a rant about tipping

Jenna

Found out today that the waiting staff in thunderoad cafe/restaurant in dublin get to keep their cash tips (yay)...BUT...they don't get to keep the service charge. So for your table of 6 or more, when you pay the service charge it doesn't go to your hardworking waiter/waitress. I also found out that the service charge is actually optional, you don't have to pay it...so if i ever go there again i will refuse to pay the service charge and tip the waiter/waitress in cash instead.

It really makes me mad when I hear about restaurants that take the tips from the waiting staff. The tip is for the server, and the server only.

Max Power1

if I pay the stated price, why should I feel like I have to tip aswell? Thats like seeing an item advertised for €100 and me offering the seller €110. I never tip in restaurants. Maybe taxi drivers when its late night but other than that, not so much

dsmythy

We're not in the States. I'm sure they get paid enough without tips.

DirkVoodoo

Wow, I actually thought this was going to be about cow tipping, best change my intelligence in that poll to "below average"

stovelid

I think the anti-tippers are missing the point.

If you agree with tipping, the restaurant are taking extra money from you: ostensibly to give to the staff, whereas in reality they are pocketing it.

Even f you don't agree with tipping: you are apparently being led to believe that a service charge is mandatory and are effectively paying more for your meal than is advertised.

chillywilly

does the optional service charge thing apply to all restaurants?

Jenna

Max Power1 wrote: »

if I pay the stated price, why should I feel like I have to tip aswell?

I agree that you shouldn't have to pay more than the stated price but the truth is waiting staff rely on their tips, not their wages. I used to never tip in restaurants until I became a waitress myself and then my entire perspective changed. I realised how important tips were! So what I do now is if the service is nothing special then I don't tip, if the waitress/waiter looks after you, is fast, attentive etc then I leave 10 per cent. I leave higher tips if the service is exceptional. If you can appreciate good service then you should tip. That's what I think.

Jev/N

chillywilly wrote: »

does the optional service charge thing apply to all restaurants?

Service charge isn't optional and is usually charged on tables of 6 or more, although this number can vary

Regarding the OP's post, think that fúcking terrible!

dsmythy

Jenna wrote: »

I agree that you shouldn't have to pay more than the stated price but the truth is waiting staff rely on their tips, not their wages. I used to never tip in restaurants until I became a waitress myself and then my entire perspective changed. I realised how important tips were! So what I do now is if the service is nothing special then I don't tip, if the waitress/waiter looks after you, is fast, attentive etc then I leave 10 per cent. I leave higher tips if the service is exceptional. If you can appreciate good service then you should tip. That's what I think.

Hang on i presume they are getting at least the minimum wage?

Melion

I never tipped until i worked in a bar and seen how tight some people can be with their change. What is it about irish people never tipping? I will always leave a tip unless the waiter/ress has taken a shít on my meal.

peanuthead

Max Power1 wrote: »

if I pay the stated price, why should I feel like I have to tip aswell? Thats like seeing an item advertised for €100 and me offering the seller €110. I never tip in restaurants. Maybe taxi drivers when its late night but other than that, not so much

I think you've missed the point entirely here:rolleyes:

The OP is not giving out about tipping, thats not the point of this thread.

OP I have heard that that goes on in quite a few restaurants. I used to be a waitress, and after 4 years of doing the job, when asked for a raise I was told no, and my boss explained

1. That I was lucky I was even getting the minimum wage, as because I get tips as part of my job he's under no obligation to pay me min. wage. Now I haven't looked into it, but I'm sure thats bollox, although I fell for it at the time, and actually left his office feeling lucky!!

2. That I was lucky that I got my tips, cause in some restaurants they get NONE of their tips, even the cash ones!!:eek::eek:

If people don't want to leave tips, then don't. Don't pay it and come on here moaning, thats sad. But to the OP, I think waitresses in most places also have to pay tax on credit card/laser tips as these have to come from the till, so if you are giving tips, you should always try give cash!!

But have to admit myself, even being a former waitress, going out to a pub is a luxury now, never mind a restaurant, and I have had to cut my tipping!!

stovelid

peanuthead wrote: »

I think you've missed the point entirely here:rolleyes:

The OP is not giving out about tipping, thats not the point of this thread.

