Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Daniel_
I do not agree that a better wage would make for crappy service. If waiting were a profession that people aspired to with good pay and progression then service would be good in the same way that other skilled professions give good service. For as long as waiting is a minimum wage job at the bottom of the heap, the only way you get good service is to pay a gratuity.
|
I'm only a few pages into this thread but I have to say Amen to this! Waiting positions at higher end restaurants in Sydney are well sought after positions. They pay well and the tipping (on top of a decent wage) makes it a very good job to have.
I also agree with Daniel RE the level of service required of a good wait person. There is no need to constantly hang around diners - but you should do your job with a minimum of fuss and interruption. Offering my seven refills of coffee is more likely to piss me off than make me happy (the diner waitress in Idaho almost died when I said I didn't want coffee with my breakfast - I'm not sure she knew what she needed to do to keep me happy, given there was no coffee cup to fill - simple: deliver the food/drinks I ordered in a courteous and efficient manner and be accessible if I need anything)
I guess the biggest difference is that in Oz even the lowest paid make minimum wage and this is an amount of money you could live on (without tips). I'm amazed that you can earn below minimum wage (that just seems nonsensical).
Having said all that, I have travelled to the US and did research what was expected in this area and generally tipped what was expected (this was 10 years ago and I don't have a clear recollection of the expectation at that time).
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Destrox
1) Chinese - You come in large groups, make a massive mess, and are the cheapest people I ever came across. Rude as hell too.
2) Canadians. Surprise, you're #2 on our books. You too make large messes, are quite rude at times, and leave minimal tips if any.
|
I'm surprised we aussies aren't on your hit list - we are renowned for being cheap bastards when travelling (historically our currency has been significantly weaker than US/UK currencies and everything is so far away it costs a lot to get there - we'll cut corners on anything. Maybe not as true as it used to be - the USD and AUD are getting almost to parity...
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by james t kirk
So,
Australia = $24.00
Canada = $20.00
US = $14.00
Now say the Cheapskate Canadian is used to leaving a 15% tip = $3.00
And the oh so generous American leaves 20% = $2.80
So, Americans are actually cheaper when it comes to tipping than Canadians.
|
This price difference also stems from the size of the market - Australia's total population is only 21 million. *everything* is more expensive here.