Volume 8　日本人の頭を悩ます「チップ事情」


Tipping Etiquette

Michael Rhys: Hello and welcome to the December issue of Cultural Crossroads. I'm Mike Rhys.

Ann Slater: And I'm Ann Slater.

Michael: And thanks for joining us today. Right, today our subject is something which I think a lot of visitors to the UK, and to the States, from Japan find rather confusing, and, uh, very bewildering, and that is the idea of tipping.

Ann: Ah, yes. I've heard here in Japan people say, "Oh, it's so much easier in Japan because you don't have to tip, so you don't have to wonder when to tip or how much to tip." I mean, h-how does tipping work in England?

Michael: I think it's a little bit different to the States. There are only really a few times in which tipping is expected, and I think the main one is gonna be in restaurants.

Ann: Uh-huh.

Michael: If you go out for a meal, you will find that quite often these days, there'll be a service charge.

Ann: Included. 

Michael: Included in the bill. If there is a service charge included then you're not obliged to add anything extra to that. You're not obliged to tip.
What is interesting in the UK, and I believe in the States as well, and this is something that it's good for people to understand if they're going to a restaurant, they need to understand how the system works a little bit. The idea, of course, is you're tipping, you're giving extra money because you've had good service. But when you're tipping via the service charge, you have to understand that quite often that money is not going to go to the waiter, necessarily.

Ann: Ah, it's going to the restaurant.

Michael: It's going to the restaurant. And this is somewhat controversial in the UK, and a lot of people are against this. Uh, but what restaurants often do is they won't pay their staff the minimum wage. What they'll do is, well, they will be paying the minimum wage but it will come out mostly from the tips.

Ann: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. 

Michael: So you're not actually going to be giving any extra to the waiter or the waitress. They're gonna be getting the minimum and the restaurant will pocket the rest.

Ann: Right, whereas it, without the service charge, the tip is actually a tip that you're giving to the waiter.

Michael: Right. Well, one thing to remember in the UK is if you want to give the waiter the tip, give it in cash, even if you're paying by credit card. Give cash on the table because then legally it belongs to the waiter or the waitress.

Ann: Oh, that's interesting.

Michael: Mm.

Ann: So that's one, of course, really common situation, where people tip. What other situations do people tip in the UK?

Michael: So restaurants is the main one. Another one is taxis.

Ann: Uh-huh. Michael: OK, if you're taking a taxi, the normal tip there is about 10 percent.

Ann: Uh-huh.

Michael: I remember one time in the UK. I had some Japanese coins, loose coins in my pocket and the taxi driver wanted those, he was so happy. I tipped him in Japanese coins, 'cause he collected coins. So he was very happy to have those.

Ann: Uh-huh.

Michael: Uh, the other one is, uh, hotels. In the States, for example, would you tip the chambermaid who comes and cleans the room every day?

Ann: I think some people do. I usually don't.

Michael: Right. 'Cause in England generally you wouldn't. But if somebody gives you some special service, like carrying your bags up to your room . . .

Ann: Yeah. 

Michael: Or parking your car if there's a valet service, in those situations, yeah, you'd maybe give, you know, a pound or two.