• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Why am I expected to tip 20% in Canada?

Status
Not open for further replies.
tghm1801 said:
I don't understand why everyone hates tipping. 20% is a little high but 10-15% seems fair.
When it's basically mandatory - I take offense at making me go through mental arithmetics - ie. not even the bill itself (which already adds taxes not on the menu, which I also have a problem with) is the actual price you're paying.
Eg. in some countries 10% service charge is added to every bill, so you don't have to recompute what the number is supposed to be for no-one's benefit in particular.
Admittedly in my most recent experience with US restaurants I see "suggested tip value" on the bills, precalculated for multiple % denominations - which is a welcome improvement.

I'd still prefer to just see it attached to menu prices (it's not like US restaurants are particularly cheap as is - so I don't see how 20% you're expected to pay is really roping in anyone anymore).

but they're working hard for it and if they're nice to you I don't see why you shouldn't reward them.
Strictly speaking the main reason restaurants get to charge a premium is for the service on their premises, not the food itself.
 
While this is about Canada, the problem is the same in America. It used to be 13%. Then it was 15%. Then 18%. Now it's 20% and I'm already seeing growing numbers of associates who like to knock it up to 25%.

Where does this end!?

Let's just get this over with. I'm tired of the slow creep. I'll bring the deed to my house the next time I eat out. You served me a burger and refilled my drink twice. Obviously, you deserve my house. I'll go eat out one more time and then I'll just hit up vending machines for the rest of my life.
 
La Shop on St.Denis

3 dollar entrance and 2 dollar mixed drinks.

Wouldn't be caught dead in there, but it exists.

I mean, this is a poor standard to base your assumptions on Quebec waiting and prices if it's from a gimmick bar on the plateau...

And I agree, I wouldn't go there either because I assume I would be treated like trash aswell. High traffic gimmick places are the worst for service quality.
 
I think 15% is customary in Canada. When you use debit or credit card usually the options are none 15% or Other amount when adding tip.
 
Remember the name of the place?

Think it was Sir Winston Churchill Pub, which is the not the name I would've expected for a dance-y place. Had a good ass time though.

Is a 33% tip on a drink considered low? What?

Broke my brain too. Didn't know any better I suppose *shrug*

If I ever found a 3$ drink in Quebec, I would leave 100% tip.

It was just some shitty BeefEater, but if that's the norm, hey, I'll play ball next time.

Percentage creep up here - they can hold that noise, but if it's low enough (like this 3 dollar drink case), I don't mind doing a 100% tip. Still cheaper than getting a drink in most other cities anyway.
 
I mean, this is a poor standard to base your assumptions on Quebec waiting and prices if it's from a gimmick bar on the plateau...

And I agree, I wouldn't go there either because I assume I would be treated like trash aswell. High traffic gimmick places are the worst for service quality.

I was just pointing out that it exists, but obviously your point stands. I go to L'Barouf next door and always hear people talking about it.

Think it was Sir Winston Churchill Pub, which is the not the name I would've expected for a dance-y place. Had a good ass time though.

I remember when that place was strictly a pub and not a club. I'm old.
 
What the hell part of Canada are you in? Here in Ontario, I usually do 10% rounding up to the nearest dollar, or 15-20 if it's exceptional.
 
User33 said:
You're missing the point - it's not a question of difficulty - the whole point of restaurants is service/relaxation they provide on location. Adding explicit inconveniences for customers (major or minor) is going against their core-business model.
 
There's a pub near me (Firkin for those wondering) that has an default tip option on their debit machine for 20% only. It's a bit awkward when the waiter stands next to you and you have to press multiple buttons to input your own tip rather than the default %.
 
I barely ever have to worry about figuring out the tip. I just walk out the door when I've finished my meal and let the door scanner deduct the correct amount of money from my credit card. Pretty much every restaurant does it.
 
