I have been thinking about this today after seeing a post on Tipping on social media. I live in the USA and tipping is a thing here for some service jobs but not all service jobs. The big ones that are talked about the most is the Food Industry/Food delivery, and Hairstylists. I never was a fan of tipping to begin with even though I live and grew up here in USA, but I decided to read some articles about Tips. You know the history and the effect it has on people who work for tips. The group of people who tend to work jobs that is about tipping. Or even the mood and reaction of the customer in different circumstances and things that go on in their personal lives they carry with them to lunch. Actually it was a few years ago that I found out that USA is one of the few countries that has tipping. I have my opinions on the matter. They are pretty strong and aren't a popular stance in USA. But I was curious to hear what others thought. I know there are people from around the world here, as well as a large chunk from USA. I will ask for people not to quote others/reply to other members in this thread.
I just want to know your opinions, whatever they are. Even if I really really disagree with them! I don't really want to see arguing or challenging.
I just want to see >>perspectives and why >> experiences about tipping or receiving tip or lack of tip >>If you think tipping is a good thing or if you think tipping is a bad thing, or neutral about the whole thing, I would like to hear whether you have interest in seeing or not seeing tipping expand into other jobs and industries. Or see tipping go altogether. Why or why not. >>Or if you live somewhere that doesn't having tipping are you happy tipping is gone or not happy tipping is gone. Why or why not. What do you think about other countries/companies that still do tipping.
I don't like tipping as a concept because I don't know what the "right" amount is to tip someone for something. Businesses should pay their employees more and charge higher prices if necessary rather than making employees and customers play the tipping game.
I think there are two sides to look at this. First off, food prices at restruants in the US are generally lower compared to other countries, becuase the "tip" is not included in the meal price. Getting rid of the tip and paying waiters a hourly wage instead would raise the price of the meal, so ultimately it would not be cheaper to eat out, but about the same (possibly slightly more for those who do not tip). On the flip side though, tips can often pay well above the minimum wage for good waiters who often work at fancy restruants, and if restraunts then got rid of tips, these waiters might be making less as the restraunt could pay them less than what they made in tips before.
I hate the way the USA uses tipping. It's a despicable practice used mainly by the restaurant industry to screw their employees out of a proper wage. On top of paying them less and expecting the patrons to pick up the slack, this complicates the employee's life. Taxes can become considerably more difficult when you get paid tips, especially if a large amount of your income is tips. And some employee's may have a hard time keeping an exact tab of their cash tips (can't say I blame them - although some do this on purpose) - which can cause them to get in trouble with the IRS. Don't get me wrong, they more than likely won't as it probably won't ever add up to an amount to alert the IRS, but still - it's another complication.
The price of food would ultimately stay the same if we paid hourly wages, and that's the way it should be. At least employees wouldn't be the ones hurting if a customer comes in and decides their tip should be writing "don't be a waitress" on the tab.
I personally have no problem paying a tip, because I'm helping the person who served me. I always tip extremely well, especially since the pandemic. I understand the concept, so I have no problem with it. I just don't think it's right and it shouldn't be this way.
People who intentionally don't tip because they think they are entitled disgust me. You know the deal, you know they aren't getting paid for ****, and you're gonna be ignorant anyway? Just cook for yourself then. Restaurants and food delivery are a service, they aren't a "human right" that everyone is entitled to get for super cheap. Honestly, to me, restaurants/food delivery are a treat. In the USA we've just grown so accustomed to over-using these services that now we think we "need" them to feed us, and that they "owe" it to us.
I live in the UK and in general tipping isn't really expected or required here but there are a number of cases where I'll always provide a tip; for my hairdresser because he always does a great job and he has done my hair for over half my life so it just feels odd to me not to give him a tip, in some places I round up the bill/leave the change especially whenever I'm paying a taxi driver and I'd quite often provide a tip in restaurants, it's not really customary here but if it's a particularly nice restaurant or the service is exceptional then I always think leaving a tip is polite and appreciated.
While I'm more then happy to provide a tip as I see it as been respectful and I know in a number of countries it can be heavily relied on by underpaid workers I would rather that it wasn't really required and that people were paid more fairly so they didn't need the tip to try and make ends meet. Also another problem with tipping for me is the confusion around it, where are tips expected and how much should I be tipping? Having visited many countries with my family while growing up I've picked up my tipping customs from my parents but I can never be sure if it's the right thing to do. When we're somewhere in Europe we'll usually tip in restaurants if service charge isn't included but because I don't think its actually expected in many of these places due to minimum wages we only usually go for 10% (or 15% for exceptional service) but then I worry if this is too low? Whenever we're anywhere in the US though we tip at every restaurant, usually at 20% because I've always had the belief that its something that is quite heavily relied on by employees there but I stick to that in any State I'm in even though I'm not entirely sure if tipping expectations are different by State or if I'm offending anyone by tipping which isn't my intention. I've also never been to Asia but I'd love to visit Japan but from what I've read tipping isn't common over there which confuses me further, I would never want to seem rude by not tipping but don't want anyone to be insulted if I do.
