Is this normal? | TheaterFire

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Physical-Bear2156@reddit

Paying upfront at the bar is normal. Asking for the tip then is not. That is to reward good service, not supplement wages. They are as likely to get an upfront tip out of me as them giving me money off for a cock-up they might make with the meal. Leave cash on the table as a tip when you go, but I'd already by slightly narked about the service as a result of being asked for the tip upfront.

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AlgaeFew8512@reddit

That's all perfectly normal except the tip part. It's perfectly acceptable to select 0 tip and then leave a tip on the table at the end if you want to, but it isn't expected at all

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Ashamed_North348@reddit

Ask them to remove it, you can x

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Tonybham01@reddit

Not read all the replies, so this point may have been covered. In my experience, it depends on the location of the establishment. In areas of high tourism such as where is restaurant is (Ambleside in the Lake District) there is a much greater incidence of people leaving without paying. So they ask for payment at the time of ordering. I have come across the same situation in a restaurant close to Heathrow. As to the option to tip it’s unfortunate but you can always press 0.

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Every_Consequence_83@reddit

It’s a test of your Britishness. We all press 0%. Often the staff will even pre-press 0% for you if you’re not a tourist.

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Tski247@reddit

I wouldn't give a tip. There are a few pub chains where you order and they serve food like that.

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Mango_Honey9789@reddit

Most auto tip systems I've seen in the UK, the staff hit 0% for you or ask you to do it when you get to the options. They never see that money and as a country we don't tip

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Shoddy-Reply-7217@reddit

They do see the money. I worked at the hq of a big restaurant chain, and by law the tips paid in the till have to be distributed to staff, and the only bit the company can keep is the credit card processing fee. The way it's distributed is often set by the staff - in our case the teams voted on how much got shared with back of house (chef) teams, and if they were stingy then the food quality would suffer, so it was always wise to be pretty equal about it. The only bit that's not handled by the company is cash tips, and for that you pretty much accept that the server keeps it. Some places put it into a pot and share the same way the till tips are done, but that depends on the teams and how well they know/like each other.

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Mango_Honey9789@reddit

If I'm tipping (and I'm not, ever) then I'm wanting the tip to solely go to the person I'm tipping it to. I would never just tap a card tip because I know that's not going to the one person im tipping

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romoladesloups@reddit

I'd take the tip off and leave a cash tip at the end if I thought it justified

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Pileroidsareapain@reddit

Why would you tip BEFORE you receive any service? Nope! I wouldn’t not accept this. We are falling into the American trap where tipping is likely to be the norm and we must resist the greed of the proprietors.

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Manifestival1@reddit

I think it's just impractical design with this rather than anything intentional. The chip and pin machines have the tip screen inbuilt as part of the payment system and would usually be brought to the customer at the end of the meal. The owners simply haven't thought through the fact that the request remains on the machine even though payments are beforehand. I bet charity requests on supermarket self checkout chip and machines must really be getting to you too lol.

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Imaginary-Tell-1837@reddit

Shame I've had to scroll past so many angry replies to find this The staff or the business aren't to blame, you're never 'expected' to tip. The point of sale system is setup to ask regardless of whether the business wants or not, and there's always a No tip button

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Professional-Day6965@reddit

Paying up front is completely normal. Asking for an up front tip is cheeky.

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SkullDump@reddit

Yes but as OP stated they’re calling themselves a restaurant and you don’t pay beforehand in a restaurant.

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fried_art5@reddit

N it's very unseen of to tip in a pub, especially a British pub

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Manifestival1@reddit

The lines blur when it's a pub with a restaurant area tbh, you do tend to pay at the bar when you order.

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Status_Accident_2819@reddit

They can call themselves a restaurant and do this - a lot of pubs in busy touristy areas will do this. A lot of foreigners will see "pub" and assume drinks only; restaurant ensures everyone knows they do food too. Table service is challenging when it's tourist season. The tip is cheeky though.

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Ballbag94@reddit

McDonalds also call themselves a restaurant, I don't think when you pay comes into the definition

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Not_a_Roman88@reddit

Nando’s?

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Professional-Day6965@reddit

I disagree. I've seen a great many pubs describe themselves as a restaurant and take payment up front. I don't think there's a hard and fast rule here. Some do, some don't.

