I am french, living in the US: yes, service is always included in France, but service is usually not that good. At least, definitely not as good as in the US.

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getfacl 14 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I spend about equal time in the USA and split between France, Germany, and The Netherlands.

Personally, I find the service in USA restaurants to be obnoxious, overly fake, and disruptive. I generally only go out to eat in Europe because I prefer a peaceful meal rather than a rushed one with a side of fake friendship.

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xtracto 12 hours ago | parent [-]

It will always feel rude to me how in the USA the waiters leave the check at tge table a couple of minutes after they bring your food. What if I want something else later?

It feels as if he/she "finished" with your table and you are SOL if you want anything else.

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xboxnolifes 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I've never had that happen and ive lived in the US my whole life. Must be a regional thing. I've never gotten a check before asking for it.

	▲	xtracto 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Interesting, Ive had it happen in Chicago, California and Indiana. At Dennis, iHOP and some other more regional restaurants.

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exolymph 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Huh. I wish this was the norm in my area, so I didn't have to wait around for the check once I finish eating.

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marcyb5st 14 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I think it is subjective. I prefer being left alone and having to talk to the staff only when I need something.

Being interrupted every 2 minutes with a "Is everything ok?" is annoying.

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CamelCaseName 15 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Many countries have far better service without tipping, China and Japan come to mind.

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fendy3002 14 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Japan is amazing in some places, that you can order with a tablet apps then you pick up your food yourself when it arrived. Very minimum interaction and employees needed.

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donohoe 14 hours ago | parent [-]

If I go to a restaurant and it’s all handled through a tablet I leave. I can get that treatment at the airport.

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manarth 14 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It's good for some neurodivergent people.

Overly-solicitous hospitality staff can make me tense.

At the far end of the scale are bathroom attendants who want to help me wash/dry/moisture my hands after using the facilities.

	▲	yuye 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Or the sales staff in the fancier retail stores that after I tell them I'm just looking around, will proceed to stand behind me and stare at me. Maybe they judge me too poor for their products and it's an attempt to get me to leave... >At the far end of the scale are bathroom attendants who want to help me wash/dry/moisture my hands after using the facilities. I've never ran into these and I hope I never will.

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542354234235 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You can order drinks at a bar and on an airplane, what's your point? Do you go out to eat specifically to talk to cashiers? If i want fine dining, being served is part of the experience. But if I want a good bowl of ramen, I can't see how using a tablet is some sort of deal breaking issue. What vital experience do you get giving a regular food order to a cashier?

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tpm 14 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes, and South Korea too.

Efficient service, good food, good prices (for a foreigner), no tipping expected or even possible.

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mytailorisrich 14 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The market works better in China: Competition is fierce and nowadays with online reviews most restaurants are so scared of a bad review that they go the extra mile and staff go all out as soon as you raise a slight concern.

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fvv 15 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is a problem for the employer and for the selection and remuneration of staff (at all levels of the chain and not just those in contact with the customer)

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dboreham 13 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I live in the US but have traveled to France for my entire life and speak French reasonably well. My take on this is: service is just fine in France. The difference is that nobody is "servile" in France. Also there are protocol differences (e.g. server never brings the bill until asked) that might be interpreted as lower levels of service.