Giving tips in Poland

Is this the done thing in America, or just because you're interested in aviation?

Some people do, some don't. In addition to fueling, they help out with bags, will drag out an air compressor if I need one, and let me bum a smoke...I don't mind tipping for that.

Ok, how about barbers? Do you tip them? Sounds a bit ridiculous to me to leave a tip if a friend of mine was getting her hair dyed and cut, paid 280 PLN for 2.5 hour service. For me tipping a barber was always not in the right tone, but maybe I is just me. A few books on savoir vivre actually say you don't tip barbers in Poland...

I don't go to barbers. Just shave my head every couple of weeks. If I did visit a barber and wanted to reward him or her for something special or a good job, I'd tip. I doubt they'd be offended.

It varies quite a lot. I know some waiters that are on 5zł per hour, others who are up at 10. Bar staff are paid slightly better (between 8 and 15). As you can imagine, that is not a huge amount of money, but still I wouldn't expect a tip from anyone.

I would appreciate it when I get one, and be disappointed if I go to extreme lengths to keep a customer happy then received no tip at all...but that's just life.

That's below minimum wage....the golden arches start people off at 8zl

Dont eat yellow snow...thats the best tip I can give.

Well when I started as a bartender I was on 7zł and moved up to 8 working behind a cocktail bar. There are plenty of people I know on as low as 5zł per hour and not only in the hospitality industry.

If that is below minimum wage then there obviously aren't very tight checks on it.

I used to work as a line/dispatch person at a small general aviation airport. Did it only one semester because I found out we got no discount on airplane rentals so I bailed for Domino's - more money which I desperately needed for my flight training.

We were never tipped but this was a small airport with few "high rollers". Although I did open up the door for Reba McEntire getting out of a Slo..., I mean Citation once - of course at the time I had no idea who she was. LOL I like country music (but I like almost all music) however she's not my cup of tea. Her pilot left $20 bucks for the two of us who worked that day - much appreciated and that bird got a "free" wash out of us later. ;)

Either way, as lineguys we made $9 an hour and this was some 15 years ago.

PS. Watch that smokin' on airport property - fines are getting steep in the US... :)

Overall, I agree with your ideas on tipping. I'm biased of course but my perception is that the waiters are much more attentive in the US than many other countries. Either way, if in doubt on whether tipping is the norm in the specific profession/country - I tip. YMMV

skysoulmate wrote:


of course they are. they're being constantly rewarded for doing a good job. there's a simple reka reke myje policy in America regarding restaurant/bar service. everyone understands it, everyone goes home happy.

8zl is minimum wage more or less (calculated monthly). That also happens to be what people make at the fast food places.

Bartender for 8zl? I'll take two please.


Thank god that hasn't made its way here.

I figure, they're going above what is expected, you know, normal Polish service where you're bothering them...they're at work. If I just give them some cash directly, it helps them directly and it helps me next time I show up looking for service.

It was a struggle on that. But I have heard that gradually wages for service staff are going up, which is a good thing. However, not as fast as living costs are going up...but hopefully we'll find an equilibrium soon.

Yeah, and never take a leak from the windward side (every sailor knows that!)

But comming back to the matter...

Over the past couple of years I've been practising a habit of giving extraordinarily high tips (>30%) at the first visit in a place I liked and planned to come again. In most cases it also worked for me as a client later.

The system in the US is just plain stupid. Service should be included in the price like in most other countries in the world. Than you can add 1, 2 maybe 5% if the service has been particularly good. Many tourists coming rom outside just don't realize that there is nothing at all included in the price you are charged for service, that's why there is confusion, it's not because they are necessarily stingy.

Same thing with the sales tax in shops. Why can't it just be added and included in the price?? The US are sometimes so parochial!!

Because every city in the USA has it's own percentage for sale's tax (VAT) and it changes often. They would never be able to keep up labeling things right. I don't mind so much because it's typically 6-8% rather than the 22% in the EU. Couple already cheaper prices and lower VAT I don't care if it's on the price tag or not as I come out ahead.

Stupid? Really? How about different?

Most Americans like the system (some old surveys I've seen) and when asked about their European vacations they always say they loved it, had a great time but everything was sooo expensive and the service in hotels and restaurants mediocre at best.

