When to tip and when not to tip

At the end of your meal out, you get the bill. Suddenly, the euphoria of the food you just finished is replaced by a faint twinge of anxiety as you realize you have to figure out how much to tip.

Will you face the wrath of your waiter if you tip too little? Will you end up tipping too much? If service is poor, should you tip?

The debate isn’t limited to restaurants – many workers get tips, including hairdressers, taxi drivers and hotel porters.

what the new law means Workers must receive all tips – is expected to benefit around 3 million workers in England, Scotland and Wales.

But there are no hard and fast rules on how much you have to leave.

Mae, a 17-year-old waitress at a small business, said she doesn’t want customers to tip in addition to the service charge added to the bill.

“So it’s unusual for customers to tip afterwards, which is good. A lot of customers actually double-check when they’re paying that there was service and that it was distributed fairly.”

But she said a friend of hers works at a place that doesn’t add a service charge, so most customers there tip.

According to the government, a tip is “a voluntary payment made by a customer on his or her own initiative” while a service charge is “an amount added to the customer’s bill prior to payment”.

Etiquette expert Laura Akano from Polished Manners says how much to tip is always “up to the individual” but she believes “it’s important to express gratitude if you’ve received good service”.

If the service fee is a discretionary one, you may request a cancellation. If it’s mandatory, no – but the restaurant must make it clear to you, either verbally or in writing, before you order.

Tips and service charges may be split among many employees, for example, the person who serves your food and the person who washes the dishes.

Peter, 40, from Leeds, said the most memorable tips he got were from two regulars at his favorite pub.

He knew them well enough to pour them a pint before they arrived at the pub.

One night, as he was closing, they invited him to join them – at a local strip club.

“They paid for all my drinks and a dance,” he said. “That’s really generous.”

He said that on his last shift at the pub, some of the other regulars thrust £10 notes into his hand and wished him well, “which was really nice of them”.

However, he has also worked at restaurants where management withheld tips, and at a hotel where service charges were never paid to employees.

“But when you need a job and this is the job you can get, you don’t argue loudly,” he said.

The new law means employees must now be paid for their services.

How much of a tip you leave is entirely up to you, but many travel websites recommend leaving a tip of around 10% to 15% in the UK.

Where Mae works, a 12.5% ​​service charge is added to the bill.

Jemma Swallow, who used to own a tea shop in London, said 10% “covers most situations without leaving customers unhappy because they were asked for it and staff not unhappy because they didn’t receive it”.

Ms. Akano agrees that about 10% is correct. “Whether people do it or not is another matter, but it’s good to have guidance.”

In countries outside the UK, such as the US, tipping can be upwards of 20% and is often mandatory even if the service is mediocre.

May said she doesn’t tip in the UK because the service is almost always included, but she does tip when she goes to the US.

“I tip every time because the tipping culture is different there. Having said that, it’s still a little uncomfortable sometimes.”

Tipping is considered rude in some Asian countries, although the popularity of Western brand hotels has made the practice less of a taboo.

“Penelope” (not her real name), a kitchen manager, said the level of tipping depends on where you eat.

If it’s Hungry Horse, you’ll have certain expectations for the meal and tip accordingly. However, if you dine at the Ivy, you might tip more “to give the impression that you’re spending money lavishly,” she says.

“At the end of the day, it’s theater,” she added.

If a discretionary service fee has been added to your bill and you believe it should not have been added, you have the right to request that it be removed.

Nige Eaton, 56, from Bedfordshire, a regular restaurant eater, said he had always been worried about staff not getting tips and disliked restaurants that added automatic service charges.

“When it’s printed on the bill, it does feel like some kind of extortion and some customers feel forced to pay, which is wrong,” he said.

If employees do a good job, they should be tipped, he said, but it should be up to the customer.

Etiquette expert John-Paul Sturridge says that “given the prevalence of ‘surprise’ service charges,” it’s prudent to check the restaurant’s website to see if a service charge is included.

“You can ask staff, but discretion is key, so try to ask them quickly and out of earshot of your guests.”

Ms. Akano recommends letting staff know you’re unhappy with the charge before the bill arrives. This way they may waive the service fee for you.

Tipping in many industries has evolved from the days of leaving change on the table, with card and contactless payments now the norm.

However, “the spirit of tipping as a way of thanking hard-working staff remains strong,” said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade group UK Hospitality.

“If you want to tip someone, a cash tip allows them to keep it, while leaving a tip on the bill or on the table will benefit the entire team, from the front of house to the cooks and porters working hard in the kitchen.”

Mae said that in the 21st century, an alternative to tipping is to leave a message on social media, which people are doing more and more and “honestly, we appreciate it.” Photos of food”.

Mr Sturridge said that depending on the size and nature of the restaurant, leaving a positive review on social media could actually be more valuable than a tip.

“The time and effort spent on leaving a positive review may help the business more in the long run than any loose changes.”