142 points

European here. Tipping is not already included in the price of the meal. Living wage is included in the price of the meal.

Tips is completely voluntary, if you think the service was excellent then you really just round up to the nearest nice round number (something like 22.85 becomes 25)

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31 points

American here. I understood most of what you said, except for the phrase “living wage”. Could you explain this to me? I’ve never heard of it before.

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3 points

Oh man how I wish to tell you all about Belgium’s healthindex.

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2 points

Livable wage, is that a better term for it?

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21 points

Cuz noone else pointed it out to you, the comment you responded to was sarcastic. It wasnt a language barrier thing.

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5 points

Nah, all we have are poverty wages and billionaires here.

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24 points

Tipping is not already included in the price of the meal. Living wage is included in the price of the meal.

That is the tip. In the US, “tipped” labor often has a reduced minimum wage, under the expectation that they make the difference up in tips.

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8 points

Yup, something like $2.50/hr, when federal minimum wage is ~$7.50. If a server doesn’t make minimum wage, the restaurant is required to step them up.

It’s a stupid system IMO, because not leaving a tip is a giant slap in the face, when it really should just mean “you did just okay.” If the service is really that bad, I will complain and expect a comp or something on the bill, so the bill should reflect “good enough” service. I’d actually like to pay tips if it actually meant “fantastic service,” like putting up with my screaming children, convincing the cook to make something off-menu, or still providing good service when we’re not spending much (we don’t drink, and that’s like 50% of the bill). I’d prefer to tip based on the service, not on the size of the bill.

Oh, and if we had such a system, not taxing tips would make a ton of sense since it’s pretty literally a gift.

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0 points

In the US, if you are never going to return to an establishment, why tip?

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0 points

Because you care about other people?

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22 points

To add to that I’d say there’s no drama attached to not leaving a tip.

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13 points

Totally, waiters don’t expect a tip at all. So if it’s given, it’s appreciated even more.

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My guy/gal/pal.

We do things differently in different parts of Europe.

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17 points

You’re right, I made the same mistake as OP. There is no “European system of tipping”.

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3 points

Well, a lot of restaurants add a few percent tip to large parties in my experience (and some try to start that shit for tables of 4).

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2 points

But that means if I don’t tip they’ll think I thought the service wasn’t excellent :(

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7 points

In the US, sure. But in Europe, a tip isn’t expected, so any tip you give means “better than average service.” As in, what tips should’ve been all along.

I have no problem giving tips, I have a problem with tips being expected.

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3 points
*

someone once told me tips where invented to skip the queue at the bar… and apparenty its also some witty acronym for that as well (the brits supposedly invented the concept and they famously like to play with their words)

edit: “To Insure Promptness”, but apparently that’s just a backronym that someone made later… damn, i enjoyed that factoid, never should’ve checked it xD

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-5 points

i you mean it, tip 10-15% of the bill! (often the “living wage” is still precarious.)

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164 points

Tipping culture should die.

I’d rather have meals on the menu be what I pay. Include tax, service fees, and other garbage fees.

I went to Japanese restaurant in NYC. They took my card and they returned it. I asked about the tip. They said it was all included. Fucking dream.

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102 points

Not being an American the whole idea of not including tax in the stated price just seems so alien. You expect me to work out what 12.5% of my bill is on the fly as I’m shopping? Fuck you, that’s your job. You are the one actually paying the tax to the government, you work it out

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64 points

Also “They took my card”. That is apparently an American thing.

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11 points

Hell we still sign a receipt an we only just got them chips recently

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7 points

In Canada, they have the wireless chip readers everywhere. It was nice since a large chunk of stolen credit cards are when employees scan it before charging it.

Some places in the USA is starting to do the same thing. But yes, the US is way behind.

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13 points

You are the one actually paying the tax to the government, you work it out

Also they would only have to do it once per item, shoppers have to do it every time!

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0 points

We generally tip 15% or 20%, depending on quality of service, 10% if it’s bad but not atrocious. And that’s pretty easy:

  • 10% - just move the decimal place once
  • 20% - move the decimal place once and double
  • 15% - in the middle of the first two (or move decimal place once, cut in half, and add that to the 10% figure)
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14 points

Thia is where you should name and praise the restaurant

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11 points

All hail Kermit, the Japanese restaurant

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5 points

Sugarfish. They have to two in NYC. I’ve been to both.

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5 points

Waiters are against it as they may get way more than if they were paid by the owner. Also they automatically get raises when menu prices increases.

What blows my mind is that American do tip everywhere and also give cash to some workers at the end of the year (mail man, garbage man,… Etc).

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6 points
*

Waiters are against it as they get way more than if they were paid by the owner.

They’re not against it, and they don’t.

Source: was waiter for a decade

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2 points

If you are paid $15/h that is 20% of $75. Don’t you think that the clients you will serve will pay way more than that during an hour?

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-2 points

You must have been paid very well as a waiter to do better than tips.

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2 points

There is a korean place I love in a city in a neighboring state. Worth driving over an hour to get that sweet sweet meal with tax included.

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-5 points

They took my card and they returned it

Welcome to 2000 ? I cant remember the last time i carried a card, wtf.

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2 points

I have 1 credit card on my phone. I carry 1 debit card, my driver’s license, and about 4 other credit cards with me.

I really don’t like the idea of losing my phone and my only way of paying for things at the same time. At least if I lose my phone, I can still pay for stuff. If I lose my wallet, I can still use my phone to pay for stuff or to call.

I have a physical copy of my car insurance and I also have it on my phone.

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34 points

Tips included in the price of the meal? You mean the meal being the actual price instead of the tips being part of the payment for the meal?

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42 points

increase prices

people have to pay more money

How has no one thought of this

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12 points

Tips aren’t included in the meal prices over here (Wales), our servers just get paid actual wages for the actual job that they’re doing.

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