Irish Foodies Tipping Less as Cost of Living Rises

Sept. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- The study by leading Irish money saving website, DiscountCodes.ie, found that more than half of those surveyed - 52% - are tipping less than they were during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ days.  The average tip per customer has now dropped to below 10% of the value of the total bill, an over 50% drop from economic boom times in Ireland.

Encouragingly, 42% of those surveyed claimed that the credit crunch, extra taxes, and rising unemployment has not affected the amounts they tip when eating out.  Whilst tipping is optional for customers, it frequently makes up a large portion of the earnings of those in the catering industry.

Of those surveyed, 6% said that they have never tipped at a restaurant at any point in their lives.

Commenting on the findings, Hugh Durkin, founder of DiscountCodes.ie (http://www.discountcodes.ie) said:

“Whilst we continue to tighten our belts due to the downturn in the economy, each one of us still deserves a treat now and again, like a nice meal in a nice restaurant.  However, with costs of living still high, and wage packets decreasing, Irish diners are forced to become increasingly frugal when dining out.”

“There are plenty of ways to save money when dining out.  Many restaurants offering 2 for 1 deals, and discounts on ‘daily deal’ websites to bring customers in the door.  The selection of ‘early bird’ deals on offer at the moment is incredible, and an increasing number of restaurants allow you to bring your own booze.”

“If consumers shop around for the best restaurant deals available, hopefully they’ll be able to reward hard working restaurant staff with fair tips, even during these tough times.”

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