When I was in Australia my local friends advised me to not tip anything... zero. They said the wait staff, for example, were well paid and didn't require gratuities. I think the minimum wage in Australia is $17 an hour. How many of the illustrious business moguls on this site have employees making less than that... much less than that. In America the minimum wage is $7.25.
When was this? A lot of people now tip in restaurants when the service is good (i.e. exceeds expectations), though very rarely the 15-20% expected in America.
Like in the UK though, an American would be considered cheap and nasty if they don't tip in an Australian restaurant - those double standards again!
Chris - this was in 2011, so not
that long ago. To be fair, though, I was told that (as an American) if I felt guilty for not tipping (which
all Americans do) and had to leave something behind, 10% should be tops. But, like I said above, everyone loves free money and I can see where servers in other countries might be upset when their American customers don't leave them the magical 20% tip they've heard so much about. In Australia, the average meal in an upscale restaurant was priced
at least 25% higher on the menu than a comparable meal in The States. But, this price included all taxes and (I was told) allowed for a proper wage for the server without the need for a big tip. That's one of the things I really like about the pricing of goods and services in other countries... the price they quote is the price you pay. A £50 purchase doesn't turn into a £60 purchase with numerous local taxes tacked on at the checkout.