Tipping in bars

No . Don’t do it 

Stuart_Learys_Boots said:

I’m conflicted here.
with the new(ish) tap and pay machines in bars, they always start off with a tip screen.
I have gone to the bar , been served a pint and the price entered onto a card reader.
arguably less effort than taking money and giving back change.
if it was table service I wouldn’t have an issue but am I being tight by not tipping?

If it was America I wouldn’t bat an eyelid and just tip.

Yeah, there's a difference in some US states the minimum wage for wait/bar staff is the princely sum of $2.13 per hour. But actual earnings must reach the grand total of $15.00 per hour thanks to tips. (Or the venue owner makes up the difference.)  That's why tips are so important there.

In a pub here for counter service no tip is necessary, indeed, it's an insult that they ask.

Chunes said:

The reason you tip in America is because the staff are paid $3 an hour and they live on gratuity. 

In England they are paid a living wage and a tip should only be given for good service. 

In the UK

2.30 Kempton Park

The issue for most people when they go to the US though is that they find there’s an expectation of at least 20%, but often more like 25-30% That, to me is a ludicrous amount.
When I lived there I’d always tip like a local, but it annoyed me. I was always of the opinion that I’d prefer if the restaurants paid their staff more and charged me more on the menu. Then I could tip sensibly if the service was good.

lordromford said:

The issue for most people when they go to the US though is that they find there’s an expectation of at least 20%, but often more like 25-30% That, to me is a ludicrous amount.
When I lived there I’d always tip like a local, but it annoyed me. I was always of the opinion that I’d prefer if the restaurants paid their staff more and charged me more on the menu. Then I could tip sensibly if the service was good.

The US is a fascinating place to live but some of the cultural quirks are just so bizarre, and tipping culture is right up there.

Still pay in cash in most pubs. If it's a small amount of change I'll ask the bar person to stick it in a charity box. If it's a friend working behind the bar I'll offer them a drink.

Unacceptable Americanism that’s sneaking in. Get rid. 

sam3110 said:

Chunes said:

The reason you tip in America is because the staff are paid $3 an hour and they live on gratuity. 

In England they are paid a living wage and a tip should only be given for good service. 

Most bartenders are paid minimum wage actually, which is below London Living Wage, and rely on tips and service charge to bump up the hourly rate.

Unless you're serving yourself from a machine, you're still receiving a service, whether you've come to a bar or been served at a table. 

Go to a restaurant or a proper cocktail bar and not paying the service when it's been perfectly fine is just being a tight bastard 

what professions should you tip then? And it is dependent on the service surely. Isn't averyone paid to do their job?

Wait.
What?
Should staff anywhere go ‘above and beyond’ their contract?
I understand the concepts of doing a good job or doing a bad job, but if people are weirdly ‘expected’ to go above and beyond their contract why can’t such stuff be written into the contract in the first place?
If people choose to volunteer extra work for free that’s up to them, but such extra work should never be an expectation or a requirement for getting the job.
If an employer has a worker doing extra they are lucky aren’t they? It should never become a requirement from a common or garden employee because somebody else in the enterprise voluntarily does more, that would be a personal choice.

Off_it said:

I love it when you go up to a bar to get your own drink and the surly person behind it barely makes eye contact, let alone speaks, and then they ask you - via the screen of course, they are mute - for a tip.

Absolutely love it. It's one of my favourite things in life.

My tip is, "you're not suited for the hospitality business sunshine".

See comment above from surly barman.

se9addick said:

bobmunro said:

lordromford said:

The issue for most people when they go to the US though is that they find there’s an expectation of at least 20%, but often more like 25-30% That, to me is a ludicrous amount.
When I lived there I’d always tip like a local, but it annoyed me. I was always of the opinion that I’d prefer if the restaurants paid their staff more and charged me more on the menu. Then I could tip sensibly if the service was good.

The US is a fascinating place to live but some of the cultural quirks are just so bizarre, and tipping culture is right up there.

Some restaurants in the US are trialing moving away from the tipping culture and paying their staff a living wage - their prices are increased but strictly no tips. It won't catch on though as low wage plus tips is such an ingrained culture over there. Owners of bars/restaurants trialing it are also seeing a drop in trade and staff less motivated to go above and beyond. Staff are not keen anyway as they can earn more with low wage/high tip remuneration.

Interestingly there is a move in the UK to remove discretionary tipping altogether and instead have a mandatory service charge of up to 15%. Some establishments have been doing that for years of course but I'm not sure I like that - would much rather tip based on the service received.

Yeah I went to a place in Kentucky in July and in bold on their menu they explicitly told you that they don’t accept tips because they pay their staff a proper wage. Shame because the service was excellent but the waitress told us she couldn’t accept a tip even if we wanted to pay pay one, 

hadn’t seen that in the States before.

how unusual in the US. But how far does tipping go in the US - restaurants and bars yes, porters maybe what about shop asisstants, concierge, hairdressers and anyone else who is providing a service? That would even include estate agents!

If everyone was paid properly, with enough to live a comfortable life, tipping wouldn't be necessary. We need to start valuing everyone who works. 

Ordered some food and a beer at Redwood at London Bridge via the QR code on the table. On the checkout there was an option to tip, and they also sneakily automatically add a 12.5% service charge to the bill. I remove both. £8.30 for a Guinness I’m not paying anything additional 

sam3110 said:

PrincessFiona said:

sam3110 said:

Chunes said:

The reason you tip in America is because the staff are paid $3 an hour and they live on gratuity. 

In England they are paid a living wage and a tip should only be given for good service. 

Most bartenders are paid minimum wage actually, which is below London Living Wage, and rely on tips and service charge to bump up the hourly rate.

Unless you're serving yourself from a machine, you're still receiving a service, whether you've come to a bar or been served at a table. 

Go to a restaurant or a proper cocktail bar and not paying the service when it's been perfectly fine is just being a tight bastard 

what professions should you tip then? And it is dependent on the service surely. Isn't averyone paid to do their job?

Anyone in the hospitality sector IMO, as that's generally people waiting on you, as opposed to a general service. 

A bartender or a chef making you food and drinks and it being delivered to you for you to enjoy, with people at your beck and call, is vastly different to someone scanning a t-shirt through a till. 

Would you tip at McDonald's?