I've lived in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. I can testify that I personally observed no tipping culture here whatsoever.

Belgian here - I do tip but as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, it's not part of our culture. And I leave mostly small tips, nothing comparable to the US.

I once paid a tenner with €5 due and left in a Belgian bistro. I was followed and forced to take back my €5 as they didn't consider tipping appropriate.

Never had that happen to me - but what I did encounter is that it is explicitely stated that tipping is not necessary and that the service is counted for in the bill.

But those are unique instances I believe :-)

Nonsense, tipping happens all the time in Germany.

In general, there is a north-south divide, but I guess it also depends on your milieu.

Are you referring to forced "optional" tipping or service charge included in the bill?

The latter is ok in my book because it is seen as part of the cost of the service but separated in the invoice just like tax.

The former is a BIG pain!

I have just wanted to object to the notion that this is an exceptional American phenomenon.

It's also common in Canada. In Europe? I'm not aware of any country using a similar arrangement.

Such as?

E.g. Austria, Germany, Switzerland

No it isn't.

At least in Switzerland, you round up a Franc or two maybe if you are paying with cash, just to make the bill easier to pay. If you are paying card you generally don't tip at all.

If you tip 20% you either come off as a stupid tourist, or if you speak the language and explain it is for exceptional service (and not just because you culturally don't know better) you will make the waiter's day.

Even tough I was born and raised in Switzerland I always give a 10% tip in a restaurant when I was happy with the service.

To give no tip is in my experience considered quite rude. I only ever do it when I was unhappy with the service.

I live in Switzerland too, born and raised here, and everyone tips only when the service is better than usual, or we round up and give a franc or two for the service

Thats interesting. I guess there is no general pattern here.

My personal experience when I was jobbing as a waiter during my university time was different. Larger tips (more than a round up) were rather the rule than the exception.

Due to the fact that all tips are usually shared with everyone working in the restaurant I usually even tip if I was not that happy with the service because I liked the food or also the other way around.

This has been my experience in the Suisse Romande. Maybe you are from the Schweizerdeutsch side?

Exactly. I do live in Zurich. I'm in Geneva quite often and even there when having lunch with my romand co-workers they usually tip around 10%.

It still is quite surprising how even those "habits" are different in all the different regions here.

It is really not normal, at least from my experience being and living in those countries.

You obviously have never been to a hairdresser in e.g. Vienna. The same applies to taxis, cloakrooms, hotels, bars and restaurants in southern Germany and Austria. But as said somewhere else, it could depend on your milieu.

Tipping a barber in those countries? I think you're making things up.

Next time you are around, I will be happy to give you a tour. Edit: Have a look yourself at this: https://www.google.de/?q=trinkgeld+friseur+deutschland

I was in Switzerland for a couple of years and only saw very drunk people try to tip female bartenders. Otherwise no tips. Prices are high and service staff are well-paid.