Need guide to tipping in oz & nz

[turtlemichael]

I rarely post here any more. Probably a good thing! But this is a topic that interests me. I'm posting now because I disagree with a lot that has been said.

First I think there are occasions in this thread where potential visitors to this country have been treated with less than total respect. That's just my opinion but if I'm right it is sad and I don't believe reflects how the majority of people here treat visitors. Hopefully all who come here will leave with a good impression.

Second, the categorical ways in which some dismiss tipping in Australia is simply not reflective of the reality in my experience. The argument really appears to be: “Hey, you Americans better not come here and tip our waiters etc because it's not the custom and you'll spoil it for us locals!"

In North America the rules are very well defined. You tip for service from certain well known occupations. The service needs to be really atrocious not to tip and not tipping is likely to cause a confrontation. Even the amount you tip is very well defined.

In Australia, in my experience it is a lot less clear. I will tip in some situations. I'll round up a taxi fare. I'll give the person who brings my bags to the room a couple of dollars in a 5 star hotel. If it happens in a cheaper hotel I'll just say "Thanks mate"! I'll never tip a concierge or a doorman. I'd never offer a pre-tip for a good table or to try to solicit special service.

Assuming good service in a restaurant, not a cheap cafe, I'll tip usually in the range of 5-10%. If the service is poor I won't tip. Two nights ago I had a meal at a new and not inexpensive restaurant in Cairns. The food was great but the service was like amateur night at a bush bbq. I didn't tip and had no problem.

The prime differences between North America and Australia are, again in my experience, that percentages are lower in Australia, that tipping is nowhere near as common and that if you do not tip here they will not hound you out the restaurant.

The tip line on a credit card bill is there for a purpose. Not surprisingly, they'd like you to tip. I treat it as an invitation rather than an obligation. You do not have to accept the invitation if you do not want to. A simple line through the item and the total tipless amount filled in on the total line is sufficient. In any case I'm more likely to give the waiter cash for the tip rather than add it to the credit card as I know of instances where that will go to the boss rather than the person who served me.

However, if you feel better tipping than I have no problem with that. I do not think you are subverting Australian culture - there are worse sins! The waiter will love you, you will create good karma and the world will not end. The waiter will not laugh at you for being a stupid American. Nor do I believe you'll ruin it for the locals and somehow "spoil" our waiters and other service people.

I have great respect for AussieGal. Her contribution here in helpful information is as great as anyone on these boards. Many people have had better holidays as a result of her advice. But I have to disagree with her when she says:

...it has been reiterated on the Australian Ports Board infinitum that we do not tip in this country and we do not want that custom to change.

It may have been said often on this board but it is simply not the case that we do not tip in this country. That is not the reality. I quite like the options we have now to tip or not tip and I do not think a visitor tipping is going to change that. But that is just my opinion.

It's your vacation - enjoy it and do what you want. I can live with that.

[Aussie Gal]

turtlemichael,

 

In that particular post that I wrote, I was defending Aussie Cruiser regarding his previous post and if you had read through it, you will have read that my DH and I do tip when we have been out to dinner, if we have had a good meal. I also stressed that a lot of our friends do not and that is the way we like it here. We have a choice and that is why living here is so great.

 

I certainly didn't mean to be rude to any of our visitors and if I was rude I do apologise but we have discussed tipping down here on this Board so many times that it does seem to be a subject that just goes round and round.

 

All I know is that when we visit the U.S. and Canada which is quite frequently these days, we certainly tip well and do not think twice about it but I still say that we do not want that to happen down here and I know that when we visit Sydney which is a mecca for tourists, that tipping is more prevalant there than say in Brisbane where we were a few weekends ago.

 

Jennie

[turtlemichael]

Jennie, I certainly didn't mean to offend you or "have a go" at you. I was just disagreeing. What I was really voicing is my view that some of us are being too dogmatic about tipping in Australia. It isn't black and white. I tried to give an illustration of what I do. Others do differently. Either is fine by my reckoning. If you tip or don't tip, you'll still have a good vacation and won't cause our culture to rupture.

 

Although it may be more common in Sydney it is common in all places where there are good restaurants hotels etc. Similar thing happens in the US -there tipping amounts are higher in big cities, in my experience, though not by much!

 

I'd also add that my views on tipping have changed over the years. I'm more relaxed one way or the other.

[Bookish Angel]

You said all I needed to hear; intelligently, respectfully and with a welcoming tone to visitors!

[mochuck]

I agree well put turtlemichael. I sincerely hope that nothing I've written has seemed unwelcoming. I love having visitors - in my house and in my city.

[Aussie Gal]

turtlemichael,

 

Thanks for your explanation. Tipping has been a subject that has been thrashed around on these Boards forever. If you go to any of the Cruiseline Boards, there is always some sort of disagreement about tipping on board ship, it is just one of those "touchy" subjects and I think that I will leave it well enough alone from now on.

 

I do love having our overseas friends visit us and this year alone, we have had 5 lots of friends from the U.S. and Canada visit us when in Melbourne. I hope to see many more in the next few years.

 

Jennie

[turtlemichael]

Jennie, yes tipping is amongst a number of subjects which come up a touch more than now and then :D

 

Let's hope for lots of not only Americans as we sure need the dollars flowing all round at the moment.

[Bob&Janet]

I agree well put turtlemichael. I sincerely hope that nothing I've written has seemed unwelcoming. I love having visitors - in my house and in my city.

 

Ditto for me. My aim in contributing to this board is simply to pass on knowledge and help to fellow travellers, as I have received help/advice from others. I have no interest in debating issues ... though I must admit I do get a giggle from the "discussions" on some boards/threads.

 

Cheers

Bob

[sayaguru]

I'll give the person who brings my bags to the room a couple of dollars in a 5 star hotel. If it happens in a cheaper hotel I'll just say "Thanks mate"!.

 

You made some great points. Thanks

 

Can I ask why you tip one person for doing a job and not tip another person for doing the same job?

[turtlemichael]

You made some great points. Thanks

 

Can I ask why you tip one person for doing a job and not tip another person for doing the same job?

 

Sure. Similar reason why I'm more likely to tip in a 3 star restaurant than a KFC :) Same basic job, different circumstances and environment.

 

And that is the end of my contribution to this discussion.

[kenexx]

Maybe it's just me but I cant see the difference in tipping someone who brings your bags to your room be it in a five star hotel or somewhere lesser. I mean there really isn't any difference. Normally I just drag my case to my room anyway. In Australia if someone did bring the bag to the room I wouldn't tip at any establishment.

[Verity]

We just came back from our cruise. I had my husband read all the comments about tipping before we left. The big problem was that most Americans are programmed to tip. So, when we didn't leave a tip, we felt stingy since everyone else was tipping. We did tip our taxi driver in Sydney who went over and above what we expected when he had to navigate construction traffic to take us to our hotel, wait while we got our luggage from the Concierge with the police telling him to move along and then take us to the pier. Australians and New Zealanders are wonderful people and we really enjoyed meeting them.