We haven't had a conversation about tipping in awhile

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Alidar Jarok, Nov 3, 2012.

  1. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It's way too complicated if you're there for hours with people ordering drinks mid meal and dishes that are shared like curries and rices. I can hear some people I know.. "well I only had a spoon of that rice, you had the whole rice so.."
     
  2. Kestra

    Kestra Admiral Premium Member

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    As I've gotten older, it's been less annoying to go out in groups. Part of it is that I was hanging out a lot with siblings and spouses so half the time one of us picks up the tab for the other relatives. But even with friends, I probably only have two that are stupid about the bill. The rest of us are happy to either take turns paying, or just all go in for our shares.
     
  3. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    When I go out with my family it's great, half the time there is more money on the table at the end of the night than we need. But friends always seem petty to me. I don't care if I'm paying towards some little kid's chips in a bill split but other people seem very mathematical about it. Financial pettiness always irritates me.
     
  4. Grey

    Grey Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Hahaha! Those people are so funny.

    Even better when they break out the pad of paper and the calculator.

    Ok, I had 43.5 percent of that dish, so your tip contribution should be...
     
  5. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Or everyone shares everything to split the bill evenly but they have to make sure the person who ordered a beer that cost fifty cents more than everyone else pays their extra fifty cents :rolleyes:
     
  6. Captain Ice

    Captain Ice Cookie Constructor Admiral

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    No tip on a $140 tab because "I'm a single mom and can't afford it" is absolutely ludicrous. To get a tab that high, you're either buying for a good sized group of people (7 or 8) or eating at a high end restaurant. in either case, not leaving at least $15 (10%) on the table is unacceptable.
     
  7. Tiberius Jim

    Tiberius Jim Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I always double the tax (and with tax rates here being 8.5%-8.75% that's well over 15%) if the service is good, and start deducting percentage points for things that aren't satisfactory. I've left without tipping before but that's only when things regarding the server themselves were just outright terrible.
     
  8. rhubarbodendron

    rhubarbodendron Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Service (and tax as well, btw) is indeed included in Europe, but the staff is payed so badly that we still tip. The amount varies from one country to another. Usually, it's around 3-5%. You simply round up a little. For example for a coffee for $1.8 you'd pay $2.0, with a $23.5 meal you'd tell the waiter to make it $25 or $26.
     
  9. Jim Steele

    Jim Steele Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In the UK there is a general tipping procedure but it's basically that you tip if the service was exceptionally good, or if you're feeling particularly generous. We have a minimum wage, service is included in the bill, and it's generally accepted that a server shouldn't expect to get tipped. (some places have been cheekily writing "service not included" on the bill, but they're just chancing bastards)

    So this thread is a fascinating insight into a strange and alien culture, I can tell you.

    Tipping is so alien to me that I managed to completely piss off a waiter on my honeymoon in Italy where tipping *is* expected. It honestly didn't occur to me. We spent the week wondering why the guy started off being so pleasant but then progressively treated us with ever increasing, blatant contempt.

    Didn't twig until we were on the plane home. Still feel like such a monumental asshole when I think about it.

    I have no idea why I'm telling you this.

    please kill me
     
  10. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

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    I've never gotten annoyed by separate checks. I'd rather separate checks than people fighting over the bill (which often leads to people not paying enough money). If you don't tell me early, it can lead to mistakes that could otherwise have been avoided, but it's often preferable to me.
     
  11. SmoothieX

    SmoothieX Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^Yeah, I hate when you go out to eat with a group, and the guy that orders the steak and lobster and top shelf cocktails wants to split the check evenly. However, you already ate and got a cookie and a glass of water and are suddenly paying $24 for it.
     
  12. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    If splitting bills evenly were a thing where I'm from, I would be totally paranoid about not drinking more than other people at my table or ordering more expensive food when I go somewhere with friends.
     
  13. David F. Weisma

    David F. Weisma Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    I almost always at least double the tax, which gives a tip of about 18 percent. If I don't remember the tax and it isn't on the receipt I might just pay twenty percent of the check with tax included, and will add something if any member of my party has been obnoxious or unreasonable.

    I always figure that if tips are built into the wages they probably don't have great health insurance or much sick time either. It actually feels nice to be nice to someone who has been nice to you, and I will give slack to anyone who is rushing around and very busy.
     
  14. Deckerd

    Deckerd Fleet Arse Premium Member

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    Brits aren't completely relaxed with tipping because we have a minimum wage here. A lot of people don't tip at all. The norm in Scotland is 10% unless there is a service charge in which case there is no tip.
     
  15. Avon

    Avon Commodore Commodore

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    Did this thread happen not that long ago? like an almost exactly identical thread. because i'm getting a really odd feeling of deja vu.
     
  16. Shaytan

    Shaytan Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Bof, over here you can tip, a few coins only but there is nothing wrong if you don't. It's not expected.

    Ah, that must be why we don't have all this tipping nonsense ! How can you enjoy your meal if you're not relaxed ? There are priorities in life !
     
  17. Jim Steele

    Jim Steele Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Wait, the service charge isn't just another term for "tip"? Have I been thoroughly mistaken? Is this another bitter regret to add to the pile? I've been conducting my life in an appalling manner, I presume. Fuck
     
  18. Ryan8bit

    Ryan8bit Commodore Commodore

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    I think some people just don't want to pay for things they didn't have. A few of my own recent examples:

    I went out with a few people and they ordered an expensive bottle of wine, which I did not have any of. They expected to split the bill evenly. Sorry, I'm not paying for you to drink fancy wine.

    I went out with a couple friends and we got an appetizer. I had one little bit of it, but the waitress decided to split it three ways between us when splitting the bill. I didn't really say anything about it, since it wasn't that big of a deal. I'd never do a breakdown about how much I ate vs. the others.

    I went out with a friend, we both had comparable meals, except I ordered a couple slices of pie to go. I'm not going to expect him to pay for one of those slices which he won't even have, so I sat there and split it up.
     
  19. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    To me, splitting the bill only seems to work when it's 6 or more people. Otherwise, it comes down to one or two people carrying a much larger burden than they should. When my friends and I go out (which is very rare anymore), we agree to split the bill, but we also agree not to go crazy unless everyone agrees on it. So a more expensive platter we'd all agree on before ordering.

    Still, if I agree to split the bill, I always make sure to have some of the nicer, more expensive stuff my friends are having anyway, if only to balance out what I'll be paying. It generally works out. After all, we're supposed to be having fun together.
     
  20. Deckerd

    Deckerd Fleet Arse Premium Member

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    What I meant was if they put a service charge on, you don't need to tip because it's already being taken from you.