Tipping for service is huge overseas but there are no strict rules about it in Australia. We turned to an expert for some practical advice.
Q. Susie
A few weeks back we were on a road trip through Victoria and stayed at a few hotels along the way. In (hotel name omitted) there was an envelope left on the countertop.
We didn’t leave anything in the envelope. The room was neat and clean but isn’t that what everyone expects when they go to a hotel? We paid more than $100 to stay there – isn’t it the responsibility of the company to give employees that do well a bonus?
A.
There are no hard and fast rules to follow when it comes to tipping in Australia. But generally, Australians and New Zealanders say tipping is not only unnecessary but also a practice to be avoided since it encourages service staff to pay better attention to those who seem like ‘good tippers,’ or so the argument goes.
Read: How to make your hotel room healthier
With Australian workers operating in traditional service industries already receiving sufficient pay, there’s definitely no need for mandatory tipping. In fact, it can seem excessive. Furthermore, Australian workers in the tourism and other service industries, on account of Australian law, are in no way able to enforce a mandatory tip.
Guaranteed a basic wage of just US$7.25 ($10.23) an hour, American hospitality staff need tips to earn a living, says University of Melbourne senior social scientist Dr Lauren Rosewarne.
“Australia has a far better minimum wage than the US, and patrons shouldn’t feel the same burden of making up the difference in hourly rates through tipping,” Dr Rosewarne says.
In Australia, the minimum wage is $21.38 an hour – double the dismal US rate.
She thinks deliberate tipping has its place though. “If service is excellent – when someone goes beyond the call of duty – we should absolutely feel encouraged to reward service. A 10-20 per cent tip would seem appropriate in such situations.
“Hospitality workers, even when paid fairly, aren’t raking in a fortune, and thus patrons should be encouraged to recognise excellence,” says Dr Rosewarne.
Read: Your guide to tipping
The standard tip for hotel housekeeping in the US is $2 to $5 per day. Australians are not expected to pay this but thanks to globalisation and the increasing movement of people, we are being exposed to tipping, with jars commonly occupying counters in cafes, restaurants and now envelopes in hotels, it seems.
What do you think about tipping in Australia? Do you think it’s something we should encourage or avoid?
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