Tipping in the hospitality industry: why don’t Dutch people do it anymore?
Remarkable: in the past, tipping in the hospitality industry was the most normal thing in the world. But these days, fewer and fewer people tip. What’s going on?
There are several reasons why people hardly tip anymore—or don’t tip at all—as responses to our article about employees and horror stories about tips show. Many people already find eating out expensive enough and don’t want to add a tip on top of that. “Well, with prices these days, I can’t afford to tip either! I just paid 23 euros for a small portion of spaghetti with a Coke Zero in the middle of nowhere…” says Philip. And John: “Tip??? 5.75 for an iced coffee with whipped cream. Isn’t the tip already included in that?”
Card machine with a tipping function?!
People also find card machines with a tipping function so pushy that, as a result, they stop tipping altogether. As Angelique puts it: “A tip is extra, not a given! When I work for others, I don’t get a tip either. I don’t think ‘expecting’ and ‘demanding’ a tip is acceptable.”
But there are more obstacles to tipping:
It doesn’t reach the staff
Who does it go to, anyway? The person serving you? The communal tip jar, or just the boss? “Tips often just disappear into the owner’s pocket, even when they’re given in cash at a restaurant,” says Anita. Roy thinks so too: “Many people tip without realizing that many owners keep the tips themselves!!! Tipping by card is stupid too, because that often doesn’t reach the staff either… hospitality workers are already severely underpaid; it’s a shame that staff are often not appreciated and tips don’t end up where they should!!” Not everyone agrees. Ard suggests: “You can pay the bill by card and give a cash tip. Especially when you happen to have cash with you, that way the tip doesn’t disappear into the boss’s pocket.”
Poor service
For everyone in the comments, one thing is clear: no tip for poor service. Well, if you charge an outrageous amount and then have an uninterested student at your table who doesn’t know the difference between lager and beer, what do you expect? — Stan. “Maybe try a little harder to earn your tip instead of saying, ‘That’s not my section.’” — Alex
Contributing to staff wages
Irene simply says what many people are thinking. “Actually, it’s quite a strange system. You get a menu with prices and are almost obliged to pay 30% more for the employees’ wages. It seems more sensible to me to pay your staff a decent wage and raise the prices. Much clearer for many people. Then the staff are also guaranteed an income.” Henk is less nuanced: “Those people who work in hospitality and whine about not getting tips should go and whine at their employer. Customers pay top dollar for something to eat or drink in hospitality, and then they still have the nerve to complain about not getting tips.”
Staff earn enough
Is that really the case? A common argument is that everyone in hospitality has a fixed income. So why tip at all? S.: “There are plenty of professions where people don’t tip, so why should hospitality be any different? It’s not mandatory.” Haije thinks the whole tipping issue is nonsense: “I’ve always worked hard myself and NEVER been allowed to receive a tip. What kind of nonsense is this in hospitality? Why should we tip? They have a salary too, don’t they?” According to Willem, hospitality staff already earn enough: “Business owners use the excuse that personnel costs are rising so much and that these costs have to be passed on. So the employees’ salaries are already factored into the high prices. Giving a tip on top of that is paying twice.”
Henk: “A tip is a bonus. Be happy when you get one, but certainly don’t count on it. As a server, you simply receive a salary for the work you do, just like any other employee.”
Understand where the prices come from
Hollanders are stingy
So says Tabou. According to Anneke and Maurice, we’re simply a miserly bunch too: “Dutch people are very stingy, unlike German guests.” Jolanda completely agrees: “What a bunch of cheapskates commenting on this topic. If you’re treated well and hospitably, it’s only fair to give a 10% tip, and that’s exactly what I gladly do!” Elias: “Tipping is a problem for the penny-pinching Dutchman, but they do want to HAVE the best and most expensive things for the lowest price!!” And Kim: “My goodness, look at all those stingy Dutch people commenting. No wonder they’re not exactly popular in much of the world.”
And Maurice—with his tip—can stay away from the hospitality industry forever, as far as we’re concerned. “I always glue the tip (about 15%) to the table with superglue. Then I watch and laugh from a distance. For a few euros, you get a really fun show.”
Read also:
- Eddie’s food irritations: restaurants with those damn tiny tables and chairs
- Bizarre and disgusting behavior by hospitality guests #3
- Rosé lovers, take note! You won’t want to miss this rosé brunch with Whispering Angel
