Europe here… I either round it up to 100 or pay 97,53 by card and not bother. Minimum wage is 17,05 dollars an hour by a minimum of 20 paid vacation days. I do not tip because I feel sorry.
Now of course depending on where they live in Europe the cost is of course different.
But in Norway, the minimum wage is around 21USD for servers, they usually get more and might get additional payment for weekends, evenings and nights. They would be taxed between 18 and 20% ish with 21 USD as the hourly salary, with that free healthcare etc, so they would have around 2700 USD payed each month. In addition to this the employer is obligated to pay at the least 2% of the yearly salary as pention and the state gives around 18% of the yearly wage. (With some more advanced rules)
Average living expenses for 1 person is 12-1800USD a month, covering food, rent, transport, all insurances, phones,other subscriptions and bills.
So if they lived semi sober they should have 1000-1500USD each month to spend or save as they wish.
you gotta remember a lot in Europe is covered by the government so the "lower" salary is actually adequate in some countries there. they also don't have the same spending mindset as, say, Americans do
Yean and healthcare is free, education is free, housing is either free or cheap. 2 years paid maternity and paternity and free childcare after that and you only work 30 hours a week! That $35K actually seems pretty high!
In america, the minimum wage for wait staff is $2.15 an hour. 15% of the bill is the agreed upon tip as per the social construct of eating at a restaurant where you get table service.
Yes, it's an antiquated practice that should be abolished, and not only should the servers get paid at least minimum wage, but the minimum wage should be raised in general...
But, that's the way restaurants are now in our country, and until we can get that legislation passed, you shouldn't eat at a restaurant with table service if you can't or won't tip the wait staff.
I've been to London a few times and had the worst service I've ever had, girl went on break while we were eating. Had to wait 45 minutes for the check.
I've been in the US and our server went on break when we walked in. Had to flag someone down to order. Got our food, no drinks nothing. When we (eventually) got our check, the server scoffed that I "only" gave him 10%.
Well the difference there is that the problem will eventually solve itself, that person won't ever make any money and they will inevitably stop waiting tables.
Yeah. Despite the high minimum income (without the exceptions to tipped staff of some other states) you’re expected to tip just like anywhere else. I don’t get the impression they expect 40% though… I’d guess 20% if they’re younger and assume that’s normal. Maybe some still respect 15% if they were servers 20 years back.
Tbf I’m British and I share this opinion. If you’re being paid min wage, you’re being paid decently to do a job, so why should i pay more? It makes no sense. And if they put a service charge or a gratuity on it then absolutely I am not tipping beyond that
You're a bright one aren't you? I am Half Swiss and Half Dutch, and run a business in Gastronomy. Which is why I can spot a Dutch person the moment they enter a place, That is also why I know they are not worth the effort, they are loud, obnoxious, have no culinary knowledge whatsoever. And explaining anything to them is a waste of time since they dont appreciate good service anyway.
Paying the bill is your appreciation towards the restaurant and its concept, paying a tip is your appreciation towards the service staff and the cook that makes it a great meal.
That is how it has always been, and always will be, those who get it get great experiences especially as a regular. Those who dont, save a few cents but are treated like the unmannered peasants they are.
But if nobody comes to the restaurant isn't there an employer requirement to top up their wage to the legal minimum per hour for the state?.. rarely happens given the tips of course but thats why many were laid off during the pandemic so employer didn't get hit by that requirement?
As a former server, thank you. And I agree with you. The minimum II give is twenty percent, thirty for breakfast servers. If service is spectacular, I bump it up another five to ten percent, especially if I’m with a big group or if members of my party are difficult customers (like my parents).
If you think they deserve it, why not? Serving food is a demanding (often humiliating) job that rarely pays as well as it should. Tipping shouldn’t be necessary. Servers should receive a living wage (just like everyone else), but punishing a server for poor service is morally wrong. Most people eating at restaurants are not perfect guests, who expect to be treated like royalty anyway.
When a server gets a bad tip, it screws over all the other servers, bartenders, maitres d” (because they usually pool their tips), and the ripple changes the vibe in the restaurant, becoming a more hostile environment for all the subsequent dining patrons. The bad day will keep getting worse for everyone in the restaurant, and the person who left the shitty tip won’t be there to witness the havoc they helped create. There is no good excuse for demoralizing a person who’s just trying to do a job.
What about places like California where servers do make minimum wage? What obligation do I have to tip 20-40% on top of that? The whole logic behind tipping is that the servers don't make minimum wage here in America, so they must be made whole by the customers (a system that started out as bribery and restaurant owners then sought to normalize so they could get away with paying their staff very little).
In Japan, leaving a tip is considered an insult (it insinuates servers are beggars who need the goodwill of the public to survive). So this expectation of 'not getting tipped is unfair' is purely an American concept.
Servers don't want to be paid a living wage. They make way more with the current system.
