Why Don’t Europeans F***ing TIP?

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By Jake Hart 

Hello!  Oh you’re visiting NYC from Europe?

So that means you can afford the cost of getting on a flying machine from across an ocean to come tool around/spend money(yours or someone else’s) in a place long known for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, yes?

SO WHY DON’T YOU FUCKING TIP?

2019 and this is still a thing.  I see you come in and hear you say “We are 6 for food please” and know that, unless I point it out, it’s an 80% chance I’m gonna get a 5% tip, though when I point it out, it becomes a 35% that they will not tip..

The food will be as good as you hoped, the service(barring that day’s level of industry-wearied indifference, although some of you encourage that back home) will be prompt and courteous, the restaurant will be clean and decorative AND STILL you’ll walk away saying “ok thank youuu” and leave me $4 on a $96 check (yes, over here we call it a check not a bill; got a problem, write our congressman).

We don’t care how they do it in your country or your gripes against our system, you are in New York City, U.S.A. and THIS IS HOW WE GET PAID.  But, what do I know?  I’m an American that’s never left the states with a SAT score of 970.

So I talked to 3 service industry workers from Not New York and asked if they preferred our system vs theirs.

Marc/France:

“I was a cook in France for several years before I came here and decided I’d rather work in the front of the house.  In New York it’s just so much more money even with the lower wage and the customers are much nicer; in France, the culture is where customers are assholes and they kind of expect the waiters to be assholes right back.*  The wage is adequate and gratuity is included so tipping is not something depended on, it’s just nice to do at some places.  The restaurant I work at now is French so of course, we get a lot of Europeans. I learned quick that I’d have to tell some of them “Hey, just so you know, the tip is not included in the bill.”  Most of the time they leave me 20% but once in a while they still don’t, and that’s probably just because they don’t agree with how it’s done here or they’re just used to not tipping.  Maybe in the future it will change there. Who knows?  But I very much prefer the system/money in New York.”

(*You can see this happen with longtime New York waiters/customers to a degree; I do it.  But the Marc’s been here for a few years so the french must be fucking monsters.)

Katie/Ireland:

“For servers tip 10%, more if it’s good service but ya don’t have to. Bartenders don’t get tips unless they serve food really; they’re paid better than servers. Americans always tipped amazing when they came to my restaurant back home.  Here I’m a bartender and now hate Europeans when they don’t tip because I don’t get paid; what I do get paid is taxed heavily so I want their tips.

   I think service is better in Ireland because you have to work for the tip and also you’re paid above min wage so £8.65 is min you get £8.65-£15 depending on the place, but here they’re more professional.  See, I want the quick money so I’m so happy you do it but my culture says it’s ridiculous and it’s mad it’s on the customer to pay us but then I also get it because I’m a bartender; It’s long fast insane hours and I deserve a tip for your night out.

  If foreigners act like they don’t know, it’s probably cause they don’t agree with it.  But I think both systems are fine.”

Angus/Australia

(Yes Australia isn’t part of Europe but the queen of England is also the queen of Australia and they have a tipping problem so shut up): “There’s no tipping in Australia.  None.  Servers are paid $20 an hour and paper money starts at $5 so it’s kinda dickish to give someone coins anyway.  But it’s a totally different environment:  there are no hosts, you just walk in and sit yourself and the waiter gets to ya when he fuckin gets to ya.  Didn’t notice it before but living in New York for some years now it drives me fucking mad.  There’s no taxes on the checks there either which you’d think would mean a lower bill but the prices are super high cause of food and import costs plus what they need to pay the staff so it can be as much or more as a meal in New York.

If you asked me, I’d say 40% of it is willful ignorance just because it’s so different over there.  What I think is hilarious is the difference between my friends that don’t watch American TV vs a lot of American TV.  If they don’t watch, they don’t tip; if they watch a lot they wonder if a 25% tip is enough!”

And finally a word from a New York comedian:

Joel Kim Booster/NYC

“I dated a Brit for a couple months this year and every time it was his turn to pay we would fight about this and then when he was in the bathroom I would have to slip our server cash. I know this isn’t helpful but I just wanted to get that out there in the ether.”

So there you have it: I talked to 3 people that like living here and they more or less prefer this system. Yes, I know, we haven’t really solved anything, but this is just the topic I chose and there was a deadline. 

Either way that’s how these people that took your order, made your drinks, brought your food, answer your questions, gave and did everything you asked for (within reason) are paid. 

SO TIP OR FUCK OFF