Restaurant Service charge - Germany
Mar 28th, 2007, 06:35 AM
#3
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Yes, service is always included in Germany. If you tip, it's basically just to round up the bill by no more than a euro or two, and you just give the full amount to the server. You never leave a tip on the table in Germany.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:29 PM
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The tipping subject has been beaten to death here, but for some dubious reason appears to remain unclear.´
I will once more outline the most common practice by rough standards(whether it is for any good remains to be seen):
1. Service is indeed always included in the bill.
2. It is customary to tip the waiter.
3. If you've only had something to drink, round it up to the next full 1.00 EUR or at least 0.50 EUR.
4. If you dine at restaurants, leave a 5% to 10% tip (depending on the quality of food and service).
5. The Fodor's rumour that one should never leave a tip on the table appears to survive regardless of its truth. There is nothing wrong with leaving a tip on the table and not handing it over personally. More and more restaurants will present the bill in a folder. One would check the bill, pay it and then leave the tip in the folder. It is perfectly acceptable to then leave the restaurant without the waiter picking it up.
6. One does not tip the owners of restaurants or cafés (if one notices their ownership) - even if they serve the meals or drinks themselves.
I will once more outline the most common practice by rough standards(whether it is for any good remains to be seen):
1. Service is indeed always included in the bill.
2. It is customary to tip the waiter.
3. If you've only had something to drink, round it up to the next full 1.00 EUR or at least 0.50 EUR.
4. If you dine at restaurants, leave a 5% to 10% tip (depending on the quality of food and service).
5. The Fodor's rumour that one should never leave a tip on the table appears to survive regardless of its truth. There is nothing wrong with leaving a tip on the table and not handing it over personally. More and more restaurants will present the bill in a folder. One would check the bill, pay it and then leave the tip in the folder. It is perfectly acceptable to then leave the restaurant without the waiter picking it up.
6. One does not tip the owners of restaurants or cafés (if one notices their ownership) - even if they serve the meals or drinks themselves.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:45 PM
#8
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>decent wage and probably full health benefits and job security
Students, family members,... Never met anybody that wanted to make a career in that area. Full health benefits come with low wage. The more you earn, the more you pay, benefits stay the same.
Students, family members,... Never met anybody that wanted to make a career in that area. Full health benefits come with low wage. The more you earn, the more you pay, benefits stay the same.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:47 PM
#9
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I agree with everything hsv says, except most of the time (esp. in more casual places) we find the waiter hovering over us when we pay the bill, and thus it seems appropriate to hand them the tip (if paying cash). A very easy way to do this is to hand them exactly what you want to pay (say the bill is 28 Euro and you want to give them 30) and stay "stimmt so". We've been told by Germans not to leave the tip on the table.
We still have some difficulty dealing with the tip when we pay with credit or bank card - unlike in the U.S., the receipt that you sign usually doesn't have a clear place to enter a tip. Usually we still end up giving them a cash tip.
We still have some difficulty dealing with the tip when we pay with credit or bank card - unlike in the U.S., the receipt that you sign usually doesn't have a clear place to enter a tip. Usually we still end up giving them a cash tip.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:50 PM
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PalenQ,
no - that's another myth.
While they do get paid fixed wages, the hourly rates are usually low (unless we are talking about very upscale restaurants - and even in those the hospitality business is notorious for bad payments).
Employers know about the tipping practice (the amounts have increased over the years as the thrifty generations of the Wirtschaftswunder have been replaced by baby-boomers and well-off kids) and will factor this in when they pay their employees. Many of them only work on part time jobs and many are being paid only a low salary that is subject to certain tax and social security exemptions.
Job security is also not high as most places do not qualify for special measurements by law as the no. of employees is too low.
Thus, please refrain from mocking service personnel in Germany as "rolling in dough" with great job security. That is malicious, ignorant and rather pathetic.
no - that's another myth.
While they do get paid fixed wages, the hourly rates are usually low (unless we are talking about very upscale restaurants - and even in those the hospitality business is notorious for bad payments).
Employers know about the tipping practice (the amounts have increased over the years as the thrifty generations of the Wirtschaftswunder have been replaced by baby-boomers and well-off kids) and will factor this in when they pay their employees. Many of them only work on part time jobs and many are being paid only a low salary that is subject to certain tax and social security exemptions.
Job security is also not high as most places do not qualify for special measurements by law as the no. of employees is too low.
Thus, please refrain from mocking service personnel in Germany as "rolling in dough" with great job security. That is malicious, ignorant and rather pathetic.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:54 PM
#12
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>not to leave the tip on the table
Won't be a problem, it's not "what is usually done", but I never found anybody compaining about it. People are quite flexible, so a tourist shouldn't worry about that. I sometimes leave a tip on the table and don't feel bad about it or even think about it afterwards
nor would the waiter. It's money that matters, not Knigge.
Won't be a problem, it's not "what is usually done", but I never found anybody compaining about it. People are quite flexible, so a tourist shouldn't worry about that. I sometimes leave a tip on the table and don't feel bad about it or even think about it afterwards
nor would the waiter. It's money that matters, not Knigge.
Mar 28th, 2007, 12:58 PM
#13
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I plead guilty as charged. I was really under the impression that it was like France, which i know what i said is so and didn't fathom that Germany would treat workers any worse - seems like the dismal situation with hard-working wait people in the US. Now i see the reason for a tip - if the wait person depends on it for a living, which again i didn't fathom was in Europe, then not paying it is accepting a service for free.
To answer Ira's OP, no even if service is included in Germany you still should tip 5-10% - now i understand why. I do regret jumping to conclusions from ignorance.
To answer Ira's OP, no even if service is included in Germany you still should tip 5-10% - now i understand why. I do regret jumping to conclusions from ignorance.
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