Waiters / waitresses in australia + anyone else with an opinion!?

Question

school assignment: does tipping=better service in restaurants?

waiting staff, would you feel you had to give better service if tipping became a custom here?

especially if say our pay was reduced

(im not endorsing this!! im a waitress its just a question)

customers would you boycott restaurants which expected tips?

(im referring to voluntary tipping as an incetive for the waiting staff to provide better sevice)

is australian restaurant/cafe service at an acceptable standard as it is?

thanks

Answer 1

No tipping is a bad custom it actually decreases the level of service because it leads to employing staff for which the customer is likely to seek approval from.

Tipping is a bad abhorent and terrible custom. I do not want to see it in Australia there is too much of it already.

1) it leads to service staff being overpaid relative to back of house.

2) it just isn't cool and lets the rich play around with the poor too much.

I hate tipping its a bullcrap yanky thing/

Answer 2

I work in a restaurant in NSW and I don't believe that tipping=better service. I personally treat all customers well, regardless of whether I think they are likely to tip or not- I am seeking customer satisfaction and knowledge I am doing my job properly rather than a monetary reward.

Instrinsic motivation leads to better service, not the prospect of getting a tip.

At the restaurant where I work, tips have always been divided up between all staff members, regardless of whether they are front of house or in the kitchen, and now they actually all get pooled and spent on work functions and the Christmas party, etc, to promote a good working relationship for all staff.

Answer 3

I worked in cafes for a while and didn't expect more than a beer's worth of tips at the end of the day.  When I got a job in a better restaurant I was making more in tips than my wage.  If people in restaurants get really good service they'll tip, but if they don't it's not an offence.  

I'd probably be offended if I went to a restaurant and they added on a service charge.  I think if you have the option to tip or not its fine, but if it's compulsory you'd be pretty pissed off if the service was crappy and you got slugged a service charge on top.  Like with 10% public holiday loading... I always ask if the waiter/tress if they will receive it, and if not I'll refuse to pay it.

Answer 4

my ex was superb at his job. He was skillful, cooked at the table and made special cocktails. A report by a guide said he gave extra special service in the Sunday papers years ago. He worked in very good restaurants and was head hunted by others. Although his wage was high it did mean he worked 6 days a week. He was also relied on not to call in sick as there was no replacement and had to give up playing soccer on Sundays as he could not be injured for work Monday. A lot of responsibility for which he did receive a lot of tips and in the top restaurants it is expected and appreciated. One customer even provided him with new golf clubs and bag when he took up the sport. For years he did not have a social life as he worked while others partied. When his children started school he took up a sales job so that he could see more of them. Understanding all of this I do have the opinion that tipping is a good thing. He was always so pleased with the extras. Now that he is no longer with us I however do not go out to restaurants as it just is not affordable on a low income. He was well worth the extra.

Answer 5

I think in Australia we see words as a thankyou instead of money. I am much more likely to give better service to someone who says "Wow, this dish is lovely" or "What excellent service!" or even just "Thankyou!" as opposed to a few extra dollars on the bill.

Answer 6

If someone was  going to tip me I  wanted it to be because I blew them away with my exemplary service, and fabulous sparkling personality, not because they HAD to.  It would also  give some more unscrupulous  managers / owners to  pay  watistaff less. I never expected a tip, a simple thankyou was  always more than enough for  me, tips were a bonus.

Answer 7

I live here in the land of Oz too.

Tipping is already voluntary for good service in most places.

I just find the US type system of paying staff virtually nothing and then expecting them to beg for money to be abhorrant, just charge the right price in the first place...  I don't earn heaps, if I can't afford to leave a tip I don't want to feel guilty...

Answer 8

i think tipping is an absolute waste of time. I tip a little bit if i am happy with what i recieve but i don't think that it should be expected of patrons to tip. If i don't like service at a restrarant i will not go back. If i do like the place i will recommend it to all my friends. That also goes for the service of the staff.

With inflation of everything in Oz at the moment i think tipping would put the hospitality industry out. People are struggling to eat out as it is.

Also, good service should be given everywhere anyway why should we have to tip someone to get what we should already be given.