Misleading statistics.

Most servers do NOT report their full income on their taxes, and by most I mean the sane ones.

We were TOLD by management to report at least 8% tip.

So once again, your system is broken, and the consumer (whether it be an American, Canadian, or an Ethiopian) must cover the difference on a near arbitrary basis in order for servers to earn a decent living?

It just seems really ass backwards... I mean, when management is encouraging you to perform tax fraud, that's gotta be quite the telltale sign the system needs a good hard look, don't you think?

We pay much lower prices and our servers get paid.

The only one not getting their 'fair' cut is the government and I could give a shit about that.

A government doesn't exist to extort money from its citizens, at least it shouldn't.

But you have to admit that as a byproduct of your lower prices you have lower wages. And as the result of your lower wages, you have a cryptic system of tipping that says 15% standard, but we really expect you to tip 20% as a base, and go up from there, not down, because if you don't we won't be able to make a living. And then expect people from countries with different standard tipping practices, or with no tipping at all, to realize this and adjust appropriately.

I can honestly say I've learned valuable information from this thread, and while I may dislike your system, and I may dislike the fact I'm making up for your government's shortcomings, I will tip 20% while I'm in the United States because I realize it's not the server's fault you guys don't know how to take care of your citizens with appropriate minimum wage laws.

Ah, and that's not quite a good enough excuse for tax fraud in my opinion. Change the law, don't cheat the law. Lex injusta non est lex - an unjust law is no law at all... Raise the minimum wage, and fix the system of taxing tips so it doesn't force people to cheat the government in order to survive.

Misleading how? Does the employer not track how many hours the employee works and pays them?
Those statistics have nothing to do with tips just hourly pay.

I realize people serving in restaurants live off their tips, and most of those people do a great job and are tipped accordingly.

Sometimes a cheap bastard will grace ones presence but that is life. The sun can't shine everyday.

But stereotyping people as lousy tippers by country tells me that the tips received may be secondary to what the problem really is, and that may be bitterness of ones job or the industry as a whole.

If that's the case, it's time to get another job because ones bias will affect the service if one assumes the guests to be bad tippers.

If you don't want to be there, chances are because of you, neither are the people you are serving either.

Which makes them completely useless as any sort of comparison of real wages.

This isn't rocket science people.

Our food costs less than other countries, part of that difference is in how we pay servers.

We expect at least a 15% tip for adequate service, and more for good service. For poor service, you give less. Its how WE do things. If you think its great to pay 20-100% more for a meal and then not tip or leave a smaller tip thats fine, we will do so when we come to visit your countries. In the US we do it this way, now you know.

That's where they fuck up, they expect something people don't have to give.

I still find it amusing too see Americans talking about 'how they do things' and 'how we do it', when they can't accept the way other countries do things, makes me fuckin crack up.

I would think good service is expected, great service is rewarded and adequate service is sub par.

I don't go to restaurants to get the adequate service. My clients don't expect adequate work from me. If they got adequate work, I would expect they would seek better service elsewhere.

And I tip very well. Generally 25-35% for good to great service. Shitty service, bad attitude and a general discontent from a server and you get 10% if you are lucky.

It's your job. Do it properly and reap the rewards.

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).

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...

This price difference also stems from the size of the market - Australia's total population is only 21 million. *everything* is more expensive here.

Its funny - the only people who bitch about not being tipped well are the BAD waiters/waitresses.

The good ones get tipped well enough (for services rendered) that they don't have to worry / bitch / whine / complain / gripe / snivel / belly ache / protest / did I mention complain? about the few people who don't appear to conform to the 'norm'.

Again, let me reiterate: tips are earned
Not happy with your tips: find another job you ...

Not true, they don't make it long term, its the beauty of the American system. Having been a 'regular' at a few places, you can see the new people who are not going to make it pretty much from the start.

The ones who complain are the good ones who get stiffed usually.

How can you be stiffed on something that has no guarantee? It's a tip, as we've already said, it doesn't have to be given, no guarantees.
I'm still curious about this. Does it really surprise Americans that people won't learn your 'customs' or 'the way things are done here' when you act the way you do around the world, I mean seriously you guys can't even let countries govern themselves the way they want to without sticking your noses into it, so does it really make sense to say 'it's our custom, you should learn it'.

Or does learning customs only apply when visiting America and you guys can just do what you like?

