On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 15:30:26 GMT, sarah bennett
> wrote:

>Kathy in NZ wrote:
>> On 17 Jan 2006 09:28:58 -0800, "Sheldon" > wrote:

>> Your experience of people ordering enough to take home to feed
>> themselves for several meals and also offering to leave a tip is
>> foreign to me. Firstly because we don't tip in NZ. The amount on the
>> restaurant bill is the total bill. It is not necessary to leave tips
>> in NZ, though I accept you must tip in some countries.
>
>they must pay waitstaff better in NZ. Here in the US, it is legally
>mandated that you do not have to pay them more than $@ and change per
>hour, because they are expected to make up the rest with tips.
>

>saerah

Yes waitstaff are paid a proper wage. That's not to say it's a high
wage, but they earn more than the legal minimum hourly rate and don't
rely on tips. New Zealanders don't want to see tipping become a way of
life here. People are paid to do their job. They shouldn't have to be
paid extra to do it willingly. Tourists are advised tipping is
unnecessary everywhere and to everyone here. That's not to say
waitstaff wouldn't like to be tipped, they would, but only because
it's icing on the cake. I am only referring here to NZ, not the
necessity to tip in the US.

Kathy in NZ