The other thread just reminded me of something that I've been meaning to post. Anytime I go out, I'm always socially expected to tip 20%, even if it was mediocre service (as in just bringing the food, a glass of water and then collecting the plate.. that's it). And unlike the US, waiters/waitresses in Canada get paid at least minimum wage ($11.00 in Ontario). And if they serve liquour, they get paid $9.55, but I never really eat at places that serve alcohol most of the time anyways.

So what gives? Is it okay if I just tip 10% for mediocre service?

Yes

And FYI 20% has never been the standard here
 
I barely ever have to worry about figuring out the tip. I just walk out the door when I've finished my meal and let the door scanner deduct the correct amount of money from my credit card. Pretty much every restaurant does it.

Where's this magical technoland?
 
Tip cause you're not a cheap asshole. I don't want to be friends with someone who doesn't tip. That's fucking tacky.
When you're tipping 9/10 times those tips are being split amongst all the staff.

Tip 15% for average service tip 10% for a buffet tip 20% for good service or if your bill is small like at breakfast.
 
when we visited Montreal, we had a waitress call out my friend for not tipping for his drinks.

when we were in Quebec City, he had a bartender refusing to serve him a beer because he hadn't tipped the previous drink.

don't let people BS you, i find Canadians to be more anal about tipping than Americans

This.

I almost got my ass kicked once in Toronto because some friends left and gave no tip, so the waiter wanted me to cover for them and I refused (and it was a huge bill, I don't have like 50 dollars to give willy nilly for shit other people did)
 
when we visited Montreal, we had a waitress call out my friend for not tipping for his drinks.

when we were in Quebec City, he had a bartender refusing to serve him a beer because he hadn't tipped the previous drink.

don't let people BS you, i find Canadians to be more anal about tipping than Americans
To Ensure Promptness.

Im a server, don't tip shitty service. Tip accordingly. We earn our tips based on service, were not owed tips for showing up.
 
then whatever it is, it was definitely weird. even in the US i've never seen a waitress or a bartender call out someone for not tipping.

Anecdotal but my brother was harassed by a waiter outside of a restaurant in the US after he left without tipping because he forgot about it. I'm pretty sure the waiter was fired afterwards though.
 
lol, where are you eating OP? I live in Toronto and tipping is an option. You can give whatever you want. Some places have a mandatory gratuity fee, though they've always been written on the menu.

Ignoring the money for a moment, it's absolutely infuriating to have to do math puzzles and social engineering every time you go to a restaurant or, thanks to taxes, in a store. It's dumb. Just tell me what a thing actually costs. I will pay it.
 
For 15%, divide the price by two and add that number to the price.

Then divide by 10.

Ex: Meal costs $60
15% is (60/2 = 30) + 60 = 90
90/10 = $9
This is way harder than just taking ten percent and adding half again

90 dollar meal
9 bux plus 4.50 = 13.50. Round up to 15 cause you're not a shit.
 
Canadian here. I don't think I'm expected to top 20%, am I? I've worked as a bartender, and I'm just grateful for whatever people gave me. They owed me nothing, what ever I got was awesome. I didn't work any harder than my employees in the same establishment (but in positions that didn't get tips), why should I get more?

I tip approx 15% most of the time, sometimes down to 10% or so if I wasn't happy with the service. I think one time I tipped nothing because the service was shit, but that's not often.
 
Tip cause you're not a cheap asshole. I don't want to be friends with someone who doesn't tip. That's fucking tacky.
When you're tipping 9/10 times those tips are being split amongst all the staff.

Tip 15% for average service tip 10% for a buffet tip 20% for good service or if your bill is small like at breakfast.
No one is forcing people to work there. I tip when the service is above average, otherwise I'm a cheap asshole by your definition.
 
Shit, you guys and gals would hate me then.

A lot of the times I tip more than the cost of the meal itself. People give me weird looks for it, especially the waiters/waitresses. One time I went to that Gretsky's bar a couple years back during a vacation in downtown Toronto with my friend and I felt so awkward and out of place that I tipped the girl $50 because I felt bad for making her put up with us. She thought I made a mistake on the machine, was pretty funny when I told her it wasn't. I didn't care if it got split or not.

