RSM UK’s latest Consumer Outlook survey, based on reponses from 2,000 consumers, found 57% believe tips should go solely to waiting staff.
36% said gratuities should go directly to the server who looked after their table, while 21% prefer a pool shared among all front of house staff.
A further 24% support sharing tips with all restaurant staff including chefs, bar teams and managers. Only 11% believe tips should be shared across the entire business including head office roles, rising to 21% among London consumers.
Generational differences were marked. 42% of Gen Z respondents said tips should go only to the staff who served them, compared with 31% of millennials.
17% of Gen Z and 16% of millennials support distributing tips across all employees including central teams.
Personal service
Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said the findings highlight the continued importance of service even as operators turn to automation to improve efficiency. He said excellent front line engagement remains non negotiable as consumers prepare to cut back on discretionary spend.
He added that low awareness of back of house contributions may also influence consumer attitudes. “There may be an element of out of sight out of mind,” he said. “For a restaurant to work seamlessly, it is very much a team effort between all employees.”
New legislation
Moseley also warned the industry is still grappling with the complexities of new tipping legislation. The rules, which came into force on 1 October 2024, require operators to distribute tips fairly and transparently.
He said the absence of a clear legal definition of fairness continues to create disputes at venue level, adding further complexity during a period of rising food inflation, tax increases and weaker consumer confidence.
His comments follow the first year of the Employment Allocation of Tips Act, which operators say has introduced greater clarity but left grey areas around transparency and distribution models.
With further changes expected under the Employment Rights Bill later this year, Moseley said the sector urgently needs tailored support to protect jobs and maintain consumer led growth in 2026.