So let me get this straight. If I am not satisfied with the level of service and leave you a smaller tip then I am "cheap". So what do you think that makes you in my eyes for not reporting your full income like I have to?

Adequate service is fine for the kid behind the counter at McDonalds. I expect more than that when I go out to eat (assuming it is somewhere nice and not just a greasy spoon). If that is all you offer me then there is no way in hell I'm leaving you 15%. As I've said before, make me happy (it's not really that hard) and I am more than happy to tip well. Make sure my drink is topped up before I get my meal, get me my food in a timely fashion (or at least inform me if there has been a holdup), don't be a dick and odds are that you will get 15-20% from me. If you do more you get more, it's as simple as that.

And then you bitch about the "cheap" Canadians who actually expect *GASP!* good service!

The other thing that grinds my gears (and this has only happened to me in Canada - Never in the US) is when I am ready to leave and the server is no where to be found. I have often put on my jacket and stood patiently at the doorway. The worst offender is the Baton Rouge restaurant. I've actually had to speak to management about this.

- oh yes and the places that bring appetizers at the same time as the main course. Memories of Japan (Don Mills) is notorious for this faux pas.

It never happens in the US because for some God Knows why Reason, the Americans slap your bill down in front of you before you are even finished. I guess they figure they need to remind you that you owe them money.

I had a nice dinner out last night in Toronto (Stone grill restaurant) and left a 20% Tip.

I thought the service was very attentive, with no gaps in provisioning, even the time when we wanted to leave had an appropriate wait time. The owner delivered a complimentary plate of oysters at the beginning and the deserts were complimentary.

The only downside was the extremely loud party of 10 just next to us. But I put that down to the livelyness of the joint.

20% tip is unheard of for me, but in light of the commenting in this thread, I considered many angles, and decided that 15% calculations can be modified when needed.

incidentally here is the meal from last night (as explained in the VD thread):

Anybody thinking of doing stone grill, give it a chance. We were provided with heated lava blocks upon which our entrees were seared while we ate.

- appetizer was a tapas of bison tartar. Very flavourful.
- The entrees were marlin for her and bison bavette for myself. These cooked on the block in a dry sear fashion, and had a citrus vinaigrette dip for the fish and a chestnut cream dip for the red meat.
-dessert was a raspberry creme brule for her and caramel drizzled fried plantains accompanied with on-site made cinnamon icecream for me.
- as it was our 25 yr anniversary of meeting, the place complimented us with oysters as an appetizer and desserts.

Be thankful you aren't here...

Here they bring the bill and don't leave the table until you've paid. I find it highly annoying.

Not sure I quite got your remark, but the normal way a bigger dinner is eaten in Japan is with everything on the table at once.

That means soup/main course/appetizers/... all in front of you. Don't quite get how that's a faux pas. (also, isn't there a proper English word instead of faux pas, it sounds so snooty :) )

The traditional western meal has the appetizer arrive first... the main arrive second and the dessert last... with other courses interspersed. I know that in Asia, this is a bit different. All the courses come, whenever (to the point that it's really when dishes come up, they come up).

As for faux pas... that is the English word (even though it's French).

Yes, as Charlatan noted, my point is that the menu advertises appetizers, which we typically receive in advance of the meal. Ostensibly to occupy ourselves while we wait for the entrees.

So on the occasions that we have ordered the appetizers at Memories of Japan we ended up waiting for a long time anyway, and then receiving everything at once. Not only was there no room on the table, we could plainly tell that the appetizer had cooled down while waiting to be brought.

The second time this happened, I spoke to the manager/host about it who appologized with the statement that " it's very busy" . Let's deconstruct that. This is a restuarant which could not fullfill it's main business process due to the fact that it was busy. And why was it busy? Because it was dinner time! And it is a restaurant, and people come here to eat at dinner time. This is the absolute worst excuse.

Oh, and the staff of this place is Chinese (Cantonese to be specific) so how they could conveniently pay lip service to Japanese customs... well maybe it's a corporate directive?


Also, as Charlatan pointed out, Faux pas is a commonly used term in the English language. We have lots of French phrases/words in play and it doesn't sound snooty to us at all. Not sure what actual English words would substitute.

Sames goes for Swatow in Chinatown.

You have your meal, it's almost over, and the spring roll you ordered appears for dessert.

Went to a Shwarma shop. Bought 4 chicken swharmas and a falafel. Cost $28. I left a $5 tip.

