Chocolate Forum
Chat => General => Topic started by: smurfboy on July 22, 2009, 12:18:20 pm
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For some reason this ridiculous non-story is all over every entertainment website:
Robert Pattinson is a terrible tipper.
The 'Twilight' hunk has been criticised after only leaving waiting staff $50 following a luxurious lunch with four friends at New York's Il Cantinori restaurant last Tuesday (14.07.09).
Despite the first-class service they received, the 23-year-old actor failed to reward staff appropriately after racking up a $350 bill at the Greenwich Village eatery.
Robert - who was in New York to work on his latest movie 'Remember Me' - and his friends arrived at the restaurant at 10pm and sipped bottles of Italian beer and Chianti red wine until they left at midnight.
A source told America's OK! magazine: "They were the last diners to leave."
Despite the disappointing tip, Robert - who tucked into the Caprese salad and the veal Milanese - was described as "nice and friendly" by waiting staff.
In the US, it is customary for diners to give staff at least an additional 15 per cent on top of the bill total. American waiting staff rely heavily on their tips due to the low hourly rates they usually receive.
Does anyone else think this is completely nonsense? The tip he left was an incredible $2.50 short of the 'expected' amount - obviously this makes him a modern day Scrooge! But the ridiculousness of that aside, why should diners have to make up the shortfall in the wages of waiting staff? I think it's unbelievably arrogant to assume you deserve to receive 15% of the cost of every meal as standard. A tip should be a voluntary contribution reflecting how good you believe the service was.
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WOW! headline stuff!
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I tip on how good the service and food is.
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America has a very strong (but unwritten) code of tipping. Non-counter waiters/waitresses (i.e. not McDonalds) are expected to receive 15% tips and in many cases (so I've heard) are taxed assuming that they do receive these tips.
Whilst it is bizarre and very confusing I've personally found the service standards to be exceptionally high in America (yeah you could argue it's a bit fake - but as long as you're served well does it matter?).
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I thought in this country it's customary to leave 10%? That's what I do.
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Yes, 10% is customary in the UK.
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in many cases (so I've heard) are taxed assuming that they do receive these tips.
That is the case in the UK as well - something dear to my heart as both my husband and son are involved in the hotel trade. Tips are hard to come by these days and being taxed on something that hardly exists seems very unfair.
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Do people tend not to tip these days?
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Apparently they don't. Personally I don't tip bar staff for instance, so I don't know why the Government expects them to get loads of tips.
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The trade unions in the hospitality and catering industries in this country and in the USA need to get organised to fight this unfair tax on anticipated tips. If someone wishes to reward you for good service you should be able to keep the whole of that reward. Considering the dosh that our politicians have been able to claim, tax free, for just doing what they're paid for, it should be a good time for workers in this industry to stand up and say 'enough!' stop taxing us unfairly! As for worker in the USA relying on tips to make up their wages - it should be illegal to underpay someone and expect their customers - who are already paying for a service to make up the shortfall. A product and service should be priced to account for all expenses, including wages.
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I don't tip bar staff but i always tip restaurant staff, hairdressers and taxi drivers.
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Actually, I've never heard of Robert Pattinson!
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me neither, but i didn't wanna say...
but apparently he's a terrible tipper! (the bastard!)
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Actually, I've never heard of Robert Pattinson!
Glad it wasn't just me!
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According to google he is a 23 yr old actor/model/musician.
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Nobody important then...
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in many cases (so I've heard) are taxed assuming that they do receive these tips.
That is the case in the UK as well - something dear to my heart as both my husband and son are involved in the hotel trade. Tips are hard to come by these days and being taxed on something that hardly exists seems very unfair.
I'm stunned to hear this. How on earth can you be taxed on income you can't possibly be sure you're going to get?
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My husband is a London Cabbie and he too is taxed on the basis that he receives tips from his customers. If he declares is earnings without declaring any tips, they add an amount to his tax bill to account for his tips. He has to declare his tips as well as his earnings.
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Yep - just the same.