“Oh, don’t talk to me about Canadians,” said an American voice. “They’re almost as bad as those fuckin’ Australians. They never tip.”
It was an effort not to join the debate. I was one of those ‘fuckin’ Australians’ who hated tipping. In my experience, the worse the service someone gives, the more they expect a tip. Just pay the poor people and set the prices appropriately.
The Japanese have the right idea. To them, a tip is an insult – it says ‘I’m better than you’. The waiter, the hotel bellboy and the lift attendant in the shopping centre are happy to have a job, and they’re paid for the service they provide. They’re not begging.