Yup.

I wish Clioud had a bang-head-off-wall smiley.

Jenna

Some places pay minimum and others pay less than minimum... of all the jobs I've had waitressing was the most physically and believe or not, emotionally, demanding...maybe its just coz I worked in a crazy busy understaffed restaurant...I wouldn't have done it if I was only on minimum wage though...i did it for the tips.

peanuthead

Melion wrote: »

I never tipped until i worked in a bar and seen how tight some people can be with their change. What is it about irish people never tipping? I will always leave a tip unless the waiter/ress has taken a shít on my meal.

Having been a waitress myself I don't like the attitude of 'what is it about Irish people never tipping' Tipping is not really part of our culture, and even if it was, people have a right not to tip, just like people have a right to do anything else.

Also, you don't know people's financial situations. I used to work in a hotel where families came from the country to watch the big matches.

So you have a family of, say 5 coming from, say Cork.
Driving up.
Staying in the hotel for 1 night minumum, but more than likely 2.
2 rooms.
A total of 10 breakfasts
10 lunches
10 dinners
taxi/bus to the match
taxi/bus back
tickets to the match

And thats only the basics, and you expect them to pencil in your tip to the list??

As much as I hate to hear people moaning about having to tip, I really hate to hear people give out about people who don't.

I work harder (albeit a different kind of 'hard') in my teaching job than I ever did as a waitress, and no-ones tipping me for that!! In fact I'm tipping the government, and I can't get out of that 'service charge' :rolleyes:

peanuthead

Jenna wrote: »

Some places pay minimum and others pay less than minimum... of all the jobs I've had waitressing was the most physically and believe or not, emotionally, demanding...maybe its just coz I worked in a crazy busy understaffed restaurant...I wouldn't have done it if I was only on minimum wage though...i did it for the tips.

Me too. the job I'm in now, teaching, I find it just as hard, but in a completely different way. Waitressing had me in pain!!
Also, I can deal with rude children as they know no better, but rude adults, that drove me up the wall!!

Local-womanizer

All the dissapointed farmers leaving this thread as they thought it was about cow tipping:(

peanuthead

chillywilly wrote: »

does the optional service charge thing apply to all restaurants?

A service charge is optional in the sense that if you have the balls to go up to the manager and demand it comes off your bill, off it comes.

AnonoBoy

Some punks TPed my house last week.

Damn punks.

I know how you feel OP (although I didn't bother read your post).

brianthebard

Local-womanizer wrote: »

All the dissapointed farmers leaving this thread as they thought it was about cow tipping:(

Farmers know cow tipping isn't real.

Lia_lia

What bothers me though is that when (coach) tour groups (which makes up for most of the customers) dine at the hotel I work in the tour guides tell them not to tip us as the service charge is included. And it isn't!

Anonomyte

If the waitress is hot then sure fire her a smack on the behind for good luck.

novarock

Even in the states I find tipping a pain in the arse. Can they not just pay these people more so I dont have to rack my brains trying to figure out 15% of the bill and wondering if they deserve it. I do give tips here, but only in restaurants, and only if I have had more than one course. Im a tightarse.

Rowley Birkin QC

Jenna wrote: »

I agree that you shouldn't have to pay more than the stated price but the truth is waiting staff rely on their tips, not their wages. I used to never tip in restaurants until I became a waitress myself and then my entire perspective changed. I realised how important tips were! So what I do now is if the service is nothing special then I don't tip, if the waitress/waiter looks after you, is fast, attentive etc then I leave 10 per cent. I leave higher tips if the service is exceptional. If you can appreciate good service then you should tip. That's what I think.

I don't care. It's not often that I can genuinely, honestly, with 100% conviction and certainty say that.


(This is one of those times)

nibtrix

Compulsory service charges are not legal unless it's quoted on the menu. If there is a "special menu" such as an early bird and the price is posted on a board outside, unless the service charge is quoted on the board you don't have to pay it, legally...

