Britons Tipping Less as Cost of Living Rises

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- It seems that the rise in the cost of living has taken its toll on restaurant dining, with the results of a new study suggesting how restaurant tips have been affected.

According to a new study by the UK’s leading discount website, just over three fifths of Britons admit that they are tipping less in restaurants this year than last; with the majority now claiming to tip ‘less than 10%’ of the bill.

The study was conducted by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk as part of general research in to the eating out habits of Britons, with 1,891 people aged 21 and over taking part.

Respondents were asked questions surrounding their spending habits in restaurants, and how these may have changed in recent years.

Respondents to the study were initially asked, “Do you leave a service tip when eating out in restaurants?” to which 89% of respondents answered “yes.”

These respondents were subsequently asked, “Have you been tipping less when eating out in restaurants the last 12 months, compared to the previous year?” to which three fifths, 61%, of respondents answered “yes.”

Those who replied “yes” were subsequently asked to explain why this was the case. The majority, 68%, explained that they were doing so because of the ‘rise in the price of living- including VAT and inflation rises.’ Furthermore, a fifth, 22%, explained that they were having to tip less ‘due to a change in family/ work circumstances.’

Furthermore, respondents who admitted to tipping in restaurants were subsequently asked to state how much they tended to tip, within the past 12 months. The results were as follows:

•   Less than 10% of the bill – 53%
•   10% of the bill- 38%
•   More than 10% of the bill – 9%

In contrast, respondents were also asked to stipulate how much they tended to tip in previous years. The results were as follows:

•   Less than 10% of the bill – 34%
•   10% of the bill – 55%
•   More than 10% of the bill – 11%

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings:

“Dining out in restaurants is a luxury we all tend to indulge in, and with this research we really wanted to see if and how things may have changed for people over recent years. It wasn’t surprising to see that those who were tipping less this year blamed the rise in the cost of living. Rises in VAT and inflation have made eating out ever more expensive, and with tips unfortunately being discretionary most of the time, they can often be a convenient way of easing the hit to your wallet."

He continued:

“It’s important to remember that tipping is most of the time optional, and an entirely personal choice. However, many see tips as somewhat of a social custom, so it can be difficult to face tipping less than you’d ideally like. We would always recommend searching for available discounts and vouchers for restaurants before eating out; they can be a great way of saving the pennies, and easing the effect that inflation has had on your food bill.”

ENDS

LINK: http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk  

For more information please contact Emma Kent of 10 Yetis Public Relations Agency on 01452 348211 or emmak@10yetis.co.uk.  

Editor’s Notes

Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £60 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.

Mark appeared as a ‘Secret Millionaire’ in the series on Channel 4, in which he donated £115,000 of his own money to worthy causes.

MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £600 m in the last year

Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £52m in 2009 to £65m in 2010.

MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.