It is one of the hottest topics in the Italian restaurant industry in recent days. It is the latest provocation by the manager of the Al Cambio restaurant in Bologna, Pietro Pompilimandatory tipping in restaurants to avoid escape of room staff. An ancient issue, which is regularly discussed again.
It seems to retrace the famous dialogue from the film Hyenasby Tarantino, the one in which Mr. Pink opposes the use of tipping in the United States. Why give it? Why give it in any restaurant and not in a McDonald's? Besides, there are countries where it is customary to give it, others where it would be a grave offence, like in Japan or Korea. Then how to calculate a tip? In principle it consists of 10% or 20% of the total, but it all depends. In short, the tip is divisive, but instead of making a belly-flop about it, it is always a good idea to assess every aspect.
Tipping between Europe and the US, two worlds in comparison
In Europe, tipping is usually an exceptional circumstance, a sign of appreciation for excellent service. Despite the fact that a fixed percentage for service is often added to the bill, as is the case in France or Germany or England, tipping proper remains the customer's choice, sometimes linked to etiquette. In Italy, the culture of tipping is almost non-existent and the customer feels entirely free to leave a tip or not, depending on his or her experience: according to the rankings, he or she generally does not.
Despite the cliché, it is not compulsory in the US either. Tipping should not be confused with the concept of mandatory gratuitywhich is equivalent to the French service compris. In other words, the restaurant automatically applies a surcharge to the final bill, usually only in the case of large groups or in particularly touristy areas. These are real ancillary services of the restaurant, which are also regularly taxed. Not paying them is equivalent to not paying, for example, the cover charge.
The tip o tip is, on the other hand, totally voluntary, but it is such an integral part of common decency that not leaving it would be considered serious. It must be taken into account that the salary of waiters in the US is extremely low, in the order of a few dollars per hour. They could not live otherwise, so it is an unwritten rule to allow it. If you go to the bar even just for a beer, the label says to leave an extra dollar on the bar, and then leave like in the movies. If there is an automatic overcharge, the customer is of course exempt from the change.
The pros and cons of mandatory tipping: a challenge for the industry
The proposal raised perplexity and rejection. The compulsory tipping, while on the one hand guarantees higher remuneration employees and motivate them to do better, on the other hand it would create a increased pressure on customerswho might perceive the initiative as an unjustified additional cost. Where tipping is considered an act of generosity, making it compulsory could undermine the trust between customer and restaurateur.
Another aspect to consider is the lack of a single taxation system. Tipping by its very nature is not taxed, which makes it difficult for the caterer to account for and distribute the funds fairly. How, then, do you guarantee remuneration to all employees, if waiters and bartenders are in the front line and are more likely to cash in on the 'generosity' of the customer, to the detriment of the cooks and the other workers behind the scenes? It would prove to be a critical boomerang should the salaries of the entire brigade fall further because of the tip.
The issue comes up periodically because the problem does indeed exist. There is a major shortage of qualified personnel, with often inadequate remuneration. On the other hand, the American model of compulsory tipping is not without its problems and is in any case the child of a socio-economic system very different from ours. In the States a citizen enjoys a purchasing power significantly higher than the Italian one, also in relation to the cost of living (Numbeo data). In other words, he can afford to spend more than an Italian, who might end up eating out once less. Of course Pompili proposes a low quota (5% of the total), but what if it became a matter of principle?
L'Associazione Esercenti Bologna entered the debate today, responding indignantly. For them tipping is not the solution, it should be the government that provides tax relief for employees. Will this be the final answer to the debate?
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