Is the Great Australian Dream Still Alive ?

zed_kid said:
They always expect a tip
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And you know this for a fact do you?? :confused:

May I suggest you look up the labor laws on tipping and how they are distributed to minimum waged employees. Then once you've understood this, it may help you make the connection between gratuities and tips which are one and the same. What you won't get from this though is the unwritten law (of tipping etiquette in the US) that the ONLY reason gratuities are included in your bill is to avoid customers forgetting to pay for the service given to patrons. Extra tips, as I said, is APPRECIATED but definitely not EXPECTED and if you walk away without forking over extra moo-lah you will not be looked upon as a tightwad!!
 
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This will make me sound like a bit of a freak, but I quite enjoy the tipping culture in the US. First, the amount you are expected to tip typically isn't a lot (I don't eat at expensive places anyway). Second, if you smile and engage the person serving you, they generally figure out where you're from and put in an extra effort, making the whole experience much better for everyone.

When we went away last year we caught a taxicab from Heathrow to central London - 80 pounds. It took a bit of searching to find the address where we were staying, but the young cabbie couldn't have been more helpful. When we found it, he carried all our bags inside and had a smile on his face the whole time. So I tipped him 10 pounds. He actually tried to give it back!
 
VYBerlinaV8 said:
This will make me sound like a bit of a freak, but I quite enjoy the tipping culture in the US. First, the amount you are expected to tip typically isn't a lot (I don't eat at expensive places anyway). Second, if you smile and engage the person serving you, they generally figure out where you're from and put in an extra effort, making the whole experience much better for everyone.

When we went away last year we caught a taxicab from Heathrow to central London - 80 pounds. It took a bit of searching to find the address where we were staying, but the young cabbie couldn't have been more helpful. When we found it, he carried all our bags inside and had a smile on his face the whole time. So I tipped him 10 pounds. He actually tried to give it back!
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No VY you're not a freak. I'm the same, I travel to the US fairly regularly and though I didn't agree with the whole "tipping" notion at first, I quickly came to understand its purpose and indeed how it affects the level of service you receive.

In a country where the level of customer service is so poor (and not just in the food industry) I really appreciate, and am happy to pay, for being treated well. :)
 
Monopoly said:
May I suggest you look up the labor laws on tipping and how they are distributed to minimum waged employees. Then once you've understood this, it may help you make the connection between gratuities and tips which are one and the same. What you won't get from this though is the unwritten law (of tipping etiquette in the US) that the ONLY reason gratuities are included in your bill is to avoid customers forgetting to pay for the service given to patrons. Extra tips, as I said, is APPRECIATED but definitely not EXPECTED and if you walk away without forking over extra moo-lah you will not be looked upon as a tightwad!!
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You're right, the gratuity is the tip, built into the bill. But I think some places sometimes 'try it on' with their customers, especially foreigners who are not quite up with the tipping rules, and try to get a tip on top of the gratuity.
 
zed_kid said:
10 characters. yes wasn't enough. its just a forum thing.

Yeah tipping gets expensive at expensive places as they expect 10% of the total bill as a standard tip and 20% if the service was excellent
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Yes thanks for that Zed Kid, I was curious and looked it up (geez, you learn something everyday) !! :p

You're right of course, they do EXPECT 10% (as a rule of thumb) HOWEVER when there is a gratuity attached to the total of your bill, you are doing yourself a disserve by shelling out more IF you don't believe extra is deserved by your wait staff. If you felt it was, then it's only fair, but at the same time, if you don't cough it up, you won't get a boot up the backside as you head for the door!! :eek:
 
dan c said:
You're right, the gratuity is the tip, built into the bill. But I think some places sometimes 'try it on' with their customers, especially foreigners who are not quite up with the tipping rules, and try to get a tip on top of the gratuity.
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So true Dan, that's why it's good to add these comment because if it helps someone not get "ripped off" then it was worthwhile mentioning.

I'm all for paying a little extra for good service, but to "try it on" for a few extra bucks is in poor form IMO; you just need to be AWARE of it happening and put your foot down whilst gently reminding them they are already GETTING A TIP!! :D
 
Monopoly said:
Yes thanks for that Zed Kid, I was curious and looked it up (geez, you learn something everyday) !! :p

You're right of course, they do EXPECT 10% (as a rule of thumb) HOWEVER when there is a gratuity attached to the total of your bill, you are doing yourself a disserve by shelling out more IF you don't believe extra is deserved by your wait staff. If you felt it was, then it's only fair, but at the same time, if you don't cough it up, you won't get a boot up the backside as you head for the door!! :eek:
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Agreed :)

But I think dan c nailed it as well. They will definitely try it on if they think they can get away with it. The way my waitress explained it to me is that gratuities go to the owner and tips go to her... probably not true and I don’t really care, I gave her like 40USD cash which was almost 10% anyway.
 
zed_kid said:
Agreed :)

But I think dan c nailed it as well. They will definitely try it on if they think they can get away with it. The way my waitress explained it to me is that gratuities go to the owner and tips go to her... probably not true and I don’t really care, I gave her like 40USD cash which was almost 10% anyway.
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Oh dear!! :( She really took advantage; sorry to hear that Zed. :eek:

Yes they do "try it on" but if you ever find yourself in that situation again remind them of their labor guidelines and that they have already been tipped. :eek:

Rules will vary from State to State (see Cal) however the consensus is generally much the same, that the tips belong to the employee not the employer!!
 
Monopoly said:
Gee, my understanding of the "great Australian dream" was always about home ownership, that is, a roof over one's head, not an investment property (though this would be cream) and regardless of its size or location!
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You can always own a home in the desert. That's probably $2. On the great Australian Dream is no longer a dream! It's a reality, in the Great Australian Desert
 
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