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fried_art5@reddit

I personally wouldn't. In America, workers are not paid for service by who they work for, it's down to the customers. In UK, I believe it's law the place has to pay u service fees, don't quote me on that, I could be wrong. It's often already charged on ur bill regardless tho. U can ofc ask it to be taken off if u didn't like the service but I think that's it. I don't think the place u went want service tips tho, I think they just want it in general tho I don't actually know as I haven't been there

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7086HDSYRK@reddit

0% tip as just goes in not owners pockets no matter what they say... If a member of staff you think deserves the tip.. slip a note it into their hands so management don't steal it..

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Lemmyheadwind@reddit

Refuse to tip

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DrHydeous@reddit

Ordering and paying in advance at a counter is completely normal for places that call themselves a restaurant. McDonalds, for example, calls itself a restaurant. These days, if we accept the usage encouraged by McDonalds and the cretins who eat their muck, then the word just means "place where you can get warm food that is ready to eat". And it is normal to order and pay in advance at the bar in pubs. That place calls itself an inn, which generally means a pub with bedrooms. The only thing that's not normal here is the apparent expectation of a tip in advance. Normal people tip afterwards, and only when the staff have provided exceptional service beyond what you would expect of people just doing their job. I would have declined to pay a tip in advance. If they won't accept 0% then they don't get my business.

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Paul2377@reddit

The dividing line between a pub and restaurant can be a very fine one, in my experience. Indeed some pubs will call a different room their 'restaurant' when it has exactly the same menu as the bar! In that scenario it's totally normal to be asked to pay when you order. I personally prefer it because then you don't need to attract the waiter's attention for the bill when you're ready to leave. It's very rare to be asked for a tip upfront, though. If I were asked at that point I'd decline as, if I feel like leaving one, I'd probably leave some cash on the table afterwards.

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doepfersdungeon@reddit

Many pubs you order at the bar. Restaurant is a generic word. If that's how they do it that's how they do it. Many inns and pubs are the same but maybebnot enough for it to be considered normal. Tip 0 if you want . 8 percent is low for a tip so not a bad option.

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Nooms88@reddit

I've seen it as the default option at a few pubs, most bar men just hit 0% for you

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AttentionOtherwise80@reddit

That's my experience too.

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Glad_Boysenberry_673@reddit

Just Eat does this as well. Asks for a tip before you even get your food. I’m not tipping as I don’t know if my food will arrive, if it’ll be cold etc 🤣

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JustUseAnything@reddit

Not tipped.

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Decent-Chocolate5828@reddit

Tips should be voluntary, for good service rendered so you shouldn’t have to tip for good service when at the time you haven’t yet received ANY sort of service! Any establishment that insists on a tip without giving a customer the option doesn’t get my custom .

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SparkleWildfire@reddit

We stayed in another Inn Collection Group hotel this week and the tip options popped up for drinks, but the staff would quickly just tap through the options so you could pay. I think it's just standard for their POS. Also the Inn Collection are primarily a hotel chain with a focus on the food in a pub setting. They often have separate sections for booked tables for food vs. walk ins for a pint, and of course they use the area for breakfast, hence the term of restaurant.

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OrbDemon@reddit

Don’t tip up front. The fact it’s called an Inn indicates it’s essentially a pub that does food.

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PatChauncey@reddit

I was in another of this chain's pubs yesterday (also in Ambleside - they've taken over about 50% of the pubs in the Lakes) where I just bought drinks and declined to tip. I expect most people do this. It's totally normal to order pub food at the bar and pay up front. FWIW I thought it was expensive and we paid for parking which was a rip off. I'll avoid Inn Group pubs in the future.

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ChapterCritical5231@reddit

I think the fact that it has ‘inn’ in the name would preclude the fact that it’s a restaurant, it sounds more like a pub/carvery/premier Inn type. That said nowhere should be asking for a tip before service, services have not even been rendered so how can one choose how much to pay? Silly choices by business owners bringing that ideology to the UK where people are paid a minimum wage it just makes them look like A: money grabbers or B: Monetised autonomy that doesn’t really care about the customer it just follows a business model that worked elsewhere

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SingerFirm1090@reddit

The seperate ordering thing is not so unusual, paying in advance is as they ask for a tip. Places I haved encountered where you pay before you eat, not unusual in pubs, the tipping is done in a tip jar on the way out.

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Swamivik@reddit

Separate

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UKTim24530@reddit

I'd have refused to tip. They call themselves The Ambleside Inn, you say? That's a pub. Inn means pub in Britain, technically with accomodations and food, but generally these days just "pub". The fact that they are calling themselves a restaurant is their pretention, pure and simple. I would agree that if you have to order at the bar it's not a restaurant. In America they call McDonald's restaurants so by that measure I guess it is.

