You can send a meal back if the food is cold or something isn't cook properly e.g. chips are cold or the chicken is pink.

We don’t tip in New Zealand but if you ever offer a tip they would just say no thanks, keep it. It would be weird if we had a tippy policy in New Zealand. We can survive off anything really

Newsflash: most western countries are like this, we get paid by our employers (a decent min wage). The US is the odd one out here.

Less than $3 an hour, that's disgusting.

Nah I disagree with the whole "everything is fair" Kiwis grow up with the mentality of "work hard and succeed". Not everything is fair, we just actually care about the well being of our people

I must say I was shocked during my first trip to America when the barman swept my change off the counter. Was gonna hook him one.

You can send your meal back if it's not cooked properly.

Technically in New Zealand if a person (i.e waitress) is given a tip they have to return it to the business they work for, otherwise it's considered theft by law. Unless their employment contract allows them to receive tips which is uncommon. Many businesses have a tipping jar near the front counter but it's optional whether you tip or not.

can we just agree that new Zealand is less than 200 years old and just an awesome country overall

The minimum wage in New Zealand at the moment is $16.25 an hour

Most restaurants you sit down, order and eat then pay at the end... Bars and cafes you pay at the counter. And if there is a problem with your dish of course you can send it back.

Can't send a meal back?? I've been there and have sent meals back, I have sent wine back. I don't know how old this is, but I'm talking about within the last 15 years.

Ummm wrong bro.. you totally can return your meal or have it refunded.. good explanation though

In New Zealand, it is almost frowned upon to tip; however, it's not taboo

Another reason I need to move to New Zealand! I was a cook for 13 years so I want tipped, but I saw it everyday. My wife was a waitress at a different restaurant and made $2/hr + tips. The system is a mess. Customers shouldn't be responsible for the business payroll. We've both moved on to other career fields.

Im a bar man in new zealand...worked at 2 bars. All correct but you can ask for refund or meal replaced if its sub par. I happily replace/refund meals with managers permition if its not good. Most restaurants and bars are the same. Most kiwis froendly and wont mind a polite complaint

When I was living in the states I really struggled to get my head around tipping. As a kiwi I just couldn’t get my head around the injustice built into your system. It’s so good to hear an American perspective and to hear you talking about the equity based mind set we have. 🇳🇿🇳🇿

I'm in Christchurch NZ, we don't tip. The only thing that would be close to a tip, would be a 'beer jar' in some bars. Where someone puts money into a jar and the 'tip' goes towards a free beer for all the staff.This is by no means necessary, we do the same thing for donations for charity. I don't think hospitality staff would turn down a tip, but everyone else would.

A good comparison of NZ culture to US culture is that NZ values fairness and US values freedom. It ties back to history of the two respective countries

I can't believe USA still tip in 2018 ! its so bad and its rude to expect the customer to pay the wage of the employee.The poor employee wow, yes we just go out buy dinner and the service is genuine not just for money

In Australia most cafes/restaurants have a tip jar on the counter. When you pay you put a few bucks (or whatever amount you like) into the tip jar. It's not compulsory though, but appreciated.

We go to a restaurant where they are not allowed to accept tips but we can buy some Drinks etc and have them sent to the staff in lieu of a tip. My cousin who lives in America says they tip over there because the Pay in the US is Poor and people rely on tips just to make it through.

When i worked in the supermarket, americans keep trying to tip you and i had to refuse or I'd get fired for theft. Any tips we get at the supermarket goes in the charity box

Most waiters in NZ are not paid a living wage in NZ (in 2018 $20.55/hour is a living wage) Waiters, kitchen hands and bar staff are paid around minimum wage level (in 2018 is $16.50/hour) You can tip in NZ but it is totally voluntary and not expected and only happens ocasionally. I have occasionally seen Bar Staff and Waiters tipped directly by local people and many bars, cafes, restaurants have a tip jar.. but who knows if that money ever makes it to the staff?

