The Dutch are leaving fewer tips in cafes and restaurants, a survey by broadcaster Nos and catering organisation Horecava reveals.

The survey was carried out amongst 550 cafe and restaurant staff, over half of whom said they think the lack of tips is due to the economic crisis. ‘Young people in particular give fewer tips,’ according to one of them.

The fact that people are using their bank cards to pay the bill is another reason given.

‘Many people find giving a tip difficult,’ Tilburg university sociologist Hessel Zondag told the Nos. ‘The Dutch do not like inequality and find being served uncomfortable,’ he said. ‘The tip is a way of avoiding that uncomfortable feeling.’