Do you tip your bartender?

Same thing different smell in the U.S. You have different training according to place of employment . Many different types culinary degrees.

Our apprenticeship system knows 345 professions that require three years training.

Like I said different levels of culinary degrees

Walter, Mac Donald's is coming to Germany?????? My apologies, I hope the Germans expect a better grade of food than most of America, which has been reduced to buying meat that was raised on factory farms. Full of antibiotics and fed improper feed so the conglomerate can make larger profits.

We've got McD since 1971.
Whta I do like with them, however, are their McCafés - opened here in first in 2003 (now e've got nearly 1,000).
Employees, btw, are paid according to tariff, and they've got nearly 2,500 apprentices all over Germany (65,000 emplyees).

Antibiotics are strictly regulated in European meat/beef. (Thus, the EU doesn't import meat/beef from the USA.)

what is called "beef" might however be horse meat from Romania, so the moral high ground is somewhat diluted .

I loved that one, Hawk!!!

Where? Certainly you can find black sheep/criminals everywhere, but here, horse meat is declared as such (and usually only sold at horse meat butcheries) and beef can be followed down (via the label) to the farm and cow.

I don't wish to be fawned over, I just don't want to wait very long for a refill and I like a smiling, pleasant tender who will exchange a few words with a patron. Such attention should be the norm, but sadly it is not. If a tender is so inclined author without a tip, God Bless 'Em but they still deserve an expression of my appreciation. After all, we're not talking about huge sums.

I have had servers on distant shores tell me a tip wasn't required, and I'm fine with that and appreciative. I'll tell them I valued their service and they seem to appreciate it. I've never experienced a server indicating he or she was insulted by a tip, but I think that's because I don't tip with arrogance. It isn't difficult for someone in another country to figure out that I'm not a native. If they are going to be insulted by a well meaning tip from a Yank, then the hell with them.

I can't imagine a reason why I should abandon an American custom that is essentially generous.

The irony?

How hideous an injustice it is to have people who serve the public be compensated on the basis of the public's appreciation of the quality of that service.

I'm not taking a shot at Brits, but I've been served by a hell of a lot more surely tenders in London than in NYC.

Some people are not meant for service industries. Tipping insures that the ones, for whom it isn't a problem, are more likely to thrive, and the ones for whom it isn't are more likely to find a job where having a personality isn't important.

Leave it to a liberal to think that a snotty asses waiter deserves the same compensation as a friendly one.

Kind of like Darwin's Law, eh Finn?

So I'm not trying to come off as a pompous jackass so give me a chance. Satisfaction with service of course is always subjective..I love food period ( and my wine for that matter). I've noticed in low cost places you get the chatty waitress trying to make sure she gets a tip. Mid-level cost restaurants you'll get usually what you pay for..expensive restaurants seem more concerned with the quality of food and drink and very expensive restaurants will go out of the way to make sure your experience in food and service was fab.

I'd rather be served by a surly barman than one with false smiles, all 'Have a nice day,' and 'How you're doing.' At least you know where are with them.

Too late for that.

How one perceives genuine is subjective..I make the call based on good service and don't give a rat's azz what their true intention is. It's all about the consumer's experience. As long as I'm getting what I paid for and the wait staff does it pleasingly .

Do tell dear based on what?

Bollocks.

I disagree . I've seen customers be very content with service and wait staff snickering behind their back.

Well they're ******* idiots then.

Well maybe you could teach a class on how to tell between sincerity and the opposite in the restaurant business