You can send your meal back if its not right. They will either replace it or give you your money back. The business owner wants your repeat business so they work hard to give you an experience. Local cafes and resturaunts compete for good wait staff and a coffee barista is considered a serious trade skill.

That is frightening...Survival of the fittest in the US....Life is good in Australia & Aotearoa (NZ). You can send us your television programmes & movies, but as for your way of doing things, keep it ❗

ALSO the business is owned by him alone so why should your wage be based on his ability to run his chosen profession.. that is his risk alone, as an employee you have no in put into how he runs his business...

It’s such an awkward thing - I lived in CA for 9 years and never got use to it

Great video! Made me understand alot about "TIPPING" in America and understanding the life of a person working as a waiter/waitress. Abundant blessings to you all. 🙋☺

Personally I wouldn’t except a tip if I was given one in New Zealand because I hate loose change and it’s weird overall in New zealand unless it’s a 20 dollar or more I’ll take it.

In NZ you can send the meal back. If you are not happy with it you can get your money back. Normally a waiter will come and check you are happy with your meal not long after you start it.

There is also holiday pay. I think its +8 percent of every pay amount b4 that usually accumulates and is usually paid for when you take a break or when you properly resign with 2 to 4wks notice. Some employers add it to your weekly pay. Chur

Tipping is accepted in NZ, but not required. Each restaurant/hotel has their own policy who gets the tips: sometimes the waiters get it all, sometimes the Maitre D will take a cut. As a NZ'er, I occasionally tip in NZ if the service is really good, and I give it to the waiter direct. But I don't regularly tip, I really only tip because I worked in the hotel industry myself. Americans tell me that with tips they actually earn significantly more than say NZ waiters/barpersons would earn.

Of course you can send your meal back if you find something wrong with it. You can get a refund or a replacement meal. Payment before or after doesn't change that.

When I was travelling through Canada and the US I found the service to be over attentive and borderline annoying, compared to what I’m used to here in NZ. I suspect it’s because they’re used to really working for their tip. I made sure to always tip in the US, but in Canada I was a bit more selective cause they have a higher minimum wage.

As a hospitality worker in New Zealand, please tip us. 😂😂

It's not rude or frowned upon to tip in NZ, it's simply not expected. If a server is awesome and you find their service is really good a tip is always appreciated. Yes we get paid the minimum wage but it's still a pretty tight existence as a waitress/waiter. Most places will have a tip jar or you can tip your wait staff directly. If there are rules not to accept tips your server will politely let you know. Hope you enjoyed your trip! :)

in Australia and New Zealand, tipping isn't the norm. But hey if someone does a great job at serving give them a tip. I worked as a waiter in brisbane australia and got a handfull of tips in the short run of the job and what a highlight it is to the shift

NZ law states that if you do a job of work then the employer mast pay you for your efforts. Also up until a few years ago we had the protection of strong unions. but a capitalist government broke the unions

I'm a New Zealander and my wife and I tip only when the meal is truly exceptional back home. Always make the effort to thank the chefs, if practical, for a good meal, as well.

Some people still do tip but it’s more like a, “keep the change,” thing, or if you work at someone’s property they might offer you lunch or “force” you to leave with some beers. When I was in the States, after learning about this tipping thing, we started to think, everywhere we went, servers were expecting a tip which is kind of odd, being a Kiwi: someone expecting you to give some of your money, you need to live, so they can live, a bit cannibalistic but I can sympathize with the low wages in the States and we soon learned the more you tip the bar staff the better the drinks. So yeah, tipping in NZ is definitely not expected but some still do which can always lead to that “no thank you.” “I insist,” awkwardness and, a lot of companies do, in fact, have policies where employees aren’t supposed to accept money from customers but this is often waived in favour of cultural awareness.

Tipping isn’t really common in NZ or Australia, well at least from my own personal experience. You pay for what you eat upfront and you’re wrong about something, you are still able to return your food if there’s something wrong with it or the order is wrong.

