What are your thoughts on Tip creeping and Tip Fatigue?

Question

I'm not American. I understand a lot of service workers rely on tips and etiquette says 20% in a restaurant or coffee or food delivery but so many places want tips now often 25-35%, often for really bad service or no service, bad attitude and bad manners. Like why does a cashier at a bookshop need a Tip especially when I picked out the book myself with zero help from her? Why should I Tip a waitress 25% when I asked her for a cup of tea with the teabag brewed in a boiling cup of hot water, not a lukewarm warm cup of water with a teabag by the side?( not how to make a cup of tea) Or how about a pizza guy insulting my husband about a $10 Tip on a $30 delivery, apparently was a "real nice house for a $10 tip". One expensive restaurant my husband took me to well the staff was rude and give us bad service buy had added a 25% tip to the bill, the nerve of these people.

I used to work as a waitress in my teens in Ireland at the weekend, there was no obligated Tip. Most people tipped what they could afford or not at all but everyone got good service. I mean most of these customers were working or middle class and didn't earn much people out for a meal. I did quite well out of tips with good service and a smile.

Rant over but this is why I prefer to cook at home.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I agree with you.

Tipping is like an added charge that isn't disclosed on the menu. For example, a $30 meal is actually $35 or $36 minimum. It's dishonest. And that doesn't include tax.

I do tip, but I expect people to work for it. I don't do it automatically.

The other problem is, the servers at restaurants usually have to pool their tips and split them with the entire staff. It becomes part of their salary and they have to claim it as such on their taxes. In many cases, it's not like a special gratuity to an individual who earned a special little gift for going above and beyond.

Tipping is also a form of classism. A worker is made to feel that they don't have a dignified job that they can take pride in. They are a servant, an inferior.

https://www.foodwoolf.com/2010/08/history-of-tipping.html

Interesting fact. When in Mexico I learned that the baggers a grocery stores are unpaid. They work that job in hope of gaining future employment as stock people or cashiers. So it is customary to tip them a peso for bagging your groceries. But at least they get to keep their tips.

JustMeQ2 · Accepted Answer

As other people pointed out, it's a way to reduce costs and transfer more of the costs to the customers. It's modern-day capitalism.

These jobs will be replaced by automation soon, so companies don't care about the employees.

Encouraging people to leave tips is an emotional manipulation tactic to get more money. Companies create a situation where by leaving a tip you're doing a good deed and paying a bigger price for the product.

I have also fallen for this gimmick and now believe it's time to stop leaving tips and start supporting unionization it these industries. Even if these jobs won't exist soon.

DizzyDesii · Accepted Answer

I understand some people need tips to make a decent check but thats not my fault that they chose a tip-based job 🤷‍♀️ If the service is bad, I’m not tipping. And if i did more of your job than you did, I’m not tipping. But if you’re really nice/kind/helpful and i’m in a good mood, expect a big tip

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

It should be 15%.

15% of a $2 lunch in 1950 is the same as 15% of a $70 lunch in 2023. There's no need to increase the percentage.

I hate going to Dutch Brothers and the choices are 20%, 25% and 30% for a $7 cup of coffee, and teens who make $17/hr. I am offended and I leave nothing.

LiamJHayden · Answer

Americans have been indoctrinated into accepting tipping culture. Restaurants love it because it allows them to pay servers less than they are worth since the tips will make up for it. This allows the restaurants to have prices that appear to be far lower than they actually end up being.

The "automatic tip" added to the bill is many places is also very off-putting, as crap service still gets an 18% or higher minimum tip. Worse is expecting tips for handing someone a bag of chips and a bottle of water from behind a counter. Absurd.

ohsheeT · Answer

I would rather cook at home any day just because of the quality of taste and preference of food

I haven't really been out to dinner for a long time

But there are times after work where I've worked a little bit late and I'm hungry now LOL and instead of going to McDonald's or Burger King or any place like that there is a bar kind of close to my house that cooks real food and I will order a hamburger. Because it's real meat real bread real everything the french fries are real and they always tell me I can pick it up in 10 minutes 15 minutes and when I get there to pick it up it's done it's ready and I always leave them at least a $3 tip

There's a port of sub sandwich shop that I go to and those guys know exactly how to make the sandwich I like it has lots of meat on it has everything else on I like and I always leave them at $3 tip and I get a 2 ft sandwich LOL that I mean if they go the extra distance for me I don't have a problem leaving the tip.

lightbulb27 · Answer

it's gotten out of hand,

its an outcropping of our inflated and messed up economy.

I prefer Europe where there's no tips. service was all good and people seemed happy. Try that in USA, and I suspect only get attitude.