Not bad for a Canuck eh?

Tipping is out-dated. I still do, because I worked in the business, but I do not agree w/it. I do not get a bonus from my boss when I complete my job each day. Why shouldn't a good waiter/waitress be supported the same way? I bring business into your company - do you want to keep it or not? Why should I have to subsidize your business?

Tippings out dated? Hell think it's growing. Everywhere I go, coffee huts etc... there's a tip jar sitting out. Last US airport I went through a guy at a news stand selling mags and newspaper had a tip jar out. Hmm, I pick up a newspaper hand you .75 and you want a tip for that service? You bring me a meal and "wait" on me I'll tip, usually what I consider pretty well. Around 20% but never less then $5, unless of course I get crappy service then I leave a buck or two.

That's because it's a free enterprise world. But I think it is tacky at anyrate. Should be outdated.

This thread needs to be in the hall of fame.

Its the only thread where I agreed with host for the most part and that makes it something special.

Only thread you agree with host and his argument didn't have a leg to stand on, such a waste of agreement.

I love that it has been resurrected. Now, to get rid of tipping...

After reading through this thread I went and asked several waiters I know down here about the topic. The restaurant don't pay them shit here, their entire income is basically tips. Many of them have taken to asking people "where are you from?" Sounds like a normal chit chat question. But they tell me they don't even try to give extra or even good service to Canadians. They simply know it doesn't matter what they do the tip is going to suck. One lady told me "table of fucking five people, full meals, several drinks, sat there for an hour or more. Tab? 750 pesos- tip? 5 fucking pesos! (.50 US.) Fuck them and fuck Canada!"

So, if you're in Mexico you may want to claim to be from the US if asked by your waiter.

Ya, well the whole Mexico/Canada question is an open ended issue. At the rate that Canadians are killed (yes, unfortunate endings) down there and the laughable state of their justice system, there's no love lost. Sometimes I feel like going down there, and screwing them out of their tips as a matter of principle.

But aside from that, I bet they are comparing Canadians to Americans and, as is evident from this thread, Americans are obscenely generous in their largesse.

Not here. Even the main tourist rag, The Yucatan Today, suggest giving your tip directly, in cash, to your server. Anything on the card and the restaurant is going to take half if not all of it.

Getting killed down here? I've heard of two in Playa several years back and some lady who may or may not have gotten herself into some trouble with a crooked business deal. Mexico seems to think she did it, the Canadians seem to think she's getting screwed. I don't know.

There's a large Expat community here, esp. in the winter months. I've not heard of any problems other then the odd break-in here and there. Could just be the area I'm in? Merida is listed as one of the safest cities in North America with a pop of one million or more.

Just last week, another Canadian was killed. he was from BC. Maybe it's just a minor blip on the local screen, but there's been a lot of agitation up here to boycott the cheap, warm gettaways (ha! as if that would ever happen). I just know that I tend to look more at Jamaica, Domincan, Cuba or Bahamas, before Mexico.

Posted below FYI....

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/0...n.html?ref=rss

Canadian tourist killed in Mexico
Victim's B.C. girlfriend wounded
Last Updated: Sunday, May 18, 2008 | 12:43 PM ET Comments96Recommend89CBC News
Mexican police are investigating the killing of a Canadian tourist in the resort city of Cabo San Lucas.

State police commander Enrique Wuilar says Bouabal Bounthavorn, 29, was shot three times in the head by a lone gunman Thursday night in his room at Hotel Riu.

His girlfriend, 24-year-old Masha Heikali, was shot in the foot, he said. She is now recovering at her home in Burnaby, B.C. Bounthavorn's hometown has not been confirmed.

Foreign Affairs in Ottawa has confirmed a Canadian was killed, but would not release any other information, citing the Privacy Act.

Wuilar says no one has been arrested in the case and investigators have no leads.

There has been a string of violent incidents involving Canadians in Mexico since 2007.

Domenic and Nancy Ianiero of Woodbridge, Ont., were found with their throats slit in February 2006 at a resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. No arrests were ever made.

In January, 2007, Adam DePrisco, 19, also of Woodbridge, was killed outside an Acapulco nightclub. A Mexican doctor blamed the teen's death on a hit-and-run driver, but his family and friends believe he was beaten to death.

