this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2024
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[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 hours ago

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?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 hours ago

These places typically tell you that’s the deal, and have the servers tell you that too

[–] [email protected] 128 points 17 hours ago (6 children)

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)

[–] [email protected] 17 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Livable wage, is that a better term for it?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago

Ah. I thought I had used the wrong term.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 23 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 19 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

My guy/gal/pal.

We do things differently in different parts of Europe.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

Pittsburgh has the slang term "Yinz" which is used like "y'all" and I've taken to using the singular "yin" for a gender neutral replacement for "guy" in the phrase "my guy", because "my yin" still carries that condescending tone that's vital (to me, anyways). Not telling you what to say or anything just fun to come across some grappling with the same language problem

[–] [email protected] 14 points 15 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 22 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 15 points 16 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

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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[–] [email protected] 44 points 16 hours ago

increase prices

people have to pay more money

How has no one thought of this

[–] [email protected] 7 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

wouldn't this mean less profit? unless you steal all the tips

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago

Yup, that's the joke. And it happens more than you likely think.

[–] [email protected] 160 points 1 day ago (18 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 96 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

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)
[–] [email protected] 63 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

They have had wireless chip readers for years, but many restaurants still take your card anyway. Some places bring the payment device to you, which is nice, and some have it there always so you can see exactly what's on the bill (sometimes you order on it too).

But taking the card is a cultural thing, not a tech thing. Even back before wireless readers were a thing, they still had portable payment terminals and could have you swipe there or have you pay up front on the way out. It's not an issue at all.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 17 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

Do you guys still do the hilarious chip & sign thing or have you finally switched to using a PIN?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

We just do chip, no sign unless it's over some threshold (must be pretty high since I've spent nearly $1k at a single Costco trip). I've never used a PIN on a credit card, and I haven't needed so sign anything in years unless it's a contract of sorts.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago

Yes, the former. This country mannnn

[–] [email protected] 9 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

You think that's hilarious? There are a lot of places in the world that still do a manual shhk-shhk of a card only a few years ago. Now that most cards don't have raised digits, they'll write it down. If they even take a card.

Places where the Internet goes down if it rains and there is no mobile service. Imagine the horror.

The other side of the coin - paying with debit (which has a pin) is stupid in the US. Unless you can't control your spending, credit card is the way to go for every legal purchase you don't mind being tied to you forever. CCs have far superior consumer protection than the law.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 20 hours ago

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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[–] [email protected] 11 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

The tipping culture is very rooted in Americans. I was at restaurant in Europe and there was a customer (certainly American). He ate during 30 minutes or less, the waiter was nice but he wasn't doing it for tips and the customer only saw him when he ordered the food and at payment. The prices are high end.

When he paid he was surprised that there was no tipping options (unfortunately we started seeing them in some European countries) and asked him to pay another 10€ as a tip.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 12 hours ago

In Spain, a server was nice to us, and even though I know tipping isn't necessary, I gave extra. The server returned the money and gave us tips of how not to get pick pocketed. I guess they think tippers are easily scammed.

I forgot the name of the restaurant though. We sat in the bar and we ordered a bunch of small dishes, like open sandwiches. It was really nice.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 20 hours ago

There's literally no profit? Like aside from already running a successful restaurant (hard), doing this will earn the business owner no extra income.

It is still based af because then the wait staff gets paid a lot more

[–] [email protected] 2 points 13 hours ago
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