Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Is Bill Bryson right about the British?

With regard to the tipping issue, I just think a lot of us Brits just don't get tipping because we seem to be repressed about talking about money, unlike our American cousins

It still gets me when I go out for meals with people that they don't think about the tip or what is for

A lot of restaurants in London or where service is important take the problem away by charging between 10% - 15% for service on the bill which I always think makes you and the staff value the importance of good service

My father taught me very early in life by taking out of his pocket a round coin and said "money is round because it's designed to go 'round"

If you receive good service pay a tip

If you don't receive good service, talk to the restaurant and explain the issues so they have an opportunity to put it right

What confuses people is that some restaurants and cafes have a counter service or a bit of both table service and order points which is partly 'do it yourself' with staff to bring the food after you've paid.

I always feel a bit sorry for service staff at these establishments as the system makes it harder for staff to do a good job and receive tips whereas the company probably employs people on low wages on the understanding that tips are shared

We forget we are older our memories are tuned to remember the good and forget the bad. Hence your testosterone level gets lower as you get older so does your tolerance levels . We forget mods and rockers teddy boys ,one has only to study the Dickension period to see crime was rife . Pickpockets protitution the I am alright Jack attitude is still with us .
Not all youth are nasty it's just a minority ,but being good does not sell papers etc .If you go to a restaurant and have a great meal in good company , then an idiot starts to wreck your evening what do you remember . The quality of the food No it's the idiot that spoilt the night that's the way we have let.Our

self become.The youth of today are the elderly of tomorrow just as we are .TV highlights it and we watch it the older among us will recall the days before TV , but now we have PCs and it's instant .Life and people don't change just situations .I have been interested in studying crime have kept several hand written books that I have filled with facts and hangings from the pre prison days .To read what they did shows today as mild.

On the subject of tipping and particularly in the US, a few years ago my wife and I were in Memphis on holiday.
We went into a bar on Beale Street and each had a sandwich and a beer.
The bill came to 14 dollars and I gave the waitress a 20 dollar note, to which the waitress replied, "will you be wanting any change sir?"
If she thought she was going to get a 6 dollar tip (42% of our bill) she was very much mistaken.
I do know that most of these people survive on tips but I did not expect that attitude from the waitress.

I guess alot depends on what capacity one is dealing with the public. All my clients are absolutely lovely as in our interactions we share a common interest. But if you are a traffic warden or tax collector you are likely to have more of a struggle liking your clients I imagine.
Nick

It's not about liking or disliking Nick, it's about evidence of dishonesty and lack of understanding of 'the system'.
And the more they turnover, the worse it gets.
In the 90's my local office target for underpaid tax was £14 million and that was easily exceeded.
If I was able to talk specifics your hair would curl.

Unfortunately a typical story which just highlights what is wrong with the tipping system. And don't even get me started about adding service charges to the bill. I understand a cover charge, as used in many places, which is a small fee which pays for items brought to the table such as bread, or breadsticks, in some cases water, and in some cases a little something to nibble while you consider the menu. Also, as some people have noted, in Italy it is quite usual to have a different charge for coffee served at the bar as against table service. When coffee served at the bar is only 90 cents or €1 you can understand it.

In about 1990 I did a motorcycle tour in Yunan China. We had been told by the organiser to expect a tip of a certain amount to the support crew (truck driver, guide, and mechanic), at the end we were told it would have to be double because the American tourist had discovered the area and were giving tips of 20% or more.

My brother is a professional pilot, has married an American girl and moved to America. He is now flying executive jets including the Cessna Citation. In the process he has become more American than someone born there. He firmly believes that the only way to get good service is to have staff so poorly paid that they have to rely on tips. I have observed that he has developed an obsequious manner towards others that have any position of authority or wealth. Despite being very well paid he has mentioned that he has received quite high tips, even as much as $1,000 when he has flown celebrities.

I think I will stick to my Oz attitude towards service and tips.

An opinion poll of one is not worth much but here it is. I've found drivers in the UK to be more polite and to have better road manners than those in Central Europe where I've lived for 20 years. And my experience of general politeness and helpfulness in the UK is generally positive. And I'm not saying that just because my wife is British and is the nicest kindest person in the world. No bias there then. I think you're all being a bit hard on yourselves.

Oh go on Dave, tell us a few, you can disguise the names enough surely?
Nick

Unfortunately I can't do that Nick. Start with the mindset of our politicians and their approach to expenses.
Then multiply. More income provides more opportunity to fiddle.

A classic example is this. If you sell a second home in London after a few years you will have made a few quid so there's a capital gain. The details of when you bought it and when you sold it are on the Land Registry. So why wouldn't you declare it?

It's very easy to run checks but significant numbers of educated and professional people don't declare the gain. So end up paying the tax plus penalty plus interest. When nudged to come clean there are those who will deny everything until served with the evidence.
Like I said earlier - dishonest and stupid, and a dash of arrogance. That's one small snapshot but the money involved is huge.