Polish restaurant tipping etiquette can be confusing for foreigners. While in other civilised countries it’s normal to say thanks when a waiter collects the money, you’ll be horrified to learn that in Poland uttering the word ‘dziękuje’ (thank you), or even thank you in English, is the sign that you won’t be wanting any change back. This cultural slip-up can get very expensive. We have heard instances of a customer leaving a 200zł note for an 80zł meal and then having to chase down the cheeky waitress to ask for the change. And while this is an extreme case, this happens far more often that you’d expect. To put things into context, even though salaries have risen for wait staff in the last couple of years thanks to a severe lack of supply, a typical waiter/waitress would be receiving around 10-15zł per hour. The waitress above assumed that the client wanted to leave a whole day’s salary. Nice work if you can get it.
What’s more, the waiter will do his or her best to a) make you feel deeply embarrassed if you try to get anything back b) conveniently disappear having pocketed your change or c) play the fool and suggest that it is your fault. We suggest that you only say thank you if you are happy for the wait staff to keep the change. Otherwise we advise you to use the word ‘proszę’ only when handing back the bill and the payment. One final tip and this is to demonstrate we are not completely anti wait staff. If you add a tip to your credit card payment the wait-staff have to pay tax on it. Anything that you give in cash probably isn’t declared. So if you do receive good service we urge you to reward it and to make a tip in the form of cash.
What’s more, the waiter will do his or her best to a) make you feel deeply embarrassed if you try to get anything back b) conveniently disappear having pocketed your change or c) play the fool and suggest that it is your fault. We suggest that you only say thank you if you are happy for the wait staff to keep the change. Otherwise we advise you to use the word ‘proszę’ only when handing back the bill and the payment. One final tip and this is to demonstrate we are not completely anti wait staff. If you add a tip to your credit card payment the wait-staff have to pay tax on it. Anything that you give in cash probably isn’t declared. So if you do receive good service we urge you to reward it and to make a tip in the form of cash.
Dear Cracow Visitors and "Cracow in your pocket" Team As a former waiter in couple of Cracow's restaurants and Hotels I can not agree with one of the statements above.The information given about waiting staff salaries is far from the truth. "...a typical waiter/waitress would be receiving around 10-15zł per hour..." in real is more like 8-10zł gross so almost half of the amount!!! I have no idea where did 10-15zł amounts came from. Of course in some cases waiting staff is earning more but those people are working for several years in F&B and they are professionals not a seasonal workers. If You want You may ask any waiter working on Main Square and surroundings to confirm my words.As for the tips left on Credit Cards the amount of tax is 41% - 22% as a venue income(since it will be included in their income balance) and further 19% as a income tax.Cash tips are not declared anywhere since there is no way to prove how much is it.As You can see reality is a "little" bit different than what You can read in this guide.I hope that next time when someone from the waiting staff will run with smile from Your table after geting a day or two salary as a tip after Your's "Thank You" You will look at the situation a different.For all Cracow Visitors all the BestPaweł Olszowski