Originally Posted by
CPMaverick
You make it sound like Australians have always tipped.
Maybe ask someone who works in hospitality how common tips are. You might be surprised. The idea that Australians do not and never have tipped is a myth. I'm not suggesting everyone tips, but in
my personal experience almost everyone I know leaves a tip. I do notice that those who don't tip tend to be pretty dogmatic about it not being part of the culture and how well staff are paid etc.
Just a quick Google Search...
Durack doesn't believe tipping should be compulsory here – especially for a bad experience.
“In Australia we usually leave 10 per cent, I think because it's so easy to work out, but it should be up to you, it should be a reward,” he says.
The public perception may be that the tipping culture is growing in Australia, but according to Tony Percuoco, from Ristorante Tartufo in Brisbane, the amount people contribute as a tip is decreasing.
“I've been in the industry for 40 years. Tips have definitely gone down,” says Percuoco, who reckons waiters aren't making anything like they used to 10 to 15 years ago.
Restaurant manager Belinda Seager agrees. She attributes this in part to the fact that restaurants have become more casual, removing the perception of “fine dining”.
“I think it's less of a culture now,” agrees Seager. “When I first started [at Longrain in Melbourne] I was clearing as much as my wage in tips, that's going back 10 years, and it's just gradually dropped.”
https://www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/...20130228-2f7vz