But should he have been made to do so? Apparently he had to go and get his own coffee when he patronised the shop so why then is it deemed necessary for him to tip the waitress?
In my mind tipping has always been an optional charge upon customers who believe they have received a good service. It’s a useful method of keeping service high; the better service you give, the more tip you will receive.
So why has it now become more of a compulsory charge regardless of the level of service? In America, a gratuity charge is added at the end of your bill and you’re expected to pay it even if you were given a poor level of service. Is Europe going down the same path?
If someone does nothing but give you a cup, why are you expected to tip them? Isn’t it their job to hand out cups? They’re paid by their employer right? Surely the extra tip should come if they go beyond just the giving of the cup. Say if the waitress, filled the cup for him, or carried them to and from the table for him. That would be, in my eyes, good service and would earn them a tip at the end of my stay. If all they did was give me a cup, the idea of a tip wouldn’t really cross my mind.
Customers need to have the option to give tips, otherwise the levels of service in cafes, restaurants, bars and coffee shops will slowly decrease as staff realise they don’t have to make any effort to receive a tip, they’ll get it anyway.
Personally I think Cameron’s decision not to tip the waitress was his choice and not ours. We weren’t sat in the coffee shop so how can we judge the level of service he was given? It has nothing to do with the amount of money he’s on, it’s about the level of service he received. If you’re happy to give a tip upon the receipt of a cup and having to fill it yourself then fair enough, tip away!
I expect a little bit more effort.
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