Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Gratuity Question in Australia

I will be in Australia in February and was wondering if it is customary to tip a taxi driver or at a bar for drinks?

Also, do taxi's in Sydney and Melbourne take credit cards?

Its not customary, I think its fair to say most Australians are anti it. At a bar though, especially a busy one I always find it good to tip and keep going to the same bar person, quicker service and you will find on spirits more generous measures start coming.. ;)

I always at least round taxi fares up, unless awful driver, they should all take credit cards (EFTPOS machine), although occasionaly the machine won't work (or so the driver claims)

You will rarely see tip jars or tip requests like in the US, only a tray with change at bars, where you may be inclined to leave the change as the tip (unless you promise a tip on your tab)

In the time I am not hitting the skies for work I like to moonlight as a bar tender in MEL. Whilst tipping is not required nor demanded (aka NYC) it is a nice gesture if you receive good service and will always be appreciated by the server.

If you don't tip it doesn't matter. Though if you throw some student $5 you will make friends pretty quickly. That said, if you eat at the top end of town you really should tip. 10% is about on the money.

Taxi's take cards in major cities though the service fee is exorbitant.

Enjoy the weather and the beer, we are rather proud of both.

Tipping is not expected in Australia, although it is appreciated. We don't really have the concept of tips being used to make up for low wages.

For a taxi, you could round up the fare. Most taxis should accept credit cards although best to ask. Some (all?) will add a surcharge for using a credit card.

For a restaurant there is no need to tip, although again you could round up the bill. There is NO need to tip the 15-20% that seems to be the norm in the USA.

If you don't leave a tip no-one will chase you out the door :)

Also remember that in Australia any taxes are included in the advertised prices.

Glenn

Was there last month and simply rounded up for wait staff and taxi drivers and had no problem. Every taxi I took in SYD took major credit cards, but they charged an extra fee, on top of whatever surcharge your credit card company charges for transactions in foreign currency.

drnp

It's a 10% service charge to use your CC in a taxi they will usually do this electronically, however they may use a "click-clack" to take an imprint of your card, I have never had any problems with these I believe the reason they do this is that they can get cash that day rather than having to wait to be paid if done electronically. Also note, that in Australia if your a man you should sit in the front seat of the taxi not the back.;)

On the tipping, unless you are at a good restaurant tipping is not expected though appreciated. Remember that in Oz wages for service workers is also higher than in the US so the customer need not supplement their already bulging wallets:p

I always tip good service around 10% when out eating and a few extra bucks in a cab. When I am drunk if the service is not great but the girls serving me are good looking a tend to be very generous with my tipping ;)

One thing with tipping - because it is not REQUIRED in Australia (unlike in some other countries), leaving NO tip when the service is bad does not send a message, they just think that you are not a tipper.

If the service is bad, then do indeed leave a tip, but make it ridiculously small - like 5¢. That tells them that you are a tipper, but the service was bad enough that you felt that no tip was warranted.

Dave

Straying OT into taxi land: I've been in and out of MEL (and to a lesser degree, SYD) for the last 2 months for work. I take a lot of cabs to get around, and almost all my fares are paid by CC (if >$10 or so). It's turned out to be a complete nightmare to reconcile the charges on my card to the receipts for the fares, with some transactions coming through 6 weeks later, and for amounts that vary from the actual receipt.

A big gotcha is the paper based zip-zap transactions have a 10% service charge, plus GST (10%) on the service charge, for a total of 11%. Your CC will be dinged for the fare + 11%, but your receipt only says the fare amount. This has resulted in quite a bit of gnashing of teeth and difficulty for me keeping expense claims in sync with what I've been charged.

It's almost getting to the point where I'm considering paying cash all the time. And MEL based taxis are generally rude/incompetent - never in my life have I had cabbies actually tell me to get out because they don't feel like taking a fare! :mad:

If the service is bad, then do indeed leave a tip, but make it ridiculously small - like 5¢. That tells them that you are a tipper, but the service was bad enough that you felt that no tip was warranted.I've also found that writing "$0.00" on the tip section of the CC slip is quite effective.... as an NZer I don't tend to tip at home at all; but over here I will occasionally tip if the service is decent or the waiter/waitress seems genuine. It has helped with service when I've gone back...

And MEL based taxis are generally rude/incompetent - never in my life have I had cabbies actually tell me to get out because they don't feel like taking a fare! :mad:
.

Try getting a cab in Sydney around 3am at change over time. near impossible unless you live in the west. I usually walk for 1 hour to get home! Most Cab drivers make me bloody mad :mad:

Save your dough. Oz is a non-tipping country.

Send it to me if you really must give it away :D

Straying OT into taxi land: I... And MEL based taxis are generally rude/incompetent - never in my life have I had cabbies actually tell me to get out because they don't feel like taking a fare! :mad:

Taxis are regulated; they cannot refuse a fare after you get in unless they were previously displaying a sign in the window about desired destinations, e.g. end of shift sign specifying where they need to finish up.
That is the rule in SYD anyway.

