The discreet art of tipping

There is a creeping expectation of being tipped among staff in some lines of work, so who should we tip - and how much? Edel Morgan reports.

Our tipping culture has taken on some American characteristics. Although we are unlikely to risk prompting an embarrassing showdown or being pursued down the street by somebody who's irate that we haven't tipped, we are being presented with more situations where we feel under pressure to pay more than our bill.

It used to be simple: we tipped in restaurants, taxis and hair salons. Now we're confronted with the phenomenon of the tip jar, plate or paper cup. These can be found in sandwich and juice bars with only an over-the-counter service, often urging customers to "tip for good karma", and in attended toilets at bars and restaurants. It's even common in trendy Dublin bars for customers to get change back on a plate at the counter.

"Ireland is changing," says Dermott Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers' Association of Ireland. "Consumers are constantly having to put a value on even the briefest of services. If they walk into a toilet and are handed a towel and the opportunity of some perfume they often don't know how to place a value on that. They haven't sought the service and may not be comfortable with the quiet suggestion they should pay a tip for something they don't want and never expected."

Going down the American route of expecting tips for counter service is not the way forward, says Jewell. "You wouldn't go into a bank and tip the teller. Prices are usually set so that a business is more than adequately profitable to pay staff properly."

That the Irish feel comfortable tipping only in certain situations does not mean that we're mean, says Jewell. "Our perception is that prices are already fairly high, and in the Irish psyche tipping is a personal thing. We don't like the implication that we should: it's about voluntarily giving something extra as a reward for good service."

Common tipping quandaries include whether to tip window cleaners, or hotel porters who bring our bags only to the foyer and not to the room. And what about supermarket delivery staff? Chambermaids? Furniture delivery people? Nail technicians or beauty-salon staff? And if so, how much?

Tip only if you believe a service was worthwhile and of good quality, says Jewell. "If you view it as value for money you might be inclined to give more. Often we are paying such a high price for a service that the expectation of a tip is wrong."

Tipping taxi drivers is a bone of contention for some of us, who perceive them as reasonably well paid. This is not helped by two fare hikes in recent years - one introduced in 2002 amounted to a 16 per cent increase by day and 26 per cent by night.

But Vinny Kearns, vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, says one in five entering the taxi business survives less than three months.

"Taxi drivers may have done well in the past, but deregulation has meant that we have the highest number of taxis per head of the population of 13 European capitals included in a study published last year on taxi regulation by the International Road Transport Union. It also found that Dublin has the cheapest fares by day and by night of those 13 cities."

He believes people should tip only "when provided with an efficient, professional and friendly service"; some tips "are probably nearly an insult", he says. "The taxi fare might be €7.90 and they'll give €8 and say keep the change.

"Believe it or not, people from working-class areas tend to give bigger tips," he says. Other generous tippers, says Kearns, include the English, Scots and Americans.

"The worst are the Australians and the French, and we find a few drinks tend to make people more generous."

When asked if Dublin taxi drivers' famed propensity to talk too much affects takings, Kearns replies: "Some guys will never learn. There's an art to it. You have to read the customer and know when to button up."

Under the Employment Regulation Order restaurants cannot use tips to supplement the minimum wage, which in Dublin is just over €270 for a 39-hour week for trained waiting staff before tax. Despite these regulations, some restaurants still use tips pooled by staff to make up the minimum rate, according to Kieron Connolly, a SIPTU branch secretary.

"It is not as widespread as it was, because people are more aware of their rights, but it does happen, and in our experience some of the people coming in to us complaining about work conditions are employed in the more reputable restaurants."

He says a high percentage of these are foreigners, who can be more vulnerable to exploitation. "Employers often argue they can't pay more because they are finding it difficult, but from our point of view no one can say that even the minimum wage of €271 per week is reasonable when you consider the cost of living in Dublin and the cost of rent. It would be foolish to say that these people don't need tips."

Unlike tips, service charges can legally be used to subsidise the minimum wage. This should not necessarily influence your decision not to pay it, however. Jewell believes that if people continue to pay service charges despite bad service it could ultimately jeopardise standards.

Cliodhna Martin, a student who has waited in a Dún Laoghaire restaurant, says the best tippers are "men of all ages and older women". If customers have a few glasses of wine "there is more likely to be a bit of banter" culminating in a generous gratuity. "I would say around half of customers leave more than 10 per cent as a tip."

Maeve O'Healy Harte of the Irish Hairdressers' Federation says tips are at the discretion of the customer, are not expected and, when given, are rarely pooled.

One stylist who works in a central-Dublin salon says that people tend to tip the stylist who leads them to the cash desk, often in the belief that the money will be shared with the shampooer or the colourist.

"You should hand the money directly to the people you want to tip, because otherwise the person at the end of the chain may pocket the entire tip. The problem is that many people feel a bit daft running around the salon trying to find the colourist or the person who washed their hair, so they take the easy option."

She believes hairdressers have suffered most of all service-industry workers from the euro changeover. "In restaurants most people give at least 10 per cent as a tip, but we get handed a few coins usually. Where we used to get £2, now for a blow-dry it's €2."

Should you tip a salon owner? O'Healy Harte says it is not usually done. When asked whether tipping enables employers to pay lower wages, she dismisses it as "a ridiculous statement".

Dermott Jewell maintains that it would be a "a shame" if tipping became "an unwritten law", as in the US. "It is positive for consumers to be able to express their gratitude by giving something extra, but they shouldn't be forced into it."

How much to tip

Restaurants: Ten per cent is the norm during the day and early evening; 10-15 per cent at night. In the US: 15-20 per cent of the total is the norm; 10 per cent if you are unhappy with the service.

Taxi drivers: About 10 per cent, says the National Taxi Drivers' Union, but only if it's a friendly and professional service. In the US: 15 per cent of the fare plus $1 dollar a bag from boot to kerb.

Hairdressers: The Irish Hairdressers' Federation says: "There are no rules in hairdressing." In the US: 15-20 per cent of the cost of the service, plus $2 to the shampooer.

Beauty salons: The Society of Applied Cosmetology says it is at the customer's discretion. In the US: about 15 per cent of the treatment cost.

Hotel porters/concierges: According to Les Clefs d'Or of Ireland, tips are not expected. But tips tend to be about 1 or €2. In the US: $1-$2 for an average bag and $2 for larger bags or equipment.

Delivery Furniture: "One in 10 might tip, and it's usually around 5," says one delivery man. Pizza: Most people give something, usually around 2, but it can sometimes be a small amount of changefrom a note.

In the US: Furniture attracts a minimum of $5-$10, with $20 common for larger items; pizza deliverers receive $1-$2 for a short journey and $2-$3 for a longer one.