Canadians & tipping

[Tamara O'Callaghan]

As a Canadian who has lived in the US for the past 10 years, I can give
another perspective as to why Americans consider Canadians "bad" tippers, at
least since 1991.  That was the year that the federal government instituted
the GST (Goods and Services Tax), which is a value-added tax.  Originally a
7% charge (it was lowered last year to 6%), it is a tax levied on all sales
except those of groceries, residential rent, medical services, and a *very*
limited number of other services.  When added to the provincial sales tax,
it means that all purchases are taxed at a rate of 14% (15% before 2006) in
most provinces.  Consequently, going out to dinner, say in Ontario, becomes
quite expensive when you have to add 14% automatically to the bill.  A meal
for a family of 4 at McDonalds will quickly demonstrate what I mean.  As a
result, it is quite normal to tip only 14% in a restaurant in Canada.  In
fact, most people just look at the tax on the bill and add that same amount
again as the tip.

Another consideration is the pay scale of restaurant staff in the US vs.
Canada.  Canadian restaurant workers are paid at a higher rate (I am not
saying it is a great wage, just that it is significantly higher).  Canada
also has socialized medicine, which means that all restaurant workers have
access to doctors and hospitals.  I never really considered the significance
that a higher minimum wage and socialized medicine would have for my meal in
a restaurant until I read Barbara Ehrenreich's _Nickel and Dimed: On (Not)
Getting By in America_.  It was assigned for our freshman here a few years
back.  That book made me and my husband realize why tipping 20% was so
important in the US.  I now give the book to all my European friends (who
also find the expected amount for a tip in a US restaurant quite surprising)
before they come to visit the US.  I think both Europeans and Canadians
consider high tipping (i.e. 20%) to be a reward for *exceptional* (not
merely good) service in a restaurant; however, they are not taking into
consideration the differences between the work benefits for restaurant staff
in their own country and those for restaurant staff in the US.

Finally, a joke I heard in the 1990s is as follows:
What's the difference between a Canadian and a canoe?  A canoe tips.

Cheers,
Tamara

Tamara F. O'Callaghan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Literature & Language
Northern Kentucky University
Landrum 500
Highland Heights, KY  41099-1500

Office:  LA 547
Tel:  859-572-6977
Email: ocallaghant at nku.edu
URL:  http://www.nku.edu/~ocallaghant/

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