Tipping is a hard concept to master in any country. I still get confused about what is expected in Holland and I’ve been here for over two years. I learn a new bit of information every once in a while and realize I’ve been doing something completely wrong or thinking about it from the wrong perspective. Thus I now share my infinite tipping wisdom with you.
What I present now only pertains to tipping in Holland and does not cover other countries in Europe, especially not the UK, where I still don’t understand what the hell you are supposed to do. All I know about the place is that it is way too expensive. But I digress.
In every tour guide or piece of tourist literature about culture in the Netherlands you’ll read the normal party line of tipping should be 10% of the bill. When you ask the Dutch, they all say the standard 10%. In fact, pretty much everyone says 10%, whether Dutch or expat.
It is all well and good to hear about it, but you only learn what truly happens when you see the actual practice. I recall a short story to illustrate my point.
When I first transferred from the USA I went to dinner with three Dutch colleagues. My boss had very generously recommended I take them out of eat to get the know them and have some bonding. We went to a very reasonable place called Luden in the center of town which has three courses for about 25 Euros per person. Nothing special – but serves good, solid food with a casual atmosphere.
Anyway, during our dinner conversation I brought up tipping and asked what was appropriate here in the Netherlands. They said the standard 10% and went into detail about how in Holland the wait staff are paid full wages and therefore there is no incentive to hustle for a good tip. Also, waiting tables is considered a profession and not just a job you do to make money like it is in the US. After living here a while I can vouch for the fact that no matter how much you tip, they are not going to bring out your food until they are very good and ready, no matter what amount of looking, begging, or impatient sighing that you do. They will only bring out your food when they want to.
In Holland, the meal is the event, like in every European country. It is a time to relax, spend time with friends, have chit chat and share stories, and generally takes several hours. It is not something to be rushed through so that you can move on to the next thing. This is evident by the fact that you will never be brought the bill until you actually request it. The idea is that you should be able to sit there for as long as you like, even after you have finished eating, and not about clearing the tables for the next customer. It is actually a very refreshing and healthy attitude.
Back to our dinner at Luden, we request the bill and it arrives and is something to the tune of 105 euros for the four of us. Given our prior conversation I ask if I should go ahead and leave an extra 10 Euros or so as a tip. I was then surprised when one of my co-workers immediately chimed in with, “You should leave nothing. Nothing at all. They get paid full wages!” and promptly walked out the door leaving me there with my jaw touching the ground.
The moral of this sweet story is that it is all talk. When the Dutch say they leave 10% what they actually mean is that they round up to the nearest euro or couple of euros. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone actually leave a 10% tip. That isn’t quite true because when you eat with expats they will generally leave 10% or a little more. But there seems to be no expectation at waitstaff of actually receiving a tip, and it will become apparent why when you see the level of service in Holland. It is one of the worst I’ve ever encountered in Europe, and they fully admit it.
I left 5 Euros.
When it comes to tipping on drinks it is a whole different ballgame. I always assumed it was like the US where you tip on each drink purchased. That is definitely not the case. If you walk up to a bar and order a drink, you do not ever tip at all. It is just not done. Great news, that leaves more money for drinks!
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