Tipping in Australia and New Zealand

[NSWP]

Some of the cabbies working Sydney Airport have to wait an hour or more for a fare, which is often only a $10 ride to an Airport Hotel, so it is impossible for them to earn the minimum hourly rate. Get off a plane at 7am at Sydney Airport and see the 200 or so cabbies lining up for a fare which they hope will be a long one. If Taxi owners had to pay their drivers the Australian minimum wage, as our Sutho suggests, what is it? $15 per hour? They would go bust. Yes I give the cabbies a $5 tip, if they are OK, most of them are battlers, trying to feed a family.

[Sutho]

Australian society is so much against tipping that the best example in the cruise industry is Princess Cruises and their voyagers on Sun, Dawn and Sea Princess out of Australia. Australians are so against and the tipping policy that Princess Cruises had to scrap automatic tipping on these ships completely and factor them into the fare because when the ships were full of Australians no one tipped and everyone removed the charges from their account.

 

Still there are some even cheaper Australians who want to bypass this system of a higher fare and book their cruises with US based agents for much cheaper prices and still want to not pay the tips on board when they get the fare reduced by using an international agent.

[kiwipete]

Australian society is so much against tipping that the best example in the cruise industry is Princess Cruises and their voyagers on Sun, Dawn and Sea Princess out of Australia. Australians are so against and the tipping policy that Princess Cruises had to scrap automatic tipping on these ships completely and factor them into the fare because when the ships were full of Australians no one tipped and everyone removed the charges from their account.

 

Still there are some even cheaper Australians who want to bypass this system of a higher fare and book their cruises with US based agents for much cheaper prices and still want to not pay the tips on board when they get the fare reduced by using an international agent.

 

Give it a rest Sutho.

[Sutho]

Only saying.....

 

If one wants to find evidence of Australia's non tipping culture and refusal to tip, then they only need to look at Princess Cruises and how an entire nation forced Princess Cruises to abolish the automatic tipping on their ships based in this country.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Only saying.....

 

If one wants to find evidence of Australia's non tipping culture and refusal to tip, then they only need to look at Princess Cruises and how an entire nation forced Princess Cruises to abolish the automatic tipping on their ships based in this country.

 

What a load of rubbish you want us to believe.

Have you ever booked a Seven Seas Regent cruise ?

Check them out sometime.

 

 

[sun-set]

Only saying.....

 

If one wants to find evidence of Australia's non tipping culture and refusal to tip, then they only need to look at Princess Cruises and how an entire nation forced Princess Cruises to abolish the automatic tipping on their ships based in this country.

 

Also - P&O Australia, and Carnival Spirit, all permanently sailing from Australian Ports. Probably why others chose to not to be permanently based here, it gives them an up front price advantage.

[mr walker]

Before I started travelling overseas I didn't have any real knowledge of tipping. My first few trips I didn't like the idea of tipping & didn't understand the tipping 'mentality'.

 

Over time I have revised my thinking. Service in the hospitality industry in Australia is generally poor. Why? It's not so much because the people providing the service are bad, or they don't have an incentive to provide good service, but more because of the high cost of having staff means that the establishment tries to work with a minimum level of staffing in order to operate.

 

When I compare service here to say middle age ladies working for a low hourly rate and tips at I-Hop, or college girls working for tips at Hooters, the difference is extreme. And before you scream unfair - at these places there are waitlists for people to work there.

 

If the cost of 'better' service is for a reduction in hourly and more particulalry penalty rates and in return, tipping, then I think that may be a good idea.

 

I know I just killed Sutho, but his opinionated crusade needs to be balanced :)

[Sutho]

What a load of rubbish you want us to believe.

Have you ever booked a Seven Seas Regent cruise ?

Check them out sometime.

 

 

 

Come up with something better! Neither of those lines are based full time in Australia. Sun, Dawn and Sea Princess are.

[mr walker]

Who really cares how good service is??

 

Most people expect a certain level of service. Someone to take their drinks order within a reasonable time, take their food order & have it delivered in a reasonable time. We have ceased to use many places because they don't have enough staff to attend to the customers.

Nothing over the top required, just a reasonable service - not too much to ask for.

Anyway, you are clearly someone who deserves to be ignored and I will do that from here on in.

[Sutho]

Most people expect a certain level of service. Someone to take their drinks order within a reasonable time, take their food order & have it delivered in a reasonable time. We have ceased to use many places because they don't have enough staff to attend to the customers.

Nothing over the top required, just a reasonable service - not too much to ask for.

Anyway, you are clearly someone who deserves to be ignored and I will do that from here on in.

 

Hmm its really funny as I have never encountered any of the problems you claim exist in Australia.

 

How about you name them for us all?

 

If you cant then I am guessing you are inventing a scenario to fit your pro-tipping argument and have now backed yourself into a corner.

 

Come on name and shame the places!!

[Aus Traveller]

Only saying.....

 

If one wants to find evidence of Australia's non tipping culture and refusal to tip, then they only need to look at Princess Cruises and how an entire nation forced Princess Cruises to abolish the automatic tipping on their ships based in this country.

...and P&O's Australian ships were tipping was removed a year or so before Princess removed their's.

[Gyyp]

Who really cares how good service is?? I cant complain about anything in Australia.

 

Strange, all you have done is complain about everyone else's opinion.

