hard Rock, when they first opened in Sydney included tips in the bill. I think this peeved a lot of people when they noticed and I'm not sure they continued that for very long. Some restaurants include the screen to tip on the card reader these days but it is easy to skip. I was tipping in Vietnam occasionally even though it was not expected - I'd hand a few thousand dong to someone that just put in some physical labour for us - rowed a boat or drove us somewhere for 3 hours or something. But it definitely wasn't expected at restaurants etc. I did read about people doing proper tours and the tour company suggesting $10 per day per person as tips for guides and drivers. That seems really expensive to me, especially in a country like Vietnam. I reckon it was probably a foreign tour company thing.
Not surprised about Hard Rock. They have overpriced food and I'm sure they expect tips as well. I'm so curious about your Vietnam trip! Are you going to spend 2 or 3 years getting the vlogs together?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Oh gosh I hope not. It was a year or two before I even started on the Japanese ones. Speaking of which I do have one more to finish then I will move on to the Vietnamese. Michelle convinced me to put aside the Australian ones I have to do, about 10, till I've done the Vietnamese. I aspire to be informative, interesting and entertaining like you and Rachel and Wills - well thought out and structured videos too, but unfortunately I pretty much shoot from the hip and have to make it up as I go along. You'd think with the time and expense to go to these countries I'd have some sort of plan, but no. So we'll see how it turns out. 😂
@@ShaneNixonFamily Rach and Wills are exceptional! I don't think many of the rest of us are that professional and structured in our approach. I totally shoot from the hip myself! Not literally, but figuratively of course 🤠
I don't usually tip in English restaurants. I only tip if the service or food have exceeded my expectation. If I do tip, I tip in cash, even if I pay by card. 10% for very good service; more for spectacular helpfulness.
I'm a hairdresser, and never expected tips. I also don't expect people to require me to tip. I did very well on my tips, but I always went above and beyond my 'required' duties. I would occasionally say 'and one for yourself' at the bar if he was a hunk, or just generally nice, but if service is sub standard, I'm not going to tip. That's like paying someone for doing half a job. You get tipped in the UK based on your performance, not because it's the 'done thing'.
In my many trips to the US i have always gone by "When in Rome". It's been 9 years since i was there. Going by your video Dara and others on UA-cam it appears Americans are suffering tipping fatigue in a pretty big way.
Well said! We DO have tipping fatigue!! I think the "When in Rome" approach is good in general... but I would say: - Never let your credit card out of your sight - Don't feel pressured to pay more than a 15 to 20% tip, especially if the service doesn't warrant it - DO NOT pay a tip to someone for counter service where you are doing the work of getting your own food!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Taking customers credit card is absurd beyond belief. What other country has this procedure when paying the bill? Just bring the CC machine to the customers.
Being British,i think its prudent to carry around some pound coins and some £5 notes and £10 notes so if you need to tip a street sleeper or great service from an AA man whatever you can appreciate them….in cash….additionally to tapping and going with your metal Apple Card..
We usually tip (UK), but I never tip on a card machine as I want the tip to go to the person who served us. It's worth asking the person you're paying how the tips get divided if you tip on the card. It may well just get split amongst the staff (which might be fine with you). I always leave cash on the table, usually around 10% or rounded up to a near whole number.
You’m right on the ball here Dara. But even 32 years ago when on my first big foreign holiday trip to the USA, people were relying on tips then. The San Francisco leg of the trip, we where staying at the Handlery hotel near Union Square & on the last night before heading off to Hawaii the next day, i decided to treat my 3 travelling companion friends to a slap up meal in the hotel restaurant, the bill came to approximately $113 & decided to pay cash , & i just rounded the bill up to $120, which was nowhere near the %15 tip / $130 that i should’ve forked out. So that was like a red rag to a bull from the waiter’s point of view, & ee certainly went on to let me know in no uncertain terms, that the staff relied on the tips to boost up their wages, but it wasn’t like i didn’t already know, because we had already visited L A , Vegas & the Grand Canyon. I also seem to remember that in the travel Itinerary from the holiday company, they had also worked out how much extra £ ‘s we would need to budget in regarding the tipping side of things. 👍
We usually just tip 20% in restaurants, Dara and Ian. Unless the service is extra ordinary which happens quite often with Kathy. We usually don't use many of the services you mention other than Kathy's haircuts where I do 20% also. But they're aren't fancy haircuts! Never tip fast food places. They can put out tips jars, but I ignore. Usually though I do carry cash so it's easier.
Hi Dara - no, you're not bring miserly at all. I was in your fine country (well, Miami... 😂) only a couple of weeks ago and was astonished at the change since my last visit in 2004. We didn't find a single restaurant menu where the prices were as advertised, the minimum 'automatic' tip was 18% (20% in our hotel, which is why we only had a Caesar Salad!) and when questioned, each waiter in each restaurant told us the 'auto-tip' goes to the house, they get nothing from it - obviously I have no way of knowing if this is true, but the story was consistent wherever we went. I fully accept the very low wages all hospitality staff are on in the US and always tipped much higher than I do in the UK because of this. But I have to say, unless things change in the US I'd seriously think twice about returning, much as I thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. I've calculated since returning home just how much of our expenditure was tips alone - either 18% 'auto-tip' or cash to the waiter and it's around £500.... in just FOUR DAYS!!!! I can get a weekend break in the south of France for the two of us for that!!!! Think y'all in our late colonies in the Americas need to make a stand and refuse to pay it.
WAIT A MINUTE... "auto-tip" goes to the house?!?! That is SO WRONG! That is why some people insist on leaving a cash tip for the server so they can pocket it directly. What a scam!
@@MagentaOtterTravels that's what we were told.... everywhere! I don't know what the law actually is on 'auto-tips' in the US. I imagine state law takes precedent? In the UK an auto-tip cannot be enforced and you have the legal right to insist it is removed. Didn't want to get into an argument with a restaurateur in Miami - you lot carry guns!!! 😱
I'm in the UK and just took my car to have z tyre checked out because I thought I had a puncture. The young chap removed the wheel, gave the tyre a thorough check, pumped it up, found no issues and replaced the wheel. He absolutely wouldn't take the tenner I tried to give him for his help. I will return when I need tyres.
When Nigel Lawson was Chancellor of the Exchequer, he proposed increasing the tax for postal workers to take into account the tips they get, usually at Christmas. A journalist asked him how much he tipped his postman. I think you can guess the answer. When I was a delivery postman i would get the odd pound, the most I ever got from one person was 10 GBP. But most postal workers are not on deliveries and get no tips. Anyway, it didn't happen. And Nigel Lawson is only remembered now for being the father of Nigella. Hope you're feeling better after you illness.
Agree 100%! What was up with the additional “convenience” fee charged to you in NYC? We are generous tippers…however for the service given. I feel like every place we go for counter service is asking for a tip! Thanks for speaking up behalf of us frustrated consumers. ~Cara ❤
My daughter worked for a while when first leaving Uni at our local restaurant, and she would be given a large tips at times . But the culture was to put them in a pot and it would be shared out at the end of the evening so kitchen staff etc also go some of the money. This is in Uk and they were all paid at least the minimum wage if not slightly more
Hiya Dara, when I worked at Zest Restaurant in Whitehaven as a potwash, Me and my friends went there for food, when I finished work, we went upstairs, we ordered our food with a waiter, when we got our food, the assistant manager came upstairs, this assistant manager gave my friends their food and left Me until last, she leant over and said to Me "I don't know how you work in them conditions, I can hardly breath in that kitchen", when the truth came out, she got the biggest telling off possibly ever, of course she never got a tip, much to the relief off everyone,she let soon after, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
In the UK if you see the word gratuity on your bill, you can ask for it to be removed, and they have to remove it, you can still leave a tip, but you can not be forced to tip. If I am ever going out to eat, then I'll take some cash with me, so I can tip if the service and food are good, but pay for the meal by card. It's the idea that the employers are getting the money, and you are trusting them to give it all to the staff, without their little cut, that is why I always tip by cash.
I've had kids who have worked in the hospitality sector and I know how much the tips meant to them, so I generally tip around 10%. But not if staff have been rude, neglectful or sloppy. With a basic living wage I don't see the need for 20% or more in the UK.
Tipping should be optional at the discretion of the customer, not an expectation. Employers should be required by law to pay their staff a fair living wage instead of expecting paying customers to tip to ensure their staff can actually afford to live. It’s a completely messed up situation. If you can’t tell, I’m in the UK!
Here in the UK, probably because it is evident that I am ancient and a bit wobbly, I have been told by an admittedly quite expensive hairdresser, that, in these straightened times, she does not expect a tip. I have a dry cut, but if I had a shampoo, I would certainly tip the apprentice or Saturday girl.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Very interesting how different it is! My hairdresser here in Texas is a neighbour down the road... she works from her house and has no salon who takes most of her wages. I love that whatever I pay her goes all to her!
I usually leave a couple of pounds under the plate in a restaurant, but if the service was bad, then I don't leave anything. However on one occasion on a visit to New York in 2005, we left a tip of 10% in cash. The waitress came to the table in tears saying 'Was my service that bad?' Then we began to feel upset as we were sorry we'd upset her, so we gave her lots more $$$. We don't have this problem in Liverpool or Manchester!
Oh goodness! Your story is another of the many horrid stories I've heard of Britons eating out in American restaurants. I wish the servers would understand that not everyone is going to tip them 25%! They should never make the customer feel bad about it! Good grief...
It's a minefield!! That's an awful wage! Wow, that's really surprised me! Oo that was expensive soup!! We only tip if we have a meal out, but never a percentage! Just what we feel on the day. Intersting video. Cheers 🍻
That was interesting, I find in the Cotswolds at most pubs and restaurants the tip is automatically suggested, at Dayesford is was 18% today but the servers always ask if it is ok, if not they quickly remove it.
Did you enjoy your meal at Daylesford? We ate at the restaurant there and I actually was rather disappointed. The presentation was lovely, I just didn't think the food was that tasty...
@@MagentaOtterTravels Daylesford is not what it used to be, I also find their food disappointing and overpriced, we normally just go for coffee and toast, we do buy a lot of vegetables, milk and bread as it’s pretty much the best in the area. There are so many great places to eat in the Cotswolds, my favourite for casual meals is Quince & Clover in Great Tew, beautiful village and wonderful food. Funny sidebar, Tipping is also a phrase used in the UK for dumping rubbish on the side of the road or at concealed spots, particularly annoying for farmers, so when I saw the title for your video I was really confused at first! Take care
I've never tipped in Britain and often don't in the US either. I see no reason that I should be expected to subsidise someone's earnings because of a stingy employer. I'm a British American, having lived in the US for the past 16 years.
Hiya. For decades now, the vast majority of UK sit-down restaurants have had a discretionary service charge printed at the bottom (usually) of their menus. 12.5%-15% in the main. That's the tip. You do not have to tip on top of that. If there is no service charge, to tip or not is still up to the customer. Stay safe. All the best to you.
Here in the UK many restaurants add 10% to the bill automatically. If they do then that is all they get from me. If they don't then I generally leave a cash tip between 12-15% depending on what cash I have on me. I would never, ever, leave a tip at a chippy, a burger place or a bakery; what have they done to deserve it? I'll tip a cab driver but not a bus driver. It's been so long since I had hair I can't remember if I used to tip my barber ;-)
Yes and no. If you've never had one, you need to try it. But definitely get a chocolate chip, not one of the other kinds. As far as overpriced cookie shops go, my favorite one is Chip. I actually did a competitive review of all the different cookie shops in my Utah cookie taste test vlog last year 🤣
I always tipped good at my fav restaurants because the food and service is good. I never tip when I pick up food. Not sure what the minimum wage is for the servers here but I go overboard for them👍🏼
I totally agree with your point. I can't understand why you should be expected to pay the wages of a restaurant worker while the owner makes massive profits and pays them a pittance. The prices that you mentioned are ridiculous and to be charged a further 20% on top is laughable. With the cost of medical bills and prescriptions and insurance etc to take into account, I'm surprised that anyone can afford to eat out! The simple facts are that if you go to a restaurant or a pub and get lovely food and nice service, then yes you leave a tip. You should not be embarrassed or feel pressured into subsidising a badly run system. My brother and his wife visited America some years ago and he told me about how after having a drink he was physically chased down the street by the waitress who was shouting that he hadn't left a tip!! I don't think I will be visiting the USA any time soon 😮 Love your channel x
Thanks so much! Yes, I am amazed at how many stories I'm hearing from British people who have visited the states and have had similar unfortunate interactions with servers who felt they weren't tipped enough! Horrible!