Quote/
Compulsory service charges are not illegal, providing it states on the menu that a service charge of 'x' amount will be added to the bill. If no information about the service charge appears on the menu or elsewhere in the restaurant then only a discretionary payment, such as a tip, can be expected.

If a customer is unhappy with any aspect of a meal, including the service charge, then they have a right to challenge the amount they're being asked to pay, in the same way they would for any other service under the Goods and Services Act 1982. If the issue can't be resolved there and then, a customer can pay what they believe to be reasonable, leave their name and address and, if it should go that far, the restaurant can choose to sue them for the remainder.

/end Quote

blahblah06

Max Power1 wrote: »

if I pay the stated price, why should I feel like I have to tip aswell? Thats like seeing an item advertised for €100 and me offering the seller €110. I never tip in restaurants. Maybe taxi drivers when its late night but other than that, not so much

Good man on tipping the taxi drivers :-)

wudangclan

as an aside; would it be customary to tip the guy in the petrol station who fills your car full of gas?

faceman

Most restaurant dont distribute the takings from service charges to staff. In fact its a bit of a myth that they do. I always ask the waiter when Im in a restaurant if the service charge is distributing among staff.

If it is, i dont usually tip extra.

oldyouth

I work hard, do a good job, accept a wage that I've agreed with. I do not receive any tips nor do I expect any. I do not work in a restaurant.

Ed_

Melion wrote: »

What is it about irish people never tipping?

You expect the customer to pay you more on top of your wages becuase you do your job? Would you tip the staff in McDonalds? Probably not.

NewFrockTuesday

faceman wrote: »

Most restaurant dont distribute the takings from service charges to staff. In fact its a bit of a myth that they do. I always ask the waiter when Im in a restaurant if the service charge is distributing among staff.

If it is, i dont usually tip extra.

Ive never seen the tips being shared in restaurants. I worked in Elephant & castle at night for about a year and the waiters there went mad if they made less that €100 per night tips. Afair, all tips were pooled and distributed. There used to be waar because the chefs were hammerred during service with it being so busy and waiters roaring for for faster and faster and coming in to the kitchen and firing crockery at the KPs plate hold area. One waiter used to give the KP a tenner of his tips every night which was decent of him but everyone else got nothing and were treated like crap. It was an on-going war situation.

But, yah - minumum wage + €100 - €140 every night. Not bad at all. Service charge also went to wait staff.

BaconZombie

Also tips via Creadit Card are taxed, but that's if they get any of it in the first place.

Tipping and Service charge is optional .

Hunchback

Deepsense wrote: »

Ive never seen the tips being shared in restaurants. I worked in Elephant & castle at night for about a year and the waiters there went mad if they made less that €100 per night tips. Afair, all tips were pooled and distributed. There used to be waar because the chefs were hammerred during service with it being so busy and waiters roaring for for faster and faster and coming in to the kitchen and firing crockery at the KPs plate hold area. One waiter used to give the KP a tenner of his tips every night which was decent of him but everyone else got nothing and were treated like crap. It was an on-going war situation.

But, yah - minumum wage + €100 - €140 every night. Not bad at all. Service charge also went to wait staff.

Whoah!! Where is this place? I want to work there.... as a waiter of course, heh heh!!

partyatmygaff

I always strive to tip atleast 10% if the service is good. I know what its like, I worked as a waiter for more than 2 and a half years and I relied solely on tips and nothing else. I didn't get tips, I didnt get paid so I never skip a tip.

hidinginthebush

Ever since I worked in a bar attached to a restaurant, I have no sympathy for waiters. They do fcuk all work compared to the other staff there like chefs / runners, but will still walk away with nearly €100 extra per night, tax free. So they can moan all they want about getting paid minimum wage, they're still cleaning up, while everyone else that worked their holes off so they could get all this extra cash gets nothing.

Plus, you've paid for the food, the price has been set, so why sould you give some student that's probably making more than you (after tips) €20 for just doing his/her fcuking job? I don't get it.

