Outrageous tips are the worst American import to London

My friend Robin has never been prone to timidity. If, in a restaurant, he feels he isn’t being taken care of, he never shies away from a confrontation.

- Dylan Jones

“Is service included?” he’ll ask a waiter, rhetorically, already knowing the answer. “It is, yes,” might come the reply. “Well,” says Robin, having already won. “Can I have some?” It seems Americans are now following suit. A recent survey found that nearly 70 percent of customers in the US now have a negative view of leaving a gratuity, while 30 percent think it has got out of control. This is obviously part of a backlash against a culture that started during the pandemic but which has now reached epidemic proportions.

I have been to the US half a dozen times since the end of lockdown restrictions, and I have to say it was a shock to be asked to pay an additional 30 per cent of your bill as a gratuity. And if the interaction with your server is minimal (like in a drive-in for instance), the shock can quite quickly move to anger.