Englishman here. I would never tip in a pub or anywhere with a counter service, as you say, they are just handing something to me, how else am I supposed to get the item. I tip for good service in restaurants, 10%. Rarely more. Indeed when I once did give a larger tip the staff attitude changed and the clearly thought I was being flash. I have travelled extensively throughout the US and the tipping culture is awful. The staff are either over the top nice to get a big tip or rude because they know that there is an expectation that they will get a tip anyway. Not their fault of course, the land of the free need to have a few employee rights.
As an aside. Tip does not stand for 'To Insure Promptness' as some people think. Insure is the wrong word anyway. It would be 'Ensure' make the word Tep.
@@MagentaOtterTravels Tip etymolgy: "give a small present of money to," c. 1600, originally "to give, hand, pass," thieves' cant, perhaps from tip (v.3) "to tap. v.3 c. 1200, "to strike, occur suddenly," of uncertain origin, possibly from Low German tippen "to poke, touch lightly," related to Middle Low German tip "end, point," and thus connected to tip
The electrician who was sub contracted to the builder chap who built my kitchen extension, because he was here so often, helpfully putting in place the spot lights etc, exactly where *I* wanted them to go, he became “our reliable electrician”. I know that if there is any electrical job I need doing, however big or small, I can call him up “on the quiet” and he will help. There’s no official rate of pay - he will just say “call it a ££ …” (always a really low cost) but I always add another £10 to it as I know he has “undercharged” me. Perhaps he is being a bit sneaky doing it that way, I don’t know - but it works for me! He’s fixed a problem and I have paid him - job done all sorted!
Electricians are very important people! Anyone who helps you out on something you really need done, and does a great job, deserves your appreciation. If they have undercharged for their service, I think a tip is a great idea! Electricians over here are outrageously expensive! I had a burnt spot on an electrical outlet in my office. There was an electrician who was here anyway for the bathroom remodel, and we asked him to come fix the outlet (do you call it a plug point or something?) in the office ... he spent literally 5 minutes replacing it. Guess what he charged for just that extra job... $75! Ian talked him down to $60. I was shocked.
@@MagentaOtterTravels that is literally - no pun intended (well, it is really! 😉😀) a shocking cost!! Replacing a plug socket here would take about 1O mins…. Turn the leccy off at the mains switch under the stairs; unscrew the plug socket frontage (you might need a “special” screwdriver, some fittings have star shaped screws etc); check the wiring layout (take a pic with your moby phone) wire the new socket and fix back to the wall 👍🏻😀. But… in all things, for a plug socket to have a burn on it is so unusual here, because, as you know in the UK, if there was a major electrical outage problem, the fuse plug would take the brunt of it first. That might make the plug go bang but I don’t think it would catch fire and burn the socket, unless it was because an incorrect wattage fuse for the electrical item was being used? 🤔. I have seen the plug sockets in the USA in the YT vids, with the connectors sticking right out. They just look so dangerous and cumbersome and like the plug could just so easily “fall out” of the socket! Would that actually happen? I’m visualising someone sitting close to the socket area, creating a very important report/document on their laptop; they get to a point where they move their chair back, their shoulder catches the sticking out plug, it falls out, the computer might not have enough battery power and dies and…..they hadn’t “saved” that file 😲😳😨…. Ohhhhh woukd that really happen? The thought of that just makes my 🤯🤯😁
Hi Dara, I'm storing up all your videos to watch when I come back from Vietnam but I have to throw in my 2 cents. 😂 I've found in Vietnam tipping isn't required, like Australia. But you can tip a little for good service. We use an Uber like app called Grab in Vietnam and when you pay it suggests amounts you can tip your driver. 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000 dong. 10k dong is about 50 US cents. Amazing how little can put a smile on someone's face. But they aren't earning their living from tips. It is terrible that hospitality workers can be paid as little as $2 per hour in the states. Criminal even considering a 20 year old hospitality worker in Australia is working for a minimum of $28, almost 20 bucks US. I'll probably have more to say after I watch the video 😂 I'm in the middle of an 8 hour train ride down the Vietnamese coast right now. Heading to our next destination, Phong Nha. A national park with huge caves, the world's biggest, and rivers and stuff. 😂
It’s gone crazy. I’ve just gotten disgusted and don’t have any qualms at all anymore about touching the “No Tip” button in counter service venues. In some places, like Playa Bowls, the cash register screen is an iPad-like device that the cashier swivels around for you to enter a tip while they watch and wait. For those I push “NO TIP” and then immediately when the customer satisfaction survey comes in to me as a text, I get in and give them a piece of my mind! They didn’t even do anything and I’m prompted to give a 25% tip on a $13 bowl of fruit mush?! Hard no on that.
👍 I recognise all of what you say from the UK and from our frequent USA holidays. I don’t use cash at all now. I hope our counter services in the UK don’t adopt that …include a tip in the card payment device …that is a PITA.
I usually tip in a restaurant but I only usually give around 5 to 10%. Most cafes have a tip jar and I will leave some change if I have it. I don’t think anyone tips places like McDonalds or takeaways in the UK or in pubs unless there is table service. I don’t tip if there is a service charge and I like to give a cash tip if I can. I do usually tip my hairdresser but I only have a cut and finish so I don’t pay a lot.
The American tip culture really is out of control with anyone who provides a service expecting something just for doing their job. It is ridiculous that you tip hotel housekeeping or a bar tender for what in a Brit's eyes are not exceptional services. The annoying thing is that Americans have exported their tipping culture to many parts of the world. It has crossed the boarder into Canada and no doubt will find it in the Caribbean next year. Locals get so used to Americans bringing their tipping culture with them it builds an expectation that all tourists will tip in the same way. This can cause issues when the tourist is from a non tipping culture as it can cause some ugly scenes. There are stories of tips being rejected for not being generous enough or customers being harassed as they leave or subject to rude comments. Then there is cultural insensitivity where staff are put in an awkward position where the local culture is no tipping and Americans try and force through a 20% tip.
Took me a few seconds to realise you weren't talking about sleeping cows... Last two restaurants we were at I had to get the staff to back up the card machine a step so I could add a tip, as we rarely carry cash these days.
Oh no... please don't tip over any sleeping cows! Poor things! Yes, always good to carry cash if you can... otherwise ask the server to add a tip before the bill is totaled.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I wonder how many of us do carry cash? In days gone by, if I saw someone who looked in need, ‘begging’, I’d slip my hand in my pocket and fish out the spare change I had. Alas, though I’ve often felt the urge to give, nowadays I rarely carry any money!
@@woodentie8815 we all started shopping online during Covid. Then when we started going back to stores, people in the US and UK started paying for everything in a contactless way with credit cards. I'm gobsmacked that countries like Germany and Austria still deal in cash for a lot of purchases!
In Britain you should always leave a cash tip...That is BY LAW the waiters/waitress money...If paid electronically or part of the bill this tip can be kept by the restaurant 😢😢😢😢😢
In a UK pub,you offer the barman A drink then he takes the price of a pint….then for the rest of the evening,hes your best buddy ,and you dont have to wait around for good service..and also he’ll laugh at your jokes however childish they are….think Tommy Cooper..yes you’ll have a lovely evening , enjoy watching the tightwads getting upset at the bad service they’re receiving.
To answer your final question, I don't think you're being miserly or cheap at all. But also, as a society we need to get used to paying more for things (or getting fewer things) so that businesses can price transparently and pay their employees fairly. Honestly, same goes for things like airlines and hotels with all their hidden fees and add-ons. It's not like the person who owns and runs my favorite restaurant is making bank while paying their servers and kitchen staff a pittance. They have the problem of getting customers in the door. Massage therapists and hair stylists have a specialized training and skill sets and have to maintain licenses to practice. If we believe people should be compensated fairly for their work (and I believe in a perfect world a person should be able to live comfortably on minimum wage, and not be worked to the bone, forced to take second jobs, and resented for taking vacations and family time... but I'm not your typical American), we also have to be ready to pay what's fair in the first place, and that's more than what we see on most restaurant and service menus today.
I agree with you. Pay the workers what they deserve so that they can make a living wage. Raise my prices if you need to! Just take the guest work out of it so that it's not up to my judgment to decide how much someone else's employees are paid! as for Massage Therapists and hair stylists, I always wonder how much of the price is actually going to them, since I know the salon or spa takes a big cut.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I can tell you for a fact, as my sister was a massage therapist for the first half of her career, that the chains pay the worst, by far. Less than a quarter of the fee goes to the therapist. And that's hard, physical work! If you can hire a person independently, you're supporting them and their business so much more.
I recently noticed that even a cash advance app, was asking me to tip. And it defaulted to $7.50 tip, unless I changed it to a lower tip or no tip. I found that kind of shady. And in that case, I wonder who the tip is even for? I don't even think a person was involved, because I think it is most likely an automated system.
Us tipping some exmaples i saw. QR code in the hotel to tip the staff, several stores asking for tips on automated machines. Even in restaurants when you get the bill listing the expected tips. Why should we the customer be paying for your staff. Edit you go on to mention tipping percent on bills
My Wife and I have visited the U.S.A. on quite a few occasions by sea and air.American owned cruise ships and those influenced by American business models are becoming increasingly annoying to many due to their mandatory "Gratuities".The expected/demanded tip amounts have noticeably been on the increase lately. If you take into account the really high cost of obtaining quality Medical Insurance to visit American waters and the seemingly high inflation on goods over there , then travel to the U.S.A. is unfortunately becoming too expensive for many. I was looking for some Brandy over on an American Caribbean island recently and found that I would have to pay an extra $50.00. for a bottle of decent spirit over what they were charging for the same product in a British supermarket. You really have to budget for all the extra tips and taxes before considering a holiday in the States now. Sorry.
Kind of similar to the tipping is the whole tax at the register thing. As this varies from state to state on if you pay tax for certain things and what that percentage is i just never know what i will end up paying. Cant we just have the tax included in the price please.
Hahah Dara Is that me paying $250 for hair service? hahaha My hair stylist works so hard on my hair for highlights/lowlights....tips is my appreciation to her time-consuming and laborious job I did not grew up with tip-system so I still do not understand why PPL aim on minimum wages... We choose a job by benefit, salary, working conditions, so I have never heard PPL worried about salary within my circle of the friends. If the salary does not meet one's expectation, do not chose that job. I don't mind to pay tips unless the services do not meet my expectation. I do wonder why every single person does not pay the same amount of tips equally for services. One service for one amount of tips for all. How is taking the bunch profit from the business? I thought that is why the UNION negotiate with a company. The salary is also considered by the living expense, too. $100 annual raise plus promotion and 3 month worth of monthly salary for a bonus in summer and winter...what else You need to know?? hahaha. The loyal employees are protected. hehe Dara, again great topic. Sorry I miss some vids...My hubby was not feeling well... appreciate your feedback on Bioluminescence- MAGIC" I hope your house renovation goes well as you planned.
@ms.kayak7seas A lot of times you are forced to accept a job you don't want because you have bills to pay. It's also the case in the UK that if you're unemployed you are FORCED to accept ANY job or your benefits will be stopped.
YES IT WAS YOU!!! Thanks for watching this video and sharing your thoughts. I know you didn't grow up with American tipping culture, so you are trying to be generous and fit in with our crazy culture. But really the employers need to be fairly compensating their workers... so that all of us customers don't have to guess at how much we should tip and feel guilty! Do NOT worry about missing videos. I am only able to watch my friends' videos occasionally, so I don't expect my friends to watch all mine either! I hope you and Mr. K7S are feeling well now! XX Dara
I only use cash for tips for 2 reason#1). I can decide the amount of the tip based on the quality of service and #2 reason. This way I know the worker gets to keep the tip without employer involvement
I'm actually quite happy when restaurants put 10% on the bill for a tip but if they don't I'll always leave that much myself, that's my limit though, I think that's enough. Only for table service though. My daughter used to work in a local pub often frequented by a well known TV personality. He'd often come in with a large group for Sunday lunch and they'd run up a £400 bill or so. How much would they leave as a tip for the 17 year old waitresses on £5 an hour (no minimum wage at that age) serving them? Sweet Fanny Adams! Nada, zilch. I throw cushions at the telly if I see him on there now.
Wen my wife first came to the uk with me I took her to a restaurant to eat and she made me leave a tip and wen we left she noticed the waiter taking the money to the register and ask wat he was supposed to do with the money and now we feel restaurants here in the states are making u pay for the servers wages on top of the food so they are getting free labor
Tommy Cooper (Britains funniest man RIP) used to stuff a "fiver" in a taxi drivers pocket and say "Have a drink on me!" When the driver took the "fiver" out of his pocket he would discover it was a teabag!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊
Living in Ireland 🇮🇪. . Tipping optional. I do when I'm at a restaurant.. USA 🇺🇸 Getting to where you having to tip at a toll both nowadays. Am 61 I remember also 30 years ago 15 ÷ Plenty..
