Random Irritations

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Don't get me wrong, it grated with me still. You have to change your mindset though, it is not like anywhere else in the world, probably. The staff are paid poorly, tips are often 90% of their salary. Just see the end price, including tip, being the price. Don't separate things out.

It's backward but is it what it is.

Thankfully my chances of going there are slim to none. Can’t say there’s a single place I feel like I’d ever be missing out on by not going and Mrs M has no desire to.

If and it’s a big if I ever go it’ll be either work related or maybe if someone kindly spots me a green fee at Pebble

 

[Lord Tyrion]

No I don't. Americans' wages are not my problem.

View attachment 59994

I'm unlikely to ever go there anyway!

It's best you don't then as their wages would be a problem for you if you went and tipped low or not at all

 

[Bazz]

Thankfully my chances of going there are slim to none. Can’t say there’s a single place I feel like I’d ever be missing out on by not going and Mrs M has no desire to.

If and it’s a big if I ever go it’ll be either work related or maybe if someone kindly spots me a green fee at Pebble

I've got a California road trip worked out in my head for my 50th, in 8 years time...Pebble was always something I'd considered but it'll be near enough $800, so no thanks. Might drive past it and see if I can get in the pro shop.

 

[Orikoru]

It's best you don't then as their wages would be a problem for you if you went and tipped low or not at all

View attachment 59995

Would it? Or do you think maybe I'd just leave the restaurant and never give it another minute's thought?

Edit: As long as it's a place where you pay at the end so they can't spit in my food.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I've got a California road trip worked out in my head for my 50th, in 8 years time...Pebble was always something I'd considered but it'll be near enough $800, so no thanks. Might drive past it and see if I can get in the pro shop.

That’s why someone would have to spot me the green fee

I’ve got the big 50 in five years time so I’m thinking of making it a golf trip just gotta figure where and something that’s a bit different. The Mrs is terrible on planes so I’m limited on flight lengths.

Would it? Or do you think maybe I'd just leave the restaurant and never give it another minute's thought?

Edit: As long as it's a place where you pay at the end so they can't spit in my food.

You sir ! I like the cut of your jib

Hey if it’s saves 25% who cares about a little spit! Some places you have to pay for that privilege

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Would it? Or do you think maybe I'd just leave the restaurant and never give it another minute's thought?

Edit: As long as it's a place where you pay at the end so they can't spit in my food.

It all depends if one of the waiters catches you as you are running away . How agile and slippy are you?

 

[Orikoru]

It all depends if one of the waiters catches you as you are running away . How agile and slippy are you?

Surely it's not legal there to assault customers for under-tipping?

Honestly, I bet yank restaurants etc hate it when groups of English folk come in. I'd imagine at least 50% of us are like me and happy to just give the standard 10% and leave. And the serving staff think we're all a-holes instead of realising it's their own country's employment structure that's the problem.

It is definitely creeping in over here as well though. You have to be vigilant these days to 'opt out' of high tip amounts on card machines and the like.

 

[patricks148]

the first snow of the winter. its been pretty mild the last month with temps in the double digits . wasn't forecast, was supposed to be cold and clear..

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Thankfully, flu is something that just seems to have passed me by.

You didn't say "flu by"!
Well done!

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Surely it's not legal there to assault customers for under-tipping?

Honestly, I bet yank restaurants etc hate it when groups of English folk come in. I'd imagine at least 50% of us are like me and happy to just give the standard 10% and leave. And the serving staff think we're all a-holes instead of realising it's their own country's employment structure that's the problem.

It is definitely creeping in over here as well though. You have to be vigilant these days to 'opt out' of high tip amounts on card machines and the like.

It’s definitely creeping in. The other one to be careful of is compulsory service charge. I get why they do it for large bookings but not smaller booking.

We’ve got a big birthday meal tomorrow for Mrs M younger brother celebrating his 21st. The booking is for 12 people and they’ve asked us to pre order our food which annoys me anyway as I like to see how I feel on the day, so they’ve sent out the menus and in print at the bottom it states any groups over 4 people there is a 15% service charge, no issue with that.

However Mrs M step mum said don’t forget we will all need to leave a tip as it’s the right thing to do! When I said nope, not leaving a tip because the booking stated we will be paying a 15% charge on top for service you’d have thought I’d just in her cornflakes! Fortunately the FiL read the the booking details and backed me up saying we’re not tipping twice

 

[Hobbit]

Don't get me wrong, it grated with me still. You have to change your mindset though, it is not like anywhere else in the world, probably. The staff are paid poorly, tips are often 90% of their salary. Just see the end price, including tip, being the price. Don't separate things out.

It's backward but is it what it is.

Spot on!

If you let it grind your gears it’ll spoil the trip. Whatever price you see, just add 20% and consider it to be the real price.

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

Surely it's not legal there to assault customers for under-tipping?

Honestly, I bet yank restaurants etc hate it when groups of English folk come in. I'd imagine at least 50% of us are like me and happy to just give the standard 10% and leave. And the serving staff think we're all a-holes instead of realising it's their own country's employment structure that's the problem.

It is definitely creeping in over here as well though. You have to be vigilant these days to 'opt out' of high tip amounts on card machines and the like.