In May, 2007, Jeff Toews of Grande Prairie, Alta, died from injuries after he visited a nightclub in Cancun. Mexican authorities concluded he fell from the second floor of his hotel, but at the time Toews' family said his head and back injuries came from a severe beating

and: http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_7514.aspx

Two More Canadians Shot In Mexico
Sunday February 4, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
A chain of troubling incidents involving Canadians in Mexico had a new link Sunday, after reports two more Ontario residents were shot in an Acapulco hotel Saturday night.

The pair - a man and a woman identified as 55-year-old Rita Calara and 73-year-old Yoyo Manela - was at the Casa Inn Hotel (pictured) when a gunman reportedly fired into the lobby.

They were originally reported to be from Woodbridge but it now seems they actually came from Niagara Falls and Welland. They apparently weren't travelling together, but were both in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Both victims were shot in the leg and their injuries were non-life threatening, which is good news considering a recent string of tragedies befalling Canadians vacationing in Mexico.



Giuseppe Alaimo was at the Casa Inn at the time and was in a large group that witnessed part of the shooting.



"We brought them in tried to comfort them, stop the bleeding," he said.



"But the trouble is, you know, before they get the ambulance, it takes more than a half an hour ... the police arrived about an hour later."



Tour operators say overall, Mexico remains a safe destination. But several incidents in the past year have involved Canadians being either shot or killed while vacationing there.



This one comes just weeks after 19-year-old Adam De Prisco from Woodbridge was killed in Acapulco. His family says he was beaten to death but Mexican authorities say he was struck and killed by a car.



Similarly, Glifford Glasier of Chatham, Ont. was killed in Guadalajara last month after an apparent hit-and-run. His wife was also badly injured and left in a coma.



And Woodbridge couple Domenic and Nancy Ianiero were found brutally murdered in their room at a resort in the Mayan Riviera nearly a year ago.



The Canadian government has issued past warnings to citizens about the dangers of travel to Mexico.



But thousands go anyway, and now Alaimo's son-in-law Gabriel Cicconi sits at home in Toronto growing frustrated.



"I'm not just worried about my own family, I'm worried about all the Canadians that are down there," he said.



"Canadian tourists that are bringing dollars down there, that are putting people to work, are not respected for what we are doing."



Mexican police say the shooting was random, but Cicconi isn't totally buying it.



"I think at this point we've gotten a fairly clear message to stop traveling to Mexico," he said.



"Even if it's not for safety issues, but just to send a message to say 'Hey, we're not going to stand for this anymore ... this is getting ridiculous.'"



News of Saturday's shooting also hit Adam De Prisco's uncle, Sandro Bellio, hard.



"I'm not surprised ... if the Canadian government doesn't change things, this kind of stuff is going to keep going on."



Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Dan McTeague said Canadians need to be better informed by Foreign Affairs about the risks of traveling to Mexico. He says the current travel report which suggest Canadians should "exercise caution," is nowhere near enough.



"It clearly hasn't been designed with the recent events in mind," he said.



"Perhaps advise to Canadians not to travel there except for essential reasons."

Foreign Affairs said Sunday night it will be reviewing travel advisories for Mexico to determine if they need to be tougher. However, officials say changes are usually only made when a situation becomes critical like during civil wars, rioting or an outbreak of disease.

Well like I said it maybe simply the area in which I live. I rarely hear of anyone, US, Canadian or Mexican being attacked here.

I'd heard about the couple in Playa, but could have sworn it was a few years prior to 2006 (not questioning it, just a little surprised it's that recent.)

I wouldn't go to the places listed in these stories (Except maybe Cancun) any more then I would go to Detroit, East Central LA or for that matter many parts of DC.

So, ya, maybe there's ignorance on the part of the tourists. If it's a good deal, maybe the low cost isn't worth it. I've been to DC, and it seemed like a charming town for the most part. Old buildings, a small Chinatown, some cosmopolitan food, and best of all, a hockey arena right downtown. So, on the whole, I liked the place. ON my way out, however, I passed through an area that looked very downtrodden. The looks I got from the locals were scary.

There are parts of my own city in which I would not feel comfortable to stop. In DC, this was one of those places. I'm sure you are correct in stating that these places in Mexico are in that calibre.

There's the understatement of the year. But I'm as guilty of this as anyone else. I try these days to be as aware as possible when traveling. Check out message boards etc... But I think when people go on vacation they're looking to "check their baggage at the door." Often in the zest to let go and let loose they end up doing things without thinking. You get away, the phones not ringing, no one's looking to you for answers and it's easy to shut your brain into rest mode.

