Tipping in NZ??
 

I can't remember from our last trip....but what is the tipping policy in NZ restaurants??

Thanks

I'm not sure what the actual policy is, but I'm so used to tipping , I just did the same as I do at home.
We really didn't eat in restaurants that much though. We cooked our own meals in hostels.
I'm a big fan of good tipping if the service is good. I feel that a bit more out of my pocket isn't going to make or break my vacation, but it might make a hard working server feel appreciated.
Making people feel good adds to my pleasure, so I suppose it's sort of selfish on my part!!!!

Local custom is no tipping, and the locals really do not appreciate that tourists do tip. At most I would do it in a tourist-oriented or very upscale restaurant, and not the full amount you do at home.

mlgb.......OK...I may be dense...but why would the locals NOT appreciate
tipping??

Hi Bailey, although I live in California I can tell you why the locals do not appreciate it.

A lot of countries do not have the outrageous tipping policy we do here in the USA.

Countries that do not tip, or tip just a little for extremely good reasons pay their employees a proper wage unlike in the USA.

Consequently, if we Americans go to countries that do not tip and tip as we do in the USA we start, in some cases, making the employees feel "entitled" to a good size tip. The Americanization of other countries as it were, which so many people with good reason complain about.

I always look at it as "when in Rome".
I think one is obligated to follow the local customs to the best of their knowledge when one is a guest in another country.

Just my thoughts on the subject. But I would like to add it is the thoughts of people I know in other countries that do not have the USA type of tipping policy.

Enjoy NZ, just had a grandson that was there recently and he is still talking about his beautiful trip.

Thanks for the info....
The tipping thing always drives me crazy...I am an over-tipper....I feel as if I'm solely responsible for the servers
college education...his/her childrens education....his/her parent retirement...you get the point!

""I will limit my tipping...I will limit my tipping....""

LOL Bailey, I understand the feeling. I have spent all my life telling myself I am not responsible for everyone. I "think" I am getting better at it - but then again maybe not.

I know when we first started going to Italy I died of embarresment because we tipped (or not) as our friends there told us to. Not sure if I still feel comfortable about it but I do try to follow their rules as I understand the thinking.

Take care, and have a wonderful time in NZ!

Because they believe that you should not have to pay for good service, it should be part of the job requirements.
Think of it as factored into the price of your meal already. Actually, Love italy explained it very well.

I just finished touring NZ and as some of the above posters stated, tipping is NOT expected in most places, BUT I started to see the "tipping" line on some CC printouts. It was mostly in the tourist areas or bigger cities. In small towns or areas that did not receive many tourists I actually did get a strange looks when I left some change on the bar/table at the end of the evening as the CC printouts did not have any room to add a tip. In one little pub, the bartender ran outside after me to give me the money she thought I forgot. :-)

LoveItaly is spot-on as usual, and for "New Zealand" read "Australia" too.

If I can add a personal, but in this part of the world widely shared, slant - IMNSHO people in the hospitality industry, like anyone else serving the public, are entitled to a living wage, and their employers should not be allowed to escape their obligation to provide them with decent pay and conditions. They shouldn't have to bow and scrape to customers to make up the shortfall.

I understand that Americans have grown up under a very different system and will feel uncomfortable in (mostly) not tipping, but I do believe that introducing a reliance on tips will not be doing Oz/NZ hospitality workers a favour in the long term if the ultimate effect is that their mandated conditions are whittled away and they end up even more insecure than they are already.

A slightly dodgy analogy - the tourists who feed wild deer in US national parks because it makes those same tourists feel better (good point, kodi!). The end result is that the beasts become dependent on customer handouts, raid garbage bins and in the process choke on plastic bags, even attack "cheap" tourists who won't fork out. Now, there's a scary thought, but anyone who's ever stiffed a NY waiter will know the feeling, sort of.

VERY well said, Neil! And everyone else made very valid points too.
I'll try and behave the next time I'm on vacation!!!!
Thou shalt not tip.......
Have a great trip Bailey. I understand the desire to return to NZ. I wnat to go back already and I've only been home a couple of months.

We did not tip, with the exception of at Mapua Smokehouse where we saw a container beside the cashier for holding tips so we just dropped the loose coins inside. (As a note: We did not see such containers at the other restaurants we went to.)

We did not feel forced to tip or embarassed that we did not, unlike in the US where waiters do give you a hard stare when you tip too little. In my home country, we have to pay a standard 10% service charge at restaurants, regardless of the service and whether you like it or not.

