Has tipping at bars, restaurants and stores gotten out of control?

Question

I'm not wealthy but believe in rewarding people for their hard work. It seems that almost every store includes a tipping prompt on the pinpad machines when you go to checkout/pay. I order a pizza online last weekend and was presented with the option to tip (I was pickup up the pizza and didn't tip). Its frustrating that most stores only offer 10, 15 and 20% amounts with no option not to tip (on some machines you have to navigated to "other" on tipping screen and manually input 0). I'm not against rewarding people for their hard work I'm just not going to pay them for doing their jobs.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Tipping has gotten completely out of control. It seems EVERYONE expects a tip now just for doing their job. But that does not mean all tipping is bad. Tipping servers in restaurants is a good thing for everyone. Here's why.

The whole idea behind tipping is to take some of the money we as customers would have had to pay anyway, and make it optional and contingent upon the server doing a good job. It's a motivator for the sever to perform and make our experience as satisfactory as possible, and a tool for customers to penalize servers who underperform.

I'll put it this way. Say I go out to dinner with my hubby and the meal costs $40 total. If the server did a good job, we would leave a 20% tip, which means the total cost would be $48. If they did a poor job, we would tip them only 10% and pay a total of $44. If they did a really terrible job, we would stiff them (which they deserve) and leave only $40.

Now, say tipping was outlawed so we didn't have the "burden" of tipping anymore. In that case, restaurants would have to increase the menu prices to make up for the loss of income for their servers. In the above example the menu prices for our meals would be $48 instead of $40, so the same price we paid with tip before. The difference is we no longer have any control over how much we pay. We no longer have any power to show our dissatisfaction and send the message to the server that they screwed up so they have to pay a price. We HAVE to pay it regardless of how well the server performed. The motivation for servers to "earn" their tips would be gone and they could get away with providing mediocre service with no consequences. In effect, customers would ALWAYS have to pay the full $48 whether we're happy with the service or not.

Tipping is definitely out of control and shouldn't even exist unless it serves a purpose, which is to motivate employees / businesses to provide exceptional service. Putting a lid on my coffee and smiling as they hand it to me is not tip-worthy.

DizzyDesii · Accepted Answer

I don’t like mandatory tips because not everyone deserves one, especially the percentage they request. I actually know someone who used to snatch tips off the table if they felt the waiter didn't deserve it. Funny af

D_Bone_Steak · Accepted Answer

It is an annoying habit. Makes me miss Japan where they'll chase you down the street if you leave money on the table. The practice of tipping just makes everything complicated. It has been needlessly complicated by math and %'s when I'm probably just trying to eat and leave. I now take something like McDonald's as the better option than someplace where someone is trying to ask me if I need something every 5 minutes.

I get it... some people like that bullshit, but I just want to eat and be left alone. I don't want to sign up for mini-math problems when I'm just trying to drink enough coffee to stay awake. I have an accounting degree and I hate math and the idea of it when I'm half asleep.

When it was a matter of just throwing a dollar or two down, it didn't bother me. But now that these fuckers have turned into rocket science... I'm going to McDonalds. Now I just wished McDonalds would stop asking if I'll be using their app today or if I want to make it a meal.

snowboarder720 · Accepted Answer

I tip depending on the quality of service. That goes for picking up food or dining in.
Picking up food I normally tip 10% if the food was ready when it should, the order is correct, and nobody has to talk to me (I’m not a fan of talking to the open public when I’m hungry and have places to be). Seriously a 10% tip is close to nothing and it really can help brighten a servers energy for the shift.
When I dine in I normally tip 20-25%.

I used to work at Burger King and a Wendy’s long ago. We were trained to not accept tips due to company policy. Even when the customer really insists.

Due to COVID a lot of this has really changed about how I should tip. My world is almost back to the way it was with extra precautions and respecting those who serve me and others food. They put up with a lot of shit.

Friendlybro79 · Answer

Tip in cash if you want to avoid the options on a card. It's that simple and stop pretending you can't go to an ATM lol.

Also we should all be mad about employers not paying enough in salary to give living wages and expecting customers to pay their employees. Reality is wages going up makes you pay anyway because prices go up. Tipping is prob cheaper for the customer because you can choose how much. If employers gave living wages they'd have to increase their prices more than what you're paying plus tip now. Just go get some cash once a week or month and keep it with you to tip as you please.

Massageman · Answer

Even when we pay by CC, I always tip in cash! I have only found one place that we still go to that has a "required" tip line on the receipt. Years ago there was a buffet restaurant that we ate at that had a "required" 25% tip. I changed it to about 5% for the set-up of the water glasses, and had a discussion with the manager.

The most interesting part is that these people do not understand 4th grade math. When the food prices go up, the tips automatically rise too.

