I turned into a Swiss husband and I didn’t even know!! 
On a serious note…yeah. I agree with these Swiss husbands/wives (don’t want to gender discriminate). 
But that’s because I am definitely poor according to our fellow foreigners’ standards.
Tipping is very much alive here. Round up and show your appreciation. Anything else makes you look like a cheapskate.
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People are often intrigued by the question “how much is enough” or how much is OK as to not make one look…either way. They’re used to other standards (percentages of the tips) so in the end they tend to adopt the solution - no tips, after all it’s Switzerland so everyone must be earning a decent wage.
Thanks everyone. I was completely missing on this. Anyway, I won’t tip.
There are bunch of places that run well without servers. There is no need to underpay people when there are bars that only serve drinks at the bar, kebap, McDo, or that cafetera near the office with plastic trays. And we happily go to these places. So, why support a restaurateur that is cheating by offering a service the business numbers cannot afford at the expense of employees?
Maybe prices could be more transparent. I get my beer at the bar, 7-8 francs. Server takes the beer to my table 10-12 francs. Or something like that.
You’re essentially asking to commoditize a human interaction. I hate self-serve places as for me, going out implies human interaction and I’d absolutely hate it if we move in the US direction of passing by a AI enabled speaker with my car which takes my order and then i pick it up without even talking to a human.
Food and drinks are too important to to be left to robots
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I have never seen that here. The posted price, is the price.
What? I thought I went to bars for beer and talking with friends. A 2-phrase long exchange with the server is not human interaction. Or do you go to bars to talk with servers?
That’s not the point. 5 chf self serve vs 7 chf with server means you’re pricing in and commoditizing the server service. Doing that means that eventually you lose that and move towards a machine. This is my objection
Hardly. What AXA suggests is exactly how it is done already - in Italy or France for example, the price for a coffee at the bar is cheaper than that if orderered at a table and served by a waiter.
When I first arrived, as in - around the outset of my journey here. Not a question I asked at passport control off the plane.
We don’t eat out often either, but I did work in the hospitality industry for years, so have some empathy with the staff hence thinking to ask someone about it.
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I figured, but was messing a bit with you (sorry!). I also have sympathy for the people who’re employed in certain industries as I know they’re highly undervalued and under appreciated.
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But doesn’t that happen because VAT is higher when consumed on site, vs a take away? Nothing to do with a tip?
Dunno about VAT, I would assume there should be no difference whether you have it at the bar or on a table. To me, this is driven by the opportunity cost: a quick coffee at the table outside would be sub optimal as the table could be given to a couple wanting a slow breakfast
I’ve never encountered that here, the price is the same whatever.
I usually just round up when I pay. I will leave a bit more if the service is excellent.
Serving staff are certainly paid better here than elsewhere and it is technically a living wage but it’s not a wage that most of us here would be happy to live on.
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I never mentioned take-away. They don’t do that American thing in Italy.
Coffee is fixed price in Italy (at the counter). If you want to sit at a table and be brought your drinks you are paying for the table service, the table cloth, the nice view etc etc etc.
There’s no waiter to tip if you have your drink at the counter. If you want to tip the barista - well, that would be the same as tipping the chef which doesn’t happen.
I don’t really go to bars but on the rare occasions - either bars or restaurants etc I do enjoy a bit the human interaction. Call me weird.
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To be fair we’re visiting Italy pretty often but I haven’t noticed there are different prices in the same facility. Maybe I didn’t pay attention…but good to know. However, most decent places require reservations which can be a pita as you have to organise your touristy schedule around that. Not as bad as in France where you can hardly get any reservations in full season but still.
My dad does the same and it’s a bit creepy. I cannot find a better word for the forced interaction between young server and almost 80 year old guy.
My dad also has the superpower to engage in small talk with people around, ignore the people at the table he’s seated, and exclaim very emotionally at the end about how great was being together, we should do this more often…all while he made his best effort to escape from any meaningful conversation with any family member. .
So, that’s why my right eyebrow raises automatically when I read or listen about “human interaction” with servers. It’s a damned red flag 
Forced interaction? Wow, that sounds creepy indeed. But I didn’t mean that, I meant a short nice talk about the food they’re serving, the restaurant, the neighbourhood. I guess we have different reference points and we should never assume everyone is the same. I would probably find your dad creepy too if I was the young server.
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haha, yes. I’m speaking from bad memories…I better go back to generating revenue.
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