@@MagentaOtterTravels I here because of good health care. Having cancer bring looked after here... back in the US.. mabye millions of dollars 💸... not going back ever to live there. Go back around thanksgiving usually. .. weather rainy and cold ... but alive and well...
Before the minimum wage came in seasonal farm workers got ripped off. They showed one wage slip, where food and accommodation etc. deducted, the worker's total pay for a 48 hour week was £0.00. Over here, I only tip in restaurants. I usually give £5.00. That costs me around £5.00 a year. 😁😁 I was in Poundland a few months ago and their machines were asking if you wanted to give a donation to charity or not. I pressed 'not' because the checkout in a shop is the wrong place to ask for charitable donations. Not once in my working life did I ever receive a tip. Not money anyway. In 1971 my boss did give me a tip on how to stack wood properly. 😂 When I was un the US I was astonished that bars had a rip jar. That was unheard of here. I did leave tips because I knew the barmaid. She had to go into work to pay the bills even though she was suffering a terrible migraine. I did read a story where a New York restaurant paid the staff a proper wage and banned tipping. The cost was included in the bill. The experiment didn't last long because customers were looking at the prices on the menus and thought they were higher, even though they were actually lower because no tip was expected. It's a psychological thing. In Japan giving tips is regarded as an insult, so don't do it. I do have a tip for you after watching videos from a former airline stewardess. She always takes a carrier bag containing small boxes of chocolates to give to the crew when she boards an airliner. I think this is a very good idea because they're in charge of the escape chutes if something goes wrong and it's very wise to be on their good side. 😂Plus they do work very hard and some passengers can be a real pain. How much for a haircut?!! 😲I'd better start giving myself $200 and a 20% tip when I cut my own hair. 🤣🤣
Your wood stacking comment made me laugh! haha You cut your own hair? Weston did that once during covid lockdown. He used scissors and attacked the back of his head. It was not pretty. I had to repair the damage ;-) Good idea to bring treats for the flight crew!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I have an electric cutter. I use it at the No.2 setting and whip off nearly all of my hair. Don't need to comb it for weeks because there's not much left. 😁Talking about tonsorial catastrophes, I once used some old barbers clippers on my friend's hair and cut a MASSIVE step in his fringe. Then I ran home as fast as I could before his mother saw it. 😂😂
Hello Dara. A serious topic. I hate the way tipping culture is in the US, especially in restaurants. As I come from the UK, Wales in particular, I’m only used to tipping for good service. When I was a teen, I worked Friday evenings and Saturdays. We as kids had tips, small value usually for carrying the customers shopping from the road to the customers’ house. Some had flights of steps bigger than a staircase! They weren’t big tips, enough after sharing them out with my brother, to buy a large Dinky Toy after Christmas. If I buy a meal I expect the cost to pay the wait staffs wages. I’ve already spent a fortune on the meal why do I need to top up wages with a 15 to 20% tip? For good service is another thing. My experience in the US is the magic thing, they only seem to ask you if all is OK when you’ve just put a fork full into your mouth. I don’t mind some service but the constant pestering of me while I'm trying to eat for me is poor service. Dining out for me is a social event not a time for our chats to be interrupted by some wait staff asking how everything is doing when all I want is to eat and talk to my companions. Some industries in the UK get tips as usual business, taxi drivers, hairdressers often get tips. The income tax people (HMRC) expect a certain amount of tips to be included in their tax returns and will penalise you if you don’t declare enough tips as income. I don’t eat out often but when I do at a local pub or restaurant I will add a tip, but only if the service has been good, usually cash. There have been some reports that tips added to card payments seem to loose some value after it progresses between customer and staff. Cash goes straight into the pocket!
Do I remember correctly that your family had a greengrocers business? Nice that you could carry peoples' bags home for them! Yes, it is very disturbing that some credit card gratuities don't go directly to the wait staff. It is better to give them cash I guess... maybe I need to start toting more pound coins around with me!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes Dara, my dad took over the business from his father-in-law. As far as I know my great grandfather was also in the fruit business. My maternal grandfather was called Jack Evans and he had a shop and a mobile business with horse and cart. The horse knew the round and would auto-pilot his way. i don't remember my grandfather, he died when i was just 1 year old. In the 70's i took over the mobile shop for dad & mum to have a holiday, one of dad's older customer's said that my brother & I were the 4th generation of the family to sell her fruit & veg! War time with rationing meant no imported fruit, no bananas, oranges etc. if oranges came in word soon got around and people would be queueing up the street. The first time I went to my doctors surgery on my own they couldn't find my records. Luckily the older receptionist found them, I was filed as "Young Evans" after my mum's maiden name.
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes, the family kept the local tradition but it won't work nowadays. Not many people stay at home these days, too many housewives with daytime jobs, home deliveries and it was very time consuming, difficult to have time off for holidays and sickness.
US tipping culture, a topic I have strong opinions! I hate it but in the times I have been to the US I have begrudgingly tipped! Mainly from the moral point of not wanting a server who was working and yet would be impacted financially if I did not tip. (And when with groups of other people, when everyone contributed to the tip I couldn't not tip) My main issue with tipping is that to me it's paying for the same service and paying twice, once the amount on the bill and then again for service, as far as I'm concerned service should be included in the bill you pay for patronising that restaurant, cafe etc. I have never really tipped in the UK, Europe or in Australia, nor with any groups of friends if we've gone out to dinner. In the past Asian countries I've visited would have signs up 'No tipping!' Those signs aren't seen as much now, but culturally it's not appropriate to tip there.
Another story i have from my trip to LA. We had gone out for breakfast the restaurant was really busy and the server run off her feet. We waited ages for order to be taken food came out luke warm because it had been sat waiting for the server. I was in a huge quandary. What do i do? Tip the 20% or say actually service was not great and leave no tip. It was not the fault of the server she was so busy. I didnt feel like an argument so just left the tip my friends kept telling me to shut up about it as it made me grouchy the rest of the day. 😂
I can totally see that happening!!! I often have the same dilemma. If the food is lousy I don't want to pay a big tip, but that is usually NOT the server's fault!
tipping is a bad deal for people in service industries. it's so unfair for employers to leave it up to customers to decide if their employees should make a living. my cousin is a hairstylist, and her salon recently changed their pricing and implemented a strict no-tips policy. The stylists are compensated slightly better now (more consistently, at least) and they didn't lose many clients over the raise in prices, because the clients know the increase is going to the stylists (and it doesn't cost them any more if they tipped appropriately in the first place).
During the pandemic, I started tipping 25% (I've always tipped that much on holidays, as well), because I felt extra grateful for the people who were still working and taking the risk of being among the public more (restaurant workers, delivery people, etc.). It just stuck, so now that's my standard.
In the US, gratuity is an entitlement thanks to the employers. If they paid an actual minimum (or better) wage, it wouldn't be on the customer to pay that much "extra" just so that their employees could survive. Notice the additional fees on restaurant receipts now to help pay for employee health insurance? Once again, why would the employers pay for an employee's benefits, when they can just pass yet another add-on along to the customer?
Ive always thought the tipping culture in the USA to be strange, the last time i was over there i did a bus tour around San Francisco and at the end of it the driver actually got on the loudspeaker to tell everyone not to forget to give him a tip, he even stood by the door asking for his tip, now if i get good service i will leave a tip but im certainly not being told i have to give one. In the UK i will leave a tip if the service is good, i always pay with cash 99% of the time. Recently i stayed in a Premier Inn and ate in the restaurant i paid with my card and the reader gave options from 50p upwards with a no tip option included. I dont think you are mean Dara, leaving a tip when you are buying a donut in a shop is ludicrous and having to navigate the reader to find the no tip option feels a little bit like your being manipulated to leave one so i would find the no tip page on principal.
Yes, I know what you mean when you go on a bus tour or boat tour or something like that. The tour guide stands there at the exit expecting you to hand them a stack of cash...
I wonder if this is a business opportunity for some bold US chain to advertise that staff tipping is purely discretionary (e.g., "No need to Tip - The Price We Say Is The Price You Pay!"). All considered, given that the customer is going to pay X + (say) 20% Tip, why not simply adjust the prices accordingly and pay the staff a living wage? Either way, the average customer is still going to pay the same.
I think if I ever go to the US again I'll eat on the go - sandwiches and soup or whatever. I'm not tipping 20% to anyone, 15% maybe. Here, if I pay for my son and I to have a meal that comes to £50, I'll tip £5. I don't think that is bad. If the bill is £53, I'd probably leave £60 on the table. I tend to round up rather than do a percentage so sometimes it would be more than 10%, other times not. Depends on the change in my pocket too. If I have to order at the counter and food is brought to the table in a pub perhaps then I'd leave £5 or so for dinner. Lunch, if just soup or a sandwich, £2-3 (left on the table). Taxi driver I round up - so I'd say keep the change for an £18 taxi ride and give him £20. Just a couple of quid to the taxi driver. I rarely go anywhere that I need to tip. Most food I can cook better at home. It does put me off going to the US with the restaurant tipping culture. Not relaxing at all as someone will get annoyed.
Here in the Manchester area of the UK, in the pubs around my area, when buying drink/drinks, it was common to say to the barmaid/barman, ‘and your own’. You never expected them to have a drink and charge you for it - nor did they - just a small gratuity (20p was the norm when I used to do the rounds, many years ago)which they’d put in a communal tip glass behind the bar - not compulsory to tip, and certainly not a hefty percentage of the bill! On tipping in the States. I wonder if they changed to our system - paying a reasonable wage, and the decision whether or not to tip being with the customer - would the staff win or lose by this?🤔
When I worked behind the bar of a local pub in the early 80s it was made clear to me that if anyone said 'take a pound for yourself' we were not allowed to take it, and if anyone said 'drink for yourself' you were only allowed one soft drink at the end of the evening, regardless of how many we may have had 'in the wood'. That wasn't unusual in the south east. Quite a few people my age have mentioned a similar experience in those days.
That is a uniquely British thing that I've heard before. Telling the bartender to "get one for themselves" as a way of tipping. That is very funny to an American... I just imagine all these inebriated bartenders behind the bar making people's drinks! haha
I’m curious, when a tip is added to your card payment does the person who served you actually get that money? Also if someone is paid the minimum wage are they expected to declare all their tips to the tax office especially if it was in cash & therefore there is no record of it?
I wish I knew the answer to your first question. I'm concerned that servers don't get as much of the tips as they should! In a typical restaurant there is other staff besides the waiters and waitresses. There's the hostess, busboys, dishwashers, etc. I think that tips are supposed to be split with front of the house and back of the house staff. Heaven knows what really happens! As for declaring income on your taxes, tipped employees are supposed to declare all of their income, even if they get it in cash. But in reality most people are not honest enough to declare all of it ...
@@MagentaOtterTravels I certainly agree that back of house staff should receive a share. I just hope that it is shared fairly between all & not pocketed by the owner. If they were paid a reasonable wage then it wouldn’t be such an issue (tax would be easier to calculate) & customers wouldn’t feel pressurised into paying more regardless of the service provided.
I think if your postman has to get out of his van and walk more than two steps he should be tipped….so that he can save them up to pay for his hip operations later on in life,if he throws the package at your door instead of walking then he dosent deserve a tip,as he wont be needing an operation..
if we go out in uk and even in Europe for meals and its a table service , we will tip around 10% of bill. However a pub meal where we go up to counter for a meal, if i want to tip i just put coins in the Jar on the counter. I don't tip my hairdresser or beautician. It used to be a thing to tip the Saturday girl who washed your hair before the hairdresser took over , but again that doesn't seem a thing anymore. Taxi drivers we just round up the money to avoid change etc by saying keep the change. But as we become a more cashless society that is ceasing i think. If we have a delivery ordered over the phone from the local chinese takeawy which you cant use a card i just tell the delivery person to keep the change, but if ordering online etc and paying by card and there is something inplace to add a tip for the driver i will do so.
@@MagentaOtterTravels someone usually a student who used to work on the busiest day washing the hair for the hairdresser ,sweeping up and other general chores
Tipping in the uk….is great if youre pleased with the service…but in the uk all the costing is done ,it dosent need more generosity…it is not essential…the service you get is genuine…a tip isn’t a necessity unless you need to impress somebody..you wont find a fly in your soup if you dont… A can of big soup is £1,30p…. a Cookie is about £1…who’s being led astray ? But i think Ambience is worth paying for and pleasant staff….so if it costs £10 to put on a good show.,pay the piper...Bothams in Whitby do a stotty bacon butty and a coffee for about £10…but it’s a top eatery..so bring it on..i say..Bothams do not expect a tip..