I guess I do it because of some misguided sympathy for having worked in retail myself for many years.
 
I never understood giving x percent. Just drop 5, 10, 15 dollars and be done with it. If I'm spending my money to go out and eat I'm already wasting it.
 
when we visited Montreal, we had a waitress call out my friend for not tipping for his drinks.

when we were in Quebec City, he had a bartender refusing to serve him a beer because he hadn't tipped the previous drink.

don't let people BS you, i find Canadians to be more anal about tipping than Americans

I've never tipped for a drink ever. Never ever.

Okay thats a lie but I never had service refused because I didn't tip and thats the truth.

I'll tip a cab driver and at a restaurant but rarely will I tip at a bar. Not sure why that is but bar service always seemed shitty to me, waiting a half hour to be served a drink when Party A gets rounds without any wait time always bothered the hell out of me. Not all bars but most I've been to.
 
I've never tipped for a drink ever. Never ever.

Okay thats a lie but I never had service refused because I didn't tip and thats the truth.

I'll tip a cab driver and at a restaurant but rarely will I tip at a bar. Not sure why that is but bar service always seemed shitty to me, waiting a half hour to be served a drink when Party A gets rounds without any wait time always bothered the hell out of me. Not all bars but most I've been to.
You wait a half hour because you don't tip. Seriously.
Make friends with your bartenders. Tip them well. They'll serve you first, they'll make your drinks stronger and often times give you free drinks and shots.
 
Motherfuckers are putting 15% to 20% tips on their debit machines. Fuck that noise. Ever so often, everyone just decides to change the default option to something higher. I'm tipping you 10% or 12% at most unless it's some high end, upscale place then it's more.
 
Gaf tipping threads have made me stop tipping the pizza delivery guy after realising it's just charity compensating for employers not paying their employees enough.
 
Gaf tipping threads have made me stop tipping the pizza delivery guy after realising it's just charity compensating for employers not paying their employees enough.
Then you should stop ordering pizza and go get it. Those guys generally use their own vehicles, pay for their own gas and have to pay for the pizzas that are late out of their own pocket. You're essentially colluding with the pizza place owner to exploit the delivery guy.

Edit : you're also indirectly colluding with the delivery guy to wipe his ass with one of your slices next time you order. Enjoy!
 
Then you should stop ordering pizza and go get it. Those guys generally use their own vehicles, pay for their own gas and have to pay for the pizzas that are late out of their own pocket. You're essentially colluding with the pizza place owner to exploit the delivery guy.
They already charge delivery fee and want tip on top of that? Yeah no.
 
20% is a bit high , that's like the kind of tip you give out if you've been a drunk asshole at a table full of drunk assholes for 2 + hours and some poor girl has to deal with you.

15% is still , as far as I know , a "good" tip. I usually go up to 18% unless the service was nothing special.

Course that's if paying by debit card where you can usually punch in a %. If paying in cash , I consider it kind of rude to ask for change unless you only have rather high bills. A meal + drink tends to be pretty close to 20$ so I tend to just throw 2-3 dollars more on there if I have it. Or I'll hand over 25$ and not take change.
 
when we visited Montreal, we had a waitress call out my friend for not tipping for his drinks.

when we were in Quebec City, he had a bartender refusing to serve him a beer because he hadn't tipped the previous drink.

don't let people BS you, i find people in Quebec to be more anal about tipping than Americans

Fixed that for you

edit: While people most likely expect a tip in Ontario, I've never been to a place where people soured on me. Then again, I've rarely not left tip (and when I didn't tip, service was atrocious/rude).

20% tip in the case of outstanding service for me. It's rare that I do that.
 
wait. i just realize. why are you guys (canadians) still tipping when your restaurants folks are all making at least minimum wage (or in some cases, decent money)?

i'm assuming the food is more expensive because the wage is higher, so not only are you paying higher food, you're also tipping on top of that?

I mean, 5% over is still 5% over.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom