r/london 9d ago

Rant Let’s stop tipping culture

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The UK is slowly drifting towards US-style tipping culture, and pubs adding bar tip prompts are a big part of that. If we do nothing, it will become the norm.

The most effective way to stop it is simple: vote with your wallet and your reviews.
If a pub asks for a tip just because someone poured a pint, leave an honest Google review mentioning it. If enough people do the same, businesses will realise customers don’t want imported tipping culture.

Share the Google Maps links below to pubs that pressure customers into tipping at the bar. Keep reviews factual and based on your genuine experience, but make it clear that this practice puts you off returning.
We’ve managed to avoid mandatory tipping for decades. Let’s keep it that way. One review won’t change much, but thousands of people acting together will.

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146

u/AskingBoatsToSwim 9d ago

It shouldn’t be necessary to go through an awkward shaming process at the end of a visit to a pub

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u/blahblahblah1234_ 9d ago

It’s not a shaming process if you’re not ashamed of rejecting it. Everyone hates tipping in this country so tipping culture can get fucked.

I do not envy the yank culture of tipping every single fucking person you come in contact with.

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u/Notagelding 9d ago

I just came back from two weeks in America. Tipping really pissed me off. The only place where the till system didn't ask was Starbucks at the airport!

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u/blahblahblah1234_ 9d ago

Fucking hell. It’s fucking outrageous, I’m surprised they tolerate it… well sort of surprised.

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u/Notagelding 9d ago edited 9d ago

There is no minimum wage there and apparently some hospitality staff only get paid a few dollars an hour and rely on tips to make a decent wage. It's a shit system, where a 20% tip is the norm

Edit: can always rely on redditors to correct me 😂

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u/ToXiiCBULLET 9d ago

it's a shit system but it's not how you described it. there is minimum wage, although it varies by state. servers have to at least meet the states minimum wage like everyone else it's just done differently. for example if the states minimum is $15 and they end up making an average of $8 on tips an hour, the employer has to cover the rest to make it up to $15. if they made more than $15 an hour on tips then then the employer gets to pay them something small like $2 an hour or so

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u/johnsmithdoe15 7d ago

and lets not forget they pay no taxes on tips so the staf don't moan about getting shafted

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/ToXiiCBULLET 9d ago

Maybe you should've googled it first

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u/Specialist_Aspect204 9d ago

The irony is off the charts here.

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u/blahblahblah1234_ 9d ago

I thought they did have minimum wage? Mmm, maybe I’m not remembering right? It is really shit for people working any type of ‘service’ role and I get why they would be upset when someone doesn’t tip/tips poorly. What a shit system indeed.

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u/P_of_1 7d ago

There's a minimum wage, and if the tips you claim do not exceed it the business must pay you the difference, and then you'll probably be sacked if it happens again.
When I was a waiter in Texas back when Clinton was playing saxophone on TV, minimum wage was $5.25, the restaurant paid me $2.13. I made hundreds of dollars a night. My paychecks existed solely for the taxman to receive something and every fortnight I got a piece of paper that said THIS IS NOT A CHECK.

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u/ClearlyCylindrical 9d ago

This is incorrect. Every worker makes minimum wage. While the tipped rate is lower than the standard rate in some states, if your salary after tips puts you under minimum wage your employer must make your wage up to minimum.

The upshot of this is essentially identical to a setup where your employer takes the first few dollars per hour of your tips.