Taxis are regulated; they cannot refuse a fare after you get in unless they were previously displaying a sign in the window about desired destinations, e.g. end of shift sign specifying where they need to finish up.
That is the rule in SYD anyway.

They may be regulated but at 1-2am there aint anyone round to enforce those regulations and I have been asked many times where I am going before they let me in around changeover. If it is away from where they need to be then they wont take me light or no light. I have never ever seen a "end of shift" sign, but no doubt next time I walk out of the street the first cab to go by will have one:)

I guess I've been lucky in both SYD and MEL! I've always had competent and friendly drivers - who don't know until the end of the trip whether or not I'm going to tip. I usually do tip, even tho' it's not expected - if the driver has been helpful and taken the direct route;)

With restaurants, although min wages are certainly higher than in the US, they're certainly not in the 'luxury bracket' - those wages are at the lower/lowest end, and I've had many friends working as wait staff who really do depend on tips ... they offer a good service, and that should be recognised - top end or not!

So when you're here in February, if you do think the service warrants it, leave 10% (as others have said, the 15-20%+ is not necessary).

I would avoid it. They don't really expect and they're paid well. The people working in the bar aren't hurting.

I travel to the USA many times a year and have done for decades (all vacation, not business, so all my own dime) so I suppose I am more accustomed to it than many here.

More from habit than anythng, I tend to tip here pretty much always in bars, restaurants and cabs etc unless service is terrible.

I was in Florida over last weekend and we had a FT dinner of about 40 people Saturday night at a ribs joint.

2 young surfie type kids with baggy shorts, T Shirts, and ear piercings served our table hap-hazardly.

As in near all USA eating places 18% tip is automatically added to your bill, whether you like it or not, for tables of 8 or more.

These surfers made about $US200-250 in tips I'd guess for service skill of average minus I'd rate it.

I got the bill for about $60 for 2, which was say $45, plus tax, plus the built-in 18%. When I went top desk to pay they gave me a chit to sign which came to that $US60 and had the "Gratuity" column left blank, and left it for me to total up and sign.

After several beers I almost fell for the trap to add another $10 to the $60. Expensive ribs. :D

Locally as others have said not nearly so bad. The cab from airport to my car was $8.60 this morning in SYD and I gave the guy a $10 note. I agree with others - round up - with cabs for $9.20 or even $9.40 hand over $10 and they'll be happy.

Don't feel bad about not tipping either. The people serving you in the restaurant are earning upward of $20 an hour. Even with the exchange rate that's tripple what someone in the US is getting paid.

Locally as others have said not nearly so bad. The cab from airport to my car was $8.60 this morning in SYD and I gave the guy a $10 note. I agree with others - round up - with cabs for $9.20 or even $9.40 hand over $10 and they'll be happy.I generally do this - if I'm paying cash (which I tend to for $10 or less), then I'll round up to $10 or $20.

The comments from others about SYD/MEL cabbies are interesting. I didn't have too many problems in SYD, except not being able to get a cab at the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour at peak times (8:30am-ish). The cabs in MEL have generally been useless... recently one, uh, exploded on me, whilest making a right turn from Exhibition onto Lonsdale across traffic. That was sure interesting.

I'm sure they legally can't refuse you, but they'll happily tell you to get out of the car! :).

Straying OT into taxi land: I've been in and out of MEL (and to a lesser degree, SYD) for the last 2 months for work. I take a lot of cabs to get around, and almost all my fares are paid by CC (if >$10 or so). It's turned out to be a complete nightmare to reconcile the charges on my card to the receipts for the fares, with some transactions coming through 6 weeks later, and for amounts that vary from the actual receipt.

A big gotcha is the paper based zip-zap transactions have a 10% service charge, plus GST (10%) on the service charge, for a total of 11%. Your CC will be dinged for the fare + 11%, but your receipt only says the fare amount. This has resulted in quite a bit of gnashing of teeth and difficulty for me keeping expense claims in sync with what I've been charged. ...It can be confusing, and reconcilation is a pain.

However, in my experience when using cabcharge, the 'zip-zap' docket comes with the 10% added. When the statement comes the transaction figure does not include that 10% so you can't reconcile directly with totals; you have to look to the middle of the docet at the subtotal before the 10% is added. What happens to the 10% fee? THAT is added to the service fee total for ALL transactiond at the end of the statement. :confused:

Locally as others have said not nearly so bad. The cab from airport to my car was $8.60 this morning in SYD and I gave the guy a $10 note. I agree with others - round up - with cabs for $9.20 or even $9.40 hand over $10 and they'll be happy.Glen, I hope that a savvy business traveller like you would obtain and document receipts for all these transactions. ;)

Having said that... hotel staff ie doorman, bellboys, at the american chain hotels do not necessarily expect tips but is appreciated when they know you're american. The tips apparently go to a communal jar where everyone shares the tips anyway.