Zuckerberg doesnt tip waiter
On their honeymoon in Rome, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan caused a stir when they neglected to tip their waiter on a 32 euro bill. As many of you study abroad students know, tipping is not customary in Europe since the tip or coperto is often included in the bill. What do you think of Zuckerberg’s decision, cheap or standard?
What the Experts Say:
According to HotelTravel.com, leaving a tip is not general practice although tourists can leave a small tip at their discretion.
Although Dream of Italy‘s Kathy McCabe notes ,” Zuckerberg not leaving a tip is a bit of a faux pas, but really because of Italian expectations of Americans.”
“Europeans know or expect that gratuity is almost automatically included,” says McCabe. “But Americans absolutely have a reputation for tipping, and many Italians have come to expect a tip when serving them. If I have had a good meal and decent service, I always leave a few extra euros, more if it was exceptional. Am I bowing to expectations? Maybe a little.”
Conclusion:
You are not expected to tip unless you are a rich American who’s multi billion dollar company just went public.
As an expat living abroad and having worked as a waitress for over a year in Italy, I can tell you from personal experience that all of the guide books that tell you “oh, you don’t need to tip” are a load of crap. The cover charges included in the service go towards maintaining the restaurant, NOT to the staff, who work on minimum wage. Every single person who works in the food service industry, from the dishwashers to the wait staff, appreciates a few euro after working their asses off to serve you and your high expectations. TIP YOUR WAITER WHEREVER YOU ARE. It doesn’t have to be 10-15%, but if you can afford to go out to eat, you can afford to leave 2 euro at the end of your meal.