If you really want to stop doing it pay cash. Then only pay the exact price. Then if you want to tip someone then it's cash tax free for the individual not the buisness.
It’s a shame American workers don’t get paid a living wage. Now that Brexit has removed 600,000 hospitality workers from the UK there isnt staff to go around. I’m guessing those European Workers were all on less than living wage. When they add the gratuity specifically it really annoys me so generally I wont go a penny over. Ironically if it’s not detailed I’d be very generous if the service even partially warranted it. 25% seems very reasonable for professional service.
It is awful the wages that some tipped workers in the US receive! And I agree that great service deserves a nice tip... but we should not be forced or bullied into a mandatory tip amount by a big company!!
I could not agree with this more. No way am I tipping staff working in a state like California, tips should be ''gravy'' for excellent service, and no way am I going above 20%. I absolutely refused to tip a mandatory valet at a restaurant we were invited to go to by family. I can park my own damn car. Yet another reason not to bother traveling back to the US. (I have been seeing an optional gratuity appearing more recently at some UK restaurants, another annoying adoption from the US 😤)
There are so many ways that tipping culture is out of control. The new examples I learned in the past day are ONLINE store website asking for a tip when you buy a pair of jeans... and a vending machine asking for a tip!!! Just madness.
If you want someone to go pick up your food or groceries, do it, tip and tip well. But here's the truth. Other countries target Americans and Canadians for tip I've been in may tours all over the world including in Italy. The ones that are sold to Americans, say to tip. I had Europeans on the same trip and they didn't tip the guide, drives, tours at all. In NY people would walk out and not tip now they automatically add. But it's their loss I tip 20% not 18% because its unacceptable for wait staff nkt tk get paid minimal. Massage therapist only receive a small percentage of whatbyou paying. Same with cab drives and they have to pay their own gas.
UK: If I get good service, I will give a 10% tip (cash, even when paying by card). If the service is poor, I don’t tip at all.
Same in the US.
You just dont tip more than 10% in a UK restaurant thats if you bother to tip….unless you want to be related to the staff..
@@griswald7156 Not for a popular restaurant chain in the UK it's a minimum of 20% service charge(tip)
@@billmilligan1705 it depends what denomination of dollars are in your pocket…
I would never give a tip in a cafe where I order a couple of quick items that are brought to the tabel and that's it. On the rare occasions I enter a fast food place , it would never enter my mind to tip. In a restaurant having a 3 course meal, yes I will tip if I get good service, but never more than 10 % usually less. My wife says she would expect to pay about £60.00 for a cut and colour wash, if its a good job she will tip £5.00. I have never givem a tip in a Barbers, currently paying £8.00 for a haircut [ possibly they charge more in one of those Turkish Barbers, we have had an epidemic of them recently in our part of the UK, usually no customers in them when I walk past-money Laundering like nail salons?].
I only ever tip in restaraunts. Even if I pay by card, I tip with cash which I leave under the plate. Of course I check to see if a tip has been added to the bill, before I determine how much tip.🙂
I saw a video on just this subject recently, from the USA too. The woman was going nuts because she'd found a self service vending machine (can't remember where) that when it came to pay at the built in card reader it asked for a tip. Outrageous.
A vending machine asked for a tip?! See what I mean? That is just madness!
It got to that extreme after COVID.
Come on… who else would would work 24/7 .. fair pay for androids.. ! The servicing charges are horrendous these days..£50 call out , that’s before you even think about parts and labour..
HA! That's insane!
I am English and I very rarely tip. If I do it tends to be when eating out in a group. But it's never by a percentage.
And it is usually rounding up to the nearest pound or so per person.
Yes exactly.
It's a group thing. Everyone throws in a tenner or a twenty. If there's a few quid over the waitress gets it. Even the waiter but he will be a she nowadays.
US businesses like the tipping culture, it enables them to advertise false prices. They may advertise a meal for $20, but that is not what it will cost you, that could be $24.
In the UK, at Christmas I gave the chap who regularly delivers my food order a fiver for a Christmas drink and had to push it on them, they were definitely not expecting anything.
That is very nice to tip delivery people. They work so hard! Much more of an effort than the person handing me a cookie across the counter ;-)
Christmas tipping postman ,recycling guys,regular courier…i think it all needs to be £10 or maybe £20 these days..theyre your lifeline throughout the year..
I think youre under a misconception about Cake Chicks Dara….”handing a cookie across the counter” the job will be a grind on minimum wage,nobody will appreciate the 40 hours they put in …shift work,so they can’t plan their lives…the manager will decide when this week they can have time off…they suffer gossiping and intimidation ,from other staff members ,bullying from management
Low pay,low self esteem,then when they can go home they have to work out how to live on a pittance..and struggle with debts,even if they are prudent economists.. and every ounce of effort is squeezed out of them ,perform or go home conditions,
Then they have to be super sweet to the customers…or they get bullied by them..
A fiver ? You’ve got big balls..
@@griswald7156.
Why, he wasn't expecting anything.
With contactless payments more prevalent in the UK I think less people are getting tips, usually the only people who get tipped are taxi drivers,barbers and bar staff, everyone should be entitled to at least the minimum wage and holiday payments
I make a point of having a few quid on me to give the waiter a cash tip. Pay the bill on my card though, so the business has to put it through the books!
The minimum wage is a shame on a nation….get rid of it…and pay a comfortable wage…such leeches..
Was in the US for several months last year but am American living in the UK for 30 years. At Starbucks my niece had to explain (in a somewhat condescending and exasperated way) why I needed to leave a tip for counter service. I pointed out to her that wealthy companies with huge profits want me to subsidise their employees' wages whilst also spending my money on their goods or services. Lunacy! God bless Europe and the living wage. No more than 10% tipping in the UK and a jolly good thing!
We paid £15 for two coffees and one piece of cake in the uk….. but the ambience and staff were lovely..they had car chargers too…but your right i dont think anybody would tip in a UK Starbucks..unless your name is Mr Bezos..
What we need now is mag chargers on every table…Mr Starbuck,and better deals on the Starbucks tat shelf
But tipping in a USA Starbucks might be a different game of cricket.always listen to the locals on these matters…
If I am in a Starbucks there will be no tip from me (in US or UK). That's mad. I blame the American people, no just don't do it.
Tipping for counter service is a bad idea!!
@@MagentaOtterTravels well i think ,that if you go into that same Starbucks regularly over the year ,your favourite team members ought to trouser one of your tenners for their Christmas box..its only polite..a white envelope with a card and your tip..with their name on it..
The same goes for the butchers department in your Walmart , Waitrose or Lidl, they serve you your juicy cuts all year too.
And the Lady that passes over the counter that delicious gateaux all year for you…dont ignore them…theyre on minimum wage remember..show them your appreciation at Christmas..if they weren’t on minimum wage your grocery bill would be higher than Helena..i say put them all on a decent family wage and whack up everybody’s grocery bills to pay for it…or failing that force the megacompanies to pay them a proper wage out of their fabulous profits..or blackball that shop..cut the CEO mega salary and distribute that sum fairly around…stop their golden hello’s and golden goodbye’s ..lets have some sunny days for the staff..
Sat did you know Starbucks pay their employees above minimal wage? So no I don't tip at all. It's wait staff that get way bellow minimal that I do.
what annoys me is is the takeout places that didn't need tip before now add it at credit card check out like 5 guys, subway, panera bread. its annoying. I was dennys and there a person who handed me my takeout bag as I was swiping my card stated " on next screen is where you put your tip". Um No won't be doing that buddy unless you served me this food at the restaurant dine in.
I agree! It's so cheeky!!!
Something else that is impacted by US tipping culture is what organised travel people do. This was something that I found out through a friend who works with travel agents. Another friend was organising a European River cruise, travel agent friend pointed out that it was important to check out the Cruise companies. Avoid those that cater for US tourists, reason being they tip constantly on the trip and that then puts non tipping tourists in a difficult position and so they're peer pressured into tipping which then makes that river cruise experience much more expensive. Her recommendation was to go with a cruise company that catered to Australian tourists (who pretty much never tip!) and have the same river cruise experience at a lower cost. I was mildly appalled by this advice as part of the joys of travel for me are to meet people from other countries and life experiences, I would hate to spend money on an European cruise and then travel with a boat of Australians whose lives generally would be similar to the life I live in Australia.
Oh my goodness, that is very interesting! I can understand why you were given that advice, but I agree with you. Much nicer to travel and meet people from around the world!
Hi Dara, elderly English person here, I have never had a problem with tipping. Having been a barman in my younger days, I have always given bar staff a drink, or cash equivalent. In restaurants, 10-12.5%. Increasingly, restaurants seem to be adding a gratuity of 12.5%, to the bill, which is always pointed out and if you are not happy with the service, there is seldom a problem if you ask for it to be removed, something I have never had to do. I think you're right, the situation in America, has become crazy. It should never be forgotten, that you can take your custom where you wish and as a customer, you should never be taken for granted. I haven't been to America, for about forty-five years, but I really think I would struggle with your current tipping culture. No wonder you enjoy your time spent in The U.K., at least you don't get chased for a tip, nor guilt-tripped if you don't leave one. To date, our shop workers haven't started demanding tips for doing their jobs, but seeing as the norm is to slavishly follow what happens in America, who knows what will happen. I enjoyed your rant and didn't think you were in any way unreasonable, best wishes..
@@marke.blewer1279 thanks so much! In the past several weeks we have traveled all over Britain from the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland, Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, and now we are in Kent and Sussex. I've noticed that it's frequently difficult to leave a tip in a pub if you don't carry cash! They always tell you the amount and then you just have to tap and pay. Trying to get them to add a tip is quite a faff!
I find that most sit down restaurants we go to in uk now add 10% to bill for tip already. For counter i dont tip if paying by card if cash then i would chuck the loose change in the jar. For my hairdresser i tend give her a fiver. But the works out at less 5%
In the UK we are legally entitled to request the 'auto-tip' is removed. I do this all the time.
You live in a metro area with a lot of tourists, so I'm not surprised that they are adding gratuity in sit down restaurants. I'm glad it's only 10%, which seems very reasonable.
I only ever paid a fiver for my haircut including a tip. Guys with barbers vs girls with hairdressers.
Here in the U.K., I might tip a little, if it’s been a nice experience. Being friendly and efficient are the basics of the job. I only tip substantially when a server has been very helpful or has really gone out of their way to improve my experience.
I agree. Sometimes we are more work for the server when we eat a meal (Ian requires a LOT of ketchup, LOL!) or we have special requests. And often, Ian and I split a mains and a dessert... so our bill might be relatively small but we still give the server a generous tip because it's not THEIR fault we don't drink anything but tap water and we don't order a lot of food!
I'm English and hate the US tipping culture.
In UK I might tip if for some reason the service I need or get is not what would normally be expected (a large group, a restricted diet, help that would not be usual).
Regarding the current US system, why should the tip % have increased?
I also hate that your (US) prices don't include the tax, why not?
I don't know why the % tip has increased... but it is annoying when the cost of food has increased so much as well!
Yes, not including tax is also annoying. Knowing what your final bill will be is always a guessing game! Did you know that the sales tax varies by state but also by city and town? Just bizarre!
Oh my, one of the things that worried me the most when I came to live in the United States was the tipping system! I was terrified I'd get it wrong. I didn't know when to tip and how much to tip. I hate it when they automatically add a gratuity. I now feel guilty if I don't tip at least 20%. My husband is a big tipper, and being British I feel rather miserly about it. Employment rights in the US in general, especially with the minimum wage regulations for employees is truly shocking to a Brit. Salon services have rocketed over here. On top of that you are expected to give a large tip. I notice a big difference when I go to the UK. It amazes me that even when it is counter service the employees expect a tip. Really?! A very interesting topic, Dara. Very well narrated and presented ❤
Thanks so much, Julie! I don't often do rant videos, but this was something I just had to get off my chest!!
You are spot on, I can't stand people telling me how much I should tip them.
Or getting angry at you when they think you haven't tipped enough!😳
If I go out to dinner here in the UK, I always leave a 20% tip, but I wouldn’t if I had to pay $27.00 for a bowl of soup and a chocolate mouse!
If it’s a nice restaurant lots of Brits tip, not so much a basic pub lunch maybe and certainly not every time you wanted a snack from Greggs or a cookie from a bakery that wouldn’t be accepted here, as I’m sure you would probably know.
20% tip ! A fool and his money is soon parted. Who are you trying to impress?
