Tipping is standard in many countries. In some places, they are even automatically added to each bill – not only in the case of a larger number of people. However, not everyone likes it. Many people prefer to decide for themselves how much they want to reward a waiter for good service. If at all.
Tipping in a restaurant: yes or no? “If a waiter doesn’t earn much, let him change his job”
Should I tip? This topic was recently discussed on an Instagram account called rozsadne.zakupy. Its author willingly shares her knowledge and observations related to expenses. A few days ago, she decided to ask her followers what their attitude was to leaving tips in restaurants. There were a lot of conflicting opinions in the comments.
– I hate tips. I once worked in a restaurant and my tips were collected by… the manager. Now I’m freaking out. Besides, we overpay for food in restaurants anyway, and table service is not a premium service. If a waiter earns little, he should change his job. Why should we as customers consider its wealth? He works there and his boss pays him – summed up one of the commenters, another had the same opinion:
I don’t leave anywhere. Everyone has their own salary within which they perform a given service. No one gives me tips on how quickly, efficiently and with a smile I can handle my work duties.
– Almost always. Unless I don’t have cash and they don’t accept tips by card, said another user. – I worked in a restaurant for a short time and I promised myself that when I get my final job, I will always leave tips. And I stick to it. I wish waiters had decent base wages, but they often don’t, and I don’t think that will change just because some of the “gray area” in tipping disappears.
In the past, when a waitress’s salary was just pennies and tips, I always left it. Nowadays, when the minimum wage – unlike my salary – is raised on average every six months and restaurant prices go up from month to month, the service has to be top for me to leave a tip
– said another person.
How much money should you leave to the waiter, if at all? “It’s a shame to give such a tip”
I also asked my interlocutors whether to tip in restaurants. Their approach also differs greatly. Although it is not as black and white as in the case of the people quoted above.
I changed my attitude to this recently when I found out how much waiters and waitresses get in tips. Since this amounts to even 8-9 thousand. per month, then from my perspective they are very wealthy people. So I stopped being so tense about it. Previously, when I thought they were paid the lowest national salary, I tried to give as much as possible
– said Aneta. Sandra, in turn, pointed out another problem related to leaving a tip. This is quite a popular situation that can cause quite a stir, especially in a larger group.
– I usually give it, unless the staff really didn’t try very hard. Sometimes, however, I have another problem: when I pay by card and I forget to tell the waiter to add a tip to the bill. And the search for a bag of cash begins in the depths. When there are a few people, we go out with friends – because this one found two zlotys, and this one five – and we leave these collected coins with great shame. Well, unless someone dug out a banknote. The worst thing is when it turns out that we collect a small amount of PLN 2 and we already know that we will not leave anything, because it is a shame to give such a tip.
Should I tip? Former waitress: “There was no pressure to be artificially nice”
And what does it look like on the other side? How do employees feel about receiving tips? I asked the former waitress about it. One would expect that – having had such experience – her opinion would be rather predictable. Meanwhile, the answer may surprise some.
Should I tip? Former waitress: ‘There was no pressure to be artificially nice.’ Illustrative photo photo: shutterstock / Elena Rostunova
When I was a student, I was a waiter many times. In restaurants, we added up tips and divided them among everyone, and when we worked at events like the national stadium, the money went directly to us. It was very nice when someone left a tip, but there was no pressure to be artificially nice
– said Monika.
– I believe that leaving tips is not an obligation, but simply a good gesture. If the waiter is really nice and makes an effort, I will often leave him a tip, but it is not an excessive amount. If I pay in cash and have change up to PLN 10, I usually leave it alone, but not always. It’s different when we go out to a restaurant with friends and there are a bit more of us. Then together we will find a tip – added the former waitress.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
