British Columbians leave, on average, the lowest tips in Canada, according to a recent report.
But a small sample in Maple Ridge found residents are more generous than that.
A Tipping Trend Report has been released by Square Canada — a payments and point of sale company that tracked over two million transactions in Canada between February and May.
The report revealed British Columbians leave the lowest average tip, at 13.4 per cent, while people on Prince Edward Island leave the highest average tip, at 15.2 per cent.
People in downtown Maple Ridge on Wednesday revealed they tip anywhere from 10-20 per cent at restaurants. Things like friendly service and good food play a role in how much they tip.
Amber Cabral, in Maple Ridge, said she tips according to service.
“I almost always leave a tip. I think people have a lot going on in their lives and they could be having a bad day but if I have exceptional service especially with my children, I’ll definitely leave more.”
Elaine Carrie, in Maple Ridge, used to be a waitress and said she was always grateful for tips.
“Depending on the service, I’ll do 10-20 per cent. I used to be a waitress and I always appreciated a tip.”
Ying Zhao, in Maple Ridge, said her tips go to servers who are good to children, even if they’re messy.
“When kids eat food, it gets dirty on the floor and some servers don’t like that. But some servers are very nice to parents and are always smiling.”
Larry Beckett, in Maple Ridge, said if the service is good, he tips minimum 15 per cent. But if he feels the service is poor, he won’t leave a tip.
“People forget it’s a service industry. You’re going out to have a meal and be treated right, so if they don’t give that to you, then why tip them?”
Katie Carleston, in Maple Ridge, said she tips 20 per cent.
“Minimum wage is horrible, so if they’re really good at their job, they should be rewarded for that.”
Fung Mi, in Maple Ridge, also tips 15-20 per cent.
“But if the service is better than average, I’d pay more.”
Lee Cotterall, chef at Maple Ridge’s Witchcraft Beer Market and Bistro, said tips generally range between 15-18 per cent.
“The servers would like to see more, obviously. Twenty per cent would be better, but the average we see is 15-18 per cent.”
Cotterall explained good service is needed in order to get a good tip.
“Attention to detail, making sure the customer is visibly taken care of, the quality of food, and making sure that nobody should want anything by the end of the meal.”
The Square Canada survey looked at tipping in three business categories: food and drink; salons; and transportation.
Overall, in the food industry, people tipped the highest at bars, at 15.1 per cent. The lowest was at quick service restaurants, with an 11.9 per cent average tip. Sit-down restaurants averaged a 13.5 per cent tip.