If somebody server me a mouse of any sort would make me question the entire bill, let alone leave a tip...
@@TheEulerID 😂😂
You and your miser’s hump of course.
I can't believe people getting paid 2.13 dollers per hour, disgusting
I agree!
I’ll bet the employers wanted a round $2…but couldnt quite achieve it..
The girls in the Casinos in Vegas literally have to live off their tips, which is why you'll normally see them leaving very little to the imagination. I've been to a few and thought I'd walked into a strip club. But, those $1 tips over the course of a day soon add up for the punter. 2 peoples drinks at $5 a time every 20 minutes or so, for 10+ hours, that's a minimum of $150.
@@adrianboardman162 $150 for 10 hours is a ridiculously small wage for the work they do. $15 per hour. Nobody should need to do 10 hour shifts for peanuts. In Australia the minimum wage for hospitality workers is about $28.
Plus how many hospitality workers in the US don't have the "luxury" of working in Vegas.
@@ShaneNixonFamily No, for the punter, it works out at $150 an hour. The waitresses will be getting on average more than that as there's usually more than 2 people in their section. On average, they're going to serve 15 - 20 people per run. It shouldn't be that way, they should be on a working wage, but depending on the shifts they pick up, the tips are the difference between paying the bills or not.
Like you I spend almost half the year in the US (Florida) and the remainder in England. You have hit the nail on the head - the tipping in the US is totally out of control. What you didn’t mention was that back when 15% was the norm the service was top class. Now the service is some of the worst I have ever experienced and the tip expectation is so much greater.
It’s time for the US to change their payment model and at least people would know what their bill was going to look like when they choose their meal!
Don’t get me started on the tax not being included 🤭
Yes, that is infuriating as well! Are you originally a British citizen? Did you grow up in the UK?
I’ve substantially reduced eating outside, I might get a togo order but that’s it. I’m really annoyed by the tip culture. I can appreciate tipping if I get served. But sometimes even togo orders they expect some tips. Hell no, y’all not gonna get any tip from me for waiting at the counter.
Precisely. I walked up to the counter and placed this order and waited for it. I'm doing all the hard work! Your employer should pay you enough for handing me food across the counter ;-)
Dara - thanks for all this info. I am off to Texas in 3 weeks to hopefully see the total ellipse of the sun. In the meantime, thanks to you for the info in your videos - no one is running off with my credit card in a restaurant to swipe it to pay for a meal; no one is being tipped for doing for doing nothing in the hotel. I have not been to the US for 16 years, the last time I was there the taxi driver actually said to me you must tip me! This was despite the fact that I had paid the fare for the ride from the airport, San Francisco, as part of my air fare.
In the Uk I do tip my hair dresser, I normally tip at a restaurant if service is not included, I never take a taxi as it is too expensive but if paid in advance do not. Black cabs in London will demand a tip so do not use them. As you know we do not tip in a pub as it is not necessary unless you are over the moon with the service.
Americans ought to pay their workers a living wage, that is why they moan when in Europe as the staff costs are included in the overall cost of hotel, meal, etc. But it is better than tipping culture which is demeaning to all concerned. Why do you have to be nice to someone awful? Just to get a tip? This is the feudalism that the USA, along with the use of the word “gotten” and the Queen Anne gallon (7.5 pints), has not move on from.
Sorry but I have never gotten over it.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much! Enjoy your trip to Texas. I just bought some eclipse viewing glasses today😎
Not been states for a decade, got a road trip coming up so this is useful to know! It is frustrating to see a price then do the sales tax and tip maths. I bet tips paid by card never fully reach the people providing the service.
Don't feel bullied into paying huge tips or paying tips for silly things like fast food. We need to stop the madness!
When eating out in the UK family and I routinely give 10% as a gratuity for table sevice. In a few establishments the server might also ask if the diner would care to give a very small amount to a national or local charity, which we usually do.
Finally watched this. Yep, totally agree. Tipping is insane in the US but it is probably the only place I'd tip a server because I know the minimum wage is abysmal. The fact the the minimum wage presumes tips is outrageous. It is practically a violation of human rights. In Oz I used to tip a bit - rounding up a few bucks etc. But I rarely do anymore unless the service was outstanding. I remember a US based restaurant, it may have been the Hard Rock, when they first opened in Sydney included tips in the bill. I think this peeved a lot of people when they noticed and I'm not sure they continued that for very long. Some restaurants include the screen to tip on the card reader these days but it is easy to skip. I was tipping in Vietnam occasionally even though it was not expected - I'd hand a few thousand dong to someone that just put in some physical labour for us - rowed a boat or drove us somewhere for 3 hours or something. But it definitely wasn't expected at restaurants etc. I did read about people doing proper tours and the tour company suggesting $10 per day per person as tips for guides and drivers. That seems really expensive to me, especially in a country like Vietnam. I reckon it was probably a foreign tour company thing.
Not surprised about Hard Rock. They have overpriced food and I'm sure they expect tips as well.
I'm so curious about your Vietnam trip! Are you going to spend 2 or 3 years getting the vlogs together?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Oh gosh I hope not. It was a year or two before I even started on the Japanese ones. Speaking of which I do have one more to finish then I will move on to the Vietnamese. Michelle convinced me to put aside the Australian ones I have to do, about 10, till I've done the Vietnamese. I aspire to be informative, interesting and entertaining like you and Rachel and Wills - well thought out and structured videos too, but unfortunately I pretty much shoot from the hip and have to make it up as I go along. You'd think with the time and expense to go to these countries I'd have some sort of plan, but no. So we'll see how it turns out. 😂
@@ShaneNixonFamily Rach and Wills are exceptional! I don't think many of the rest of us are that professional and structured in our approach. I totally shoot from the hip myself! Not literally, but figuratively of course 🤠
@@MagentaOtterTravels 😂 at least you know what you're talking about. Sometimes I turn around and think where the heck am I 😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels as far a Rach and Wills goes even with 150 Subs you could tell they had "it".
I don't usually tip in English restaurants. I only tip if the service or food have exceeded my expectation. If I do tip, I tip in cash, even if I pay by card. 10% for very good service; more for spectacular helpfulness.
I'm a hairdresser, and never expected tips. I also don't expect people to require me to tip. I did very well on my tips, but I always went above and beyond my 'required' duties. I would occasionally say 'and one for yourself' at the bar if he was a hunk, or just generally nice, but if service is sub standard, I'm not going to tip. That's like paying someone for doing half a job. You get tipped in the UK based on your performance, not because it's the 'done thing'.
Amazing that you don't expect tips. Bless your little cotton socks!
In my many trips to the US i have always gone by "When in Rome". It's been 9 years since i was there. Going by your video Dara and others on UA-cam it appears Americans are suffering tipping fatigue in a pretty big way.
Well said! We DO have tipping fatigue!! I think the "When in Rome" approach is good in general... but I would say:
- Never let your credit card out of your sight
- Don't feel pressured to pay more than a 15 to 20% tip, especially if the service doesn't warrant it
- DO NOT pay a tip to someone for counter service where you are doing the work of getting your own food!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Taking customers credit card is absurd beyond belief. What other country has this procedure when paying the bill? Just bring the CC machine to the customers.
@@Funeeman most places don't have mobile credit card machines. It's so frustrating!
@@MagentaOtterTravels That's why I and friends that I know who visited the US paid by cash.
Being British,i think its prudent to carry around some pound coins and some £5 notes and £10 notes so if you need to tip a street sleeper or great service from an AA man whatever you can appreciate them….in cash….additionally to tapping and going with your metal Apple Card..
We usually tip (UK), but I never tip on a card machine as I want the tip to go to the person who served us. It's worth asking the person you're paying how the tips get divided if you tip on the card. It may well just get split amongst the staff (which might be fine with you). I always leave cash on the table, usually around 10% or rounded up to a near whole number.
Very sensible!
You’m right on the ball here Dara. But even 32 years ago when on my first big foreign holiday trip to the USA, people were relying on tips then. The San Francisco leg of the trip, we where staying at the Handlery hotel near Union Square & on the last night before heading off to Hawaii the next day, i decided to treat my 3 travelling companion friends to a slap up meal in the hotel restaurant, the bill came to approximately $113 & decided to pay cash , & i just rounded the bill up to $120, which was nowhere near the %15 tip / $130 that i should’ve forked out. So that was like a red rag to a bull from the waiter’s point of view, & ee certainly went on to let me know in no uncertain terms, that the staff relied on the tips to boost up their wages, but it wasn’t like i didn’t already know, because we had already visited L A , Vegas & the Grand Canyon. I also seem to remember that in the travel Itinerary from the holiday company, they had also worked out how much extra £ ‘s we would need to budget in regarding the tipping side of things.
👍
Oh wow. It makes me sad to hear about servers hassling customers for not tipping enough!
We usually just tip 20% in restaurants, Dara and Ian. Unless the service is extra ordinary which happens quite often with Kathy. We usually don't use many of the services you mention other than Kathy's haircuts where I do 20% also. But they're aren't fancy haircuts! Never tip fast food places. They can put out tips jars, but I ignore. Usually though I do carry cash so it's easier.
So nice of you to watch and comment! You are very generous with tipping, but that is not surprising.
I hope your trip and upcoming move go well! XX
The NMW will be £11.44 ($14.57) per hour from April 1st.
That's great!
Good news!
So will people expect tip percentages to fall? Probably not!
Hi Dara - no, you're not bring miserly at all. I was in your fine country (well, Miami... 😂) only a couple of weeks ago and was astonished at the change since my last visit in 2004. We didn't find a single restaurant menu where the prices were as advertised, the minimum 'automatic' tip was 18% (20% in our hotel, which is why we only had a Caesar Salad!) and when questioned, each waiter in each restaurant told us the 'auto-tip' goes to the house, they get nothing from it - obviously I have no way of knowing if this is true, but the story was consistent wherever we went. I fully accept the very low wages all hospitality staff are on in the US and always tipped much higher than I do in the UK because of this. But I have to say, unless things change in the US I'd seriously think twice about returning, much as I thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. I've calculated since returning home just how much of our expenditure was tips alone - either 18% 'auto-tip' or cash to the waiter and it's around £500.... in just FOUR DAYS!!!! I can get a weekend break in the south of France for the two of us for that!!!!
Think y'all in our late colonies in the Americas need to make a stand and refuse to pay it.
WAIT A MINUTE... "auto-tip" goes to the house?!?! That is SO WRONG! That is why some people insist on leaving a cash tip for the server so they can pocket it directly. What a scam!
@@MagentaOtterTravels that's what we were told.... everywhere! I don't know what the law actually is on 'auto-tips' in the US. I imagine state law takes precedent? In the UK an auto-tip cannot be enforced and you have the legal right to insist it is removed.
Didn't want to get into an argument with a restaurateur in Miami - you lot carry guns!!! 😱
@@shanewaterman4125Oh here we go with guns again, stop watching the news!!🙄
@@shanewaterman4125 I understand! 😳
@@Timbothruster-fh3cw ... and may I suggest understanding irony in British humour ....
I'm in the UK and just took my car to have z tyre checked out because I thought I had a puncture. The young chap removed the wheel, gave the tyre a thorough check, pumped it up, found no issues and replaced the wheel. He absolutely wouldn't take the tenner I tried to give him for his help. I will return when I need tyres.
Oh, that is so nice to hear stories like this of excellent customer service! Good for you!
When Nigel Lawson was Chancellor of the Exchequer, he proposed increasing the tax for postal workers to take into account the tips they get, usually at Christmas. A journalist asked him how much he tipped his postman. I think you can guess the answer. When I was a delivery postman i would get the odd pound, the most I ever got from one person was 10 GBP. But most postal workers are not on deliveries and get no tips. Anyway, it didn't happen. And Nigel Lawson is only remembered now for being the father of Nigella. Hope you're feeling better after you illness.
Yes, I'm fully recovered, thank goodness! Thanks for asking.
That's very interesting that you almost never got tips as a postman.
Agree 100%! What was up with the additional “convenience” fee charged to you in NYC?
We are generous tippers…however for the service given. I feel like every place we go for counter service is asking for a tip! Thanks for speaking up behalf of us frustrated consumers. ~Cara ❤
I don't know what a convenience fee is either! All these crazy names for sneaky charges!
I have been to America a handful of times and have no desire ever to return.
