On Fri 8 August Robert Keefer wrote: >>... In England, tipping is often frowned upon! One magazine article I read while there bemoaned the practice of tipping, blaming the influx of American tourists and American ideas about paying servers. Wait staff in the UK have apparently not been paid with tips 'figured in' as they are here, and the article complained that that was all changing. A tip for great service in London was 10%, with some leaving less or even nothing, depending the restaurant (here I always tip 20%, as I spent 6 summers during high school and college working in a restaurant).<<
I think one has to be careful about generalisations about such things (and others!). I live in London and am no great restaurant-goer, but from my limited experience I�d say that that 10% is regarded as the norm for tipping. I�m not talking about more expensive restaurants in the West End and such-like, which may be what the writer of the magazine article has in mind, though I�d guess that the great majority of people who frequent such places tip at least 10%. You have to keep in mind that the author of such an article is only writing about what happens within the circle he/she mixes with, and about their observations. My view on this is certainly no more valid than that of the writer in question (quite possibly less), but it does not tally with his/hers. In the past it was always the case in England that the wage for waiting [sic] in restaurants was pitifully low, and a good chunk of what waiters and waitresses ended up with came from tips. To what extent that remains the case I couldn�t say. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.human-nature.com/esterson/index.html www.butterfliesandwheels.com/articleprint.php?num=10 --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