[Pushka]

I tip taxis, I usually round it up to the next $5 or $0 amount. ($17 fare and they get $20). Taxi drivers used to thank me but I've noticed now that if I hand over that $20 for the $17 fare there's not much movement to give change back. I find that disappointing.

 

I don't tip hairdressers although they do get a gift at Christmas time. I know they get a commission according to the products I might use. (Must be a lot of em given how much it costs!)

 

Restaurant tipping totally depends on the experience and I certainly don't tip all the time because sometimes the service isn't great.

 

I thought it funny on our last years Cunard cruise to see all the people lined up at the pursers desk wanting to cancel them and at the same time being worried the attendant would find out.

 

On an RCL cruise with MTD we pre paid our tips but were left with the tipping envelopes anyway.

 

As a tourist to Australia I'd probably tip taxis and leave a couple of coins at coffee shops and a couple of dollars at restaurants.

 

(As a contractor I didn't think you needed to collect GST if your takings were less than $50k a year)

 

And some pretty unnecessary language in this thread too.

[jannandjohn]

.

 

I don't tip hairdressers although they do get a gift at Christmas time. I know they get a commission according to the products I might use. (Must be a lot of em given how much it costs!)

My salon sells nothing..we just cut hair, so I dont understand that scenario:confused:

 

.

 

(As a contractor I didn't think you needed to collect GST if your takings were less than $50k a year)

.

This ATO rule does not apply to cab drivers, it doesnt matter if they take 1,000 in a year, they pay gst

[GHDPeter]

 

I don't tip hairdressers although they do get a gift at Christmas time. I know they get a commission according to the products I might use. (Must be a lot of em given how much it costs!)

 

Most products have a 30% markup and staff are usually given incentives and bonuses when they reach retail and service targets, as is the case in most businesses.

[Pushka]

My salon sells nothing..we just cut hair, so I dont understand that scenario:confused:

Ok. So you don't do anything like foils, colours or treatments etc?

 

This ATO rule does not apply to cab drivers, it doesnt matter if they take 1,000 in a year, they pay gst

 

Ok. I guess that's because you have to charge passengers GST so therefore you need to pass it on. It does mean you can claim any GST you pay though.

[GHDPeter]

Only saying.....

 

If one wants to find evidence of Australia's non tipping culture and refusal to tip, then they only need to look at Princess Cruises and how an entire nation forced Princess Cruises to abolish the automatic tipping on their ships based in this country.

 

Dont non Australians still pay the Auto Tip?

 

It exists on the Diamond during summer doesnt it?

[Sutho]

Dont non Australians still pay the Auto Tip?

 

It exists on the Diamond during summer doesnt it?

 

Diamond Princess isn't permanently based here and neither is it full of Australians. It is just Australian based ships and almost 100% Australian passengers on ships that get the special treatment in regards to removing tips because we simply do not do it.

[jannandjohn]

Ok. So you don't do anything like foils, colours or treatments etc?

I guess if I said that all we do is "cut hair"...the answer would be "no";)

[GHDPeter]

Diamond Princess isn't permanently based here and neither is it full of Australians. It is just Australian based ships and almost 100% Australian passengers on ships that get the special treatment in regards to removing tips because we simply do not do it.

 

Didnt they just build the "hotel charge" into the fare?

 

Isnt that the reason that things on Princess like the coffee card $31 to US is $35 to Australians, UKP $8.05 per day includes service charge.

 

It is still there on ALL the Australian based ships, you just no longer have the ability to remove it. You are being forced to tip.

[rkmw]

Didnt they just build the "hotel charge" into the fare?

 

Isnt that the reason that things on Princess like the coffee card $31 to US is $35 to Australians, UKP $8.05 per day includes service charge.

 

It is still there on ALL the Australian based ships, you just no longer have the ability to remove it. You are being forced to tip.

 

as Sutho said the Diamond is a US based ship and they still expect you to pay the hotel charge and on the aussie ships you dont have to tip because your garatuities are included in the fare

[GHDPeter]

My point was that the auto tip was not abolished as Sutho stated by Australian culture, it was just incorporated into the price and in a way that you no longer have a choice whether to pay it or not.

[Yillup]

My point was that the auto tip was not abolished as Sutho stated by Australian culture, it was just incorporated into the price and in a way that you no longer have a choice whether to pay it or not.

 

But the point behind that is, WHY did they have to do this for Australian based ships? Because so many Australians were not paying any tips at all - indicative of the fact Australians do not tip generally. Companies could not rely on the customer to pay their wage shortfall. The fact we've all been forced to pay the tip proves a point about Australian tipping...

 

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[Sutho]

My point was that the auto tip was not abolished as Sutho stated by Australian culture, it was just incorporated into the price and in a way that you no longer have a choice whether to pay it or not.

 

I am aware that is what the terminology is and many are aware of what Princess are doing. They have simply abolished the auto tips and somehow factored the daily tips into the fare.

 

Personally I have no problem with that system. That is the Australian way of doing things.

 

What really makes you wonder is that (we see it too often on here as well) there are many Australians that refuse to book Princess based cruise ships in Australia. They seek out a US travel agent, book a lower price and still think they can avoid having to pay the auto tips on board. That is how far Australians will go to avoid paying tips to Princess.

[Pushka]

I guess if I said that all we do is "cut hair"...the answer would be "no";)

 

Ok, all fine. :) I've just never been to hairdresser like that.