My daughter worked for a while when first leaving Uni at our local restaurant, and she would be given a large tips at times . But the culture was to put them in a pot and it would be shared out at the end of the evening so kitchen staff etc also go some of the money. This is in Uk and they were all paid at least the minimum wage if not slightly more
It's nice that back of house staff gets a share of tips... but a bummer that a really great server doesn't get their big tips directly 😉
Hiya Dara, when I worked at Zest Restaurant in Whitehaven as a potwash, Me and my friends went there for food, when I finished work, we went upstairs, we ordered our food with a waiter, when we got our food, the assistant manager came upstairs, this assistant manager gave my friends their food and left Me until last, she leant over and said to Me "I don't know how you work in them conditions, I can hardly breath in that kitchen", when the truth came out, she got the biggest telling off possibly ever, of course she never got a tip, much to the relief off everyone,she let soon after, this is Choppy in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
Wow, that's some story!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Thanks Dara, She now works at West Cumberland Hospital, I wont tell you names, hopefully she can be a swine up there aswel
In the UK if you see the word gratuity on your bill, you can ask for it to be removed, and they have to remove it, you can still leave a tip, but you can not be forced to tip.
If I am ever going out to eat, then I'll take some cash with me, so I can tip if the service and food are good, but pay for the meal by card. It's the idea that the employers are getting the money, and you are trusting them to give it all to the staff, without their little cut, that is why I always tip by cash.
I've heard many people mention that they tip in cash for this reason, and I think it's a very good idea!
I've had kids who have worked in the hospitality sector and I know how much the tips meant to them, so I generally tip around 10%. But not if staff have been rude, neglectful or sloppy. With a basic living wage I don't see the need for 20% or more in the UK.
Yes I hope it doesn't increase to that!
Tipping should be optional at the discretion of the customer, not an expectation. Employers should be required by law to pay their staff a fair living wage instead of expecting paying customers to tip to ensure their staff can actually afford to live. It’s a completely messed up situation. If you can’t tell, I’m in the UK!
Yes, I agree with you! 😉
Here in the UK, probably because it is evident that I am ancient and a bit wobbly, I have been told by an admittedly quite expensive hairdresser, that, in these straightened times, she does not expect a tip. I have a dry cut, but if I had a shampoo, I would certainly tip the apprentice or Saturday girl.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Very interesting how different it is! My hairdresser here in Texas is a neighbour down the road... she works from her house and has no salon who takes most of her wages. I love that whatever I pay her goes all to her!
I usually leave a couple of pounds under the plate in a restaurant, but if the service was bad, then I don't leave anything. However on one occasion on a visit to New York in 2005, we left a tip of 10% in cash. The waitress came to the table in tears saying 'Was my service that bad?' Then we began to feel upset as we were sorry we'd upset her, so we gave her lots more $$$. We don't have this problem in Liverpool or Manchester!
Oh goodness! Your story is another of the many horrid stories I've heard of Britons eating out in American restaurants. I wish the servers would understand that not everyone is going to tip them 25%! They should never make the customer feel bad about it! Good grief...
It's a minefield!! That's an awful wage! Wow, that's really surprised me! Oo that was expensive soup!! We only tip if we have a meal out, but never a percentage! Just what we feel on the day. Intersting video. Cheers 🍻
I'm very curious how you handle tipping on cruises. Other viewers commented that they avoid American cruise companies for this very reason!!
@@MagentaOtterTravels with P&O there was no need to tip as they're included. We did leave our cabin steward a little something though x
That was interesting, I find in the Cotswolds at most pubs and restaurants the tip is automatically suggested, at Dayesford is was 18% today but the servers always ask if it is ok, if not they quickly remove it.
Did you enjoy your meal at Daylesford? We ate at the restaurant there and I actually was rather disappointed. The presentation was lovely, I just didn't think the food was that tasty...
@@MagentaOtterTravels Daylesford is not what it used to be, I also find their food disappointing and overpriced, we normally just go for coffee and toast, we do buy a lot of vegetables, milk and bread as it’s pretty much the best in the area. There are so many great places to eat in the Cotswolds, my favourite for casual meals is Quince & Clover in Great Tew, beautiful village and wonderful food. Funny sidebar, Tipping is also a phrase used in the UK for dumping rubbish on the side of the road or at concealed spots, particularly annoying for farmers, so when I saw the title for your video I was really confused at first! Take care
I've never tipped in Britain and often don't in the US either. I see no reason that I should be expected to subsidise someone's earnings because of a stingy employer. I'm a British American, having lived in the US for the past 16 years.
Hiya. For decades now, the vast majority of UK sit-down restaurants have had a discretionary service charge printed at the bottom (usually) of their menus. 12.5%-15% in the main. That's the tip. You do not have to tip on top of that. If there is no service charge, to tip or not is still up to the customer. Stay safe. All the best to you.
It's nice to feel like you have the choice as a customer.
Here in the UK many restaurants add 10% to the bill automatically. If they do then that is all they get from me. If they don't then I generally leave a cash tip between 12-15% depending on what cash I have on me. I would never, ever, leave a tip at a chippy, a burger place or a bakery; what have they done to deserve it? I'll tip a cab driver but not a bus driver. It's been so long since I had hair I can't remember if I used to tip my barber ;-)
LOL your hair salon comment made me laugh!
Yes, we should NOT be tipping at chippies or fast food places with counter service. It's madness!
We went into crumbl cookies the other day and then walked right out when we saw the size to price ratio. Are they worth the money?
Yes and no. If you've never had one, you need to try it. But definitely get a chocolate chip, not one of the other kinds.
As far as overpriced cookie shops go, my favorite one is Chip. I actually did a competitive review of all the different cookie shops in my Utah cookie taste test vlog last year 🤣
@@MagentaOtterTravels Ah, need to rewatch it.
I always tipped good at my fav restaurants because the food and service is good. I never tip when I pick up food. Not sure what the minimum wage is for the servers here but I go overboard for them👍🏼
You are very kind! How is your mum doing?
@@MagentaOtterTravels she’s doing better! Going through physical therapy so maybe that might help👍🏼
@@WomanOutdoors good, I hope she continues improving 🙏
I totally agree with your point. I can't understand why you should be expected to pay the wages of a restaurant worker while the owner makes massive profits and pays them a pittance. The prices that you mentioned are ridiculous and to be charged a further 20% on top is laughable.
With the cost of medical bills and prescriptions and insurance etc to take into account, I'm surprised that anyone can afford to eat out! The simple facts are that if you go to a restaurant or a pub and get lovely food and nice service, then yes you leave a tip. You should not be embarrassed or feel pressured into subsidising a badly run system. My brother and his wife visited America some years ago and he told me about how after having a drink he was physically chased down the street by the waitress who was shouting that he hadn't left a tip!! I don't think I will be visiting the USA any time soon 😮 Love your channel x
Thanks so much! Yes, I am amazed at how many stories I'm hearing from British people who have visited the states and have had similar unfortunate interactions with servers who felt they weren't tipped enough! Horrible!
Englishman here. I would never tip in a pub or anywhere with a counter service, as you say, they are just handing something to me, how else am I supposed to get the item. I tip for good service in restaurants, 10%. Rarely more. Indeed when I once did give a larger tip the staff attitude changed and the clearly thought I was being flash. I have travelled extensively throughout the US and the tipping culture is awful. The staff are either over the top nice to get a big tip or rude because they know that there is an expectation that they will get a tip anyway. Not their fault of course, the land of the free need to have a few employee rights.
Yes, we definitely have room for improvement when it comes to workers
rights!
As an aside. Tip does not stand for 'To Insure Promptness' as some people think. Insure is the wrong word anyway. It would be 'Ensure' make the word Tep.
Interesting! So what is the origin of the word tip? I have no idea
@@MagentaOtterTravels Tip etymolgy: "give a small present of money to," c. 1600, originally "to give, hand, pass," thieves' cant, perhaps from tip (v.3) "to tap.
v.3 c. 1200, "to strike, occur suddenly," of uncertain origin, possibly from Low German tippen "to poke, touch lightly," related to Middle Low German tip "end, point," and thus connected to tip
The electrician who was sub contracted to the builder chap who built my kitchen extension, because he was here so often, helpfully putting in place the spot lights etc, exactly where *I* wanted them to go, he became “our reliable electrician”. I know that if there is any electrical job I need doing, however big or small, I can call him up “on the quiet” and he will help. There’s no official rate of pay - he will just say “call it a ££ …” (always a really low cost) but I always add another £10 to it as I know he has “undercharged” me. Perhaps he is being a bit sneaky doing it that way, I don’t know - but it works for me! He’s fixed a problem and I have paid him - job done all sorted!
Electricians are very important people! Anyone who helps you out on something you really need done, and does a great job, deserves your appreciation. If they have undercharged for their service, I think a tip is a great idea!
Electricians over here are outrageously expensive! I had a burnt spot on an electrical outlet in my office. There was an electrician who was here anyway for the bathroom remodel, and we asked him to come fix the outlet (do you call it a plug point or something?) in the office ... he spent literally 5 minutes replacing it. Guess what he charged for just that extra job... $75! Ian talked him down to $60. I was shocked.
@@MagentaOtterTravels that is literally - no pun intended (well, it is really! 😉😀) a shocking cost!! Replacing a plug socket here would take about 1O mins…. Turn the leccy off at the mains switch under the stairs; unscrew the plug socket frontage (you might need a “special” screwdriver, some fittings have star shaped screws etc); check the wiring layout (take a pic with your moby phone) wire the new socket and fix back to the wall 👍🏻😀. But… in all things, for a plug socket to have a burn on it is so unusual here, because, as you know in the UK, if there was a major electrical outage problem, the fuse plug would take the brunt of it first. That might make the plug go bang but I don’t think it would catch fire and burn the socket, unless it was because an incorrect wattage fuse for the electrical item was being used? 🤔. I have seen the plug sockets in the USA in the YT vids, with the connectors sticking right out. They just look so dangerous and cumbersome and like the plug could just so easily “fall out” of the socket! Would that actually happen? I’m visualising someone sitting close to the socket area, creating a very important report/document on their laptop; they get to a point where they move their chair back, their shoulder catches the sticking out plug, it falls out, the computer might not have enough battery power and dies and…..they hadn’t “saved” that file 😲😳😨…. Ohhhhh woukd that really happen? The thought of that just makes my 🤯🤯😁
Hi Dara, I'm storing up all your videos to watch when I come back from Vietnam but I have to throw in my 2 cents. 😂 I've found in Vietnam tipping isn't required, like Australia. But you can tip a little for good service. We use an Uber like app called Grab in Vietnam and when you pay it suggests amounts you can tip your driver. 5000, 10000, 15000, 20000 dong. 10k dong is about 50 US cents. Amazing how little can put a smile on someone's face. But they aren't earning their living from tips. It is terrible that hospitality workers can be paid as little as $2 per hour in the states. Criminal even considering a 20 year old hospitality worker in Australia is working for a minimum of $28, almost 20 bucks US.
I'll probably have more to say after I watch the video 😂
I'm in the middle of an 8 hour train ride down the Vietnamese coast right now. Heading to our next destination, Phong Nha. A national park with huge caves, the world's biggest, and rivers and stuff. 😂
Your trip sounds amazing! I have heard about Grab from some British travel vloggers I've watched. Enjoy the park!
It’s gone crazy. I’ve just gotten disgusted and don’t have any qualms at all anymore about touching the “No Tip” button in counter service venues. In some places, like Playa Bowls, the cash register screen is an iPad-like device that the cashier swivels around for you to enter a tip while they watch and wait. For those I push “NO TIP” and then immediately when the customer satisfaction survey comes in to me as a text, I get in and give them a piece of my mind! They didn’t even do anything and I’m prompted to give a 25% tip on a $13 bowl of fruit mush?! Hard no on that.
Yes I also hate the cashier watching me select the tip amount! 😡
👍 I recognise all of what you say from the UK and from our frequent USA holidays. I don’t use cash at all now. I hope our counter services in the UK don’t adopt that …include a tip in the card payment device …that is a PITA.
Yes, I don't want to start paying a tip at Pret a Manger!! 🙄
I bought a hot comb from Curry’s today and on the PDQ machine i had to tick yes or no for a charity donation..
Those are annoying. I make my own charitable donations... I don't need a till to remind/bully me!
I usually tip in a restaurant but I only usually give around 5 to 10%. Most cafes have a tip jar and I will leave some change if I have it. I don’t think anyone tips places like McDonalds or takeaways in the UK or in pubs unless there is table service. I don’t tip if there is a service charge and I like to give a cash tip if I can. I do usually tip my hairdresser but I only have a cut and finish so I don’t pay a lot.
People should NOT be paying tips in fast food places. It's a crazy trend!
