Parsimonious Tippers

So, Vermonters have the impression that French Canadians visiting their fair State and eating at their restaurants have a faint appreciation for the niceties that obligate us to respect the low wages of wait staff and honour their service with appropriate tips. I wonder how that came about?  Oh, evidently they have noticed that French Canadians are loathe to leave more than a 5% tip after a meal.

That would rankle.  "A few times a week, we get tables that will eat for $100 and leave, like, three bucks or $5.  And 100 percent of the time for stuff like that, it's French Canadians.  Not all French Canadians do that, definitely not, but, when it happens, it's always French Canadians.  Basically it's large bills that get loose change as a tip."

How socially inadequate.  And here French Quebecers think of themselves as cosmopolitan.  Where would they get that idea?  A misplaced sense of style, obviously.  Sad, when style and social grace is so completely lacking just where it should be most evident.

At some restaurants in Vermont, it appears that a practise has ensued, that when a waiter observes that his clients speak French they are identified as French Canadian and in anticipation of a dismal tip, a 20%  gratuity will be added to the invoice handed over at the conclusion of the meal.  "No restaurant here has a policy to do that, mainly because it's illegal.  But sometimes servers will do it.  It's at the waiter's discretion."

The issue was recently revealed when a resident of Vermont complained at having realized that 18% had been added to her bill at a restaurant for the third time, once the waiter heard her speaking French.  She spoke French sure enough, but she has lived in the U.S. for 30 years.  She objected to the imposed gratuity, and it was withdrawn.

But that incident shed light on a growing phenomenon; waiters identifying French Canadians and shielding themselves from an anticipated low tip by figuring it into the bill.  "It's really discouraging.  They're lovely people, so I don't know where it comes from.  But most of the time, they leave between five and seven percent", said one waitress.

A manager at a Burlington bistro and cafe was of the opinion that Quebecers were unaware that the minimum wage for wait staff in Vermont is $4.10 hourly.  Whereas that rate is double, at $8.25, for Quebec restaurant and bar staff.  That most certainly is a generous-minded interpretation.  Quebecers have the reputation in the U.S. of being cheapskates.

They would hardly know that French Canadians also don't, as a rule, respond generously to requests from charities.  On average, French Canadians prefer not to give donations to charities. But they are not at all loathe to take charity from other Canadians in the way of Federal government taxation transfers to boost the province's social services.

And, right in line with that, many French Canadians are wonderfully adept at manipulating themselves into positions of permanent public social assistance, otherwise known as welfare, because it beats working for a living.  Though they certainly don't have a monopoly on it.