It's because everything is so cheap in the US so they make people tip to help the businesses out financially. NZ is overpriced so it isn't needed.

Yep, foreigners should never try to tip when they come here. I had a lovely German customer try to tip me once and I made the mistake of taking it after he persisted, then when he left my supervisor came over and took it off me. That tip went into the manager's "christmas party savings" jar...I was 16 at the time and pretty bummed. So the next time I had someone try to tip me, I told them it would be confiscated and they quickly understood. So don't tip in NZ because if they accept it, they probably won't even get to keep it when you leave.

The thing here in New Zealand is rarely some me gets assigned to an area unless it’s for a very very special event like a big Boxing event or something like that. Everyone gets treated the same mostly almost anywhere you go.

Depends on where you go bro. Pub food is pay up front, but most restaraunts are paybwhen youre done. And you absolutely can send food back.

our minimum wage is $16.50 aswell so we get paid pretty good no matter what our job is

Some people do tip in New Zealand. It depends on the service. I've had a $600 tip from 1 group.

No we don't pay the living wage in NZ, the minimum wage is well below the recognised living wage.

That’s messed up my first job here in nz when I was 17 I was getting $22 ph that was 6 years ago

I mean the tip jars ain't for show, but yeah tipping is less important in NZ.

The only place I know in NZ that takes tips is Lone Star which as you said is purely voluntary and I know this is because my sister worked there.

I bet you ate your meal without worrying about having to tip...just order pay and eat...but most places I've eaten at...you pay when you leave...

Essentially our minimum wage and retirement funds for workers are so good here that all costs are in the food, hence the price :)

You can tip some places but people generally don't know what to do about it lol. One place I used to work at just pooled it and then employees will all just go out together and do something. All employers are expected to pay their employees at least the national minimum wage, whereas in the US I believe it's kind of an anything goes, your customers pay your employees upfront kinda deal(?)

Wow, I never actually realized how bizzare America does things compared to us New Zealanders.

NZD is currently 0.73c USD. 18.00 is $13.00 USD

you can send you meal back if it isnt cooked properly.

That's right it's the employers responsibility to pay the staff as it is their responsibility to ensure good customer service. Putting that not only on the employee and the customer is just wrong. I would be slightly uncomfortable tipping but also working out how much, everywhere I go I've got to figure out how much I've got to tip, I just want to eat.

See tipping is scary to me... I just dont want to go to America because of the way tipping is done. As being an Kiwi

Our minimum wage here in NZ is increasing to $20 pr hour. Our employers also have to pay us min 4 weeks holidays pr year as well. I have had some shocking service in the US and there was still the expectation that I would tip - hell no. Don’t get me wrong I have had some amazing table service and have happily paid way above the std recommend tipping amount. The American work culture is totally screwed up. We have come across Americans using our services down under, then demanding refunds at the end of their holidays only to be told “Not friggin way”, so you had our car for two weeks and it’s only on return you complain - get real. Our consumer laws are not just to protect the public but to protect the business owners from dishonest customers. The person who coined the phrase “the customer is always right” should have been hung, drawn and quartered.

Yeah if you do they will stare at you like your trying to be cheap, it’s crazy started tipping myself after coming back from New York just got used to doing it lol.

I think here in NZ we don’t send it back unless there is a genuine reason to send it back. As for tipping, no way, we like things simple who wants to end dinner with math to work out the cost of tip.

Found this very interesting, thank you for sharing this video clip. :-)

Sending back your food is OK here I've neva come across an establishment here that hasn't gone out there way to sort any problems and I've lived and worked in the hospitality industry for 56 years 😀

0:30 "If you don't like you meal, you can't send it back." This is simply not true. Under the Consumers Guarantees Act (law/statue ) you have the right, as an unsatisfied consumer "reject the product and choose a replacement of the same type and similar value or a full refund of your purchase price". This is the law of the land in NZ and is universally known and respected. Servers, the maitre de, and especially owners know this to be the standard. Some common sense does apply however, you would be on very shaky ground if you ate 90% of a dish and then claimed you wanted it replaced.

