Locals don’t tip restaurant staff enough, says union
Fewer locals are tipping in restaurants and bars and those who do are leaving less, according to NSZ union
One in 10 bosses demand share of tips
While the exact amount depends on the size of the bill, the tip was usually around 5%. “Tips used to be a nice extra for staff in these businesses,” said NSZ president Christine Mattheeuws. “But it’s a lot less so these days.”
She did point out that tips do not make up part of the pay of staff, who earn a full wage. Belgians are likely to tip only in cases where they have received exceptional service, unlike countries like Germany, France and Portugal, where tipping is expected and much more common.
One of the reasons for the decline in tipping, NSZ said, is the rise in electronic payments, as customers are less likely to leave a cash tip if paying with a card. “Even though it’s possible to add a tip to the bill when paying, almost no-one does that,” Mattheeuws said.
What tips there are go straight to staff in only 60% of cases, the survey showed. In some cases, tips are pooled to buy drinks for staff, whereby the money flows into the business. And in 11% of cases, owners themselves demand a share of the tips.
Photo: Ingimage
About the author
