The Irish and Tipping

In the US, you buy a coffee at a counter in Starbucks and there is a tip jar. People go to restaurants and tip 20% regardless of the meal and service. Coming from the ubiquitious tipping world of the US, it is interesting when you are in Ireland. The Irish are very generous people but there is something about tipping that seems to bother them. If you ask someone, many times they will start with a small speech on the poor level of service in the country. This is often followed by how they try to minimize tipping. Here are some comment on tipping from some Irish folks that I came across.

"If I had my way I wouldn't tip anyone. Service over here is complete cr_p and people are looking for extra money just for doing their job!! What a load of the old you know what!!

Why should we tip anyone? Do we have to start tipping bakers before they bake a loaf of bread? Oh!! AND NEVER NEVER tip a taxi driver!! Most of them are rolling in it. Why just the other day one was talking to em about the three holidays he had last year!! Ha!!"

"I never tip the hairdresser, been going to him for over 20 years, I would think it an insult. With taxi drivers, I would usually round up to the nearest euro and a half, if you know what I mean, and if he is like so many of them, surly and grumpy, he gets nothing. Restaurants would usually tip 10%, but I always leave it in cash, never add it to the credit card bill, as I don't believe the staff get it then. If I have not been pleased with the service, the tip will reflect this.

Service is virtually dead and gone in this country. I was in a shop in Kilbarrack SC last week and asked for a 60th birthday card. The girl looked at me blankly, then looked at the card stand blankly, made no effort to look anywhere for it, then said "Nah, don't think so" and turned back to what she was doing [:(!][}:)] This sort of attitude drives me nuts."

"We're definitely not a nation of tippers and this is sometimes reflected in the deliverance of services. I only tip taxi-drivers (when I'm well hammered mind you) and waiters/waitresses if and only if I like the food and the staff didn't annoy me in anyway."

"At the end of the day, if I receive excellent service I will tip - if not, I will leave the exact money for the bill and nothing more. I have also removed the 15% service charge off a bill when I wasn't satisfied with the service. The look on the waiters face was a picture - and when I told him the reason I thought he was going to burst into tears!!

It is so true that service in this country has gone steadily downhill, but when you do find it I feel it should be rewarded. The usual is 10% if you are happy, 15% if excellent, any more is over and above the level of service you expected.
I tip my hairdresser each time because she does a brilliant job, and I leave the girl who washes the hair about €2 (she is only a trainee and therefore on a low wage!).

Taxi drivers, yep, I just round it up by about €1 - if I'm taking a taxi it's valuable drinking money!!!"