SaoirseS · Answer

I don’t tip on take-out orders either. But I also use mostly cash, and if I use a card when I get the prompt I just input zero. I tip servers, delivery drivers, some others as is customary. Although a lot of people complain about tipping, I haven’t heard too many people willing to accept a 20-30% increase in meal prices to do it.

bolverk · Answer

Tipping is not universal, here in the UK/Europe it is rarely done (only if you think you have received exceptional service), in many countries it is seen as an insult, those who have visited or lived in America see staff relying on tips to make up their wages as the employer failing to pay staff a decent living wage.
When I have tipped it has always been direct to the to the staff, not through the bill as you have no guarantee the staff will ever see it as more than a few employers never pass on all or any of the monies tipped.

SawerBrown · Answer

Where I live the minimum wage is $15 per hour so unless they give over the top excellent. service no tip. Definitely never a tip on take out. The problem with adding the tip to your credit card is you have no. idea if the server ever sees the tip. Some restaurant owners keep the tips.

ImalwaysrightOK · Answer

I believe in tipping only when you want. The dirty secret is that most businesses that employ servers pay a minimum wage of under $2 an hour. The rest depends on tips. Two dollars. You can't even buy a soda. What we need is to force restaurants to actually pay their servers federal minimum wage.

dynamicyandere · Answer

It can be a little annoying. I always tip for good service. But, if it’s literally just a cashier taking my order at the counter and handing me my order, I don’t see why I should tip for that. If anything, I should tip the cook at the back. Waiters and waitresses deserve tips for good service. Cashiers that just type in your order and swipe your card, no so much.

Googlemyahoo · Answer

I only tip at a restaurant. For every issue the tip declines. If I’m seated for a long time without being looked after there 5% gone. If they don’t return frequently to see how things are if we want anything 5% gone. Until there's no tip.

Only did that once. They sat & forgot about us. Finally got a waiter who quickly took our orders but forgot the drinks. Then brought me the wrong order. Manager at least said our dinner was covered, we just up and left.

Peter_Penetrator · Answer

No. A lot of people do not know that most servers do not get paid minimum wage. The restaurants pay lower. The rest of a server’s income is dependent on tips. Sort of makes since. The more in tips you earn, the more likely the restaurant will continue to get repeat customers.

Steelcore5280 · Answer

People in the service industry when it comes to food have reached a point where they feel ENTITLED to getting a tip, no matter what they do.

It's super selfish for people to expect a tip. I worked in the tour guide industry for a few years. Not once did I expect a tip. I just did my best job.

Mrgoodstuff62 · Answer

💯 tipping is out of control. Everybody wants tips and most people don’t deserve one. In my opinion, only jobs that pay under minimum wage should ask for a tip. Everything is should not be asked and is only a bonus if you get one. You have a wage for a reason.

Guanfei · Answer

Tipping is typically American.

In the rest of the world, we tip for an exceptional service. Just doing your job doesn't earn you a tip, because you're paid for that, and that's the bare minimum you're expected to provide.

To earn a tip, you have to go beyond that, be extra nice, extra efficient. A tip is a reward, not a tax.

Anonymous · Answer

Having worked as a waiter and understanding how important tipping is as a motivator for good service, it pisses me off that everyone in the fucking world now thinks they deserve to be tipped just for doing their jobs. It's cheapens tipping and turns people against it.

Likes2drive · Answer

Yeah, I’ve been seeing that a lot if I use my debit card but if I pay cash, I don’t have to worry about seeing it. I have no idea why they think we’re going to tip when we’re just picking it up or buying it right there

exitseven · Answer

I go to a takeout place and they have a big tip jar on the counter. I don't leave a tip because they are just doing their job. I always tip the waitstaff when I go out to eat.

LiamJHayden · Answer

It has, but if one is trying to maintain trained staff and the competitors are offering the tipping at checkout, it makes sense to do the same. Eventually almost everyone in a given market ends up doing so

sheikalana · Answer

Tipping should be optional and not mandatory and you should give the amount you think it's fair.

LaFemmeFatale_1 · Answer

In China they don’t tip, they’ll feel embarrassed if you tip and they will not accept it.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

I do tip servers of course. But I rarely tip where it is just a cashier.

leahzrc · Answer

I work at a starbucks in a grocery store and we have to deny tips every time

Nikki1989 · Answer

Nobody tips here, they actually pay people a living wage.

Unit1 · Answer

Feeling like not going to places where tipping is rubbed into my nose with my financial situation.

dreamstar72 · Answer

Yes because a lot of the people you tip already get paid good. Except for waitress/waiter.

red324 · Answer

I'm in a service industry and nobody ever tips me. I guess they figure I charge enough already.

Twalli · Answer

I tip $5 for deliveries mainly because they're using gasoline or an electric charge they bought to give me things.

Pete671 · Answer

I rarely tip tbh, I believe in the system in Iceland, in my own job I refuse tips,

Anonymous · Answer

If you aren't bringing my food from the counter to the table you shouldn't be tipped.

CubaPirate · Answer

I'm with you all the way. Why should I subsidise the corporations that pay low wages

horndog112 · Answer

I think so. A tip should be for good service and shouldn’t be guaranteed.

Danny_dan92 · Answer

Fuck alcohol all together

YourExLover69 · Answer

I agree with you on that sweetheart 😘

Anonymous · Answer

I don't think so.

Has tipping at bars, restaurants and stores gotten out of control?

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