Why should we tip?

AyeGer

One I forgot is the guys at the car wash I go to. They charge €7 for a car wash and I always give €10. They do a brilliant job.

Marymoore

what I don’t understand about tipping is that people tip 10%…,. Say I go to a restaurant and the meal costs €10 and the wine €20… and I tip €3… then u go to another restaurant and the meal costs €60 and the wine costs €60… now I have to tip €12 for the waiter doing the exact same thing?? That makes no sense to me. I took my family to a really posh restaurant but the prices were outrageous, the bill came to €300!! And to put €30 on top felt sickening but I did it.. why is that expected?
also do people tip for brunch or just at night for meals? I’m wondering what’s expected

AyeGer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121982825#Comment_121982825

It’s not really expected yet in Ireland. Don’t feel obliged to tip 10% or any amount unless you want to. Tipping is optional.

If this thread has shown us anything it’s how baseless the idea of automatically tipping waiting staff but not other low paid service workers is.

Packrat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121982825#Comment_121982825

It seems to me that there's several different realities going on in this thread.

I usually only tip high for evening meals rather than lunch unless I'm entertaining or in my local lunch spot where the waitress was in school with me and I drop a fiver.

For dinner outings I tip according to service: Standard - 10%, Great -15 to 20%, Poor -5%, They annoyed me - 0.

When out for dinner with my wife the bill will be from 90 to 200 depending on where and I tip according to the rates above, rounded up to even money amounts.

I don't go subtracting wine, prosecco or pints from it. That would be a headwreck and kill the vibe in my opinion.

A good tip can make someone's day or week. That's a buzz factor in itself.

BraveDonut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121982506#Comment_121982506

I agree with this. I have been to the states a lot and find that the quality of service is generally far superior to here. Any request is never a problem and they constantly check to see if you are ready for a refill, etc. I hate having to try to flag someone down here to get another drink.
I have seen cases in the states where a party of 10 has asked for separate bills and the waitress accommodated the request with a smile on her face - Imagine trying to that here…

Pauliedragon

Do managers in the states get a cut of the tips? They do here in some places here which I feel is a bit harsh on the wait staff.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973067#Comment_121973067

It's been expected for donkey's years. The difference today is that the level of service has gone to the dogs. It used to be the case that the American service industry was famous for its great service. Nowadays, you'd be lucky to get a bloody smile out of staff as they plonk down your food/drink.

Back in the day, you'd also get something called a "buy back" from barmen. You'd tip a dollar every bottle (it was usually 5 bucks a bottle of beer in most places in the city) and you'd end up with a freebie after a few beers, so you didn't mind handing over the extra dollar. That was the way things used to work in pubs in the likes of New York. That's a thing of the past now as well.

fun loving criminal

I get my hair cut in a student college, so I'll always tip the student because they will probably love the money.

I always tip deliveroo or just eat drivers as as far as I know they work for themselves so it's probably an easy job to get when you first get here in the country. I really hope the charges the food delivery apps charge go towards their wages because it seems expensive and that's on top of the food increases. But even still, they are delivering my food when I'm too lazy to go out, so they deserve something.

And I will tip taxi drivers as well because as far as I know, costs have increased for them and they were crying about a year ago not being able to increase fares and I always believe in paying what I owe, so if their costs have increased but can't charge extra in fares, I'll give them extra in a tip.

DoyleLoneganYouFollow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971151#Comment_121971151

Tipping is a form of slavery. By that I mean that service workers in the US are not actually being paid by their employer. Their employer gets close to free labour from them and their labour is paid by the customer.

In Europe a waitress or barmaid gets paid no matter how busy the establishment is. She also gets paid holidays and medical. Yes she will grumble if the place is empty but that is because her night goes quicker if she is busy. She may get some tips if it is rammed but she doesn't rely on them.

In America if the bar / restaurant is dead she might not be able to feed her kids, let alone herself and that's BS.

Try telling a security guard that he gets paid a quid an hour and that he needs to supplement his income by people giving him money to come in and out of the bar/shopping mall/cinema/whatever.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122016913#Comment_122016913

That’s quite a leap to say tipping is a form of slavery. The last time I checked waitresses were not indentured servants. Since 2014 most states in the US have minimum wage laws which means bar/waiting staff are paid by their employers, it’s one of the reasons proprietors give for the prices of food/drink going up in NY and why the buyback is a thing of the past. It is also worth pointing out that the tips could be multiples of any expected wage rate in the bars/restaurants in the US, a bar that advertised jobs with a flat wage and no tips would most likely get no applicants.

Have to say, I’ve never tipped a security guard at a shopping mall/cinema, does that actually happen? Have to admit, in my 20’s when I spent time in the US I did occasionally give doormen at clubs a few dollars, it wasn’t a tip though, it was a bribe to get in.

Tipping is part of US culture, despite the fears of some posters here, there is no pressure to tip.

Markus Antonius

Was in the US last summer and even for them the subject of tipping has come up a lot. Ever since Covid they started incorporating the tip into the bill. Then on top of this they introduced a touchscreen tipping option that would come up on the screen before you use your card, asking you to tip either 0%, 5%, 10% etc. based on the level of service you recieved.

What disgruntled them is that a lot of places introduced the new tipping mechanism without removing the Covid priced-in tip. They were effectively preying on the ignorant or on those who didn't have the skin to press 0%.

