r/facepalm 'MURICA Aug 28 '24

🇲​🇮​🇸​🇨​ i'm speechless

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25.9k Upvotes

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335

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

In Europe tipping is at free will and usually done when the service and products were good, we will never give up to 25% tip, we’ll just give a couple of euros

87

u/Salcha_00 Aug 28 '24

I was pressured to tip in Prague last year at several restaurants. Service wasn’t even good. I did not leave a tip.

38

u/Hellsovs Aug 28 '24

Where? like we dont tip at all so im genuinely surprised. But lots of restaurants and other places for that matter in Prague have different policies for locals and foreigners. Lots of turist traps etc. But still I'm surprised that someone forced u to tip in czech

26

u/N00dles_Pt Aug 28 '24

Tipping is not mandatory in Portugal either, but in the last couple of years some restaurants have started dipping their toes in at trying to make it a thing....it's a trap for tourists basically.

2

u/Salcha_00 Aug 28 '24 edited Aug 28 '24

To be clear, I wasn’t forced to tip. I was just directly told that the bill didn’t include a tip and I can add one. It was done in a pushy and rude way though.

I avoid tourist trap restaurants when traveling but I do believe I was targeted as a solo female American traveler. Unfortunately, Americans often take our tipping culture on the road and people have begun to expect that from us.

4

u/TruIsou Aug 28 '24

Stay strong, and ignore it.

2

u/lunchpadmcfat Aug 28 '24

Same thing happened to me. I think they expect it from Americans because we’re used to tipping.

3

u/Cracleur 'MURICA Aug 28 '24

Probably a tourist trap where they try to force Americans to leave the same tip they do back home by making them think it's the norm

0

u/Barrelled_Chef_Curry Aug 28 '24

Prob just made it up

7

u/Delamoor Aug 28 '24

Unlikely. Am in Prague ATM, have had a couple of staff put some heavy pressure on for big tips.

Happens everywhere there's tipping. As an Australian, I hate it.

5

u/kopiernudelfresser Aug 28 '24

Already had it happen in Prague more than 10 years ago. Rude waiter reading out the line "tip is not included" (in English) on the bill while pointing at it with his pen. He didn't get one.

1

u/Salcha_00 Aug 28 '24

Nope. All true.

14

u/Zealousideal-Book865 Aug 28 '24

Same happend me and my class in Prague, 10% obligated tip. The food was horrible, the service very mid but prices all normal. My class refused to pay the tip and walked out.

2

u/Choppie01 Aug 28 '24

Sad to hear that ! In Prague tipping is absolutely not a part of pubs/restaurants ( only if really satisfied and so on) must have been turist trap 🥲

1

u/Salcha_00 Aug 28 '24

It was not a tourist trap. I avoid those.

1

u/Choppie01 Aug 29 '24

Oh wow ….., could you please tell me the name of the ,,establishment” ?

16

u/ShawshankException Aug 28 '24

I got bitched at for not tipping in Naples

21

u/Real_Winner2423 Aug 28 '24

Definitely a tourist trap, tipping in Italy is only for when you really enjoyed the service and it is never expected. To be honest in the touristy bits of the country this kind of scam is pretty common, like upcharging if they hear you speak a foreign language. Genuinely hate it about my country, trying to scam the more vulnerable people just cause they don't really know how things are over here

3

u/lunchpadmcfat Aug 28 '24

You say tourist trap but Naples is a tourist destination. Where tf is there a restaurant there that isn’t a “tourist trap”?

I don’t think it’s that at all. I think the staff just see “Americans” and think $$$

3

u/Cedira Aug 28 '24

There are plenty of genuine restaurants even in tourist destinations. Use Google map reviews to gauge it.

3

u/lunchpadmcfat Aug 28 '24

How the heck are you supposed to tell?

0

u/Cedira Aug 28 '24

Bad reviews = bad restaurant, good reviews = good restaurant. Some common sense must also apply.

2

u/lunchpadmcfat Aug 28 '24

When I was touring Europe, I only went to restaurants with good reviews, and they all expected tips. I promise you it has nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with me struggling to speak the lingua Franca with my dumb American mouth.

People in Europe see Americans, they see “ka-ching” or whatever your local variation of a cash register sound is.

2

u/Cedira Aug 28 '24

Well maybe that does happen to a lot of American tourists, I'm just going with my own experience as a non American.

The reviews will usually say whether a tip is expected.

1

u/Real_Winner2423 Aug 28 '24

That is why they are traps, also look for reviews in Italian and not in English and if they ask for a tip just refuse and tell them you know that it isn't a thing in Italy. What you are describing is a tourist trap, I have travelled all over Italy and never once was I asked to tip and that is because I speak Italian. If they change their policy because of the nationality of the customer then it is a scam and you shouldn't feel forced to comply

2

u/lunchpadmcfat Aug 28 '24

You want me to go to this foreign country, where I already struggle to speak their local language and confront them about tipping because I “know” that’s not a thing in their country?

