Canadians split on moving to a no-tipping system in restaurants, poll says

Vancouver – As an Earls Restaurant in Calgary makes waves for piloting a no discretionary tipping policy, replacing it instead with 16 per cent hospitality charge for diners, a new public opinion poll from the Angus Reid Institute finds slightly more Canadians prefer maintaining the status quo to ending the tradition of leaving a gratuity.

The no-tip compensation model has been hailed in some quarters as the future of dining out: a simple solution to the unpredictability of wages for restaurant workers and a way to remove what many customers see as an obligation, rather than an optional reward for good service, the institute said in a news release.

But Canadians don’t appear poised to overwhelmingly embrace a move to this new system, in spite of the fact that the majority see tipping as a mechanism for employers to underpay wait staff as well as others in the hospitality industry.

Forty per cent of Canadians polled say they would like to move to a “service-included” model for restaurants, while 46 per cent say they prefer to keep the current tipping model. Roughly 13 per cent have no preference for either system.

The survey results suggest the vast majority of Canadians set the standard tip expected in restaurants between 10 and 20 per cent, and roughly equal numbers fall above and below the 15 per cent midpoint.

Interestingly, Canadians don’t really deviate from their standard tip because of the quality of service. Just nine per cent say they do so “often.”

Read the full report at angusreid.org.