Only he was essentially correct.

Back in my waitering days I always got VERY friendly with the front door people and in turn they would steer the low tipping stereotypes away from me.

The problem with Canadians though is they look and sound just like Americans, so you gotta wait to catch the eh.

Too bad he wasn't essentially correct though, even though you may think you saying he was makes it so, it really doesn't, in order to be correct he would have had to prove something (which he didn't), other than proving Canadians tip the norm, and waiters seem to think that having shitty jobs means the customer should tip more to make up for them not having the interest in learning to type.

VERY friendly eh, like bathroom bj favour friendly? hahaha:)

Yes it's unfortunate we look and sound kind of like Americans, ruins a lot of our holidays being mistaken for assholes. Although once they realize we're Canadian and not yank they treat us much better, so that's a bonus.

as a Canadian living in Texas I find on average me and my other ex-pat Canucks tip way better and more consistently then my American friends. However, my philosphy on tipping depends on the venue but more over, the service!

GREAT service, regular check ups on the food, further requests, drink refills etc = automatic %20 + tip

Moderately good service, ie the order is correct, I don't have to wait 20 minutes for a menu and another 20 to place an order. Drinks are refilled, water is cold, food is hot you get a 15 to 20% tip

Poor service, bad attitudes, poor hygene, incorrect orders, no drinks refilled all those things, I don't leave a tip, or the tip is what'evers left of the 20 for a 18 dollar tab.

I feel tips have to be earned. Yes, working in the industry sucks at times when you depend on tips. I know, I worked in it. But you have to hustle for your good tips.

At a Bar I make a choice if I like the place enough to want to come back. If I like the place, I will tip large and make sure the bartender recognizes the tip. This insures excellent service, on your second visit another generous tip ussually helps a lot in getting a good continual flow of service to your table. Bartenders rely a lot on tips, especially male bartenders who have to contend with the often hot female bartender who's out workin' hard for her tips in that "I'm a hot bartender" thing (not trying to be rude or sexist, it just happens). Drunk men will slip a hot blond 5 bucks a drink if he's drunk and horny enough.

Better than people flying planes into your tall buildings because you keep trying to dominate the world.

Or is joking about dead Americans still taboo?

wow....just wow....i am embarrassed.

not I

tsktsk... I have some very good friends who are Americans, so I cannot get your back on this one s-j.


hmmm... a quip perhaps? I think that folks who pack heat aren't necessarily looking to get even for bad tipping. Maybe for attitude. My wake up has been to not even consider the place.

Oh I have friends who are Americans as well Leto, and have nothing against Americans, just trying to show Ustwo his stereotypes about Canadians are rather pointless as it paints a country of people with one big broad brush, based on his experiences in his little corner of seeing a few Canadians.

So do I, except that they all keep leaving to come up here.

Point taken s-j... as I too am uncomforable with the stereotype. I myself do tip (grudgingly) according to the practice. Maybe Americans* should learn to tip according to local practice as well. So as not to come off as ones who just throw money around.

* Caution, Stereotyping statement pending

the entire culture of tipping was an extremely clever move by the restaurant industry. they make money hand over fist with very low overhead for labor.

i've given no money for a tip before, but it has to be really bad service. i've been to a place that was nearly empty but the server took 20 minutes to bring my drinks and never refilled them. that's inexcusable. i also get ticked off if something goes wrong with the food/drinks but i'm not comped anything for the trouble. for example, two days ago my family went to a family restaurant and everyone at the table ordered lemonade. at first, the server said that they were fixing the lemonade machine and that he'd get it to us shortly. by the end of the meal, my wife had given up and ordered a beer and the rest of us had water or nothing, but they didn't even comp the beer.

either way, a tip is earned, not a given. i don't like the idea that restaurants have duped the government into keeping a lower than minimum wage for waiters in order to pass the cost of doing business on to the customers.

also, i really hope that every current/former restaurant worker who is bitching in this thread has declared every penny of tips they've made to Uncle Sam, otherwise you're a bunch of hypocrites

I have no idea if this is still true but my brother, who owns a restaurant, once told me he has to deduct taxes for wait staff based on a percentage of their daily totals. Meaning they're (were?) paying taxes whether they got tipped or not.

okay, but i'm referring to the wait staff. i've known quite a few people (college, etc.) who fudged their tips numbers when filing taxes

I'm referring to wait staff also. He told me he has to withhold ,out of their checks, taxes for tips. It's based on a percentage of the business they've done for the evening.

