In almost every establishment where you sit at a table and order food and/or drink, a service charge is built into the bill. I've never been exactly sure of the amount of this tip. I'm suspicious of management by nature. How better to get a jump on the competition than shaving the tip? On the other hand, it may be fixed by law or custom. I just don't know.
Clearly the wages for servers is not as paltry as in the U.S. Many servers are people whom I've seen for years supporting themselves in the same establishment.
Austrians tend to be quite strict on "trinkgeld" (tips), they will simply round up. Thus 191 schillings will be rounded up to 200. 196 might go up to 205, if very pleased. The higher the bill, the (slightly larger) tip the Austrians will round-up. An expensive restaurant bill of 721 S might well move to 750 S, and so on.
My own tendency is to almost always add 10%, much less than the 20% I'm used to rather automatically adding in the U.S. unless the service was noticeably horrible. I also note I am quite popular in places when I return often -- a useful thing.
Prices for food (grocery store and restaurants) tend to be significantly less expensive than in the U.S. to begin with. I would think 20-25% less, thus my 10% tip still leaves me with a bill that warms my heart.
However, I don't really have advice on this matter. One will not offend if one simply "rounds-up." I do think that excessive tipping seems rather frowned upon. I doubt the server doesn't enjoy the money, but it is, I think, seen as a bit showy.
One simply has to play it by ear and personal taste.
Bob Corbett
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Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu