Tipping culture in Australia
Replies: 53 - Last Post: Mar 8, 2013 5:54 AM Last Post By: jayanraj
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15
But I actually think it's quite important we do not follow the Seppos into a tipping culture Except you just said you round up the bill, ie tip.I was very surprised to read about not tipping after a $300 degustation dinner Why? Because of the amount? We get great service at the local pub for a $60 dinner and we don't tip there so what's the difference?
But my other half may be old-fashioned - he worked in pubs for many, many years and never accepted tips though you could buy him a drink at the end of his shift. I'll round up the bill for a taxi if the driver helps with luggage, but they always seem surprised to get it.
One trend I absolutely despise is the jar in front of the till labelled "Tips". That really is begging/
18
I'm a bit surprised that some people say they round the taxi fare up to the nearest $5 - it would never occur to me to do that. I might round up to a convenient number for me to pay with but that would be because I can't be bothered getting sixty cents change rather than any sense that a tip is deserved. I hope we hang onto our non tipping culture for as long as possible so I think it really should be reserved for above and beyond the call of duty - if people have done a good, professional job they should be remunerated from wages.20
Like most of the other replies, I tend to round up the taxi fare or the restaurant bill etc. and its only ever a few follars here and there.As an example though, there are times when I might tip quite a lot more.
Every few years or so I like to do some guided fishing in northern Australia (for barramundi etc). This sort of thing typically costs about $600+ per day. People may think that fishing guides are making a fortune, but when you take out all their costs, they are making about $350 per day for about 14 hours work.
If I think the guide has worked really hard throughout the day, delivered a high level of service and given me the opportunity to catch as many fish as possible, I will happily tip him $50 (and $100 for two days of guiding). If they have genuinely performed well above my expectations, I think that that seems about right.
I also take into account that guided fishing is often not a year-round occupation. He may infact only be working for 6-7 months of the year, due to seasonal/climatic conditions This is also the case for many other tourism businesses out there.
21
I think the system we have in Aus is good but tipping doesn't need to be discouraged. If you are happy to hand over a 5 or 10 go right ahead, it's really appreciated. And despite what's been said it does encourage better service. I've worked as a waiter and tour guide/bus driver for years and it's still a low paid job with long unsocial hours. I know there's plenty of other low paid workers that will never see a tip but we're expected to have incredibly good people skills, presentation, product knowledge etc. We will never be paid what we are worth and will always be expected to work weekends and holidays for little or no extra and that's ok, I wouldn't want any other job, but don't deny us that little bit extra.22
Yeah, but the tips, according to The Age, are often half-inched by the bosses and they also rabbit on about under-award payment.http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/waiters-tips-grabbed-by-owners-20130128-2dfz1.html
23
I drove taxis for to many years in melbourne, and as a local born English speaker that knew were i was going, most of the time, tips were pretty ducken good, $20-$50 a night range.. Sometimes more.What killed things a bit(lot) was introduction of eftpos Machines connected direct to the meter, with paper dockets the passenger would just round up the fare on the company credit card by anything up to $20, as it was no real bother to them and easier to write 'fifty' rather than 'thirty-eight seventy' anyway..
Whereas The meter connected eftpos machine would automatically display the metered fare and leave the option of adding a 'tip', after allready adding a 10% eftpos fee the driver doesn't get anyhow,, a very socially awkward thing it is asking ones passenger if they're gunna tip so basically didn't ever get added on
Such is technology
24
Now # 20 to 23 have confused me. Really. As long as it works I am a cash person and tip driver, guide etc with cash and don't bother their owners or even other travellers. I think in Oz I need to talk with some of them before taking any decision. Right now I am under impression that wages are too high in Oz but as usual there is always a dark side of the moon25
Wages are too high in Aust, if you believe business(es)...In the past, Australia used to have a lot of manufacturing jobs, clothing of many types, used to be made right here in Australia.
Yakka & Cushen Clothing used to be made here in Australia, as was Fairmark, etc, but now, everything in sports shops with brand names, are all made overseas.
Just wait till you get here.
You might think you have money to tip, but, (heh), compared to parts of SEAsia, Australia is expensive.
Aud$8.95 for a KFC meal, with fries and drinks, and many different burgers, if you take that to other currencies, you will see it can be very expensive.
Sydney all day public transport ticket for example, is already Aud$22. Minimum of $3.40 to get around 5 km on the train, where as for example, you might pay Sgd$2 to get the MRT in Singapore from Changi to the CBD, which is at least 22 or so kms!
Taxis are also already quite expensive, I paid Sgd$25 for a trip from the Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore to Changi at about 4am, if I were to do the same here in Aust, Melbourne for example, the taxi fare can be Aud$60 to $70 or more.
26
If I ever had a taxi driver in Australia who a) Spoke English: b) Knew where he was going without my having to show him on a map: c) Didn't smell bad or dress like a hobo: d) Didn't drive like he was in the Delhi Grand Prix and e) Showed up on time for a 24 hour pre book, I might round the fare up. Otherwise I always carry exact change.I see the 'tip' jars on the counters of restaurants and bars and think "as if". The prices here in Perth are inextricably linked to the mining industry and fifo workers on $100K+ PA. I think $6.50 for a coffee is enough thanks without adding insult to injury.
27
Tend to agree with BP007 regards bar prices - effing drinks over the bar are bloody expensive.... buggered if I'll tip on top of that ....As for taxi drivers, I used to do the odd short trip between offices quite regularily ( needing to be in both places fairly close together - so walking or trains wasn't an option) - give it was a low fare, I'd quite often round up 1 or 2 bucks.
28
Tend to agree with BP007 regards bar prices - effing drinks over the bar are bloody expensive.... buggered if I'll tip on top of that ....I agree totally ... and where would it end? Do you tip a dollar for every drink you get? Do you tip $5.00 if you're getting five drinks? Ten drinks? And what about the downside. if you do not tip - does this mean that the bar-person in a busy place is going to ignore you all night?
The American experience is a total nightmare, and they've created a very big rod for their own back Let's hope it doesn't spread her too widely or too quickly. A personal relationship with a service provider (based on tips) is awkward, unnecessary, and inefficient, and we don't need it.
29
Commissioner wrote:
Honestly, with the possible exceptions of some high end hotels (which you don't seem to be staying at), no one in the Australian service industry expects to be tipped.
Honestly, with the possible exceptions of some high end hotels (which you don't seem to be staying at), no one in the Australian service industry expects to be tipped.
Always seemed weird to me that it's people in the higher end places ( who I'd always figured would get paid better then people working in hostels and cafes ) who are more likely to beg for spare change.
And while I can't speak for Australians, I'd be quite insulted if I tried to help someone, and they thought I was only doing it for the money.