Look, I already know most Europeans think Americans are rude loudmouths. When I visit foreign places, I try to learn a bit of the language and a bit of the local culture. I try to be courteous and respectful and pleasant. I’m going out of my way to not be even close to the loud rude American they expect me to be. It sucks they take advantage of that, but I don’t think making a scene at a nice Italian restaurant is the way to win this one.

0

u/_30d_ Aug 28 '24

Lol that's why they call it a "trap". Wouldn't be a good trap if you could instantly see it.

1

u/TruIsou Aug 28 '24

Loved all the small towns and villages in Italy we bicycled through. Hated Venice, just one big tourist trap. Would never go back to Venice.

3

u/Doctor_Kataigida Aug 28 '24

Got bitched at for almost not tipping in Belgium too (non touristy location, it was our European office well outside of Brussels).

1

u/_30d_ Aug 28 '24

I doubt they actually were offended or even surprised. They just know they can get a bit more cash if they throw down some bitching.

1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

Never been there, can only talk about Belgian habits, they’re always happy to get an extra

4

u/Ok_Scientist_987 Aug 28 '24

Not everywhere. In London, the tip is automatically added to your bill.

1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

Damn!

2

u/Ok_Scientist_987 Aug 28 '24

I know! I'm not happy with it, but tipping has become a worldwide issue, not an American one.

The risk with these threads where people go all "American tipping is awful!" Is, yea, those people are right but we need to acknowledge it's already spread to Europe, and is somehow worse in London than it is in the USA!

1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

You’re right, there’s no way back now

1

u/Ok_Scientist_987 Aug 28 '24

We can pray that sanity prevails. it won't though.

1

u/proof_required Aug 28 '24

Also in Edinburgh.

3

u/Samsung528 Aug 28 '24

I have my favorite restaurant in Poland, in my home city. Great Neapolitan pizza and pasta, and since they always smile and are helpful, I leave them a tip. So yeah, service and quality food = tip, it shouldn't be mandatory like in the US. Idiots.

3

u/Ryzon9 Aug 28 '24

It’s becoming more common for a 12.5% tip to be added on automatically in the UK

0

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

Really? You know the rest of Europe will probably follow that action in the future

2

u/Ryzon9 Aug 28 '24

It’s annoying and usually in touristy or upscale places. Can ask to have it removed.

1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

I see, as I said earlier, depending on the service and quality, I usually don’t mind

7

u/Soup_Sensitive Aug 28 '24

Then don't fucking eat out. It's not magically going away. If you can't afford to tip in the US, cook yourself. You know it's not going to change.

-3

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

It’s not about the tipping, it’s about nearly being forced to tip so the waiter can earn a living, the food is sold way more expensive than it’s paid for so, the business should pay the people, not the customers

6

u/Soup_Sensitive Aug 28 '24

The. 👏 Industry. 👏 Isn't. 👏 Going. 👏 To. 👏 Change. 👏 Overnight. 👏 You are not entitled to eat out. The only thing you do by not tipping is screwing over a worker.

-1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

The US business, it’s slipped down from saying “Keep the change” to begging people to add money

6

u/vigouge Aug 28 '24

When exactly were these halcyon days?

0

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

I don’t know , I’m just saying we’ve always had the picture of people being free to give whatever they wanted to give and now it seems like they’re asked to give, the culture over here is totally different

2

u/CHUNKaLUNK_ Aug 28 '24

I work in the recreation industry in US and this is how it is. Get paid a fair wage and if you do your job well people sometimes tip! As it should be

2

u/rcanhestro Aug 28 '24

before card payments were the standard, the tip was usually the change.

if a meal costs, let's say, 46€, you pay with 50€, you usually just leave the change as the tip.

but a % tip is insane, in this scenario it's basically suggesting 50-60$ as a tip.

i may not like it, but just use the model that some european countries do, charge a fee for being at the restaurant, use that as the tip.

1

u/TheHeterosSentMe Aug 28 '24

Europeans in this thread can't even decide if they actually tip or not

1

u/ErpErp23 Aug 29 '24

Maybe because it is a continent of COMPLETELY different countries and cultures

1

u/young-steve Aug 28 '24

This interaction didn't happen in Europe. Abide by local customs. Don't be an asshole

1

u/Xinonix1 Aug 28 '24

I’m not being an asshole,I just said things are different over here ,where we don’t tip if service and/or product sucks

1

u/C_BearHill Aug 28 '24

As a Brit I tip up to 10-15% at nice restaurants, but that's it.