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Belgians don't tip restaurant staff enough, says union
Only one in four customers in bars and restaurants in Belgium leaves a tip, according to a survey of 472 establishments by SNI, the union that represents the self-employed. Of those, the amount of the tips left continue to decrease.
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 SNI 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, SNI 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
Comments
"Belgian restaurant staff don't provide service anywhere near good enough for a tip", say customers.
I believe there is a lack of public memory here. Restaurant bills in Belgium automatically include by law a 15% tip and VAT in the stated prices. This goes back to the time when VAT was introduced in the 1970's and VAT vouchers were made compulsory. The tip was made automatic and compulsory, which caused a lot of argument at the time because it did nothing to encourage good service. This is why Belgians as a whole tend to not tip even when they get good service, as they know that they are already paying a fairly large tip within the bill. If restaurateurs have conveniently "forgotten" this and pocket the whole amount, that of course needs correcting.