To tip or not to tip? That is the question.
Oh, and how much? How do I do it ‘gracefully’? Can it cause offence?
And these questions are just the tip of the iceberg. So, let me tip you a wink on the subject and then when you’re next in Blighty you won’t tip the applecart.
Okay, don’t worry, I’m finished with the excruciatingly predictable jests now and the rest of the post will be in English. Ahem.
1. No-one will be offended if you tip them. There are a LOT of people in the tourist industry coping on truly awful salaries and I can’t think of anyone who would be offended by you tipping them if done discreetly and in a non-patronising manner. There are a very select few resorts who say in their literature that “tipping is unnecessary”, but you will be aware of this in advance. Occasionally you may be served by people who are extremely well paid and do not require a tip, but if you try to tip these chaps, they will politely and gracefully decline (and even so, they will not have been offended by your gratuity). I was once staying in a very nice London hotel and held a door open for someone…who tipped me! I simply smiled, thanked them and put it in the nearest charity box.
2. In the UK, we don’t tip anyone if the service was bad (although my husband has been known to tip a penny as a wordless insult for truly awful service). If the service was really the best you’ve ever had, I tip and then also email head office to tell them they have great staff. If it was the worst I’ve ever had, I email about that too! I like to think that’s firm but fair.
3. In cabs; the usual way to tip is to round up the fare. So if your journey costs £8.40, just give him £10. If you’re on business and you need a receipt, say “Can we call that a tenner and can I have a receipt please?”.
4. For food; in restaurants, look at your bill (check). If no service charge is shown and your service was good, tip 10-15%. If you are in any doubt as to where the money might go (some owners bank the money if you pay by card) then give your tip in cash directly to your waiter. If eating in a cafe or pub, it is perfectly acceptable to pay your bill, receive your change and then leave coins on the table by your plate when you leave. Tips are not usually left in coffee shops unless the service was very good, and most coffee shops have a dish by the till for this. Tips are not given in fast-food or takeaway places.
5. In hotels, we generally do not tip the doorman (if he simply opens the door), the staff at reception or the waiting staff at breakfast-time. I make a point of not tipping porters (bellboys) who insist on carrying my tiny bag to my room when I have already said I am fine carrying my own, but do tip if they have helped me with particularly awkward bags, or if a bellboy has gone back down to the car for me when I have forgotten something. Tipping concierges can be tricky, as the best ones are sometimes very old-fashioned, wonderful gentlemen who take enormous pride in making your stay productive and enjoyable. If your concierge has been truly outstanding (and may I say the concierge at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath is possibly the most wonderful concierge I have ever been pointed in the right direction by), the best advice I can give is to tip them discreetly, perhaps by writing them a notelet expressing your heartfelt thanks for their kind advice and enclosing any amount you feel is appropriate to ‘treat’ themselves with. Tipping chambermaids is another tricky one. Personally, I am an unbelievably clean and tidy person; I don’t tip them. If I made a lot of work for a chambermaid I would certainly tip an appropriate amount for the trouble I have put them to.
6. In pubs; tipping is not often done at the bar, but if you are ordering complicated drinks or large rounds, then it is customary to say at the end of your order “and have one for yourself”. Although your server is not allowed to actually drink during working hours, they will take around £2 to £3 as a tip. That’s just how it’s always been done in pubs!
7. Hairdressers; yet another tricky one. Obviously if you’re going to see Nicky Clarke or another celebrity hairdresser type, they may be offended by you proffering a crumpled fiver. Most hairdressers would be perfectly happy. Personally I don’t tip my hairdresser (as he owns the business, so I consider him above it), but if the junior who washes my hair gives me a great scalp massage I leave them a pound or two. Beauty therapy is another badly-paid profession, so tips would be gratefully accepted here.
8. For other people you may meet, such as tour guides, shoe-shines, street entertainers etc. I would say follow your instinct; how great an impact has this person made on your stay? If they have simply done their job and no more, personally I wouldn’t tip. If they have gone over and above the call of duty to make your visit truly memorable and enjoyable, then tip accordingly.
9. Remember; a heartfelt thank you, dazzling smile and firm handshake on parting is a great tip in itself for someone who is proud of what they do. A handwritten note, or follow-up email shows thoughtfulness. A tip is nice, too, but without the smile it can come across as arrogant, patronising, snooty or crass.
10. Don’t worry about tipping all the time; in Britain we simply don’t. People who receive tips are flattered by them and for the lowly-paid it is a tremendous help to make ends meet. But if you don’t tip they won’t put your name on some British hotel blacklist or broadcast the fact on Twitter! Enjoy your holiday. Enjoy meeting people. Enjoy being pampered. Enjoy Britian.
Author Info - Anna (true bonafide Brit) wandered all over the US whilst she was reporting for the BBC, but now blogs from her mellow stone 17th century farmhouse in the heart of beautiful Blighty. Share her passion for True Englishness at The Anglofile Read more from this author
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dream of living in the UK a reality.
Here in Hartlepool I have found that sadly the tips in restaurants don’t go to the staff. A friend of mine has asked at almost every restaurant in town and she said there is only one restaurant in town (the nicest one) where the waitresses can keep the tips for themselves. Otherwise if you leave a tip, it just goes into the pocket of the owners which I think is incredibly unfair. I now will ask the waitresses if they get to keep their tips, if they say yes then I give them a tip if they say no that it goes to the restaurant then I withhold it. I know this isn’t the norm in Britain though and is kind of specific to Hartlepool. There are just a few men in this town who kind of hold a monopoly on the restaurant business so they take advantage by creating this policy. They take advantage of the fact that people may ask if they “accept” tips but probably won’t ask if they actually get to keep them, so because people assume the tip is going to their waitress the owners get to line their pockets while their staff have to turn over their tips. Its really shameful.
last time I visited the folks in the UK and we all went out to dinner, having lived over a decade now in Seattle I automatically tend to tip. I paid the bill and tipped the waitress quite a big tip. She came back shortly after and handed me the whole tip back and told me I had given her too much money.