For the love of all that is holy, we need to stop the Americanisation of our country. The only way to do this is actively stop tipping. The food prices here are a rip-off and the minimum wage is 12.70. Don't needlessly subsidise the greedy hospitality industry with your guilty conscience.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122022408#Comment_122022408

Expensive? Yes, but I don’t think bars/restaurants are making huge profits or ripping people off, you only have to look how much your weekly shop has gone up over the last few years and then add in all the other huge outgoings like rent/rates/insurance/energy/wages etc which commercial providers have to pay.

Also, legally don’t tips have to go to staff rather than owner’s? If your conscience is feels guilty, or you feel pressure to tip, you really need to work on that, I doubt many suffer such weak will.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122022600#Comment_122022600

You are talking as though consumers aren't also feeling the effects of increased costs. Why do you view consumers as a bottomless source of funds to frivolously throw away on tipping?

I worked as a waiter once and we used to get lots of American tour busses in who would always tip, and the manager did used to steal this and claim it was in leu of different "mistakes" that we allegedly made. I think it happens all the time.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122022817#Comment_122022817

I am talking as though most consumers are feeling the effects of increases, and understand those costs apply even more to commercial providers as costs are even higher. I certainly don’t view consumers as bottomless pits of money, I do view most as being capable of understanding commercial costs as well though. Why would you think the cost of food and energy etc would rise in your home, and not in a restaurant?

Again, I am almost certain the law changed recently in relation to tips.

Ballygowen

Why should you tip?

The same reason anyone tips; so that you can show off in front of your friends, or so that you can delude yourself into thinking the waiter is your friend.

Dav010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122031585#Comment_122031585

Most of the time my dining companions are my wife and family, and I’ve never thought of the person serving me my food as my friend, I must be in the minority.

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121971131#Comment_121971131

Dimes aren't much good here

downtheroad

Dublin city centre last night. Suggested tip of 22%. Jog on.

And cash tips explicitly encouraged, Revenue would love that.

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

I doubt revenue gave a **** about tax free tips. If they did they would audit every restaurant, hotel and pub in the country and clean up.

Tony EH

In Valencia now. They don't care about tipping over here.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

I think resturants and food pro uders have lost the run of themselves. Basic main courses are now 20 euro. It nearly dearer outside Dublin ( linerick, Cork Dublin and even tourist destinations) than Dublin itself.

At the 20 euro level the fare tends to be very basic and you wonder why bother. Go to a decent butcher or even Supervalu buy a few trays of veg and potatoes as well as your desired meat and you have a meal for 20 euro which is very easy to ckk for two people, a fairly decent bottle of wine and a few bottle of beer another 25-30. For less than 50 euro you have a better mean than many pubs or resturants throw you out for 100++

SteM

Comparing the cost of home cooked food vs resturant food is pointless imho. Compare quality all you want, it's subjective based on where you eat out and how good a cook you are but comparing cost is a waste of time.

L Grey

I tip them if I think they did something to deserve it.

I think tipping egregiously makes one look cheap - like new money.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462871#Comment_122462871

Not really, the Sunday lunch option which is a money spinner or turnover spinner for many pubs and small resturants is up against the prepared food suppers now.

Pubs have struggled to recover the stay at home drinker. They could lose the causal diner because of the drop in quality of tge standard fare they provide.

I have been out for Sunday lunch/casual dining a few times lately and none have been memorable.

The standard fare is now a very limited choice. Cost to the consumer Has risen 30-40% in 3 years. People will start tomove away. It was much more difficult to prepare a Sunday dinner or a dinner for a special occasion 10 years ago now the choice is unlimited because of the prepared food options in foil containers which can be put in the oven. Yes choice of main course on the day will be limited to one option for a couple or two for a group of four but the quality is above standard pub or restaurant fate at present

paul321123

Why top someone for doing there job, this tipping culture in America is due to them not getting a wage, here they get there wages, do you tip you server in a garage who might lift a bag of ce or bottle if gas into your car they are on the same money as your waiter, do you tip the person at a drive through when you get your food, do you tip the person when you get a coffee?, where does it end, it has knitting to do with been mean , it's just common sense, do restraunts deduct 20% for slow or bad service?

Bobson Dugnutt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

Where was this?

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462910#Comment_122462910

Look, I can cook pretty well and hate overpaying for basic food if I go out but:

Go to a decent butcher or even Supervalu buy a few trays of veg and potatoes as well as your desired meat and you have a meal for 20 euro

is so obvious its hardly a point worth making. Everything can be done cheaper at home. I can make better coffee at home than the local costa where it's 3.80 for an americano. My wife is in the kitchen at the moment making a quilt that would be a fraction of what she'd pay for in a shop. Making stuff at has always been cheaper, it's not a recent phenomenon.

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

The blatant cheek

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

"Cash tips preferred" requests are very common now. I've seen it on signs displayed in premises, or requests at the bottom of a bill, and regularly have had wait staff asking for cash tips instead of adding it to a card payment. How will Revenue police that?

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122462308#Comment_122462308

That's shocking, Irish restaurant owners using the same POS software as U.S businesses and adding in the % percentages for tips, presumably to get extra money off U.S tourists..

The more that creeps into Ireland the more people will feel obliged to start tipping everywhere…