Tipping in Canada: Is there a link to better service? [Video]

Customers are expected to tip in many situations, but some doubt the practice motivates workers to provide exceptional service.

Bev Burgess, a retired teacher from Medicine Hat, Alta., is among the Canadians who say they’re no longer sure that there’s a correlation and are raising questions about tipping culture in Canada.

She says she’s been prompted to tip when merely buying ice cream at a food truck and when her grandchildren get haircuts. She says she’s also expected to tip when she gets her nails done and gets oil changes, and it all adds up.

“I think this whole tipping business has gotten way out of hand,” Burgess said in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca.

What adds to her frustration is situations when she has no choice. In one case, she said, she was automatically charged 14 per cent for a tip, even though she didn’t receive her meal until …