It appears the new contentious issue in the restaurant is the question of tips.
Without doubt the British are generally very bad at it. I certainly get embarrassed by it.
The guidance my father gave me many years ago is that you tipped in restaurants, hairdressers and cabs. That was all.
Europeans are very much better at it and often when they visit the pub will attempt to leave a tip. Generally I discourage it partly because I don't like staff having piles of "their" money behind the bar and often because I feel awkward about it.
In restaurants however things are very different. Provided the bill clearly says "Service not included" and I loathe restaurants that include a service charge or, most offensively in my eyes, load a service charge on a bill when there is more than ten or so in the party. If service isn't included then, if the service has been OK then 10% seems reasonable.
But even then I find tipping awkward. I am the first to praise good service. But what if the service was indifferent? Or outright bad?
But in restaurants tipping can be a very lucrative addition to the staff's income. A waiter can substantially supplement his income but this can generate ill feeling with the kitchen staff and others. It is seen as very unfair.
And this is where the problem lies in our restaurant.
The solution here has been to initiate the "tronc", the collective pot which is divided up amongst all concerned. But this has lead to ill feeling. The decision has been to divide it between the waiting staff with a percentage to chefs and pot washers. But even though this looks equitable it doesn't suit everybody. The waiting staff do their utmost to elicit responses most likely to result in a tip. Then they must share it. Waiting staff are mini entrepreneurs whose business is generating tips and, like all entrepreneurs, dislikes sharing them.
Nubar Gulbenkian once said "The best number for a dinner party is two ~ me and a damned good head waiter". I'd agree, and if I were the waiter I'd work damned hard to achieve that. And I'd be loathe to share them too!
But the tronc is seen as fairer and most are happy to go with it. But I fear we may have lost one of our best members of staff over it and that is very sad.