tipping demand (in Montreal)

There is a long thread in rec.travel.usa-canada (subject: Tipping
epidemic). That combined with a report that a friend of mine gave me
today prompted this message.

He was taking a couple of his friends (visitors from abroad) around
Montreal for their business meeting and stopped at a restaurant on St.
Laurent for lunch. He is new to Montreal and doesn't really know his way
around here and can't speak French at all. Heck, he can't even remember
the name of the place where they ate though he says he can take me there
and show it to me Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the
minimum norm. She even called her manager who supported her demand. The
three guys, after a short argument, eventually gave her 15% (to get over
with it since they were pressed for time), *after* telling her that they
did not mind giving her even 100% but they did mind the way she was
behaving.

I am wondering (actually I have a good mind of going there and having a
look myself) are waiters and waitresses right in demanding a certain
minimum tip? Or were they just taking advantage of foreigners? The
thread I mentioned above in rec.travel.usa-canada makes interesting
reading too.

-HS
--
---------------------- X ----------------------
Remove all underscores from my email address to get the correct one.
Apologies for the inconvenience, but this is to reduce spam.

"H. S." wrote:

He was taking a couple of his friends (visitors from abroad) around
Montreal for their business meeting and stopped at a restaurant on St.
Laurent for lunch. He is new to Montreal and doesn't really know his way
around here and can't speak French at all. Heck, he can't even remember
the name of the place where they ate though he says he can take me there
and show it to me Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the
minimum norm. She even called her manager who supported her demand. The
three guys, after a short argument, eventually gave her 15% (to get over
with it since they were pressed for time), *after* telling her that they
did not mind giving her even 100% but they did mind the way she was
behaving.

I'd love to see them try to get xtra tip money from me! The person will get
what I think is deserved. If service is not adequate, they will get a very
small amount, the manager will be told the level of service received was only
worth that much.

"H. S." wrote in news:wcLhb.6098$G_.586015
@news20.bellglobal.com:

There is a long thread in rec.travel.usa-canada (subject: Tipping
epidemic). That combined with a report that a friend of mine gave me
today prompted this message.

He was taking a couple of his friends (visitors from abroad) around
Montreal for their business meeting and stopped at a restaurant on
St.
Laurent for lunch. He is new to Montreal and doesn't really know his
way
around here and can't speak French at all. Heck, he can't even
remember
the name of the place where they ate though he says he can take me
there
and show it to me Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the
minimum norm. She even called her manager who supported her demand.
The
three guys, after a short argument, eventually gave her 15% (to get
over
with it since they were pressed for time), *after* telling her that
they
did not mind giving her even 100% but they did mind the way she was
behaving.

I am wondering (actually I have a good mind of going there and having
a
look myself) are waiters and waitresses right in demanding a certain
minimum tip? Or were they just taking advantage of foreigners? The
thread I mentioned above in rec.travel.usa-canada makes interesting
reading too.


No, there is no minimum amount enforced by law. I usually leave
20%, but in this case I would have left nothing.

Please list the name of the establishment if possible.



jaybee

"H. S." wrote in message
...
There is a long thread in rec.travel.usa-canada (subject: Tipping
epidemic). That combined with a report that a friend of mine gave me
today prompted this message.

He was taking a couple of his friends (visitors from abroad) around
Montreal for their business meeting and stopped at a restaurant on St.
Laurent for lunch. He is new to Montreal and doesn't really know his way
around here and can't speak French at all. Heck, he can't even remember
the name of the place where they ate though he says he can take me there
and show it to me Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the
minimum norm.

Why not do as I do, and just leave the tip, if any, on the table just as you
get up to leave. They have to take it and smile.

No minimum tip in quebec...your pals got hosed. Please do post
the restaurant's name here, if you can.

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 23:55:17 -0400, "H. S."
wrote:

There is a long thread in rec.travel.usa-canada (subject: Tipping
epidemic). That combined with a report that a friend of mine gave me
today prompted this message.

He was taking a couple of his friends (visitors from abroad) around
Montreal for their business meeting and stopped at a restaurant on St.
Laurent for lunch. He is new to Montreal and doesn't really know his way
around here and can't speak French at all. Heck, he can't even remember
the name of the place where they ate though he says he can take me there
and show it to me Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the
minimum norm. She even called her manager who supported her demand. The
three guys, after a short argument, eventually gave her 15% (to get over
with it since they were pressed for time), *after* telling her that they
did not mind giving her even 100% but they did mind the way she was
behaving.

I am wondering (actually I have a good mind of going there and having a
look myself) are waiters and waitresses right in demanding a certain
minimum tip? Or were they just taking advantage of foreigners? The
thread I mentioned above in rec.travel.usa-canada makes interesting
reading too.

-HS

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 23:55:17 -0400, H. S. wrote:

Anyway, when they payed their bill they tipped
around 10% and the waitress there demanded 15% claiming that was the

Standard here is 15%, basically just give the waiter the same amount as
the tax on your bill. However, in this case I would have told her to ****
off and never would eat in that establishment again.
--
Marc Lombart 11/10/2003 10:06:41 http://www.marcmywords.com
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who
gets the credit."
- Emerson

On 11 Oct 2003 05:06:53 GMT, Jacques E. Bouchard wrote:

No, there is no minimum amount enforced by law. I usually leave
20%, but in this case I would have left nothing.

Please list the name of the establishment if possible.

What he said.
--
Marc Lombart 11/10/2003 10:07:58 http://www.marcmywords.com
"There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who
gets the credit."
- Emerson

Jacques E. Bouchard wrote:

Please list the name of the establishment if possible.


I will as soon as my friend shows it to me. I am curious too.

-HS


--
---------------------- X ----------------------
Remove all underscores from my email address to get the correct one.
Apologies for the inconvenience, but this is to reduce spam.

"H. S." wrote in message
...
Jacques E. Bouchard wrote:

Please list the name of the establishment if possible.


I will as soon as my friend shows it to me. I am curious too.


My wife and I have an aversion to cooking. We eat out daily almost.

We have quiote a palette, we eat sushi, indian, mexican, italian, french and
alot of other great food.

I've never come across this, ever.

The 15 % deal sounds like tax. I bet your buddy who can't
read/speak/understand french got hit with GST/PST.

Montreal is a pretty cheap place to dine out in, I might suggest that when
out for a nice dinner, that 15 to 20 % tip is apropriate here.

But For our American readers who aren't used to getting gouged by tax..

Meal: 100 $
TAX: 15 $

That's 115 $ for a 100 $ meal, and you haven't TIPPED yet.

Now , some folks do the tip math before tax, others after. It's a personal
choice of course.

A 100 $ meal, with tax and tip would typically cost me 135 $ on average. 125
for not so great service, 140 for excelence

hope that helps

And if a restaurant in MTL is genuinely ****ing over tourists, then please
let us know

It happened to mee too, in ville marie, in a chinesee restaurant.

it was not the tax that they claimed, but the tip. tax is not included in
the list price, but ALWAYS included in the bill ... so there is no chance of
mistaken tax and tip.

all the best,
alex