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Why are Canadians such bad tippers?

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Is it because servers up there make at least minimum wage?

I didn't think much about this part of your post the first time, but do you know there are states in which servers make at least minimum wage? Minnesota comes to mind, and most people still tip at least 15%.
 

GZA

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I will concede this point. Most of the exceptional players are, in fact, Canadian. But, that's all part of the master plan - to set up "outposts" in the US, in the form of hockey teams, and then populate them with their superior humans, or "clones", who then rub their spores all over the American women, and thus they spread their agenda!
Yes, we have a subtle plot to take over the world. It's the ones you'd least expect ;)

Mercury, I think that is a very fair thing you've pointed out, that is definitely true. I would like to alter that to, asking them at the beginning of their career "if you would achieve the exact same level of success on either team, would you rather play for an American or Canadian team" and I bet they'd say Canada. But I realize that that is an almost useless point because it would be overtaken so strongly by the reality of actually being more succesful.

I also admit that you seem to know more about the specifics of NHL stats and such much more than I do, which I think is cool! My interest in hockey is, as you may have guessed, more of a historical perspective, so my bias towards Montreal and Toronto being the true "hockey towns" is largely due to that (and my being in the same country), and I do ignore the fact that Detroit is the more dominant team of the last decade or whatever. My dad is also a red white and blue in the face Canadiens fan, he grew up in Montreal for a few years during one of their peak periods. I'm horribly biased!

And if I'm not mistaken, the Canadiens won when I was like two years old :D They had a pretty good season last year, too. I think Montreal probably has the most rabbid fanbase of any team, too, because of all the history and everything. It's exciting to see a game there.

This was a fun derail!
 
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I spent five months in Canada on a work assignment once, and I found the people and the country delightful. I would step on my own mother to work there again. So I have to chalk up any tipping discrepancies to culture. I did notice that my favorite coffee shop had a tip jar out, much like Starbucks does in the USA, and it was always full. So I don't know how much I agree with the OP in any event.
 

ajblaise

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If Canadians aren't good tippers it's not because they aren't nice people. I live like 30 minutes away from the border and I've always found Canucks to be some of the nicest people ever.

I had a friend that went to Canada to see a Roger Waters show, and his credit card didn't work up there, and this guy he met on a train bought him and his girlfriend dinner and gave them some money so they could see the show and get back home.
 

pure_mercury

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Yes, we have a subtle plot to take over the world. It's the ones you'd least expect ;)

Mercury, I think that is a very fair thing you've pointed out, that is definitely true. I would like to alter that to, asking them at the beginning of their career "if you would achieve the exact same level of success on either team, would you rather play for an American or Canadian team" and I bet they'd say Canada. But I realize that that is an almost useless point because it would be overtaken so strongly by the reality of actually being more succesful.

I also admit that you seem to know more about the specifics of NHL stats and such much more than I do, which I think is cool! My interest in hockey is, as you may have guessed, more of a historical perspective, so my bias towards Montreal and Toronto being the true "hockey towns" is largely due to that (and my being in the same country), and I do ignore the fact that Detroit is the more dominant team of the last decade or whatever. My dad is also a red white and blue in the face Canadiens fan, he grew up in Montreal for a few years during one of their peak periods. I'm horribly biased!

And if I'm not mistaken, the Canadiens won when I was like two years old :D They had a pretty good season last year, too. I think Montreal probably has the most rabbid fanbase of any team, too, because of all the history and everything. It's exciting to see a game there.

This was a fun derail!

Yes, the Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Cup, in 1993. Of course, they were led by Patrick Roy in his prime. My man John LeClair was on that team, too (an American contributing to a Habs Cup win? Yes!). I am from Philadelphia, and it's one of the few cities in the U.S. that is hockey crazy. Of course, the Flyers are the #3 or #4 team in our city (Philadelphia is arguably the most sports-mad city in the United States), but they have extremely committed fans. Detroit, New York, and Boston are the only American cities that have comparable fans (although Colorado and Minnesota are close). The only other city in which I've seen an NHL game was Montreal in 2002, and it was incredible up there. It reminded me a lot of Philadelphia, but it seemed like half the city was there or right around the Bell Centre. Of course, the Flyers beat the crap out of them (6-2, with LeClair netting 4), so it wasn't as loud by the 3rd period, but it was very cool. I got to brandish my "54º-40' OR FIGHT!" sign with no static, too.
 

pure_mercury

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I didn't think much about this part of your post the first time, but do you know there are states in which servers make at least minimum wage? Minnesota comes to mind, and most people still tip at least 15%.

I was getting like $3.80 an hour or something when I worked at this French bistro, but we got tipped out partly in cash every night.
 

FDG

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Tipping is a peculiar American pehnomenon. Here the minimum wage for most jobs is around 8 euros an hour, and tipping is almost absent.
 

Geoff

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It's the French Canadians that are bad tippers.

"bad" in accordance with which standard? Might just be cultural! They are an odd bunch up there.

We dont tip much in the UK, either.. 10% maybe, and never to anyone other than a waiter.
 

ptgatsby

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It's the French Canadians that are bad tippers.

Also, Torontians and Vancouverites, depending on Asian influences in each area. In general practice, asians tip about 10% (and this is culturally normal in the restaurant as well, where tips are pooled.)
 

GZA

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Whats the minimum wage in the U.S.? Cause I think it's a lot higher in Canada, and still rising, which also contributes, but I think someone already said that :doh:
 

GZA

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Yah, a lot of our tips get pooled to go to every employee, is that the same as the US?
 
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Yah, a lot of our tips get pooled to go to every employee, is that the same as the US?

I don't think servers pool their tips with each other, but servers are often expected to share a portion of their tips with the host/hostess and the bussers.
 

Geoff

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Yep, not every place will have a troncmaster. See, the english language has a name for everything :)
 

pure_mercury

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Whats the minimum wage in the U.S.? Cause I think it's a lot higher in Canada, and still rising, which also contributes, but I think someone already said that :doh:

The federal minimum wage is $6.55 an hour, which is going up to $7.25 an hour next year. Many states set theirs higher than that, though. Waitstaff (along with farmers and some seasonal laborers) are excepted, though, so it usually something like $3.00, if you are in a tip system. Here is how it breaks down for waitstaff by state:

U.S. Department of Labor - Employment Standards Administration (ESA) - Wage & Hour Divisions (WHD) - Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees
 

alicia91

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Also, Torontians and Vancouverites, depending on Asian influences in each area

My BIL and step-sister are both in the restaurant industry in Toronto. BIL is a bartender in a sports bar and step-sis is a waitress in an expensive steakhouse and both have no trouble making 20% off the average person. But they are always bitching about the French-Canadians (and some Europeans who only leave a few coins). Haven't heard anything bad about Asians.
 

GZA

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The tips often get pooled together for everyone, including the dish washers and everything. At least in my town!
 

V Profane

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Is it because, like the British, they consider tipping a reward for good service rather than a semi-formal obligation?
 
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