The Montpellier

[Brendan]

Bog Trolls, can't abide them myself.

[Alan Dale]

You are just too tight to tip *Bob*.

Don't blame you - could be 6 months until you sell your next ditty.

[mockney piers]

Fortunately attendants in London (well outside the worst places in the west end) seems to be a dying trend.

In fact the last time I saw any it was in Dublin.

It's not a matter of being tight, I'm just perfectly capable of washing my own hands with soap and water thanks.

In Holland the attendants (usually ladies outside the bog doors) don't wash your hands, but they do threaten to kill you if you think about setting foot back in the toilets having previously left without tipping.

It always added an extra edge to the night out!

And yeah, hate the silver trays. It smacks of thinking you're so grubby they don't want to risk touching your hands. Not enough toilet attendants clearly ;)

[Asset]

I'm not going to tip someone for serving me a drink from behind a bar, nor am I going to tip a toilet attendant. And it's not a question of being tight.

[Alan Dale]

You'd rather see the cost of service and toilet cleaning fully absorbed into the price of drinks? Fair enough - I suppose it's a matter of preference.

Personally I prefer tipping bar staff as it incentivises good service.

I also don't mind toilet attendants as they keep the toilets clean. I certainly wouldn't be intimidated by them.

[Asset]

Why do we need to tip them. Aren't they being paid? It is an establishment's business to keep the toilets clean and the staff giving good service, not the customers'.

[Alan Dale]

It's just a fact that if they are getting tipped for serving they will serve more people. It's an incentive.

Furthermore, if they are pleasant and courteous then they are likely to get bigger tips.

I have no problem paying for good service- you rarely get it for free.

[Asset]

I think that's rubbish. How much service does one get when someone pulls a pint for you? People should be being paid enough to do the job properly.

[*Bob*]

Alan, did you say you spent some formative years in Cleethorpes?

This would explain your comedy 'northern mentality' towards toilet attendants.

"eee.. they 'ad a man in't toilet passin' t'soap an' all.. it were just like buckingham palace, I tell you.."

[mockney piers]

Each to their own. Traditionally Britain doesn't work with a tipping culture on the whole, outside of a restaurant or a cab.

We expect Sainsbury's to be clean without having to tip, I don't see why it should be otherwise with The Bishop.

Likewise, if I had a good night and good service I'll probably wave away a few quid change from a note, but I don't like that it should be expected with every drink and bad service ensues if you don't (a la the States); why should it be, that's your job to pour a pint and it took you all of 15 seconds, well done. Silver trays is the thin end of that wedge.

[Alan Dale]

Asset- I think it's pretty obvious.

Imagine working in a really busy bar with bar staff paid a flat hourly rate (minimum wage no doubt) then how would you feel about serving as many people as you could as quickly an courteously as possible. Now contrast that with the same situation but where each time you served someone you picked up 50p or a quid.

Which bar would provide the better service do you think?

Then it just comes down to whether you value good service and if so how much are you willing to pay for it.

[Brendan]

The problem I have is I always tip them and tend to make friends with them as the night goes on and then get more generous as I drink more and by the end of the night I?m broke coz I gave all my money to some guy in the toilets. :-S

[SimonM]

>>Then it just comes down to whether you value good service and if so how much are you willing to pay for it.<<

The problem with this though is the next step in the progression: where the waiter/bog attendant/whatever instantly assesses each new customer for their "tip potential" and then proceeds to render a quality of service designed to realise that potential. The waiter blatantly and shamelessly working one table (to the detreiment of the adjoining tables simply because he rightly surmised these were businessfolk on expeses or rich americans or whatever and would tip him royally at the end of the meal used to be one of the real curses in eating out...

[*Bob*]

Reasons for bars employing toilet attendants (in order of actual importance)

1. To create an impression (now hopelessly outdated) of 'exclusivity'

2. To put people off doing coke in cubicles.

3. To stop people having sex in cubicles.

4. To keep the toilets clean.

(4) Rarely ever occurs, as the unpaid attendant is too busy thrusting tissues at people and trying to make eye contact so they feel guilty enough to leave a tip.

[Alan Dale]

1. To create an impression (now hopelessly outdated) of 'exclusivity' - No one thinks that.

2. To put people off doing coke in cubicles. - They don't stop you doing coke as long as you tip.

3. To stop people having sex in cubicles. - See point 2.

4. To keep the toilets clean. They do indeed.

They also give out aftershave and chewing gum but I expect you've got your own bottle of Joop in your man-bag *Bob*.

[Brendan]

They certainly don?t create an impression of exclusivity. You tend to find them in tacky night clubs with sticky floors and crap music populated by guys with spiky hair and white button-up shirts and orange girls swilling alcopops.

[*Bob*]

I can just see you now, Alan, emerging from that toilet. Chewing gum. Fresh splash of Kouros. Top pocket brimming with Chupa Chups.

Money well-spent.

[Alan Dale]

And I can see you nipping outside to slash in the bushes and save a quid.

[*Bob*]

Does anyone else - anyone AT ALL - think that toilet attendants are a good thing?

Don't all shout at once.

[David Mc]

I don't like the word "incentivises" either. Why invent new words by turning nouns into verbs when an existing word will do? How about "encourages"? :-$

[mockney piers]

If you're idea of going uptown for a classy night out is Vogue on Stevenage's Roaring Meg, or Hollywood's in Romford, then a toilet attendant in a Leicester Sq club is probably the height of impressive exclusivity.

[Alan Dale]

I don't see why a man with no arms would have a downer on toilet attendants.

If you give them ?2 they'll probably hold it for you. Got to beat the usual Friday night with damp thighs.

[mockney piers]

Great post, but a trip loungewards should come as no surprise :)

[*Bob*]

Fortunately, there's always plenty of space to splash-around in the disabled loo. There are perks, you know.

[Rolo Tomasi]

Just seen this post (13/9) on BITE. It was done anonymously so can't vouch for the content, but if it is true then it's not nice to hear.