Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.


--
Ken Blake
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:55:25 -0700, Ken Blake
wrote:

Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Depends. The further away you are from restaurants used by
American tourists the less you are expected (by the staff)
to tip.

We tip for good service, not for basic service. I usually
add 5% to 10%, rounded up to the nearest dollar, but only if
the service warranted it. I may add more for exceptional
service. By Oz standards outside Sydney and the Gold Coast,
I am a generous tipper.

We do not ever tip for drinks in pubs and bars, or food in
fast food restaurants or self serve or smorgasbord
restaurants.

PS Tipping cab drivers is usually expected, but again the
level is usually rounding up to the nearest dollar (or
nearest five on a big fare). When I was a cabbie 10% was a
good tip; and I loved picking up Americans from the
airport:-)


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: Two Indian Hotels: to Sleep, Perchance...

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

On Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:31:10 +1100, Alan S wrote:

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:55:25 -0700, Ken Blake
wrote:

Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Depends. The further away you are from restaurants used by
American tourists the less you are expected (by the staff)
to tip.

We tip for good service, not for basic service. I usually
add 5% to 10%, rounded up to the nearest dollar, but only if
the service warranted it. I may add more for exceptional
service. By Oz standards outside Sydney and the Gold Coast,
I am a generous tipper.

We do not ever tip for drinks in pubs and bars, or food in
fast food restaurants or self serve or smorgasbord
restaurants.

PS Tipping cab drivers is usually expected, but again the
level is usually rounding up to the nearest dollar (or
nearest five on a big fare). When I was a cabbie 10% was a
good tip; and I loved picking up Americans from the
airport:-)


Thanks very much. That's helpful information.



Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: Two Indian Hotels: to Sleep, Perchance...

--
Ken Blake
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

"Ken Blake" wrote in message
...
Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

It indicates to the person receiving the tip that you consider them as
subservient and a lesser human being than you are.

We expect employers to pay a wage that supports the employee and not rely on
tips to make a wage just below poverty levels.

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

On Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:38:05 GMT, "Why_is_everyone_so_cruel"
wrote:


"Ken Blake" wrote in message
...
Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

It indicates to the person receiving the tip that you consider them as
subservient and a lesser human being than you are.

We expect employers to pay a wage that supports the employee and not rely on
tips to make a wage just below poverty levels.


Thanks very much for the info.



--
Ken Blake
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

On Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:38:05 GMT, "Why_is_everyone_so_cruel"
wrote:


"Ken Blake" wrote in message
.. .
Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

It indicates to the person receiving the tip that you consider them as
subservient and a lesser human being than you are.

We expect employers to pay a wage that supports the employee and not rely on
tips to make a wage just below poverty levels.

Great and pompous expectations.

Have you ever worked in a service industry, mate?


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: Two Indian Hotels: to Sleep, Perchance...

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

"Alan S" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:38:05 GMT, "Why_is_everyone_so_cruel"
wrote:


"Ken Blake" wrote in message
. ..
Is it customary to tip the waiter in an Australian restaurant, or is
it like Italy and France, where such tipping is rare?

If tipping is customary, what percentage of the bill is the normal
amount to tip.

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

It indicates to the person receiving the tip that you consider them as
subservient and a lesser human being than you are.

We expect employers to pay a wage that supports the employee and not rely
on
tips to make a wage just below poverty levels.

Great and pompous expectations.

Have you ever worked in a service industry, mate?

Yes, did my "time" in pubs, restaurants and cafes. I realised very quickly
that many of the employees who worked in those venues were more than happy
to work for peanuts - sometimes only tips or a cupboard to sleep in. Those
casual/holiday workers devalued everyone's work and the employers were only
too happy to oblige by reducing wages to below poverty levels for everyone
else. It is the only time I have come across an industry where employees
actually force wages down by "negotiating" ridiculous wages and conditions.

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

I haven't seen one for many years, but there used to be signs in pubs saying
"Tipping is un-Australian". My guess is that the signs were orchestrated by
one of the unions seeking to increases wages by discouraging tipping so
employers couldn't use it as an excuse to reduce wages.

Personally, as an Australian, I don't see the point of tipping -- I think we
should pay for the overall product/service which in turns pays the staff who
deliver it. Even when travelling overseas in cultures where tipping is the
norm, it seems very inconsistent to me. Why do you tip a cab driver but not
a bus driver? Why do you tip a waitress but not a flight attendant? Etc.

Kerry

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

On 1/12/09 11:22 AM, in article
,
"freenews.iinet.net.au" wrote:

Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

I haven't seen one for many years, but there used to be signs in pubs saying
"Tipping is un-Australian". My guess is that the signs were orchestrated by
one of the unions seeking to increases wages by discouraging tipping so
employers couldn't use it as an excuse to reduce wages.

Personally, as an Australian, I don't see the point of tipping -- I think we
should pay for the overall product/service which in turns pays the staff who
deliver it. Even when travelling overseas in cultures where tipping is the
norm, it seems very inconsistent to me. Why do you tip a cab driver but not
a bus driver? Why do you tip a waitress but not a flight attendant? Etc.

Kerry




Actually, the answer is quite simple. Cab drivers get terrible wages and bus
drivers are well paid. Servers get paid minimum wage in most instances and
flight attendants are very well paid. I agree with you that all should be
paid so that they don't need tips to survive, but I can't see it changing
any time soon.

Mind you, Alan S who is quite often on this group told me North Americans
were ruining it for Australians, and I did find it to be so in some places.
In the hotel in Sydney for instance when I received my meal chit, there was
a line for a tip!

--
Martha Canada

Restaurant Tipping in Australia
 

Tipping is a minor facet of Australian life - AND in only a very few areas.

In all except top end silver service restaurants tipping is neither required
nor expected. In fact it's non-existent.

On taxis, almost everywhere, it's the norm to round the fare up to the next
'5' or '0'.

Porters are found in so few hotels (5* maybe; not always then) that they're
not an issue.

Occasionally a drinker will leave his/her small change after the last drink
in a bar.




"freenews.iinet.net.au" wrote in message
...
Tipping is a very un Australian thing to do.

I haven't seen one for many years, but there used to be signs in pubs
saying "Tipping is un-Australian". My guess is that the signs were
orchestrated by one of the unions seeking to increases wages by
discouraging tipping so employers couldn't use it as an excuse to reduce
wages.

Personally, as an Australian, I don't see the point of tipping -- I think
we should pay for the overall product/service which in turns pays the
staff who deliver it. Even when travelling overseas in cultures where
tipping is the norm, it seems very inconsistent to me. Why do you tip a
cab driver but not a bus driver? Why do you tip a waitress but not a
flight attendant? Etc.

Kerry