Should we tip in restaurants and cafes? What percentage is acceptable? Who should we tip and who shouldn’t we tip? We’ll be discussing this question in this episode of Aprender Ingles con Reza y Craig

we received an email from Fernanda from Uruguay.

Hi Reza and Craig,
So nice to hear you guys! I´m Fernanda from Uruguay and I´m so amazed by your podcast.
I crossed out (came across) your episodes when I was searching (looking for) some help with my English, (I´m a CAE student)
I find you very entertaining and you are so clear when you explain everything! (Sometimes it´s hard for me to understand your Spanish I must say haha!)

I have a question for you two: The thing is that I want to be an English teacher in the future, but I have what I would call “a problem”. When I´m doing exercises or talking, I never think of the grammatical structure of a tense or what kind of word it is. You would laugh, but I really suck at discerning subjects like nouns, pronouns, adjectives etc). Do you think this would be an important factor for not being able to teach?

Thank you very much, keep on posting!
Hugs from Latin America!
Fernanda Ehrlich

Tipping 
Blog post on tipping in the UK
BBC blog post on tipping: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45701799

“Restaurants will be legally bar red from keeping tips from staff in the UK. The move follows a public outcry (clamor, protesta) in 2015, when it emerged that many High Street chains routinely took up to 10% of tips paid by credit and debit card.”

Some restaurants keep a percentage of the tips to cover the charge of processing the credit card payment.

Do you usually leave a tip in cash or on the card?

Who should we tip? (hairdressers, taxi drivers, hotel receptionists/porters, bar staff, teachers, postal service delivery people)
Should you tip even if the service isn’t that good? Why/Why not?

Tipping in the UK
According to Tripsavvy.com ( https://www.tripsavvy.com/when-is-tipping-expected-1662410 )
Restaurants: 12.5-15%
Takeaway restaurants: small change
Taxi drivers: 10%
Hotel staff: 1-2 pounds
Tour guide: 10-15%

There is a concept called “Service Charge” in the UK, which means you are obliged to pay 10 – 20% extra if you are a (large) group, typically 6 or more people.
It must be written on the menu. If it is written, you must pay it. What do you think about this? For further info:
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/do-i-have-to-pay-a-service-charge-if-the-service-is-poor

Tipping in the US
According to USA Today ( https://eu.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/06/14/much-tip-depends/71137254/ )
Restaurants: 15-20%
Bartenders: $1-$2 per drink or 15-20% of the bar tab
Car valets: $2-$5 to retrieve your vehicle
Taxi drivers/hair stylists/manicurists/masseurs: 15-20%
Pizza delivery: at least $2
Bellhop: $2 to start, then an additional $1 per bag
Hotel staff/room cleaners etc: $2-$5 per night

Tipping in Spain
According to Tripsavvy.com ( https://www.tripsavvy.com/should-you-tip-in-spain-1644349 ), tipping is less uniform in Spain than the UK/USA, depending on several more factors.
Why are tips in Spain generally much smaller than the UK/USA?
Leave the small change?
Does it make a difference if you’re a regular or not?
Would you tip more in an expensive restaurant than in a local ‘menu del día’ bar?
What do you think about the fact that tipping was, for a short time, prohibited by law in Barcelona!?
George Orwell, who witnessed it first hand, describes the context, (possibly better than anyone else could), in his non-fiction book about the Spanish Civil War, Homage to Catalonia:
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/scw/orwell.htm
“…Tipping had been forbidden by law since the time of Primo de Rivera; almost my first experience was receiving a lecture from a hotel manager for trying to tip a lift-boy…”

Should we tip?
What started out as a reward for exceptional service has now become compulsory.

“Tipping starts with people wanting to be generous or to show off, but then it becomes something where people just do it because it’s expected of them,” says Michael Lynn, a professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University who has written more than 50 research papers on tipping. When we tip, we are essentially buying the right to avoid disapproval and guilt — a uniquely first-world problem.

“Studies by Michael Lynn have shown that waitresses with larger breasts, smaller body sizes and blond hair tend to earn more tips than waitresses without such attributes.
A separate study by Lynn found that white servers are tipped more than black servers for the same quality service and regardless of the race of the customer.“

…and now it’s your turn to practise your English. What’s your view on tipping? Which professions expect tips in your country. What percentage, if any, is acceptable in restaurants where you live?
Send us a voice message. https://www.speakpipe.com/inglespodcast
Send us an email with a comment or question to [email protected] or [email protected].

Thank you to all our wonderful Patrons who are supporting the podcast (names on the website)
Special thanks to.Bruno our Gold Sponsor who offers walking tours of Copenhagen through his company https://www.copenhagenwalkingtour.com/
Castle Tours and Walking Tours of Copenhagen both in English or Spanish!
Also, Favela walking tour in Rio, led by local guides only. It’s safe and it helps the community to improve their daily needs. Go to Bruno’s websites to find out more information: http://www.favelawalkingtour.com.br/

Join our Patreon program for $1 per month and you get instant access to recent transcriptions that have been lovingly transcribed by Angélica Bello from Madrid. https://www.patreon.com/inglespodcast

Welcome to our new Patreon supports who have joined us this month:
Jorge Torres
Josue Molina Mendez
Miguel Salazar
Edith Clavijo Moreno
Jose Manuel Pelaez Invernon

On next week’s episode: Words from Shakespeare

The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’
Photo by Petr Sevcovic on Unsplash

Thank you to all our wonderful Patrons who are supporting the podcast:
Ana Giovanna
Dana Constantin
Patxi Ibáñez
Manuel Tarazona
Juan Carlos Rodado
Maite Palacín Perez
Lara Arlem
Néstor from Luces Extrañas
Maria Gervatti
Lorena
Sara jarabo
Carlos Garrido
Mamen
Juan Leyva Galera
Corey Fineran
Miren Ful
Jose Luis Arregui
Agus Paolucci
Mariel Riedemann
Manuel Garci­a Betegón
Raul Lopez
Rafael
Jose Manuel Fernandez Picazo
Pilar Martinez
Ganbatte Blog
Igor Garmendia
Ignacio Espona
Kieran
Ana Ibarra
Marina Ortiz Pena
Juan Carlos Pantin Fernandez
Alejandro Pluma
Alex Cuadra
Jose Emilio Villena
Esperanza Colmenero
Emilio Manuel Martinez Rivas
Txema Santa Cruz
Ana Fernandez Monterrubio
Carlos Cano Domingo
Gustavo
Antonio Diaz
José Antonio Muñoz
Eva Maria Elizalde Martínez
Arminda
Fafo
Carlos Sanchez
Elvira Cortés
Francisco Javier Alejandre Sebastian
Andrea Mio
Rogelio Menendez
Antonio Lafuente
Eloy
Pablo Martínez
Miguel
Javier Correa Sambade
Alejandro Martínez
Alejandra Ventura
Isabel Armada
Mar Carmona
Gaby Rojas
Ana
Chus Martinez
Joana Mendes
Reynaldo Esparza Garcia
Alfonso
Luis Santiago López Caraballo
Mara Nieto
Jose Manuel Romero Garcia
Fernando Ruiz
Lucas Antonio Soto Frías
Jose Luis
Adriana Rojas Suarez
Julia Frasquet Morant
Beatriz Garlaschi
Alberto Valverde Conde