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TapAcceptable3380@reddit

Lake District swarming with Japanese & American tourists, that's why - they know most pay by card, & will probably present you once with the reader, so they see their opportunity - although can't see why they wouldn't have a 'yes, or' no option on the screen?

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Kind_Dream_610@reddit

Tipping in Japan is considered offensive, because unlike America, and sadly more and more the UK, Japan pays its servers a decent wage.

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geeoharee@reddit

This is the real answer, Ambleside is a tourist trap.

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colin_staples@reddit

Tipping can get in the fucking sea. You set the price, I pay the price. The. End. “But, but…” NO! The price you set should include ALL of the costs of operating your restaurant. If it doesn’t include a (proper) wage for the wait staff, then you fucked up. Not my problem. Do we tip at Tesco? When we pay our electricity bill? Our council tax? When we buy petrol? When we buy clothes? No we don’t. Because we’re not stupid. No fucking way am I volunteering to pay extra on top of the price that YOU set, and not 20% extra

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NortonBurns@reddit

My back would have been up right from the start. I'd have set no tip. In older times I would have left some cash on the table at the end, appropriate to the food & service. These days I don't carry cash. They'd probably have spit in my dinner. But if enough people do it, perhaps they'll change how they work.

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zxy35@reddit

Initially 0 tip. If it's good service leave a tip on the table, I always carry cash for this very occasion . Some members of the general public are extremely rude, and would not even thank the underpaid staff, if they had a good experience.

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NortonBurns@reddit

Staff in the UK are not 'underpaid'. They get National Minimum Wage. You could argue that's still underpaid, but it's a legal minimum many other areas of industry also pay - with no hope of any tip.

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pharmamess@reddit

Could and would still argue they're underpaid, same as all other menial workers. It's systemic.

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ZealousidealAir3586@reddit

Yeah nobody should be paying for a tip before they’ve had their food. Same with takeaways - don’t do it.

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TeetheMoose@reddit

What would I have done? Walked out and taken my service elsewhere.

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Realistic-River-1941@reddit

I'd have found the 0% button.

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Lazy_Age_9466@reddit

They are not a restaurant. They are a pub with food, whatever they call themselves.

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ghotiboy77@reddit

In this situation the Tip is usually a tickbox on the payment software thats designed to be used after you've finished your meal.

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NotSmarterThanA8YO@reddit

\>you’re also expected to add a tip at that point No you're not.

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SoloMarko@reddit

Whether I'm expected to or not, they can fuckoff.

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Top_Barnacle9669@reddit

Hit the 0% and tip at the end. It's what I do

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

99% of people will hit 0% for the tip and the other 1% will be American tourists. Guarantee it. And I guarantee the staff hate that the option is there.

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PassionFruitJam@reddit

Yeah in this setup it is a 0% tip at point of sale and if all is great and good a cash tip left on the table.

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btapple@reddit

Asked some questions.

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AuroraDF@reddit

I've come across this and it annoys me. But I've come across a better way. I was recently in a hotel bar where you ordered at the bar. They did not add a service charge and there was no option to add a tip. But right next to where you were stood to pay, there was a little contactless machine where you could tip. I forget the options but it was something like £3, £5, £10 or £20 with the possibility of changing it if you wanted. I ate one course with one other person and we had drinks, service at the table was excellent and the bill was about £50. I tipped £5 - after we'd eaten.

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Felgar36@reddit

I would ha e said any tip depends on the quality of service and I do t tip before I have been served my food

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CurvePuzzleheaded361@reddit

Inn usually means pub. Many places want the payment before food, especially pubs. As for the tip, just say no if you do not wish to tip.

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Gnarly_314@reddit

The number of restaurants losing money from people who dine and dash is disgusting. It is not only the general public suffering due to the cost of living but businesses as well. Asking for the food to be paid for up front is a safeguard for the business. Asking for the tip in advance is cheeky.

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Mickleborough@reddit

I can understand the logic, as that’d be the first and last time you’d see the card machine, and you tip for the service associated with your order. But it does seem rather taking the piss to tip for service you haven’t received.

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wildOldcheesecake@reddit

There is still opportunity to tip by slipping a few quid to the server in question. But I absolutely would not tip before any service is provided.

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AdministrativeShip2@reddit

Lots of pub style places have a tip.on each transaction option. Most times I see it they're embarrassed at its how the card machines /pos are set up by default and will preemptively hit the no tip options. Others you have to do it for yourself. Worst one I ever saw always a guy at a tool station who was hitting yes to a tip (for charity) before showing the final price. His manager got very upset.