Therefore, I truly enjoy dining at NZ restaurants. No strings attached! :)

We just returned from NZ. We felt that tipping was not expected in most places, and did not. We felt that some people had pride in their labor and did not want to want to be considered as dependent on handouts from superiors.

Even when there was a 'tip' line on the bill, we did not tip unless we felt it was reasonable to do so.

But when we felt that the service was exceptional, or in some cases, expected, we did. For restaurants, 5-10%. For the bellhop in Auckland, we were told it was expected $1-2/bag.

I am so infuriated at Americans who feel that they must tip no matter what. Whether it is a matter of habit or a feeling that they are saving the waiter from poverty, it is arrogant. It changes the local culture and makes it difficult for us Americans who follow.

Jed, bellhops in Auckland must do pretty well - I could be wrong, but I'd be surprised if NZ labour laws didn't provide them with a minimum wage, even if a modest one.

This topic raises its head regularly on the Europe and Asia forums too, and outside North America the tip situation generally seems to vary from zero to 10% (maybe in the form of a "service charge"). Even after getting the answer, though, some posters flatly refuse to accept it - one even labelled anyone who didn't tip (wherever they happened to be) a "skinflint"!

chenoa, the concept of a "service charge" has always mystified me. Do diners have the option to opt out of the service component of a meal and pick up their own meals from the kitchen, open their own wine etc? If not, why not fold the charge into the meal prices?

Hi guys from NZ

The tipping question often raises its head on this site.

In general, no you do not have to tip here. Only do so if you feel the service was truly exceptional.

Labour laws in New Zealand are such that staff are fairly well paid. Good staff even more so given that unemployment in NZ is so low good staff are always in demand.

As far as the space on CC dockets provided to fill in for a tip are concerned it is a rare day when I fill in any amount on that.

It is provided should you wish to tip not because you have to tip. Also since you are paying at the till there is no guarantee that the charge would go to the waitperson anyway. Probably justgo to the restaurant owners bottom line.

Chenoa, there are several countries that have a compulsory service charge included in the bill. Frankly I find this annoying. One should not have to separately identify the service as being different from the food being served. It should just be included in the bill.

That is of course unless the situation is like that in the UK, where you can (and I have) deduct the service charge from the bill if the service is bad. Which to be honest if you have ever travelled in the UK is standard anyway. (unless you are at an Indian or chinese restaurant where the service is generally very good)

So Bailey, to cut a long story short.

Don't feel obliged to tip. The staff are paid well enough, don't believe any sob story to the contrary either.

Enjoy your stay here in NZ.

Cheers

Steve

Neil..... You are right, I'd rather face the wild deer that a ""stiffed NY waiter""....hahaha!

In the US we are so accustomed to the 15-20% tip.....I bet it is a shock to come to the US & have to add that expense to a meal?

I will not tip I promise!!

Oh what fun to buy coffee & not have to leave more money in a jar.....and what great coffee it is in NZ........long blacks here we come!!!!

Just a little added story about the time I DIDN'T tip.
We had been driving all day and were really tired. We stopped in a little town and asked for 2 teas to go ( to take away) and the waitress prepared the tea and put it in small paper cups. Then she said, "That will be $7.00 please".
I just about fell over...and she said it with a straight face! After we got into the car and were on our way, we joked ( and still do) that it must have been gourmet tea!
I didn't leave a tip! But it is memory that makes us smile.

Neil and Kiwi_acct,
I've not heard that we can deduct the service charge for less than satisfactory service, but when it comes to genuine poor service, you can always make a complain to the captain and hopefully he'll make you feel better in some other ways, but usually not waive off the service charge. Fat hope if you think you can get away with the service charge if it's self-service. You still have to pay for "service" even if you are having buffet lunches or dinners and helping yourself. Basically, the service charge component is there not because there's waiters to serve you, but because it's a "restaurant" or more dignified eating place than the hawker centres, food court, coffee shop or the fast food restaurants. In posh restaurants where you can BYO, there might be another corkage charge. If you purchase their wines, then the corkage charge is "free" (i.e. included in the price).

I don't like the standard service charge either, but we seldom dine at restaurants so it's not too much a bother. We can get better food at better prices at hawker centres. Cheers! :)

Bailey, we thought we were well prepared for tipping practice in the US until I was told that it's customary to leave some money for the chambermaids - although even this seemed to be a matter of some disagreement. If so I regret not having tipped in the first few hotels we stayed in, because it's a hard, thankless job and I wouldn't like to think that I shorted the maids.

