It was appropriate that yesterday Kalli Anderson of CBC Radio called me and asked if I would pundit (not sure it's a verb, but if it ain't, I just created it) for a segment on Daybreak about tipping. Appropriate because today is the hottest day of the year so far, and hot air was probably what was going to come out of my mouth.
I like being a pundit, but especially when I don't even have to be a talking head — just a telephone head. Because I have Taishi with me, there was no way I could make it downtown at 7 a.m. for a nine-minute segment, but Kalli was most accommodating and it was agreed I could phone it in.
It's amazing how contentious the issue of tipping is. I've already referred to it but there are definitely two entrenched camps here in the Americas, and I'll wager no one is going to budge from their position any time soon.
On this segment, my co-pundit was Suzanne, a bartender from West Island (I think) who commented on the behavior of various tribes of tippers (or non-tippers.) The verdict? Europeans often pretend ignorance that the tip is not calculated into the final tally and that all one can do is shrug if they leave nothing, and that Americans are good tippers, contrary to popular belief.
But that Quebecers were the best tippers of all.
Further reading
There have been too many times I've had a fine meal with fine service, and I'm about to leave a nice tip ... and then the waiter or waitress disappears and I can't get my freaking bill.
ReplyDeleteNothing will make a tip go down faster than this.
I'm bad with math, but I usually figure out what 15% is (that's usually pretty easy) and then add more as the situation merits. I'd guess my average is exactly midway between 15% and 20%.
Hmm . . . having lived in both a land that has no tipping (Japan) and one that is practically run by gratuities (India) I just do 20% and then just move on. I figure that whatever my psychic karma is, maybe I'll get repaid in the Next Life.
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