The General Chat Thread (2026)

badjak said:
I find that percentage thing weird as well.
It's the same amount of work for the waiter to bring me a plate of chips as a plate of crayfish....
Or lets say a run of the mill whisky or an 18 year old single malt ....
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Exactly - when I do tip I have a set amount based on what I want to leave, not what they tell me I should leave. If what I choose to leave is X amount of the bill so be it - if it isn't - tough!!!!
 
Wombat457 said:
Exactly - when I do tip I have a set amount based on what I want to leave, not what they tell me I should leave. If what I choose to leave is X amount of the bill so be it - if it isn't - tough!!!!
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It’s often more than the percentage anyway, even by a set anount, I do that so I can add correctly.
What I find is very rude here, this is after years of traveling to UK and Europe, they will never shove you the bill like in USA, they wait for you to ask for the bill, here in USA they just ask you if you need anything and then they shove you the bill.
 
TastyReuben said:
The standard for hair stylists used to be 10%, with 15% for exceptional service, but after Covid, it kind of went nuts, as there was a push for larger tips to help offset a period of lost income.

Also, hair stylists here, depending on the salon, don’t make a lot in an hourly wage (similar to waitstaff), and depend on tips as part of their income, and some salon owners will also get a cut of their stylists’ tips…that’s where the idea of not tipping the salon owner comes from, but it’s usually applied only when the salon owner has stylists working under them - stylists who are self-employed but don’t employ other stylists are generally tipped (both my stylist and MrsT’s fall into that category).

There are news stories about it here on occasion - the salon industry can be pretty shady and somewhat unregulated. My last four stylists all worked for the same salon owner before each went independent, and the stories they told me afterwards…the owner ran her shop like a mafia kingpin, including doing things like fining the stylists if she didn’t like their outfit that day, or if they were “uncooperative,” unpaid overtime, etc.


Here, a place to add a tip is displayed on the credit card slip when they run your card for payment. I know I’ve seen that in the UK as well, but to the credit of waitstaff there, about 50% of the time, they’d just blow right by it and charge whatever the meal cost.

Here, waitstaff print out the slip and leave it with you and say, “No rush, I’ll grab that when you’re ready,” and you’re meant to fill in the tip, write in the total, then set your card out as a signal that you’re ready to pay. Then they collect your card and charge whatever the total is. Many times, the receipt will even display suggested tip amounts at the bottom, usually for 18%, 20%, and 25%.
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As I understand, comes from not paying people well in certain job types. Also prob an incentive for employers not to pay better as tips are presumed.
 
Z-Cook said:
As I understand, comes from not paying people well in certain job types. Also prob an incentive for employers not to pay better as tips are presumed.
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That is how it is in many countries - the business expects the customers to "pay" their staff for them. I know my local hang out (Marino's) pays their staff at least minimum wage so the tips the girls get are for the work THEY do and not to compensate for the business not paying them a proper wage.

Unfortunately I think Australia is one of those places that "under pays" their waitress'/waiters and barmaids/men expecting they will make up the difference from tips given.
 
SoCalZone10 said:
TastyReuben, when I used to go to a salon, I give them cash directly, not putting anything in credit card, they may not get the tips.
Same with some restaurants here.
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I pay my "bill" using a card but my tips are always cash and given personally to the wwaitress, barmaid etc. Putting tips on a card doesn't mean the girl/guy is going to get it and they wont necessarily know that they have been ripped off either.
 
Z-Cook said:
As I understand, comes from not paying people well in certain job types. Also prob an incentive for employers not to pay better as tips are presumed.
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That’s true - certain jobs are exempted from minimum wage requirements, and in those cases, I make sure I tip and tip generously if warranted. I may not like the system, but I’m not about to take it out on the person at the bottom end of it. That’s penalizing the wrong person AFAIC.


SoCalZone10 said:
TastyReuben, when I used to go to a salon, I give them cash directly, not putting anything on my credit card, they may not get the tips.
Same with some restaurants here.
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MrsT (former waitress) does that.
 
Z-Cook said:
As I understand, comes from not paying people well in certain job types. Also prob an incentive for employers not to pay better as tips are presumed.
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Exactly and could result in them paying less over time. You go into business with certain responsibilities - paying your staff properly and fully is one of them.
Windigo said:
Handbrake hill test with the car: flawless times 10 🥳 my instructor saw ' a big improvement '. Yay ☺️
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Congradulations Windigo - well done :thumbsup:
 
TastyReuben said:
That’s true - certain jobs are exempted from minimum wage requirements, and in those cases, I make sure I tip and tip generously if warranted. I may not like the system, but I’m not about to take it out on the person at the bottom end of it. That’s penalizing the wrong person AFAIC.



MrsT (former waitress) does that.
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This is my stance on the issue, too. Certain jobs (serving food and drinks) come with a lower minimum wage, with the idea being that the extra is made up in tips.

The way I see it, is that I’m very lucky to not be struggling financially. It doesn’t hurt me any to give a generous tip, but for the person who’s receiving the tip, it may help them out a lot. I once had a delivery driver who I’d given a generous tip tell me “You just made my night!”. If I can do that for someone (and I realize I am coming from a place of privilege here), then why not?
 
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