On our recent tour of Japan our tour guide, microphone in hand, reminded us that tipping in Japan is considered demeaning and is simply not a practice. Before she finished she added "But that doesn't apply to the tourist industry".
Subtle.
Two Americans were telling us that the tipping culture in the US is now way beyond reasonable with huge expectations from serving staff often leading to confrontation. They put it down to the employment structure with employees on bare minimum wage.

 

[Hobbit]

It’s definitely creeping in. The other one to be careful of is compulsory service charge. I get why they do it for large bookings but not smaller booking.

We’ve got a big birthday meal tomorrow for Mrs M younger brother celebrating his 21st. The booking is for 12 people and they’ve asked us to pre order our food which annoys me anyway as I like to see how I feel on the day, so they’ve sent out the menus and in print at the bottom it states any groups over 4 people there is a 15% service charge, no issue with that.

However Mrs M step mum said don’t forget we will all need to leave a tip as it’s the right thing to do! When I said nope, not leaving a tip because the booking stated we will be paying a 15% charge on top for service you’d have thought I’d just in her cornflakes! Fortunately the FiL read the the booking details and backed me up saying we’re not tipping twice

It might say “compulsory service charge” but you can have it removed. Tipping in the U.K. has always been based on quality of service. Why tip if the service is

I’ve had a service charge removed countless times, sometimes then tipping what it says on the bill and sometimes tipping more. But if service was rubbish they get nowt.

I took the extended family for a meal in central Manchester a few years back. Big compulsory service charge. They cocked the order up, and one family member had finished the main course when someone else hadn’t even had their starter. The waitress, at one point, was too busy talking to her colleague and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on Mrs H’s lap. No way were they getting a tip.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

It might say “compulsory service charge” but you can have it removed. Tipping in the U.K. has always been based on quality of service. Why tip if the service is

I’ve had a service charge removed countless times, sometimes then tipping what it says on the bill and sometimes tipping more. But if service was rubbish they get nowt.

I took the extended family for a meal in central Manchester a few years back. Big compulsory service charge. They cocked the order up, and one family member had finished the main course when someone else hadn’t even had their starter. The waitress, at one point, was too busy talking to her colleague and sprinkled Parmesan cheese on Mrs H’s lap. No way were they getting a tip.

Oh don’t you worry if the service is crap I will ask for it to be removed even if it offends Mrs M step mum

I’m impressed she got it in your wife’s lap where the hell was she aiming

 

[Billysboots]

It’s not the tipping in the States which grinds my gears. It’s the aggressive approach a minority of serving and waiting staff adopt to ensure you leave one.

 

[Hobbit]

It’s not the tipping in the States which grinds my gears. It’s the aggressive approach a minority of serving and waiting staff adopt to ensure you leave one.

Had that in London 30-odd years back. Ended up calling the manager over, who wasn’t in the slightest bit interested.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Tipping is always an interesting debate and you can clearly see the different cultures

In the UK we will tip if we believe we have been given a good service from someone , but the wages on offer in the UK are a little higher , when we have big events at the golf club for example everyone normally puts in. £5 which is then spread around - we have Xmas tip bucket for the green staff etc , at a meal out I’ll leave a tip if I think I have been given good service


In the US they see it as part of the wages and mandatory regardless of the service provided , the owners use it as a reason to keep wages down which in turn apparently keeps prices down - it’s just a different culture , in the same way as we have seen they look at spitting differently

I always look at the mantra of trying to go by the local customs and mentality as opposed to how we would be in the UK

 

[Sid Rixon IV]

In a restaurant many years ago in Canada our waitress took great interest in where we were from, what it was like and why we were here. She paid us attention during the meal without being invasive and again, after the meal engaged us.
I couldn't tell whether this was a long rehearsed practice but I said to my wife "That girl's cracked it. No way am I not tipping her".
She got it spot on.
Contrast that with a restaurant in Stratford where I ordered my wife's main and, inadvertently ordered a starter for myself.
When the waitress brought the food she said "You ordered a starter so we doubled up"!
No one pointed out it was a starter.
When she brought the bill I showed her several pieces of crab shell I'd chewed on.
Response? "I'll tell chef" and waved card reader in front of me pointing out 10/15/20% service options.
I said, "I'll pass, just the food bill"
We didn't get a wave goodbye!

 

[Hobbit]

Tipping is always an interesting debate and you can clearly see the different cultures

In the UK we will tip if we believe we have been given a good service from someone , but the wages on offer in the UK are a little higher , when we have big events at the golf club for example everyone normally puts in. £5 which is then spread around - we have Xmas tip bucket for the green staff etc , at a meal out I’ll leave a tip if I think I have been given good service


In the US they see it as part of the wages and mandatory regardless of the service provided , the owners use it as a reason to keep wages down which in turn apparently keeps prices down - it’s just a different culture , in the same way as we have seen they look at spitting differently

I always look at the mantra of trying to go by the local customs and mentality as opposed to how we would be in the UK

Tipping is creeping in over here in Spain, especially in the tourist areas. It’s a nightmare. Some take the huff if you do, and some take the huff if you don’t. I’ve given tips over here only to given them back.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Tipping is creeping in over here in Spain, especially in the tourist areas. It’s a nightmare. Some take the huff if you do, and some take the huff if you don’t. I’ve given tips over here only to given them back.

It’s going to be tough to judge - someone from the UK will 99% of the time be tipping because they have been given a good service as opposed to out of necessity