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Suspicious_Map_7987@reddit (OP)

In my case, no one seemed embarrassed — quite the opposite. When I reached out to tap my phone on the terminal, the bartender actually told me I had to select the tip percentage first.

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OrganizationOk5418@reddit

So what you are saying is, you're a minge-bag.

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BaconLara@reddit

The tipping in that situation is a little weird, but a lot of card machines do it automatically. But going to the bar to order in an inn/pub is very normal. Tip with cash after

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Whole-Lychee1628@reddit

I tend to not tip when it’s an option on a screen. Not because I’m stingey, but because I can’t be sure the tip won’t just be lumped into a central pot, or worse, just go to the business. Basis for this goes back to 1997, when I was a hotel General Assistant. In a single shift I might do reception, bookings, waiting, and bar work. The casual staff might only work the bar for a few hours. Yet, all tips were shared equally. It really got my goat when we had a guest seriously ill with food poisoning (not from our kitchen, I hasten to add!). His wife was in clear distress, so I phoned my GP surgery, and the Doctor did a house call, and was able to make a diagnosis and a prescription. I was given a £30 tip for that. Which, give my salary was a piss poor £7,200 a year? Was very welcome. But, of course, away it went into the general tips slush, despite it being something entirely of my own initiative. Hence? I only tip Cash, unless it’s somewhere I know and trust not to screw its individual staff.

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Figueroa_Chill@reddit

If I were asked for a tip, it would be nothing.

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AffectionateFig9277@reddit

Tbh at Tobys you also pay at the bar ahead of time for breakfast and I think that’s considered a restaurant as well, or?

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Crivens999@reddit

Nah not normal for paying a tip up front. Otherwise totally pub. Insist you pay the tip at the end (it’s optional anyway and is supposed to be a reward for good service you have yet to receive) and simply leave 1p each on the table when you go, so they don’t think you forgot. Cheeky twats. Check your food for body fluids. Or simply just leave at the start and go somewhere normal

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RavenSaysHi@reddit

Normal to order at the bar in a pub restaurant. Don’t tip in that situation. They might be cheeky, it might just be default on the new card machine.

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Jemima_puddledook678@reddit

This is very standard for that sort of place. You went to a place half a step above a pub, table service wouldn’t necessarily be expected. The big thing you’re missing, as others have pointed out, is that you aren’t really expected to tip. If your service was genuinely exceptional some people may choose to give the staff member some money cash in hand at the end of the meal, but otherwise very few people would tip.

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Non-Combatant@reddit

Tipping isn't normal no, and asking for it before hand with suggested amounts is cheeky. But some of these systems are automated, I ate at a green king pub a while ago and the staff just hit 0 every time before I could do anything

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DropDeadDigsy@reddit

I’d remind him that this isn’t America and whist I’m more than happy to tip, I’ll do it after I’ve finished my meal. I’m a liar, I’d have just paid it but I like to think I’d do the above.

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MixPlus@reddit

Yes and don't mind as (in my experience) you don't pay for service.

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Cyberhaggis@reddit

Zero. Nil. Zilch. Not happening. Look them dead in the eye and say no. American tipping culture is poison.

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GrendelKhanmac@reddit

We don't tip if we're performing the service. We also don't tip in advance as we don't know how good is the service quality at that point. We tip on the high side usually but will tip 0% if service is bad.

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-auntiesloth-@reddit

Hit that 0% Cheeky bastards

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Substantial_Steak723@reddit

Spoken to the manager and said how fucked up think I t it was to ask for a tip in the UK (we are not the usa) and before quality of service and food is ascertained. Wholly off putting and a bit fat zero from me thus, akin to begging bowl rather than recognition and appreciation for the experience of it warranted a tip!

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ThaiFoodThaiFood@reddit

I would have not tipped.

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obviouslyanonymous7@reddit

Hit that 0% Tip button straight away

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BigBongo84@reddit

Well, I would’ve caused a scene of course (what I actually mean is, I would’ve paid the tip and just silently seethed about it)

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EtwasSonderbar@reddit

I'd have tipped 0, the same as I do everywhere else.

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qualityvote2@reddit

Hello u/Suspicious_Map_7987! Welcome to r/AskABrit! --- For other users, does this post fit the subreddit? If so, **upvote this comment!** Otherwise, **downvote this comment!** And if it does break the rules, **downvote this comment and report this post!**

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