It's a normal, human behavior to become complacent (sp? - no spell checker 2day), to take things for granted after a while. This "included in salary" tip mentality gives you poor service and an attitude of "hey, you don't like it then go somewhere else". Again, keep it your way but in my view the service DOES improve when servers are tipped. You can't change the human mentality just because you like it "simple", or "NOT plain stupid".

As far as not adding taxes to the prices - at first I didn't like it but I think because of the way system works I'm very aware of the level of sales taxes in different states and of tax rates in general. In a way it's great advertisement for low tax states. Anchorage, Alaska = 0% sales tax, L.A. California = 8.75%, etc. Not sure why the system is the way it is but it doesn't bother me anymore.

PS. Beelzebub's explanation above sounds good to me too.

It's to be expected though, America is considered to be cheap by Western Europeans. No wonder they find Europe expensive! And given that the dollar has been exceptionally weak for a while now, things will be expensive for them.

Service in Europe will always be dire to Americans - it's a different attitude and approach to life. To an American, if someone doesn't instantly jump out and make you feel like you've made a new best friend, the service is immediately dire. Europeans on other hand tend to prefer more discreet service - and will rate over familiarity as bad if they don't know or care about the person.

I wouldn't go that far. France, Germany and Holland (as an example) are expensive however southern Italy and Greece are not as bad (granted, it's been 4 years since I was there last). Dollar goes up and it goes down, normal phenomenon and things will turn around again... However the taxes and the prices in general are much higher in Europe and part of the reason is that your "tips" as you've mentioned are already included in the prices.


Well again, that's your take on it. As a European living in America who travels an awful lot I've seen both types of service and now I prefer the American service but understand if some people disagree with me.

Vive la différence

very true indeed


In this case, why don't doctors/dentists/lawyers also get paid only on a "tip" only basis? Work should be properly remunerated whether it's that of a waiter, a guide,a doctor or a lawyer..

they way I think of the difference in service between US and Europe is that in America, when you walk into a store or a restaurant, you are made to feel like a patron. In Europe (and most other places), one is much better off assuming a role of their guest.

While sometimes service in America can be over the top service in Poland is non existent. Simply trying to dismiss it as a lower key European way is not accurate. There is a difference between low key service and bad or no service.

Because those are not minimum wage "service" professions but rather jobs where you have to be educated.

When I started delivering pizzas my "education" or training took less than an hour - then I was on my own. That's why I was paid minimum wage which I then more than doubled and sometimes trippled with tips. It paid for me to be friendly AND punctual AND to deliver to as many customers as I could and that's what I did.

I am not looking down on service professions, far from it, I've held a few myself. However, many European "properly remunerated" waiters and waitresses without a doubt make less money than they'd have in the US even though the base salary is higher in Europe. On the other hand, the quality of service overall and attentivness is higher in the US thanks to - you guessed it , the "im-properly remunerated" tips.

There are some cases when I too wonder if the person should be tipped or not but overall it's a great system. If you don't like it - simply don't tip.

Delph wrote:


wrong.

beelzebub wrote:


of course it's not accurate. before one can form opinions, they have to at the very least have some knowledge of the given topic. Delph has never so much as stepped foot on American soil.

So for normal, decent service how much would an American tip in Poland?

Unless told that it's not customary, normal Americans will still tip 15% for "normal, decent" service.

I always tipped when I was in Poland, and no one acted surprised when receiving one.

I don't think they'd be surprised. It is common in Poland. But not common to everybody to give tips. 10-20% is my standard too.

Olaf wrote:


at the bar, generally nothing. Poland is not a tipping culture, certainly at the bar, and the only thing I ever order at the bar is beer, so for a quick pour....I usually leave nothing.

at a restaurant, i generally don't tip much because i'm generally unhappy with the service, but as an American, if I get say "decent" service in Poland, i still can't help but leave at least 10%.

in America, at the bar, the rule of thumb is you tip a dollar per drink, and the house buys your 4th drink, which you also should tip for. in restaurants, 15% is the minimum tip if you sit down and have a full meal. any less and the waiter/waitress will be wondering what they did wrong.

They won't be wondering what they did wrong...they will be cursing you for being "cheap". F-stops entitlement attitude exhibit earlier in this thread shows how severs think....they won't be blaming themselves for anything even if they sucked. It will all be put on you as the "cheap" client.

I really like that idea! The staff is pleased with tips, and you are pleased with 4th one on the house. Super! I haven't noticed that in Poland unfortunately (only once maybe, in a Poznań bar)