The American tip culture really is out of control with anyone who provides a service expecting something just for doing their job. It is ridiculous that you tip hotel housekeeping or a bar tender for what in a Brit's eyes are not exceptional services. The annoying thing is that Americans have exported their tipping culture to many parts of the world. It has crossed the boarder into Canada and no doubt will find it in the Caribbean next year. Locals get so used to Americans bringing their tipping culture with them it builds an expectation that all tourists will tip in the same way. This can cause issues when the tourist is from a non tipping culture as it can cause some ugly scenes. There are stories of tips being rejected for not being generous enough or customers being harassed as they leave or subject to rude comments. Then there is cultural insensitivity where staff are put in an awkward position where the local culture is no tipping and Americans try and force through a 20% tip.
I agree. It's a bad trend!
Took me a few seconds to realise you weren't talking about sleeping cows... Last two restaurants we were at I had to get the staff to back up the card machine a step so I could add a tip, as we rarely carry cash these days.
Oh no... please don't tip over any sleeping cows! Poor things!
Yes, always good to carry cash if you can... otherwise ask the server to add a tip before the bill is totaled.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I wonder how many of us do carry cash? In days gone by, if I saw someone who looked in need, ‘begging’, I’d slip my hand in my pocket and fish out the spare change I had. Alas, though I’ve often felt the urge to give, nowadays I rarely carry any money!
@@woodentie8815 we all started shopping online during Covid. Then when we started going back to stores, people in the US and UK started paying for everything in a contactless way with credit cards. I'm gobsmacked that countries like Germany and Austria still deal in cash for a lot of purchases!
In Britain you should always leave a cash tip...That is BY LAW the waiters/waitress money...If paid electronically or part of the bill this tip can be kept by the restaurant 😢😢😢😢😢
Several Britons have mentioned this. Very good advice!
In a UK pub,you offer the barman A drink then he takes the price of a pint….then for the rest of the evening,hes your best buddy ,and you dont have to wait around for good service..and also he’ll laugh at your jokes however childish they are….think Tommy Cooper..yes you’ll have a lovely evening , enjoy watching the tightwads getting upset at the bad service they’re receiving.
haha
To answer your final question, I don't think you're being miserly or cheap at all. But also, as a society we need to get used to paying more for things (or getting fewer things) so that businesses can price transparently and pay their employees fairly. Honestly, same goes for things like airlines and hotels with all their hidden fees and add-ons. It's not like the person who owns and runs my favorite restaurant is making bank while paying their servers and kitchen staff a pittance. They have the problem of getting customers in the door. Massage therapists and hair stylists have a specialized training and skill sets and have to maintain licenses to practice. If we believe people should be compensated fairly for their work (and I believe in a perfect world a person should be able to live comfortably on minimum wage, and not be worked to the bone, forced to take second jobs, and resented for taking vacations and family time... but I'm not your typical American), we also have to be ready to pay what's fair in the first place, and that's more than what we see on most restaurant and service menus today.
I agree with you. Pay the workers what they deserve so that they can make a living wage. Raise my prices if you need to! Just take the guest work out of it so that it's not up to my judgment to decide how much someone else's employees are paid! as for Massage Therapists and hair stylists, I always wonder how much of the price is actually going to them, since I know the salon or spa takes a big cut.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I can tell you for a fact, as my sister was a massage therapist for the first half of her career, that the chains pay the worst, by far. Less than a quarter of the fee goes to the therapist. And that's hard, physical work! If you can hire a person independently, you're supporting them and their business so much more.
@@StephenandAndie that's what I do in England, and when I come back this fall, I'll be doing the same thing here in Texas
I recently noticed that even a cash advance app, was asking me to tip. And it defaulted to $7.50 tip, unless I changed it to a lower tip or no tip. I found that kind of shady. And in that case, I wonder who the tip is even for? I don't even think a person was involved, because I think it is most likely an automated system.
That is insane!
It's nice when a tip is viewed as such. Instead of mandatory.
Amen!
Us tipping some exmaples i saw. QR code in the hotel to tip the staff, several stores asking for tips on automated machines. Even in restaurants when you get the bill listing the expected tips. Why should we the customer be paying for your staff. Edit you go on to mention tipping percent on bills
I am annoyed by places that insist I download a specific app and then leave a tip that way!!! I saw that in England.
@@MagentaOtterTravels they made you download an app to tip?
@@what_im_eatin_uk they tried. But I can't be bothered with that nonsense!
My Wife and I have visited the U.S.A. on quite a few occasions by sea and air.American owned cruise ships and those influenced by American business models are becoming increasingly annoying to many due to their mandatory "Gratuities".The expected/demanded tip amounts have noticeably been on the increase lately. If you take into account the really high cost of obtaining quality Medical Insurance to visit American waters and the seemingly high inflation on goods over there , then travel to the U.S.A. is unfortunately becoming too expensive for many. I was looking for some Brandy over on an American Caribbean island recently and found that I would have to pay an extra $50.00. for a bottle of decent spirit over what they were charging for the same product in a British supermarket. You really have to budget for all the extra tips and taxes before considering a holiday in the States now. Sorry.
It's called " Bidenomics!"
Yes, that is annoying! One reason I haven't wanted to go on a cruise is the thought of having to tip every person I look at!🙄
Thank you friends for sharing the video which we really enjoyed with the conversation you conveyed
Kind of similar to the tipping is the whole tax at the register thing. As this varies from state to state on if you pay tax for certain things and what that percentage is i just never know what i will end up paying. Cant we just have the tax included in the price please.
I hear you. It is SUCH a guessing game to know what you will actually pay for a meal!
Tipping is simply a way of having the customer pay part of the staffs wages, because employers are too mean to pay a decent wage.
I agree
Hahah Dara
Is that me paying $250 for hair service? hahaha
My hair stylist works so hard on my hair for highlights/lowlights....tips is my appreciation to her time-consuming and laborious job
I did not grew up with tip-system so I still do not understand why PPL aim on minimum wages... We choose a job by benefit, salary, working conditions, so I have never heard PPL worried about salary within my circle of the friends. If the salary does not meet one's expectation, do not chose that job.
I don't mind to pay tips unless the services do not meet my expectation. I do wonder why every single person does not pay the same amount of tips equally for services. One service for one amount of tips for all. How is taking the bunch profit from the business? I thought that is why the UNION negotiate with a company. The salary is also considered by the living expense, too. $100 annual raise plus promotion and 3 month worth of monthly salary for a bonus in summer and winter...what else You need to know?? hahaha. The loyal employees are protected. hehe
Dara, again great topic. Sorry I miss some vids...My hubby was not feeling well... appreciate your feedback on Bioluminescence- MAGIC"
I hope your house renovation goes well as you planned.
@ms.kayak7seas A lot of times you are forced to accept a job you don't want because you have bills to pay. It's also the case in the UK that if you're unemployed you are FORCED to accept ANY job or your benefits will be stopped.
YES IT WAS YOU!!!
Thanks for watching this video and sharing your thoughts. I know you didn't grow up with American tipping culture, so you are trying to be generous and fit in with our crazy culture. But really the employers need to be fairly compensating their workers... so that all of us customers don't have to guess at how much we should tip and feel guilty!
Do NOT worry about missing videos. I am only able to watch my friends' videos occasionally, so I don't expect my friends to watch all mine either! I hope you and Mr. K7S are feeling well now! XX Dara
I only use cash for tips for 2 reason#1). I can decide the amount of the tip based on the quality of service and #2 reason. This way I know the worker gets to keep the tip without employer involvement
Very sensible.
Love how you adhered to your desire to offend fewer Brits and carefully pronounced the "T's" as "T's" in water and button in this video - 😊
It's a habit now 😉
I'm actually quite happy when restaurants put 10% on the bill for a tip but if they don't I'll always leave that much myself, that's my limit though, I think that's enough. Only for table service though. My daughter used to work in a local pub often frequented by a well known TV personality. He'd often come in with a large group for Sunday lunch and they'd run up a £400 bill or so. How much would they leave as a tip for the 17 year old waitresses on £5 an hour (no minimum wage at that age) serving them? Sweet Fanny Adams! Nada, zilch. I throw cushions at the telly if I see him on there now.
Oooooh was it Jeremy Clarkson? Gordon Ramsay?
@@MagentaOtterTravels Ha! Not them. A Cotswold celeb resident known for his "flamboyant" style and interior decoration skills. Got him now?
@@garylancaster8612 no, sorry... I need more clues
Wen my wife first came to the uk with me I took her to a restaurant to eat and she made me leave a tip and wen we left she noticed the waiter taking the money to the register and ask wat he was supposed to do with the money and now we feel restaurants here in the states are making u pay for the servers wages on top of the food so they are getting free labor
Wow, that's a really interesting story! Just shows how different tipping culture is from one country to another!
Tommy Cooper (Britains funniest man RIP) used to stuff a "fiver" in a taxi drivers pocket and say "Have a drink on me!" When the driver took the "fiver" out of his pocket he would discover it was a teabag!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊
A pg tip?
@@woodentie8815 you win!!!😄😄😄😄😄😄
@@woodentie8815 🐒🐒🐒🐒🐒
LOL Good one!
That is hilarious! But also kind of awful ;-)
Living in Ireland 🇮🇪. . Tipping optional. I do when I'm at a restaurant.. USA 🇺🇸 Getting to where you having to tip at a toll both nowadays. Am 61 I remember also 30 years ago 15 ÷ Plenty..
Yes, or apparently you have to tip a vending machine! That's what some other folks have mentioned.
I'm turning 60 this year, so the same age. ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels I here because of good health care. Having cancer bring looked after here... back in the US.. mabye millions of dollars 💸... not going back ever to live there. Go back around thanksgiving usually. .. weather rainy and cold ... but alive and well...
@@tomtheyank1 I understand. I'm glad you're getting good care!
Before the minimum wage came in seasonal farm workers got ripped off. They showed one wage slip, where food and accommodation etc. deducted, the worker's total pay for a 48 hour week was £0.00.
Over here, I only tip in restaurants. I usually give £5.00. That costs me around £5.00 a year. 😁😁
I was in Poundland a few months ago and their machines were asking if you wanted to give a donation to charity or not. I pressed 'not' because the checkout in a shop is the wrong place to ask for charitable donations.
Not once in my working life did I ever receive a tip. Not money anyway. In 1971 my boss did give me a tip on how to stack wood properly. 😂
When I was un the US I was astonished that bars had a rip jar. That was unheard of here. I did leave tips because I knew the barmaid. She had to go into work to pay the bills even though she was suffering a terrible migraine.
I did read a story where a New York restaurant paid the staff a proper wage and banned tipping. The cost was included in the bill. The experiment didn't last long because customers were looking at the prices on the menus and thought they were higher, even though they were actually lower because no tip was expected. It's a psychological thing.
In Japan giving tips is regarded as an insult, so don't do it.
I do have a tip for you after watching videos from a former airline stewardess. She always takes a carrier bag containing small boxes of chocolates to give to the crew when she boards an airliner. I think this is a very good idea because they're in charge of the escape chutes if something goes wrong and it's very wise to be on their good side. 😂Plus they do work very hard and some passengers can be a real pain.
How much for a haircut?!! 😲I'd better start giving myself $200 and a 20% tip when I cut my own hair. 🤣🤣
Your wood stacking comment made me laugh! haha
You cut your own hair? Weston did that once during covid lockdown. He used scissors and attacked the back of his head. It was not pretty. I had to repair the damage ;-)
Good idea to bring treats for the flight crew!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I have an electric cutter. I use it at the No.2 setting and whip off nearly all of my hair. Don't need to comb it for weeks because there's not much left. 😁Talking about tonsorial catastrophes, I once used some old barbers clippers on my friend's hair and cut a MASSIVE step in his fringe. Then I ran home as fast as I could before his mother saw it. 😂😂
@@Poliss95 that's funny 😆
Hello Dara. A serious topic. I hate the way tipping culture is in the US, especially in restaurants. As I come from the UK, Wales in particular, I’m only used to tipping for good service. When I was a teen, I worked Friday evenings and Saturdays. We as kids had tips, small value usually for carrying the customers shopping from the road to the customers’ house. Some had flights of steps bigger than a staircase! They weren’t big tips, enough after sharing them out with my brother, to buy a large Dinky Toy after Christmas.
If I buy a meal I expect the cost to pay the wait staffs wages. I’ve already spent a fortune on the meal why do I need to top up wages with a 15 to 20% tip? For good service is another thing.
My experience in the US is the magic thing, they only seem to ask you if all is OK when you’ve just put a fork full into your mouth. I don’t mind some service but the constant pestering of me while I'm trying to eat for me is poor service. Dining out for me is a social event not a time for our chats to be interrupted by some wait staff asking how everything is doing when all I want is to eat and talk to my companions.
