Most Canadians agree that a 15 percent tip for good service at restaurants is acceptable, but they diverge on which other services warrant a tip, according to a recent survey.
The online survey, conducted by Narrative Research, studied which circumstances Canadians felt it was “acceptable” to tip. It also identified which situations tips were regarded as unnecessary.
Most said that tipping at a restaurant or salon was acceptable, at 77 percent and 60 percent respectively.
Nearly half of Canadians agreed it was okay to tip a housekeeper when staying at a hotel (49 percent).
Forty-eight percent said being asked for a tip by a taxi driver was acceptable, and that they would be willing to leave a tip.
Many respondents said that food delivery services were worthy of a tip, with 47 percent saying they would pay their delivery driver.
Among the situations where Canadians preferred not to leave a tip, the least supported establishment was a retail store, with just 7 percent of respondents saying they would tip at a shop, according to the survey.
Tipping at a restaurant when picking up a take out order was not widely seen as acceptable, the survey found, as only 19 percent of those surveyed said they felt it was appropriate.
One in five surveyed (20 percent) said they would tip for grocery pickup orders.
Most respondents said they were not likely to tip at fast food restaurants, with just 21 percent saying it was acceptable. Canadians were also less supportive of tipping at a cafe, with 38 percent saying they would tip at a coffee shop.
When it came to tipping for ride-sharing apps, like Uber and Lyft, 39 percent said that it was appropriate.
Thirty-seven percent said they thought it was acceptable to tip for a massage.
How Much to Tip
When it comes to how much Canadians are willing to tip, most agreed that 15 percent is acceptable at restaurants (53 percent). Another 17 percent said they would tip around 5 percent at a restaurant. Six percent said they would not tip.
Forty-five percent of those surveyed said that 15 percent would also be the right amount for services from a salon or barber. However, 23 percent said they would only tip 5 percent at salons, and 13 percent said they would not tip at all.
The survey took place between Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, among 1,230 respondents.
Two-thirds of Canadians said they felt pressure to tip 15 percent, even when they didn’t feel it was warranted, according to a seperate survey done in February by budgeting app Hardbacon.
The survey found that 65 percent of respondents said they left a tip because they were prompted by a card payment terminal. Of those surveyed, 62 percent said the tip they left was higher than expected due to the choices offered by the payment terminal.
Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.
