Eating out in Ireland is costly enough, I’ve an issue with tips

I was reminded recently of an incident that happened a few years ago involving my late mother-in-law, Moyra Swords.

She was in her nineties at the time and her eyesight was fading badly. Her hearing wasn’t great either.

She was travelling from Dungarvan with her daughter Ann, when they were stopped at a garda checkpoint.

When the garda approached the driver’s window, Moyra immediately began rummaging through her handbag to find some change for the garda. She thought it was someone collecting for a charity and happily handed money to Ann to give to the garda.

Ann was mortified and told her mother to put the bag away in case the gesture was construed differently. She had visions of poor old Moyra being hauled off in handcuffs for trying to bribe an officer of the law. Thankfully, the garda saw the funny side of it.

Moyra always insisted on leaving a tip wherever she went, so she would have survived well in America, given her willingness to hand over money. She wouldn’t have had a problem with their tipping culture, unlike some of her counterparts.

It was reported recently that a restaurant owner in America wanted all Europeans banned from the country because they were useless tippers.

He had obviously been upset by some customers from this side of the pond, but having an issue with Europeans not tipping is ironic, given that it was the Europeans who introduced tipping to the States in the first place.

According to businessinsider.com, the origins of tipping are uncertain, but historians say it likely began in Europe during the Middle Ages, when many people lived under a feudal system. Tipping emerged as a master-serf custom in which masters would tip their servants for good service. By the 1700s, it extended to customers tipping service-industry workers.

Historians say tipping in the USA was almost non-existent prior to about 1840, but in the years leading up to the Civil War, many wealthy Americans discovered the practice on their travels to Europe.

When they returned, some began tipping as a way to signal their status and show off their worldliness. Europeans also began immigrating to the US, bringing the custom of tipping with them.

Initially, most Americans didn’t take to tipping, in part because they said it encouraged classism and further distinguished the wealthy from the common person.

Anti-tipping sentiment persisted and, in 1904, the Anti-Tipping Society of America was founded and its 100,000 pledged to not tip anyone for a year.

In 1915, Iowa ed legislation that said anyone convicted of accepting a tip of any kind would be fined or imprisoned for a maximum of 30 days. In Arkansas, any waiter found guilty of accepting a tip was fined $10.

But, in 1919, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state’s anti-tipping law was unconstitutional, and by 1926 all anti-tipping laws were off the books.

Now, Americans are tipping more than ever before, so what ?

Well, for those of us not familiar with the rules of the tipping game in this neck of the woods, the website Irishgraves.com offer the Complete Guide to Tipping in Ireland.

They suggest that while it is not mandatory, it is a way to show appreciation. Around 10% of the bill is usual for restaurants, and 10-15% for taxis and tour guides.

Service staff prefer cash tips, but it’s also okay to tip with a credit card, but they tell us to always check if there’s already a service charge on the bill.

In pubs, tipping isn’t expected per drink, but rounding up or giving about 10% of the total bill for table service is polite, and for hotel staff such as housekeepers or porters, €1 to €2 per day is appreciated if you liked their service.

At restaurants or cafes in Ireland, when a service charge is not added, tipping your server 10-15% of the total bill is customary.

I have an issue with that. Staying in a hotel in Ireland is expensive and so is eating out.

I was at a restaurant recently with the family and our drinks bill alone - two pints and two glasses of house wine - came to €27.30. Add that to the cost of the meal, then include a tip of 15%, and that amounts to a tidy sum.

I didn’t leave a tip on that occasion and I’m slow to tip in this country because we pay too much for pretty much everything already, including eating out, hotel accommodation, and alcohol.

I spend a lot of time in Cyprus where restaurants are reasonably priced, so going for a meal isn’t a major consideration and I will happily leave a tip.

Maybe, in Ireland, we could learn something from Japanese culture. Tips there are considered an insult, according to Readers Digest. The Japanese consider exceptional service to be part of the job, and employees take great pride in their work.

The advice for visitors is not to tip, regardless of whether you’re dining at a high-end restaurant in Tokyo or taking a taxi in Kyoto.

Instead, Japanese culture emphasizes hospitality, known as ‘Omotenashi, which ensures customers receive the best service possible without the expectation of additional compensation.

Taxi drivers in Japan do not expect tips, and that includes telling them to keep the change. The exact fare is all that is required.

Professional tour guides and translators in Japan don’t expect tips.

A heartfelt thank-you or a positive review will suffice as an expression of your appreciation.

It’s also worth noting that, in some places, tipping is even considered to be offensive.

So, to avoid upsetting anyone and in the interest of being respectful, I’m opting out of the tipping culture.

The next time a tip is required, I’m going to offer a heartfelt thank-you instead.