People are under financial pressure and strain, lack work ethic. our country is going down the tubes.

that said, there are lots of good decent hard working people. We've not had many problems ourselves, but every receipt and checkout asks for a tip.

maybe I should ask for a tip for shopping there...

exitseven · Answer

A new reataurant opened in my town. I wanted to call and get takeout. It turned out you had to order online. That was okay but I had to put everything on a credit card and I wanted to pay cash when I picked it up. I was annoyed but it was Saturday and my wife and I were both hungry so I just went along with it. Then the thing asked me how much of a tip I wanted to leave. I wondered who gets the tip? The store's computer? The only interaction I had with a human was when I picked up the food and the girl behind the ciunter picked it up and handed it to me. I was not goint to leave a tip for that.

worldscolide · Answer

If they automatically add a gratuity to my bill, I politely decline to pay until they fix that shit. Auto adding a tip is illegal. Forcing a tip is illegal. And the only time I tip is if it's a sit down restaurant or food delivery. Anything else can screw off.

Anonymous · Answer

this is america... they get mad over literally everything. most people don't want to even work anymore. they just want money handed to them. the pandemic ruined people. getting free handouts, free money, most that was not needed. that's what they still want with these tips. give me money for heating up and pouring you a cup of coffee. it'll never end. especially with this inflation and low wages. this is how america is and always will be. it just is. the most you can do is just not give a tip, give an extremely low tip, or just stop going out all together.

Sevenpointfive · Answer

i personally will never tip. it's not my job to pay for more than my food. i don't need a dancing monkey to deliver it and if i need anything i'll get off my ass to get it.

did you see that one story about the girl that received a big tip?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/14/waitress-fired-big-tip/

boggboss · Answer

The issue itself is not even leaving a tip its companies deciding that a workers main source of income should come from the tips which makes u end up paying essently twice and workers feeling entitled to the tip because they need it to survive

KostasKouvalis · Answer

I agree, it's gotten ridiculous. Tips used to be optional and mainly only given to waitresses. Now not only is EVERYONE demanding them, but they're also demanding HOW MUCH to give them, some through intimidation. Last time I was at my barber I heard him saying, "That's what happens when you don't tip the barber."

However, it does annoy me that foreign tourists complain about it, like it's mandatory. That's on YOU if you think that. It's not mandatory, it's just that stupid Americans might scold you if you don't tip, so what? You're only in the country for a short time and will never eat at that place and see these people again, so again, that's on YOU for allowing yourself to be intimidated. If people just stopped giving them, this would stop.

What are your thoughts on Tip creeping and Tip Fatigue?

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fQOFi__SAa4

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

I tip on how good of service I get. I used to order takeout from Pizza Station, well the last time I ordered the grilled chicken sandwiches the chicken was dry the bun was hard. So my cousin bitched them out the delivery guy brought back $14.36 that was all they could give back to us.

LiamSawyer · Answer

I'm in full agreement with you. I don't top for pizza delivery if I'm paying for the delivery. The cashiervatva bookstore or the cashier ag modtvdtores are being paid to do their job and seldom provide any kind of added service or benefit that deserves a tip. The places thst hanf you the credit card machine with a tip already added have me zero out the tip before my card is processed. It's my decision to decide if a tip is deserved and how much to give.

NathanDavis · Answer

I've never had an issue with tips that are a bit over than just the "etiquette" especially for great service... thing is, I don't eat out a lot, nor I order delivery that often

if you rely on tips, then it is 99% sure you're in a disadvantaged position with your employer so yeah... I'm inclined to be helpful to the worker even if just a little drop into the ocean, lol

Grond21 · Answer

It's really gross. Now on principle I only tip when I am served. Also, 20% as a standard is a joke. That's way to high.  But if nothing else will kill the tipping industry, this will.

DextroShade · Answer

I only tip at sit-down restaurants where they wait on you or for things like a valet or food delivery. If I am walking up to a counter to purchase something I an not leaving a tip.

Horse-girl · Answer

I've never heard of this before, I've always thought you leave a tip if you were happy with their service and want to say a little extra thank you.

RealMarek · Answer

At this point, tipping is being used not just for wait staff but for all kinds of low-wage jobs. We tip here because we know the corporate elites (may they be cleared out) will pay them shit wages either way.

katiesmuff · Answer

Nice thing about tips are that they are totally your choice of what you want to leave.

Mansearching · Answer

I try to tip what I can. Depends on the service.  One place lets me not tip all the time. Because I make it up next visit. They understand my position.

BigDog1989 · Answer

Tipped employees are expected to make minimum wage per hour IN tips, because it's illegal, otherwise. The higher the minimum wage goes, the higher the tip percentage would be

genericname85 · Answer

i'd say: if the employer does not pay you a living wage, go for a different job.

What are your thoughts on Tip creeping and Tip Fatigue?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

I tip on how good of service I get. I used to order takeout from Pizza Station, well the last time I ordered the grilled chicken sandwiches the chicken was dry the bun was hard. So my cousin bitched them out the delivery guy brought back $14.36 that was all they could give back to us.

What are your thoughts on Tip creeping and Tip Fatigue?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

I tip on how good of service I get. I used to order takeout from Pizza Station, well the last time I ordered the grilled chicken sandwiches the chicken was dry the bun was hard. So my cousin bitched them out the delivery guy brought back $14.36 that was all they could give back to us.

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