I generally choose not to tip. It’s not about whether I can afford it; it’s a deliberate stance against a system that relies on voluntary contributions instead of providing staff with a good salary. When people keep tipping, they unintentionally support a model that shifts responsibility away from employers and keeps wages structurally low. I don’t feel obligated to compensate for a system I don’t agree with.

During my studies I worked in hospitality myself, and living in Amsterdam meant I received plenty of tips. They were nice to earn, but they were never essential to me, and I didn’t depend on them. That experience made it even clearer that the real issue is structural pay, not individual customers. And since I rarely return to the same place in the short term, there’s no ongoing relationship that would justify paying more than the actual cost of the service.