Tipping

[smeyer418]

btw the idea that Brits don't tip at a bar is somewhat disingenuous. You are expected to buy a drink for the barkeep every once in a while and sometimes this is taken as an sterling amount to buy that drink "later"...buying a round is also the social convention and me thinks that the same people who don't like to tip tend not to be around when their turn comes to buy the round...not YOU of course...

[John Bull]

btw the idea that Brits don't tip at a bar is somewhat disingenuous. You are expected to buy a drink for the barkeep every once in a while and sometimes this is taken as an sterling amount to buy that drink "later"...buying a round is also the social convention and me thinks that the same people who don't like to tip tend not to be around when their turn comes to buy the round...not YOU of course...

 

In the UK, counting the barman/maid in a round is very much the exception rather than the rule. Tends to happen in quiet hotel bars, drinking on stools at the bar, with the barman very much involved in the socialising / conversation.

Popular pubs are too busy these days for staff to socialise, the socialising barman tends to be in quiet locals' pubs in neighbourhoods or villages.

Regulars who are on first-name terms with him might buy him a drink. But unless drinking at the bar & chatting, a stranger wouldn't.

There's times when it seems natural, times when it doesn't

 

Folk who disappear when it's their turn to buy a round?

Talk to university students - they're the experts ;)

 

JB :)

[jocap]

No, it's fairly rare to tip someone at the bar.

Friends run a country pub/inn, where many of the guests are walkers and climbers- very popular. They leave a beer mug on the bar for anyone to leave a tip.

One night someone ran off with the beer mug, and they reckoned that the week's tips would be the usual £70.....

Jo.

[MrYellowDuck]

You actually spoke to the dining room waitstaff and they told you they didn't want a tip? I find that hard to believe since the tip makes up the majority of their pay. :eek: Or is this speculation on your part? Again, if the service wasn't to your liking you should have spoken to a supervisor instead of making such silly assumptions.

 

There's no speculation here. Where service is poor staff knew there was very likely no tip coming since they knew that for us there was no auto-tip. No reasonable person could have expected something extra. Any speculation is in fact on the part of those providing poor service - they chose to act like this and we chose to reinforce their prejudice rather than to pay to teach them a lesson (and that's what we would have been doing had we tipped them).

 

We could complain undoubtedly, and we know people from North American typically would. We're different though - we weren't unhappy as I said. Only, the service was at some very minimalist level and that did not warrant a tip - we pay tips if the service is good through superb, end of story.

 

Given we weren't unhappy why do you think we'd complain? At best all that could happen is that we'd have to start paying a tip for forced improved service.

 

The choice is of course ours alone over how we act and the way described here is the way we have chosen.

[Cruisin' Chick]

There's no speculation here. Where service is poor staff knew there was very likely no tip coming since they knew that for us there was no auto-tip. No reasonable person could have expected something extra. Any speculation is in fact on the part of those providing poor service - they chose to act like this and we chose to reinforce their prejudice rather than to pay to teach them a lesson (and that's what we would have been doing had we tipped them).

 

We could complain undoubtedly, and we know people from North American typically would. We're different though - we weren't unhappy as I said. Only, the service was at some very minimalist level and that did not warrant a tip - we pay tips if the service is good through superb, end of story.

 

Given we weren't unhappy why do you think we'd complain? At best all that could happen is that we'd have to start paying a tip for forced improved service.

 

The choice is of course ours alone over how we act and the way described here is the way we have chosen.

 

Maybe the cabin steward and the waitstaff figured that you were going to stiff them no matter what (they are told when passengers remove the autotips). If you really don't want to tip (which is what it sounds like), then go on one of the premium lines that include the tip in the fare. Most likely the service will raise to the level of your insanely high standards.

 

For anyone else, if you feel the service is lacking, why not talk to the supervisors and get the situation remedied immediately. Just don't suffer in silence, and then complain on a forum back on home.

[John Bull]

There was nothing worth complaining about. The service passed a minimum threshold of effectiveness but was below the standard at which a tip could reasonably be offered. The staff decided themselves that they didn't want a tip through their actions - that was fine by us.

 

 

I don't entirely understand your actions. Can't but help thinking it's asking for very basic service :confused:

By removing the auto-tip immediately & without mentioning your intentions to staff, I can kinda understand their reaction. Rightly or wrongly, they're going to presume that you're going to stiff them, rather than that you'll tip on merit. Poor service would warrant a complaint, but they see no point in upping the standard above acceptable.

Makes a lot more sense to leave the auto-tip in place, & only remove much later if the service is poor or basic. Then mebbe they'll get what they deserve, rather than what you've engineered.

 

I've done cruises tips-inclusive, pre-paid tips, auto-tips, and envelopes on the last evening. And only ever had good-to-excellent service :)

 

JB ;)

[MrYellowDuck]

If you really don't want to tip (which is what it sounds like)' date=' then go on one of the premium lines that include the tip in the fare. Most likely the service will raise to the level of your insanely high standards.[/quote']

 

Does it sound like that? I guess is must through the lens you're viewing the situation through. The reality is that we tip reasonably generously - $5 to $10 for for cleaners per night in a hotel, an extra $20 to $30 a day for the cabin steward on a cruise (we're Princess customers - so not a premium line), 25% tip for meals and so on. Most people are delighted by this and it makes no real difference to us.

 

Our expectations of service are not high. Not that I said they were. If you mean that I am very happy to not pay a tip when one is not due then you're dead right.

[Cruisin' Chick]

more like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The crew members are told you removed the auto-tip and they have no way of knowing you won't be stiffing them at the end of the cruise. And on Princess, if you do remove the auto-tip and give them cash, they must turn over the money to their supervisor. That money goes into the tip pool. They get less of the tip and they also have to explain to their supervisor why you felt the need to remove the tip. So even if they are smiling broadly, they are thinking inwardly they have a jerk in one of their cabins.

 

The rest of us leave on the tips and get excellent service. But maybe we're not sending off bad vibes and are pleasant to the staff.

[brfan]

Does it sound like that? I guess is must through the lens you're viewing the situation through. The reality is that we tip reasonably generously - $5 to $10 for for cleaners per night in a hotel, an extra $20 to $30 a day for the cabin steward on a cruise (we're Princess customers - so not a premium line), 25% tip for meals and so on. Most people are delighted by this and it makes no real difference to us.

 

Our expectations of service are not high. Not that I said they were. If you mean that I am very happy to not pay a tip when one is not due then you're dead right.

 

Can you explain what it was about the service in the dining room that you didn't like (or felt was just adequate)?

[dralliw1985]

An interiseting thought from a trip to the Pacific islands...We were sat at lunch, on a tour, with a couple from from Australia, and of course tipping came up. They were against tipping, as it is not their custom. I asked "Are you against cheap meals, with tips, driving on the proper side of the road", ect... my point, which they missed or ignored. They stiffed the staff and then later commented how good the food was. BTW there are loads of threads on the topic on these boards. And I find the adivise is very good-W-

[nandl2009]

Thank you for all your replies, its very helpful. I wouldn't want to offend anyone by not tipping so its good to know the score :)

 

L