SINGAPORE Leading market intelligence company Synovate, today
revealed findings on global consumer attitudes towards tipping,
highlighting different behaviours and preferences.
Between 10 and 15 percent of the bill was the most common answer
from 31% of all respondents, when asked how much they tip after a
meal. The Synovate study on global tipping practices also showed
that 15% of consumers will usually leave less than 10 percent of
the bill, 14% will leave between 15 to 20 percent of the bill,
while the largest group of all (36%) don't base the amount of their
tip on the final bill.
The study also revealed that Americans are the world's largest
tippers, with 53% of respondents from the USA believing that a tip
of between 15 and 20 percent of the bill is an appropriate amount
to leave at the end of a meal, while Russians were the least
generous, generally leaving less than 10 percent of a bill.
Synovate Director Travel and Tourism, Sheri Lambert said global
tipping etiquette is a source of unwarranted pressure, uncertainty
and discomfort for consumers all around the world.
"Feeling an obligation to leave a gratuity is one of the most
common complaints cited by consumers in relation to tipping, with
45% of respondents sometimes feeling pressured to leave a tip when
they don't want to and 36% being embarrassed if they don't leave a
tip due to bad service but feel one is expected," she said.
"Knowing how much to tip also causes confusion, with almost one
third of all consumers surveyed (29%) having difficulty determining
the amount of tip to leave, and an additional 30% believing that it
is better for restaurants to automatically add a service charge to
a bill.
"To further add to the uncertainty, tipping practices are reliant
upon a consumers' locality, with 60% of those who do regularly
provide a tip usually changing their behaviour to suit local habits
when abroad," she added.
Well-known for their accommodating nature, consumers from the
United Kingdom (77%) are the most likely to change their tipping
behaviour according to local custom when they are overseas,
followed by respondents from Hong Kong (74%) and Canada
(72%).
Brazilians (58%), Americans (47%) and Serbians (45%) were the least
likely to change their usual tipping habits when travelling.
Despite the apparent uncertainty surrounding tipping, more than two
thirds (69%) of respondents in Synovate's global tipping survey
usually provide a tip or gratuity for a service rendered and a
substantial 91% of these respondents feel personal satisfaction
from leaving such a reward.
American (98%), Canadian (97%) and British (84%) consumers are the
most likely to tip their service providers, while only 31% of
Indonesians usually reward good service with a gratuity.
Synovate Executive Director Consumer Insights, Mike Sherman, said
although most consumers do tend to tip, lower income levels and
pre-existing service charges in some countries meant numerous
consumers were not able to tip or did not view tipping as a
necessity.
"Tipping for good service is a cultural norm accepted in most of
the countries surveyed. However, in some places where tipping is
not so prevalent, including Indonesia, Serbia and Brazil, low
income levels restrict consumers' behaviour, with non-tipping
respondents naming low income as the main reason for not regularly
providing a gratuity"
"In contrast, the majority of consumers who did not provide a tip
in some of the wealthier countries, such as France and Hong Kong,
named the fact that a service charge was included as the main
reason they did not normally leave a gratuity," he said.
Managing Director of Synovate Singapore, Ms. Miranda Cheung said
that while Singapore was not covered in this recent survey, it is
clear that Singaporeans share mixed views when it comes to
tipping.
"Traditionally, tipping is not a cultural practice in Singapore. In
fact, it is discouraged at the airport. When it comes to hotels and
restaurants, it is usually left to the discretion of a customer,
whether or not to leave a tip as a 10% service charge is already
included in the bill. More often, Singaporeans may feel the need to
leave tip only if their bill does not include a service charge,
she said.
Consumers are most likely to tip the world's waiters (86%),
hairdressers (58%) and taxi drivers (52%), while casino dealers
(8%), hotel doormen (14%) and coat check staff (22%) are the least
likely to be rewarded.
Other service providers named by consumers as likely to receive a
tip for their service include bartenders (46%), hotel bellhops
(43%) and the handyman (33%).
Restaurant wait staff were the first pick across all countries
surveyed except Indonesia, where the local handyman is the person
most likely to be tipped. Handymen also fared well in Serbia and
Brazil, where 75% and 62% of respondents respectively said they
would reward such workers with a tip for their service.
In the United States, hotel bellhops (97%) were the equal top
choice with wait staff (97%) as most likely to receive a tip,
followed by hairstylists and tour guides (79% each), while the
British tip their taxi drivers (79%) and hairstylists (56%) with
what they have left over from rewarding their waiters (96%).
About Synovate
Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates
consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The
network provides clients with cohesive global support and a
comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over
5,700 staff in 118 cities across 52 countries. For more information
on Synovate, please visit us online at www.synovate.com.
Source: http://www.ras.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=149