Some industries in the UK get tips as usual business, taxi drivers, hairdressers often get tips. The income tax people (HMRC) expect a certain amount of tips to be included in their tax returns and will penalise you if you don’t declare enough tips as income.
I don’t eat out often but when I do at a local pub or restaurant I will add a tip, but only if the service has been good, usually cash. There have been some reports that tips added to card payments seem to loose some value after it progresses between customer and staff. Cash goes straight into the pocket!
Do I remember correctly that your family had a greengrocers business? Nice that you could carry peoples' bags home for them!
Yes, it is very disturbing that some credit card gratuities don't go directly to the wait staff. It is better to give them cash I guess... maybe I need to start toting more pound coins around with me!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes Dara, my dad took over the business from his father-in-law. As far as I know my great grandfather was also in the fruit business. My maternal grandfather was called Jack Evans and he had a shop and a mobile business with horse and cart. The horse knew the round and would auto-pilot his way. i don't remember my grandfather, he died when i was just 1 year old. In the 70's i took over the mobile shop for dad & mum to have a holiday, one of dad's older customer's said that my brother & I were the 4th generation of the family to sell her fruit & veg! War time with rationing meant no imported fruit, no bananas, oranges etc. if oranges came in word soon got around and people would be queueing up the street. The first time I went to my doctors surgery on my own they couldn't find my records. Luckily the older receptionist found them, I was filed as "Young Evans" after my mum's maiden name.
@@Peterraymond67 oh that's amazing! I can't imagine having that much family tradition steeped in the community!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes, the family kept the local tradition but it won't work nowadays. Not many people stay at home these days, too many housewives with daytime jobs, home deliveries and it was very time consuming, difficult to have time off for holidays and sickness.
US tipping culture, a topic I have strong opinions! I hate it but in the times I have been to the US I have begrudgingly tipped! Mainly from the moral point of not wanting a server who was working and yet would be impacted financially if I did not tip. (And when with groups of other people, when everyone contributed to the tip I couldn't not tip) My main issue with tipping is that to me it's paying for the same service and paying twice, once the amount on the bill and then again for service, as far as I'm concerned service should be included in the bill you pay for patronising that restaurant, cafe etc. I have never really tipped in the UK, Europe or in Australia, nor with any groups of friends if we've gone out to dinner. In the past Asian countries I've visited would have signs up 'No tipping!' Those signs aren't seen as much now, but culturally it's not appropriate to tip there.
It is so bizarre that we are in this situation with American tipping culture! And I hate that it's getting worse! It's time to stop the madness...
Another story i have from my trip to LA. We had gone out for breakfast the restaurant was really busy and the server run off her feet. We waited ages for order to be taken food came out luke warm because it had been sat waiting for the server. I was in a huge quandary. What do i do? Tip the 20% or say actually service was not great and leave no tip. It was not the fault of the server she was so busy. I didnt feel like an argument so just left the tip my friends kept telling me to shut up about it as it made me grouchy the rest of the day. 😂
I can totally see that happening!!! I often have the same dilemma. If the food is lousy I don't want to pay a big tip, but that is usually NOT the server's fault!
tipping is a bad deal for people in service industries. it's so unfair for employers to leave it up to customers to decide if their employees should make a living. my cousin is a hairstylist, and her salon recently changed their pricing and implemented a strict no-tips policy. The stylists are compensated slightly better now (more consistently, at least) and they didn't lose many clients over the raise in prices, because the clients know the increase is going to the stylists (and it doesn't cost them any more if they tipped appropriately in the first place).
During the pandemic, I started tipping 25% (I've always tipped that much on holidays, as well), because I felt extra grateful for the people who were still working and taking the risk of being among the public more (restaurant workers, delivery people, etc.). It just stuck, so now that's my standard.
In the US, gratuity is an entitlement thanks to the employers. If they paid an actual minimum (or better) wage, it wouldn't be on the customer to pay that much "extra" just so that their employees could survive. Notice the additional fees on restaurant receipts now to help pay for employee health insurance? Once again, why would the employers pay for an employee's benefits, when they can just pass yet another add-on along to the customer?
That is such a good idea! I wish more places would do what that salon did. I think we are made to feel guilty about tipping far too often!
Lucky for us, we only go to the sort of restaurant where you can order on an app, so just click no 😅
Good plan! I just hope it's not McDonalds...
@@MagentaOtterTravels we're simple folk, but not that simple 🤣
Ive always thought the tipping culture in the USA to be strange, the last time i was over there i did a bus tour around San Francisco and at the end of it the driver actually got on the loudspeaker to tell everyone not to forget to give him a tip, he even stood by the door asking for his tip, now if i get good service i will leave a tip but im certainly not being told i have to give one. In the UK i will leave a tip if the service is good, i always pay with cash 99% of the time. Recently i stayed in a Premier Inn and ate in the restaurant i paid with my card and the reader gave options from 50p upwards with a no tip option included. I dont think you are mean Dara, leaving a tip when you are buying a donut in a shop is ludicrous and having to navigate the reader to find the no tip option feels a little bit like your being manipulated to leave one so i would find the no tip page on principal.
Yes, I know what you mean when you go on a bus tour or boat tour or something like that. The tour guide stands there at the exit expecting you to hand them a stack of cash...
I wonder if this is a business opportunity for some bold US chain to advertise that staff tipping is purely discretionary (e.g., "No need to Tip - The Price We Say Is The Price You Pay!"). All considered, given that the customer is going to pay X + (say) 20% Tip, why not simply adjust the prices accordingly and pay the staff a living wage? Either way, the average customer is still going to pay the same.
Yes, I think that's a fantastic idea!!
I only tip in cash….if it goes on the PDQ i dont think the staff will see the effect of that..
I think if I ever go to the US again I'll eat on the go - sandwiches and soup or whatever. I'm not tipping 20% to anyone, 15% maybe. Here, if I pay for my son and I to have a meal that comes to £50, I'll tip £5. I don't think that is bad. If the bill is £53, I'd probably leave £60 on the table. I tend to round up rather than do a percentage so sometimes it would be more than 10%, other times not. Depends on the change in my pocket too. If I have to order at the counter and food is brought to the table in a pub perhaps then I'd leave £5 or so for dinner. Lunch, if just soup or a sandwich, £2-3 (left on the table). Taxi driver I round up - so I'd say keep the change for an £18 taxi ride and give him £20. Just a couple of quid to the taxi driver. I rarely go anywhere that I need to tip. Most food I can cook better at home. It does put me off going to the US with the restaurant tipping culture. Not relaxing at all as someone will get annoyed.
Yes, we like to eat at places with counter service as well just to avoid having to tip!
Here in the Manchester area of the UK, in the pubs around my area, when buying drink/drinks, it was common to say to the barmaid/barman, ‘and your own’. You never expected them to have a drink and charge you for it - nor did they - just a small gratuity (20p was the norm when I used to do the rounds, many years ago)which they’d put in a communal tip glass behind the bar - not compulsory to tip, and certainly not a hefty percentage of the bill! On tipping in the States. I wonder if they changed to our system - paying a reasonable wage, and the decision whether or not to tip being with the customer - would the staff win or lose by this?🤔
When I worked behind the bar of a local pub in the early 80s it was made clear to me that if anyone said 'take a pound for yourself' we were not allowed to take it, and if anyone said 'drink for yourself' you were only allowed one soft drink at the end of the evening, regardless of how many we may have had 'in the wood'. That wasn't unusual in the south east. Quite a few people my age have mentioned a similar experience in those days.
That is a uniquely British thing that I've heard before. Telling the bartender to "get one for themselves" as a way of tipping. That is very funny to an American... I just imagine all these inebriated bartenders behind the bar making people's drinks! haha
I think it is more sensible to just give the server/bartender a pound or two directly.
@@MagentaOtterTravels Let’s say 20/50p., we British aren’t made of money!😉
@@woodentie8815 sorry, remember I don't drink... I'm thinking of the cost of a meal not a 🍺
I’m curious, when a tip is added to your card payment does the person who served you actually get that money?
Also if someone is paid the minimum wage are they expected to declare all their tips to the tax office especially if it was in cash & therefore there is no record of it?
I wish I knew the answer to your first question. I'm concerned that servers don't get as much of the tips as they should! In a typical restaurant there is other staff besides the waiters and waitresses. There's the hostess, busboys, dishwashers, etc. I think that tips are supposed to be split with front of the house and back of the house staff. Heaven knows what really happens!
As for declaring income on your taxes, tipped employees are supposed to declare all of their income, even if they get it in cash. But in reality most people are not honest enough to declare all of it ...
@@MagentaOtterTravels
I certainly agree that back of house staff should receive a share. I just hope that it is shared fairly between all & not pocketed by the owner.
If they were paid a reasonable wage then it wouldn’t be such an issue (tax would be easier to calculate) & customers wouldn’t feel pressurised into paying more regardless of the service provided.
@@caromurray6152 I agree
I think if your postman has to get out of his van and walk more than two steps he should be tipped….so that he can save them up to pay for his hip operations later on in life,if he throws the package at your door instead of walking then he dosent deserve a tip,as he wont be needing an operation..
if we go out in uk and even in Europe for meals and its a table service , we will tip around 10% of bill. However a pub meal where we go up to counter for a meal, if i want to tip i just put coins in the Jar on the counter. I don't tip my hairdresser or beautician. It used to be a thing to tip the Saturday girl who washed your hair before the hairdresser took over , but again that doesn't seem a thing anymore. Taxi drivers we just round up the money to avoid change etc by saying keep the change. But as we become a more cashless society that is ceasing i think. If we have a delivery ordered over the phone from the local chinese takeawy which you cant use a card i just tell the delivery person to keep the change, but if ordering online etc and paying by card and there is something inplace to add a tip for the driver i will do so.
You are the second person to mention a Saturday girl... but I don't know what that is! Please explain...
@@MagentaOtterTravels someone usually a student who used to work on the busiest day washing the hair for the hairdresser ,sweeping up and other general chores
@@janiceturton7756 thanks for explaining!
We have to tip the uk government 20% VAT for every purchase..
Good point!
It’s absolute madness in the U.S.A. once bitten never again.
Tipping in the uk….is great if youre pleased with the service…but in the uk all the costing is done ,it dosent need more generosity…it is not essential…the service you get is genuine…a tip isn’t a necessity unless you need to impress somebody..you wont find a fly in your soup if you dont… A can of big soup is £1,30p…. a Cookie is about £1…who’s being led astray ? But i think Ambience is worth paying for and pleasant staff….so if it costs £10 to put on a good show.,pay the piper...Bothams in Whitby do a stotty bacon butty and a coffee for about £10…but it’s a top eatery..so bring it on..i say..Bothams do not expect a tip..
That stotty bacon 🥓 butty sounds good 😋
If you really want to stop doing it pay cash. Then only pay the exact price. Then if you want to tip
someone then it's cash tax free for the individual not the buisness.
It’s a shame American workers don’t get paid a living wage. Now that Brexit has removed 600,000 hospitality workers from the UK there isnt staff to go around. I’m guessing those European Workers were all on less than living wage. When they add the gratuity specifically it really annoys me so generally I wont go a penny over. Ironically if it’s not detailed I’d be very generous if the service even partially warranted it. 25% seems very reasonable for professional service.
Brexit didn’t remove them. Nobody got deported.
It is awful the wages that some tipped workers in the US receive! And I agree that great service deserves a nice tip... but we should not be forced or bullied into a mandatory tip amount by a big company!!
You are so right on your summary of tipping
Thanks for watching!
I could not agree with this more. No way am I tipping staff working in a state like California, tips should be ''gravy'' for excellent service, and no way am I going above 20%. I absolutely refused to tip a mandatory valet at a restaurant we were invited to go to by family. I can park my own damn car. Yet another reason not to bother traveling back to the US. (I have been seeing an optional gratuity appearing more recently at some UK restaurants, another annoying adoption from the US 😤)
There are so many ways that tipping culture is out of control. The new examples I learned in the past day are ONLINE store website asking for a tip when you buy a pair of jeans... and a vending machine asking for a tip!!! Just madness.
18 percent mandatory tip? AND a convenience fee? Wow
So cheeky!!
If you want someone to go pick up your food or groceries, do it, tip and tip well. But here's the truth. Other countries target Americans and Canadians for tip I've been in may tours all over the world including in Italy. The ones that are sold to Americans, say to tip. I had Europeans on the same trip and they didn't tip the guide, drives, tours at all. In NY people would walk out and not tip now they automatically add. But it's their loss I tip 20% not 18% because its unacceptable for wait staff nkt tk get paid minimal. Massage therapist only receive a small percentage of whatbyou paying. Same with cab drives and they have to pay their own gas.