I don’t think you can assume that, sadly.
I met a Portuguese waiter in London, UK about a decade ago. He was working at a mid-level Italian restaurant in Soho in London. He had never been able afford to return to Portugal to see family, and he was in his late 50s when I met him. Service is a tough career in most restaurants in the UK and in Europe.
That’s a lot of different countries with very different health care systems in place. FWIW, I made a whopping 6 Euro/hour at a sushi resto in Berlin in 2004. From what I gather there are plenty of places that will pay about the same almost 20 years later, and don’t offer health care.
Perhaps that’s why, following the pandemic, so many people in the industry found better jobs.
European countries have varying systems of “universal (free) healthcare.”
attempting to generalize will not work all too well.
same with “minimum wages”
in many small(er) German towns, restaurants are a ‘family business’ - the whole family works there and shares the ‘whee, we made a living this year’ profits.
does not apply so much to large cities . . .
a classmate (long story omitted…) would take summer waiter jobs in Salzburg, Austria - he was ‘preferentially’ hired because he was fluent in English, and Salzburg is a tourist town . . .
he made a lot of money because his co-workers were happy to let him handle all the (loud, rude, obnoxious Americans) - however the American tourists tipped “well” in addition to the “service included” model of the main drag cafes he worked at.
there are more differences than commonalities . . .
Although this topic has been covered in great length already, I found the following from David Lebovitz’s most recent newsletter interesting. It was part of a report on a restaurant that he and friends visited:
[Also, kudos to the server for pointing out that the tip, which the electronic point-of-sale terminals that many are now using in Paris add as suggestions—10%, 15%, 20%, etc.—was entirely optional, which is the case with tips in France. Restaurant workers get paid a living wage with full benefits, and you’re always welcome to tip for good service, but it’s now being made to feel mandatory.]
It’s also important to note that different countries within the continent have their own tipping cultures. Some are like France and Spain. In others, tipping (or adding a service charge to the bill) is an expected common practice.
I always used to struggle when I visited Belgium as the tipping culture divided on language. In the French speaking area, the culture was as in France. In the Dutch speaking part, culture followed the Netherlands where tipping was more common. I’d need to check where I was at most meals.
At Shawarma Mia in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, more of a fast food than fast casual, I saw something refreshing. Suggestion to add 5%, 7%, and another number I believe lower than 5. I happily clicked the 7. Even 10 would be appropriate
Last night, we joined another couple who were passing thru Paris for a couple of nights (from Boston) for a dinner at Le Chardenoux, where Ginny & I had dined before. When the check was presented, it included all the mandated charges and said nothing else. When the waiter came over to put our credit cards into the machine, he politely asked “would you like to add a tip on your card”. I asked him whether it was “service included” & he said yes, but not for any direct to the waitstaff tip. As Carmenere stated way upthread, he then explained to me that the mandated charges specified on the bill went to help pay salaries, etc but not directly to the waitstaff as “extra”. He also kept saying that this is totally optional and at our discretion. The other couple & we declined to add any tip to the card, but told him that we would be leaving some cash on the table, as we always do. He thanked us and walked away. We left about 8% in euros because, as ninkat pretty much stated above, we just cant help ourselves. Our discussion afterwards was that we doubted that he said the same thing to the majority of other diners, who were all French speaking & that he probably even saw it as a convenience to Americans to allow us to put it on the card and not carry cash around. And, call me jaded & cynical (as most who know me do), I dont trust that 100% of the “tip” we would’ve put on the card would’ve reached the waitstaffs’ pockets, as the cash on the table did. It was a lovely meal, but this whole thing has definitely annoyed me.
I see it happen to Americans/Anglo speakers in Germany all the time now, too.
Nice scheme they got there.
What interests me about this is whether or not it actually is a restaurant “scheme” or seen/rationalized by the restaurant as a “convenience to Americans”. If, as the waiter said, the “extra” tip that we would’ve put on our cards actually goes into his hands, then it certainly is more convenient for us to do it this way, since we’re gonna leave a tip regardless. But, as I do in most service industry tip situations, I tip in cash directly to the waitstaff who should, if honest, put it into the tip pool jar or otherwise do some splitting. Of course, tipping in cash avoids taxation, the fees that the credit card companies charge for their use, etc so its not a “clean” process either way. Its nice that we can afford to have these “issues” to ponder over. I’d prefer a pure system of charge me what you need to charge to provide good food, good environment & good wages but we live in the real world where everything gets manipulated to someone’s advantage & we try to figure out the best way to dance to their tune.
Which seems to be the case in many countries outside the US. I just get real pissy when a waiter tries to pull one over visitors of ours, just bc it’s common knowledge in Europe that Americans tip 20%. Bc that same waiter would not try that with me, being a native.
As for waitstaff not declaring cash tips for taxes, well – that can really blow up in their face when they try to get a loan based on the (deflated) income they declared. Generally not a good idea.
Or not dance to their tune when you have the option. It’s not your tune and good chances are that it’s not the waitstaff’s tune either.
Being European, I’m not pro-tipping, but really, if you are to tip, do it with cash from hand to hand. Better not trust what goes into a machine when it comes to extra retributing the waitstaff. And machines and employers being what they are nowadays, I’m not so sure that good old cash tipping isn’t the cleaner of the two options.
Another reason to tip (if you are going to tip) in cash: the waiter/waitress will immediately associate the tip with you the person – very helpful for future visits, assuming that the restaurant is in your (semi) regular rotation.