Sofiztikated

Deepsense wrote: »

Ive never seen the tips being shared in restaurants. I worked in Elephant & castle at night for about a year and the waiters there went mad if they made less that €100 per night tips. Afair, all tips were pooled and distributed. There used to be waar because the chefs were hammerred during service with it being so busy and waiters roaring for for faster and faster and coming in to the kitchen and firing crockery at the KPs plate hold area. One waiter used to give the KP a tenner of his tips every night which was decent of him but everyone else got nothing and were treated like crap. It was an on-going war situation.

But, yah - minumum wage + €100 - €140 every night. Not bad at all. Service charge also went to wait staff.

Em, you kinda contradict yourself here. You've never seen then shared, yet they were pooled, THEN shared.

Anyway, no most places don't distribute the service charge, as its more of a management thing, as a table of 6+ takes more time to serve than 3 tables of 2.

Oh and to the chap that worked in the hotel, the tour operator told them that because
1) The tour guide usually tips the wait staff and the porters.
2) The tour guide likes to get tipped by his tour.
3) The more they give out, the less he gets tipped.
Makes sense really.

I don't get the big argument over tipping. IF I want to tip, I'll leave a tip. If you don't want to, don't. I know who'll get better service the next time.

NewFrockTuesday

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Em, you kinda contradict yourself here. You've never seen then shared, yet they were pooled, THEN shared.

Anyway, no most places don't distribute the service charge, as its more of a management thing, as a table of 6+ takes more time to serve than 3 tables of 2.

Oh and to the chap that worked in the hotel, the tour operator told them that because
1) The tour guide usually tips the wait staff and the porters.
2) The tour guide likes to get tipped by his tour.
3) The more they give out, the less he gets tipped.
Makes sense really.

I don't get the big argument over tipping. IF I want to tip, I'll leave a tip. If you don't want to, don't. I know who'll get better service the next time.

I meant between kitchen staff and waiters. Should have clarified, sorry. Which I always thought very unfair especially when it came to the service charged Christmas parties. Chefs werent on much higher wages than waiters and the KPs got munimum wage as well but we all worked equally hard - the KPs more so due to the nature of the job.

Whoah!! Where is this place? I want to work there.... as a waiter of course, heh heh!!

Sorry, I should have said. Its smack bang in the middle of Temple Bar in Dublin. Kuurazzy busy gaff.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Max Power1 wrote: »

if I pay the stated price, why should I feel like I have to tip aswell? Thats like seeing an item advertised for €100 and me offering the seller €110. I never tip in restaurants. Maybe taxi drivers when its late night but other than that, not so much

This site is free, yet you chose to pay for it


How is the service charge optional? Where does it say that? Same in TFI fridays. I never ever tip unless the waitress exceeds my expectations.

Pizza hut in carlow, most of the workers are polish/chinese. The chinese are fine, the polish there are scum. How the tipping works. If your name is on the tables bill you get the tip. So a group of 10 come in, the polish make sure their name goes on that table, how? Ordering a glass of water on the system and then that table is theirs. They used to ask me for their tip, I would tell them to fcuk off, same with the manager. If they want it, they will work for it, scabby sly little scumbags. They would never clean up the table, would always just take an order and let the other staff do the work. The manager would also ask for 20% of your tips every night, to go to the kitchen staff. I asked the kitchen staff if they ever got any tips, they laughed. That 20% went straight to the manager. I told them I never got any tips... Scumhole run by scumbags that place is.

BaconZombie

Shop/restaurant can put up what every signs they like but print anything in there menus/catalogues, that does not mean any of it is legally binding or enforceable.

E.g. When a shop puts up a sign saying "No Refunds", it does not magically remove for legal rights under the "customers rights act".

Greysen Defeated Broomstick wrote: »

How is the service charge optional? Where does it say that? Same in TFI fridays. I never ever tip unless the waitress exceeds my expectations.

irish_goat

With regards to credit card tipping, in our place anyway it doesn't make any difference. If someone adds say a tenner onto their credit card bill a tenner will come out of the till and go into the tips jar.

Never heard of service charge being kept by the owners though, that's just plain deceit.