In general though I take a philosophical approach to tipping in the US, reasoning that if US staff were paid a full wage no doubt the price of your meal would be 15-20% higher than it is. The only times we tried to minimise tips was in the area of baggage handling, as tips to everybody in the food chain who can get their hands on your bags for even a few metres soon mount up.

I heard that rather than being paid to do the job, some hotel doormen in the US actually pay the hotel for their concession, as it can be quite a lucrative business. True?

Sorry, I've meandered off the topic, haven't I?

Having grown up in NZ and now living in Australia we do not usually tip in either NZ or Australia and it is not expected.
You pay for your meals so why should you tip.

Neil - Yes, it is the custom to tip chambermaids - $1-2/night. Tipping everybody for any service has become standard in the US. It is unpleasant when you don't know how much is right. In this case, people usually tip more, which then becomes the norm. That's Americans for you!

Neil,
I'm not aware of doormen buying his consession from the hotel....but it does sound like part of the ""American dream"".

Boy...I'm about to open a can of worms......
I have very mixed feelings about labor unions...the corruption is appalling BUT what has happened in th US without unions to support/lobby for decent wages we are left with a large population of workers that are underpayed....
hotel maids & wait staff....are the two categories that come to mind.
Growing up in the US I have felt the need to tip to bring his/her wage up to par....not as a Superior SLAP in the face but as aknowledgement of service.

I understand why countries where tipping is not required do not want to start the practise. I would prefer to tip for exceptional service only. Here in Canada we tip. For average restaurants usually 15% + taxes.

Two years ago we travelled Ireland on tour. A guideline for gratuities for driver + tour director was given at about six euros a day combined. This was paid at the end of the tour and the suggested rate was per passenger. We had some Australians and four from New Zealand on board and rumour had it that they do not usually tip.

It would be interesting if Australians and New Zealanders can tell us of of their tipping experiences in Canada and the US, whether travelling independently or on tour.

I'm inclined to do as the Romans when n Rome.

ps. nice comments Neil.

I should clarify the above remark about tipping by saying that I would prefer to have service people paid more and then tip only for exceptional service.

This is an interesting thread. As an American who visited NZ and OZ I had a difficult time with the "no tipping" practice. It's not that I didn't understand it but rather having grown up tipping at resturants it's a hard habit to break. Unfortunately in our country many servers give you a dirty look if you leave a mere 15% tip. 20% to 25% is fast becomming the norm and that doesn't include a tip for the maitre d' who descretely has his hand out while he shows you to your table . In NZ, I knew a tip was not expected but I always felt guilty getting up from the table especially if I dined at a fine restaurant and had very good service. To ease my conscience I'd leave a 10% tip - sorry if that happened to upset the local custom but as I said after more than 50 years of tipping it's difficult to get up and walk away without leaving something.

I followed the "do in Rome" principle in the US, but as I kept it to 15% I guess I'd now be considered a cheapskate. Usually we wrote the tip in on the credit card docket, although sometimes I did wonder whether it always made its way through to the staff. Something I've never really understood though is how tips are distributed among the staff, especially if you're tipping in cash.

We've only ever done one inclusive tour, in Vietnam, and the (Australian) company provided a recommended scale of tips for the guide and driver. Our group consisted of 10 Australians and one Kiwi and I think everyone paid up, although we had no way of knowing whether some may have given themselves a discount. (Our Vietnamese guide told me that he had the best job in the country next to that of traffic policemen, who have legendary opportunities for extortion.)

I believe the situation is similar in China. As tipping isn't generally practiced in either country I can only assume that the guides function as individual entrepreneurs. On the Asia forum one experienced China hand decried anyone who tipped a guide as a fool, on the grounds that guides make so much out of kickbacks that they're already very well off by local standards. We took a 1-day tour when in Beijing and, half the tour group being Chinese, it was noticeable that our guide didn't even try to extract a tip.

It is backward reasoning to think that we should tip waiters because these wretched souls were forced by unfortunate circumstances into underpaying jobs.

In reality, the majority readily accept underpayment because they anticipate greater wages with tipping.

If there were no tipping, no one would accept underpayment instead of a job at a standard wage.

Neil, here in Canada I think 15% is generally acceptable, with 20% (or more if you want) for excellence. I'm sure you don't need to feel you under tipped.