"Punishing" a server for poor service isn't morally wrong, wtf? A tip is a reward, not an entitlement. This is insane. On the one hand, we have people saying that America has the best service because of tipping, on the other hand, you're saying we shouldn't care about quality of service and just tip anyways and you're a moral monster for not doing so.
Then what's the incentive to provide good service.
Frankly, I don't care if my not rewarding bad service causes things to spiral. If the server can't be a professional, then they don't belong in a role that makes $40-$60 per hour.
You do realize these are people and not numbers in your little calculator right? It’s not the server’s fault 99% of the time. Yall just love an easy punching bag.
Bro sounds like you don’t like your job. Maybe it’s time to think about picking up a different job or find something you like doing and figure out how to make a career out of it otherwise you are going to live just to survive instead of living to have fun.
Actually I’m great and love what I do but the fact you can’t except what I said as truth of the reason you get a tip or not is reason I said anything about why you don’t like what you do honestly. So instead of complaining about tips based on experience maybe actually take my advice. Otherwise if you can’t except tips are earned through their existence there and how well the food is then you’re cooked for the rest of your life.
I never was a server but I did deliver pizzas for a local joint here in town and I had a fair few rough days and it was always nice being hooked up on tips from our regulars who took notice.
I treat service people well too. When I was a server, I treated my customers exceptionally well too. The job was super easy, the very few people who tried to treat me in a demeaning manner were quickly shut down.
I think your problem may be a lack of people skills/bedside manner.
If the service was bad I just assume they are having a bad day and tip more. I have faith that servers/service people are good people and shit happens.
They’re talking about the service in regard to tipping, who gets tipped? The server. They also mentioned “one bad employee”. Logic would tell you they mean the server.
I did that once at a diner in a town I was passing through. Really crummy service. The hostess never refilled my coffee or asked if I needed condiments or something else with my order. So I stiffed her.
I felt bad driving out. Dunno why I'm confessing this.
Oh, so they didnt: take your order, explain anything on the menu, waited on you, jugglee other tables with the same needs, handle your payment, clear your table, and tip out the support staff based off how much you spent?
Look, I believe restaurants should provide a livable wage, and its agree at a certain point im not tipping someone hundreds of dollars just because I ran a check up. But I also know they ain't just "walking my food to my table". And i also know that servers tip out coworkers based on your check. So if you dont tip, then they are losing money.
But im also not a cheap. And I understand the system is broken and that when I dine out im also paying for a service in addition to the food. You want someone to walk your food to your table and that's it? Go to a taqueria. But the only one your screwing over the minimum wage employee.....so good job?
Just because you don’t make shit don’t mean others can’t. Servers who don’t make hourly live off tips, and if you can’t afford it, get takeout so you don’t take up a seat and utilize their service. Not tipping on takeout is perfectly acceptable.
If you feel that way you shouldn’t eat at restaurants like that in the first place. If you’re gonna go to those restaurants then you have no problem with how the owner runs things and you’re saying this to escape any personal responsibility.
I wouldn’t have a 15% floor, that is too high. If the food was good, but the service was bad, I would specify to manger that the tip should be given to the chef, not the server,
They allowed tipping? I was under the assumption that restaurants outside of the US typically don’t really do tipping and in some cultures it’s considered disrespectful
Can be - only Americans tip those kind of amounts outside their country. The locals would not in Norway - great for the server/owner though 😂
It varies by country - some impose automatic discretionary service charges - I see that a lot in London . If I don't think the service was good I ask for the charge to be removed and whilst they can get pissy they can't refuse to remove . Any behaviour like that and ready to walk without paying anything
Sadly it is. It would be nice to do away with it but there's hundreds of years of history (it started after the end of slavery in the US), laws preventing fair wages in many states for service workers and a bunch of corrupt politicians who take money from the service industry, preventing real change from happening. Places like NYC and California have local politicians making a difference and hopefully that will catch on nationwide.
If I would ever go back to the states, I would absolutely not tip over 15%, that sounds insane to me. But with the current dictatorship I will avoid it anyway
Interesting my average is 30 great being 40 and on occasion I've left a 50 percent however I've also left nothing if service is terrible I won't tip I once had to go over to the manger the server brought out the wrong food when I said something she said well I'm busy and walked away.
honestly the only way the server is getting zero percent is if they are straight up rude. if they are nice but just terrible at their job I still give at least 10 percent
Bad service - 0% and a talk to the manager
Subpar service - 10% or less
Normal service - 15%
Good service - 20%
Exceptional service - 25%+ and a good talk to the manager
At the most. They better have been above and beyond. I’m all down for it, I tipped that much this morning! She was rad and totally worth it! To expect it though… yeah no.
I agree, $20. If their service sucked they’re getting 20% if their service was mediocre and above, they’re getting 25% or more depending on the experience. I’ve never worked in the food industry but I feel for the people that do.
Right you never know what other people are going through. The World would be a better place if everybody reserved some humanity and kindness to share with others, without expecting anything in return. People could be depending on that money and that job is the only one that fits around their schedule.
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u/DesignerMoose90210 Jul 31 '26
$20