Theta

10% - 15% if they do a good job in a restaurant, I dont tip anywhere else.

peanuthead

hidinginthebush wrote: »

Ever since I worked in a bar attached to a restaurant, I have no sympathy for waiters. They do fcuk all work compared to the other staff there like chefs / runners, but will still walk away with nearly €100 extra per night, tax free. So they can moan all they want about getting paid minimum wage, they're still cleaning up, while everyone else that worked their holes off so they could get all this extra cash gets nothing.

Plus, you've paid for the food, the price has been set, so why sould you give some student that's probably making more than you (after tips) €20 for just doing his/her fcuking job? I don't get it.

Hold on a minute there matie!!

Don't tar all restaurants with the same brush there... I know the kind of restaurants you're on about and if someone who works in

Joels on Naas Road

is on here and I've got this wrong, please correct me, but the waiters there seem to do very little for their tips

But let me tell you about the restaurant I worked in, because it was very different. I'll name it if I can

Bewleys Newlands Cross

We NEVER had a runner. We carried all our food ourselves.
We didn't get our drinks from the main bar, but had our own little mini bar in the restaurant. There used to be a guy who worked there, but manager got rid of that and we had to do it too.
We didn't used to have to clear and re-set our tables, or make our own teas or coffees. There used to be a girl there for that. She got the chop too, so we had to do all that too.
Next to go was one of the night wash-up men. So when one guy was on his break, there was a half an hour (usually the busiest one) where we had to clear our own plates too:eek::eek:
All of this included in the fact that in a hotel, waitresses have to stock the entire restaurant for breakfast in the morning too.
Once there were no extra cuts to make, he started cutting the waitresses shifts too. So along with all these extra jobs we had extra tables too.

I know you're thinking "Well, it obviously wasn't busy then." It wasn't always busy, but you were worked to the bone because of how thinly spread we all were over the place, and my god, if it got unexpectedly busy - you didn't get a break!!

So, em, as much as I hate giving it sometimes - maybe because the waitress is cranky or whatever, alot of the times the morale is just really low because they're either tired, busy or STARVING!!

Some don't work for the tips, but some most certaintly do.

yurmothrintites

Alot of Irish waiters are ignorant, hate their jobs and are completely unfriendly to the average customer, therefore I only tip when he/she actually makes an effort to be friendly.

Service charges are absolutly ridiculous. If I want to give a tip, I will. The minumum wage is high enough.

mloc

I personally think our lack of tipping culture is matched with our absolutely piss poor service culture in most establishments.

peanuthead

mloc wrote: »

I personally think our lack of tipping culture is matched with our absolutely piss poor service culture in most establishments.

couldn't agree more actually

Acid_Violet

I'm working as a waitress now part-time, only been at it 4 days so naturally I'm diabolical! The other staff who are doing it full-time really do depend on their tips, so it annoys me a bit when you see someone who's had absolutely great service and great food and doesn't even leave a few coppers in the tipping bowl. Depends on your personal circumstances definitely, and I never tip because I'm broke (I think students are the exception in fairness.). However, when you've spent over an hour in some-one's cafe, and when the table could've been used by 2 other people in between times, and you've received friendly service I think it's only right that you tip.

BigEejit

As far as I am concerned, good service is what I get with my meal. Good food with exceptional service and friendly staff will get a tip (5% tops) and return business.

This expectation in Irish restaurants that just walking in the door adds 10% onto your bill is just pure bullshít. The whole idea of leaving a tip came from america where they basically get paid nothing and so they provide exceptional service otherwise they dont get paid. i.e. the customer is in charge; if he does not get the right food at the right time with the right attitude then the staff will not get paid very much at all. Good incentive for them.

mloc

Tipping is very much a cultural thing. In some cultures, such as middle eastern cultures, tipping small amounts is seen as a way of greasing the wheels or getting around often very restrictive bureaucracy. In many western cultures, small tips are seen as a reward to good service, with this strongest in the US, where tipping is a central part of the culture.

Tipping is not part of the Irish culture. Neither is good service. What passes as good service in Ireland is generally unprofessional, lacklustre service that fits in fine with the general "just enough to do" attitude of Irish business. That's fine, if you wish to accept that as an acceptable state for a country to be in.