Top tipping guide

Impress your dining companions when you eat out in Gloucestershire, with SoGlos.com's guide to tip etiquette.

It’s a terribly British trait to get ourselves all worked up over the do’s and don’ts of leaving a gratuity, but with our complete guide to tipping you’ll soon be confident that, when you do leave a tip, it’s for all the right reasons.

What’s the deal with tipping in the UK?
While our transatlantic cousins in America are quite exact about leaving between 10 to 20 per cent after every meal, we don’t have set rules about tipping in the UK. If you’re unsure of how much to leave, 10 per cent is a good rule of thumb to stick by if the service has been up to scratch – but it’s not a sum set in stone.

But I only had a starter!
If you’re dining in a group and had less than everyone else, contribute an amount based upon how much your share of the bill came to and suggest everyone else does the same. Just don’t be tempted to be stingy, there’s nothing worse than looking like a miser in front of your mates for the sake of a pound or two.

So, does always leaving something go without saying?
We’ve yet to come across a restaurant in Gloucestershire where tipping is obligatory – so the bottom line is leaving something is always your choice. Don’t be a scrooge for the sake of it though.

What if the food was terrible?
Try to judge a tip on the level of service you have received, it’s a little harsh that a waiter should suffer because of a chef’s shortcomings, but it’s always going to influence your decision even if the person who delivered your plate of cold gruel was smiling, chirpy and clad in a matching stripy waistcoat and bowtie.

What’s the measure of good service?
Go with your gut instincts. Chances are service has probably been good if your waiter made you feel welcome, duly noted your dining requests and fetched meals and drinks in good time, and was willing to help as much as they could.

And the tell-tale signs of bad service?
Taking ages to take your order when the restaurant is anything but busy, chatting with friend’s about last night in Subtone or telling your gran they have some food in their moustache, are all warning signs to look out for. Leaving nothing at the end of a meal should be just the swift kick up the backside a very sloppy waiter needs to improve their customer service skills, so if you’ve really been let down by the diligence of your waiter, don’t feel embarrassed about leaving gratis – tipping isn’t mandatory, it is supposed to be a gesture of appreciation.

And what about when service is really, really good?
Exceptional service sadly isn’t the norm so leaving a little extra when it has been special is worth it. If the waiter overheard talks of it being your big day before rallying everyone together for a rendition of Happy Birthday complete with a sparkling ice-cream, or moved you to a better table where you’d be more comfortable before you’d even suggested it – chances are you’ve probably struck the service jackpot and a little extra in the tip department can go a long way.

Will my tip actually go to the staff?
Individual restaurants have different policies with regards to whether waiters keep their tips or if they are shared between all the staff at the end of the night. If in doubt ask – it’s perfectly acceptable to do so and you may even be inclined to leave a little more if you are sure the waiter will go home with it at the end of the evening.

What if the bill says services charges are included?
This doesn’t mean that the service charge necessarily goes to the waiter – and it might not go to the staff at all. If in doubt ask your waiter and leave a tip on top of this if you wish.

Should I tip bar staff?
It’s not as commonplace to tip bar staff as it is waiting staff in a restaurant, whether they wave a silver tray with your change on or not. But if you’ve spent the last eight hours propping up the bar, drowning your sorrows and crying on the barman’s shoulder while they’ve kept you topped up with your favourite tipple, offering to pay for their drink after they’ve clocked off should make up for the mental anguish they’ve endured from your rantings.

Should I fold a note up and exchange it via a smooth handshake with my waiter?
If you’re trying to impress someone special, this can be a suave move so long as your dinner guest has noticed what your’re doing. With the risk of them failing to notice and assuming you haven’t left anything, or worse, you bumbling the manoeuvre and dropping money on the floor before clashing heads with the waiter as you both try and pick it up, just leave it on the table.

If you’ve been to a bar, pub or restaurant in Gloucestershire and feel the service is something to write home about, why not visit the relevant listing and leave a comment or share your opinion in our forums? It’s (almost) as good as bunging your waiter an extra large tip for their efforts.

James Fryer
22 May 2007