[Food] The NSC Great Tip Debate

[Thunder Bolt]

That is a bit childish. Why didn't he want a new one? From the sound of it, ie he wanted it blue, it would have taken 2 mins. Cutting off his nose...

After having sent back a meal, would you trust the kitchen?
The cost of his meal was deducted from the bill, so we only paid for one.

 

[The Clamp]

After having sent back a meal, would you trust the kitchen?
The cost of his meal was deducted from the bill, so we only paid for one.

Yes,I would trust them. It just seems an odd reaction, to sit there with no food. But not really my business.

 

[Goldstone1976]

A man needs to be polite, not just to me but to everyone. I watch that. How does he treat the waiter? How does he treat the coat-check girl? How does he treat the driver?

The receptionist at work is always asked for her opinion about the politeness of job applicants. She pretty much has the power of veto - if a candidate can’t be nice to a receptionist, how do I know that they’ll be nice to clients?

 

[studio150]

I've always liked the way that Tommy Cooper used to tip taxi drivers.

He tapped their jacket breast pocket and say have a drink on me, while slipping the tip into the pocket.

Taxi driver no doubt thought that's generous, only to find a tea bag in said pocket.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I'm new school, old school.

At the risk of getting flamed ....

I always thought that the origin of tipping was to substitute the ridiculously low paid [exploited] wages of low-skilled staff - like waiters / hairdressers / dustmen / etc.
With the introduction of minimum wage [whether you agree it is adequate or not], these low skilled workers can no longer [legally] be exploited [in the UK].
If you're not happy earning min-wage it is within your gift to go better yourself.

So, to the question, do I tip? Answer; rarely. I never tip someone who has done what I expected them to do, i.e. doing their job, but if someone has gone above and beyond - never mind the percentage, 10% 15% whatever of the total bill [that's irrelevant in my opinion] - the PERSON who provided the extra service will get between £1 - £3 in their hand.

The only other time I will "tip" is if I perceive someone has done something for me and I've not been charged - doesn't happen much nowadays.

 

[pastafarian]

After having sent back a meal, would you trust the kitchen?
.

Depends on the establishment, the chef who cooked, the wider chefs brigade, the waiting staff and how the customer conducted themselves during the complaint.

There are plenty of variables, there might even be a formula that NSC can come up with for the probability of an unsavoury outcome.

Lets face it, if you are eating at Simpsons and even managed to find fault with whats on offer the chances of the chef wiping his foreskin on what you get served as a replacement is minimal to zero.

The chances of foul play obviously rise dramatically if you are eating in a untrustworthy dump and complain. If you complain like a dick and abuse the staff in said establishment you can take it to the bank that foreskin on your rib eye is probably the least worrying thing that has happened to your food.

In such situations, avoid the béarnaise at all costs.

 

[Yes Chef]

Depends on the establishment, the chef who cooked, the wider chefs brigade, the waiting staff and how the customer conducted themselves during the complaint.

There are plenty of variables, there might even be a formula that NSC can come up with for the probability of an unsavoury outcome.

Lets face it, if you are eating at Simpsons and even managed to find fault with whats on offer the chances of the chef wiping his foreskin on what you get served as a replacement is minimal to zero.

The chances of foul play obviously rise dramatically if you are eating in a untrustworthy dump and complain. If you complain like a dick and abuse the staff in said establishment you can take it to the bank that foreskin on your rib eye is probably the least worrying thing that has happened to your food.

In such situations, avoid the béarnaise at all costs.

This is crass, but accurate.

Any self respecting chef wouldn't dream of tampering with a customer's food.

In nearly 20 years I've only seen something untoward twice, both when I was a kid and was reluctant to speak out.

 

[dazzer6666]

I prefer to pay restaurant tips in cash when I’m paying by card.....I know it probably doesn’t matter but feels like there is more chance of it going to the staff. Tend not to tip as much where, for example, you order food at the bar. I always tip after a haircut (not that it’s much of a job these days), just round it up to a tenner.

The US is getting worse than ever.....most restaurant bills now have the ‘suggested tip’ options at the bottom, with the options typically being 18%, 20% and 22% (or even higher). Same in cabs when you use the screens to pay by card.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

I generally tip whereas Mrs DCH disagrees (nobody tips me to do my job is her answer). It also depends on where you are in the world. The US service culture has always demanded higher percentage tips but servers are also taxed on their tips.

Around this whole subject, restaurants are always the most contentious. For example, if the food is poor but the service good do you still tip as it is not the server's fault? Likewise, if the food is excellent and the service is poor do you not tip and potentially penalise the poor person who has prepared your food? This is where the good old fashioned British politeness can be a curse. How many times to you hear people complain about their food to their table mates but when the server asks if everything is okay the all go "Yes, fine thank you"?

I did once leave a 10p tip in coppers after a meal for six people as the server was downright rude to us. Rather than leave nothing which could just be seen as being someone who didn't tip, it was meant as a deliberate statement to the server. We left the table and walked past the server and told them we had left them the tip we thought they deserved. And yes, it was a bit childish. We did also fill in a feedback card for the restaurant to explain how poor the service had been.

 

[beorhthelm]

But does the minimum wage, post tax/ni, give waiting and kitchen staff a decent living wage? Especially considering the high cost of living in many parts of the UK.

living wage is a nonsense, an arbitary term without real objective meaning. for a start as you note it will differ between areas of the country, also people's circumstances differ. the student in parental home has a significantly different cost of living to someone in own home with children. we dont determine wages by individuals circumstances, unless you'd be happy for a single person to be paid less than parent for doing the same job.