A quarter of UK consumers left a tip in the last year despite receiving bad service amid widespread confusion over the practice, a survey suggests.
The poll for Which? found many consumers tip out of politeness or obligation, with 26% saying they had done so despite having a poor experience.
Of those, 25% said they would have felt embarrassed not to have left a tip and 39% felt it was expected.
Those working in restaurants – where a service charge is often automatically added to the bill – are the most likely to receive a tip, with 28% of consumers saying they tipped staff every time and 23% saying they did so more often than not.
However, one in five consumers (21%) admitted to never tipping at the end of a meal out.
Postal workers, cleaners and bin collectors are the least likely to benefit from tips.
Some 75% of consumers never tip bin collectors, while 73% said they would never tip those who deliver their post and 52% never tip their cleaner.
A third (34%) never tip their taxi or Uber driver, and just a fifth (19%) said they make sure to tip on every journey.
Almost half of people (46%) have not tipped their food delivery driver or courier in the last year, while just one in 10 (11%) said they tipped every time.
When it came to getting a haircut, 28% said they tipped their hairdresser every time, while 26% tipped their barber on each visit.
However 38% said they had not tipped their hairdresser or barber in the last 12 months.
Which? retail editor Reena Sewraz said: “Tipping can be a great way to reward good service, but our survey reveals widespread differences in tipping etiquette – with workers in some sectors unlikely to see a tip at all.
“You should never feel obligated to leave a tip, but if you wish to, tipping in cash can ensure it gets into the pocket of the person who served you, if that’s what you want, rather than ending up in a pool.
“In some cases, small gifts like chocolate could also be a welcome alternative, and a nice way to thank your postie or bin collector at the end of the year.”
Deltapoll surveyed 2,134 UK adults between January 10-13.
