I only heard a discussion yesterday on Newstalk FM (Ireland) about Tipping and it prompted me to write this article.
Do you tip in restaurants in the UK & Ireland? Did you know that Tipping actually originated in Europe and became widespread in the United States in the late 19th century? Initially, tipping was seen as a way to reward exceptional service, allowing customers to directly show appreciation for a job well done. Over time, however, it became institutionalized, especially in restaurants, hospitality, and other service industries, where it often compensates for low base wages. In the U.S., many service workers are paid below the federal minimum wage, and tipping makes up a significant portion of their income.
Tipping allows businesses to shift the cost of labour onto customers while keeping menu prices lower. It also motivates employees to provide better service, as higher tips are often tied to customer satisfaction. However, this system has drawn criticism for fostering income instability, potential bias in how tips are distributed, and creating disparities in compensation across different sectors of the service industry.
Tipping in UK and Ireland
More and more we are seeing tipping appear on Point of Sale and credit/debit card tapping systems. When you get your coffee and snack, you are told that it’s €6.20 and you go to tap, but in front of you is a prompt, 10%, 15%, 20%, No Tip (or Skip). This actually happened to me yesterday but the manager was on the till and he just pressed SKIP. No my understanding of that is that it’s just a coffee and a muffin so there is very little service involved – however for a full lunch for two people with drinks, followed by dessert, there is a bit more service here and tipping might be encouraged.
My experience of Tipping in the US and Canada
When I was in Canada, Quebec to be exact, I was in a restaurant, speaking French, we ordered and enjoyed the meal. The bill was $51 I rounded the bill up to the nearest whole amount, $60 in this case and we left. The next day we decided to go back to the same restaurant but when ordering the server said that she remembered us and we did not pay 20% (we paid 17%) and today it would be added on automatically. This to me is cheeky and it is where tipping falls down. It was quite rude of the server in my view.
Likewise, also in Canada, at a buffet service, a server came and asked if we wanted coffee. We did not and just used the buffet. On paying, at the exit, we were asked if we wanted to tip and we said, “It’s a buffet, you serve yourself” but we were told that “someone asked you if you wanted coffee” – we made the point that we did not want coffee. On this occasion, we did not tip.
On the flip side, I have eaten in restaurants where the food, service, and ambiance have all bee 5 stars and we have tipped over and above because we were made to feel welcome and the focus of good service. My point here is that there are times when tipping is deserved and when it is not. You can’t simply tip for the sake of it.
Tipping in Ireland and the UK
Do I tip in Ireland and the UK? Yes, I do. I feel that in the restaurants I visit when I get a meal where I know a lot of work went into preparing, I will tip for sure. I normally add 20% and for this I get great service on return. There have been times when service tips have not been given. Especially when staff have made it clear that they don’t want to give any level of service or indeed when the food is not up to par.
I feel it is a good thing but only when it is clear that the tips actually go to the staff. If the tips were then tax free, it would help those who perhaps are on minimum wage or indeed who are getting through college with these part time jobs.