I thought we had solved this. The rule of thumb we were raised with was tip 15%. It seems the bar in the US has been raised to 20% and nobody let us know.

Seems you need some serious PR and Marketing initiative to bring the rest of us up to speed.

As I said before, I much prefer to that the gratuity included in the bill (that or pay a decent wage and eradicate tipping altogether).

Yep still taboo highthief, gets you a +2 warning level from a certain mod(ubertuber I'm looking your way), who doesn't like to warn yanks for joking about dead Canadians, but is fine with warning a Canadian for joking about dead yanks, what a fuckin joke the double standard is in this place.

Don't like how much money you make? Get a new job.

Your business has it's ups and downs. It's of your choice that you are there, not theirs. Whatever you get, be grateful of it. If you get stood up on a tip, that's how the business that you've chosen to work in goes.

This is coming from an american who usually tips at least 25%...

Don't ya love it? The thread has new life! muhahahahaha.....

Like I said, maybe Americans should investigate local customs too, before over tipping .

What ever happened to this thread being shipped to Nonsense?!

i am more curious why celebrities and pro athletes are such shitty tippers

most likely because they usually don't do it themselves. Their 'people' handle the situation so when they are on their own, it is an unaccustomed activity.

Is that the case? Celebrities and pro athletes are shitty tippers?

If so, maybe the answer is: they didn't get famous by thinking about others.

hmmm ok little on the side of the topic, but how many of you have ever tipped your Radio Shack salesman ? Or am I still the only Radio Shack clerk to have provided such exemplary service as to prompt a tip from a customer ?

100% tip in one case. Both times European tourists I might add. No Canucks or Americans ever tipped me as a Radio Shack clerk. (This is a true story)

:-)

I tip 15% pretty much always, obviously if the server goes out of their way to help me more than usuall then they'll get a better tip accordingly and the adverse applies as well if they do only the bare minimum y would tip them anymore then the bare minimum i feel acceptable (generally 10%).

I see no need to complain about this style of tipping as i worked as a busser at a pizza establishment where i picked up the dishes and cleaned the tables brought customers anything extra they required and occasionally brought them their food the only thing i never had to do was bring them drinks (although for older people i offered to refill them). While having to provide these services i was also repsonsible for the keeping the dining area clean and the kitchen equipment and cleaning the dishes. There was seldom more than 1 busser and never more than 2 and guess how much i was tipped? Usually, well almost always nothing and if anything 1 or 2$ even though i did more than was necessary to please the customers which was providing a service very similar to waiting. Although their minimum wage is lower people almost never dont tip waiters at a restaurant unless they truly dont deserve it in which case the only person they should complain to is themselves. So if you get between 10 tables to wait you should be able to make plenty of money a day to keep a pretty decent living.

Well, if you go to Japan, you don't have to tip...

so when they come here, maybe they expect the same.

Americans say eh too.

eh

This is just offensive. Even in good fun.

Where does this fit in?

Last summer I was in Michigan in some small town off the 94 and just east of Kalamazoo, I think it may have been near Galesburg, or perhaps even Galesburg. Anyways it was a small locally owned diner, owned by a guy and his wife and they were the nicest people. We chatted with them about how we are from Canada and are on a big road trip and are driving all through the states. Amazingly nice people. Food was not the best, but it was good. And they kept our drinks toped up and were very polite.

Well because of that we left about a 50% tip, yes you read that right. We had such a good experience with it that we left a tip that large. It had everything to do with how nice the people were and how welcoming they were to us, even though we were cheap asshole Canadians.

So where does that fit in?

Oh, and I was out at Humpties the other day here in Calgary and it took over an hour to get our food, it was shitty, and the waitress never once filled up our drinks or even came by. They got no tip and I almost walked out after 40 min of waiting but the people I was with did not want to leave.

I hate this Canuck stereotype more than most. I start at 20%, and have gone up to 50% on several occasions when the service and/or food warranted it. But I may be the exception to the rule, I used to be a waiter but make a decent living now so have no problem tipping more than necessary when my wife and I have a good experience.

I was a bus boy at the Holiday Inn , Barrie myself. We shared tips with the wait staff. 15% was considered a good amount. Most patrons were Torontonians, and tipped considerately.