It's still choice but be careful in the US especially - you'd be surprised at the verbal insults that can be hurled at you if you don't tip or tip under expectation. However, I would like to hear from Americans if they really do tip 20-25% on a regular basis. When you think of the exchange rate (Canada) that used to be about $1US = $1.65 CD (now about $1.25), Americans were quick to spend in Canada, but Canadians no longer flock to the US as they once did.

As for the Euro, even with the high rate of exchange - 1 Euro = $CD 1.62) we found in Portugal that since the gratuity and tax was included this was more acceptable than the US where this is not the case.

i think Sunnyboy, your generalization on why people choose tips to wages occurs only in small percentage of service jobs. For most it's a matter of food on the table and here in Canada one is lucky to get minimum wages and in some waitressing/waiter positions, it's not even minimum wage but I believe a special lower rate. Correct me if I'm wrong.

An interesting and ongoing subject.

Just found some interesting statistics on minimum wages in Ontario, Canada.

* * * * * * * * * *

Elizabeth asked:
"What is the current minimum wage in the Toronto area?"

CO Staff answered:
"The Ministry of Labour is an informative and current resource for you to start with. There are many regulations and details regarding minimum wage, and what we have provided here is the basic numbers.

*These wages came into effect January 1, 1995*

The general minimum wage in Ontario is $6.85. Although this is the general wage, this wage differs with the following job/status occupations:

liquor server (waiter/waitress, bartender) minimum wage is $5.95.
student minimum wage is $6.40.
harvest workers minimum wage is $6.85
homeworker premium minimum wage is $7.54

Well done, michi. Some Australian data:

* the general minimum wage for adults is about $12/hr.

* rates of pay depend on occupation and whether your pay and conditions are governed by an individual agreement, workplace agreement or a federal or state "award" determined by an industrial commission after submissions by unions and employer groups. All are legally binding.

* In New South Wales the minimum wage for waiters ranges from $13-17, with supplements for weekend and casual work. "Juniors" under 21 can be paid as little as $9 depending on age. This is about the same as the pay of a shop assistant (store clerk). NB: the official age of adulthood for purposes of voting, drinking etc. in Australia is 18, not 21.

Of course it's difficult to factor in the purchasing power of CA$1 in Canada, AU$1 in Australia etc.

Employers in the restaurant/cafe trade regularly employ staff "off the books" for tax-free cash-in-hand pay. This practice is of course illegal on several fronts, and at least one employer was jailed when the Tax Office went after him.

United States Federal minimum wage??
Are you ready? Are you sitting down?

$5.15 per hour

Hello Michi, I just read the rest of the post with interest.

Here in California when we go to a "white table" restaurant 20% is the expected tip.

Casual dining 15%.

If we go to a place for coffee, say $1.50 for the coffee, with the jar on the counter put about a quarter (25 cents) in the jar. The Cafe Java place I go to gives me such fantastic service that I do tip more. But for a reason. They run out and move the table if it is in too much sun, or too much shade etc. etc. They give refills, bringing them out, before one knows they need them. So their service and kindness is most appreciated. And I must say they started doing this before they got more in the way of extra tips.
Hotels, I leave $2.00 per night on the pillow so that the maid knows it is for her as otherwise they are afraid to touch it. I was interested when I was in Charleston SC about 3 weeks ago. I left a $2.00 tip the morning after my first night in the hotel. Returned late that afternoon to find a sweet "thank you" from the maid . First time I have ever seen that!

In Atlanta I had more service then would be expected from the hotel porter. I will not go into details but I tipped him much more then I would normally as he did much more then take my luggage to the lobby and then to the taxi.

I know that the tipping experience for all of us when we travel from country to country gets so confusing. And I am sure that most of us try our best to to tip whatever is appropriate depending on where we are.

And Neil, 15% is absolutely fine. If someone did not like that, that is their problem not yours.

LoveItaly and Sunnyboy

Apologies to Sunnyboy for attributing remarks by Jed to him.

Nice post, LoveItaly, and thanks for putting Neil at ease. I agree 100% with your comments.

In Portugal recently, we went on a two-day bus tour of Lisbon and environs. Our tour leader, male about 30-35, was intelligent, had a sense of humour, well versed in history, architecture, flora and fauna, attitudes, local lore and so on, and made our trip memorable. We have travelled extensively in all parts of Portugal since 1970, but he opened our minds to much more than just what we saw. We gave him an above-average tip for excellent service.