Actually you can tip... just not in the way Americans do it. Many establishments have a tip jar on or near the cashier. If you've received exemplary service, it's normal to put in a dollar or two. Sometimes $5 but rarely if ever $10. Many people simply put in their loose change after paying the bill. At the end of the night, the contents are divided up amongst the wait staff.

It’s because we pay people a living minimum wage unlike the States where you earn a ridiculously low wage so they have to make tips to survive

Service in New Zealand doesn't depend on how much money you have, the CEO of a major company or a Ditch digger should get the same service.

the same in colombia

Do u have to tip at gas stations and Starbucks too?

I've only ever seen like 3 places with a tip jar

NZ has a consumer guarantee law giving consumers the right to return a meal if it is not what ordered or poor quality. Also NZ people mostly use a efp card rather than carry cash therefore another reason tipping would not work here.

We do actually have tipping here but it's usually in bars or night clubs. The difference is it's collective, tips are divided equally among all working staff at the end of the shift. In America it'd never work this way because sharing is communist.

Most countries do not tip..they get a living wage .

Also its getting put up about $2 more now

So if I was given alot of money through tips...do I pay tax on it or the person who gave the tip pays the tax?...tipping sounds like a good way to tax evade

Sounds like modern slavery to me. $2 something per hour. Kiwis wdnt even get out of bed for such a shitty hourly rate. When I visited Hawaii during the GFC in 2010 alot of bar staff & waiters demanded tips. Because I was new to tipping I cdnt believe how rude staff were. I gave one lady a tip...it went like this "if you want a tip try being more customer friendly & less grumpy" she told me she was working for $3 ph. I kinda felt sorry for her but it did not change the fact that she was bitchy & didnt deserve 1 cent. I left a qtr on the bar & walked away. Mean but necessary. USA govt needs to increase the minimum wage on a federal level, not on a state level.

If there's a legal minimum wage it has to be payed,right.So employers are breaking the law?

You can tip in New Zealand but it's a choice not a have to thing

2:41 well im not sure id call it a liveing wage but ... its survivable..

working for tips only... that is bloody criminal.

It's unique because the employer gives there staff reduced wages then you tip like a stealth tax and you think it's great

And if your service IS shit here, you can just go to the front counter, ask for the manager and complain about whichever staff member it is. Or if you are a wuss, write a letter. You can do the same with exceptional service.

In about 2020 the New Zealand minimum wage is going up to NZ$20.

$2 an hour!!!!! Holy moly.

New Zealands new goverment is putting the living wage from $15 a hour to $20 a hour..tipping is uniquely american

Love the vid ..love the insight ..keep it up..

Many waitresses make a very good living in the states out of tips alone...I dont know where the $2-$3 an hour hype came from. That is just plain silly and untrue.

You are not supposed to have a working wage at every job some jobs are just extra money

You can tip if you want but it could be either appreciated or an insult, so just ask if you want and they will be obliged to say don't worry about it or say they may say thank you that will go to a cause such as cancer research or school collections

Everyone in New Zealand HAS to get paid minimum wage or it’s illegal

no tipping in australia . everyone gets the minumum wage .its law. no exceptions.

We don't know what tipping is

This feed is bullshit no wonder service is so bad in nz! Of course you have to tip in nz if you want international standard quality service. This is why all well trained waitstaff move overseas and I'm left training 16 to 18 year olds how to pour water, and believe me I don't pay them $18 An hour

America is the odd-one out when it comes to tipping in western countries

This is how most of the world works. Tipping only happens in countries with a strong American influence.

Do American wait staff pay tax on their tips?

0:42 well yeah cose you know ingredients cost money and all soo ...

Haha if you say you dont like the food and are gonna pay you would more then likely get a hidding.