So really in short I'm more then happy to tip, especially if its somewhere with really high class service or if it's somewhere that I believe tipping will benefit workers trying to live on a very low wage but I'd prefer employees received a higher wage so they didn't have to rely on tips and to stop confusion about when tips should be provided or how much it should be.
Hmm.. I don't like how employees are tip-reliant (aka everyone gets paid less than minimum wage because tipping is expected), but I do like the idea of tipping as a "bonus" or "thanks" for excellent service. I think in Korea, there's no required tip BUT we do tip the person who helps grill our KBBQ/ serves us a lot of bonus side dishes. Because that's excellent service and we appreciate that they went the extra mile to make our time at the restaurant filled with good memories.
That's not the case in the US. Regardless of the quality of service, you're expected to give a tip. And if you don't tip, it creates a very real and often unfair financial pressure on staff.
If servers/kitchen/staff were all paid fair wages AND there was on option to tip more if you received extra customer service, I think I'd feel better about tips.
I live in the US and I always try to tip well because I know that certain employees rely so heavily on tips. But I would much prefer if tipping was just something we did to reward exceptional service or someone who went above and beyond rather than the expectation. I feel that the current system in the US has strayed from the original intent of tipping. I don't like that I feel obligated to tip even if the service was terrible because I know that employee is counting on tips to make ends meet...and everyone has a bad day now and then so I try not to hold it against them.
I wouldn't mind if the prices of things were raised a bit to account for raising the wages of the employees. I think that would be fair and most of the things we tip for are luxuries anyway.
i live in the us and i always tip, but i really wish i didn't have to. i just don't get why it's a thing with some establishments and not others? like, it's not expected of people to tip retail workers (even though they would absolutely deserve to be), but somehow sit-down restaurants, which can often have pretty expensive menu items and hundreds of customers a day, can't? i've just never been able to wrap my head around it.
I live in Canada so the tipping situation is not the same as in the US but tipping is still common here I would say. I give tips to any food delivery people, bartenders when out drinking, and at sit down restaurants. But I only do that because it's the norm not because I love tipping culture.
I would be happy for tipping to be completely done away with. I would rather just have the cost included in the menu prices. Also sometimes I would just prefer less service from waiters, I feel like these people are under so much pressure to be chatty and friendly just to secure a tip, but I came here to eat not make small talk.
I live in the UK. I don't bother tipping unless somebody really has gone above and beyond. I don't feel the need to since we have a legally required minimum wage rather than relying on tips to make up our wage.
Saying that, I do think the minimum wage isn't high enough. Rather than tipping though, I feel minimum wages should be raised. The customer should never be expected to directly pay staffs wages...Especially since those outside of service jobs receiving the same wage will likely never get a tip.
for me, as a european person, tipping culture seems weird. i understand that it can be a nice additional income for service workers, however i don't think it's something that workers should have to rely on to get by, and i don't like that the full price (including tip) is not included in the price that's on the menu. (also like not including taxes is Wild but ok that's another issue). Like, it's just weird to me that you're definitely expected to pay more than the listing price, but it's not 100% mandatory (you're just really rude if you don't).
it's even weirder when tips don't explicitly go to workers. if i'm supposed to donate money to workers who don't get paid enough to survive i don't want the company that's not paying them enough taking a cut of it, that's just straight up unethical.
also, in general as an anxious person, tipping and the expectations around it makes me anxious. it's so much easier for me to just pay a set price rather than trying to figure out what to tip (i know in the US you are supposed to tip like 20% but still, some people expect more i think??) idk it just sucks.
you can tip at sit down restaurants here, like almost always a voluntary tip prompt is included when paying, but idk what the culture is exactly and while i almost never go to those types of restaurants, i don't feel obligated to tip.
basically, if i'm in a country where tipping is expected i sort of feel like i have to tip but i would rather it not be that way, i guess.
I’m for tipping if it actually always benefited the person you were meaning to tip and of course the tip itself being on your own terms and not mandatory like at some places. Most places just keep the money for themselves and that’s not ok.
I just wanted to add another thought or two to this thread:
- In the US, people who work on tips will not ever make below minimum wage due to the "Tipped Minimum Wage' or also known as the "Cash Minimum Wage". This requires employers to pay people who rely of tips atleast $2.13 an hour, and in addition the employers must make up the difference if the employee did not make $7.25 and hour (or min wage). This means if the employee only made $3 in tips during that hour they worked (and min wage is $7.25), the employer must also pay them $2.12 in addition to the minimum cash wage of $2.13 to ensure they made $7.25 for that hour of work ($2.13 cash min wage + $3 tips + $2.12 difference).
i'm not to bothered about it, like i've never actually tipped someone because i barely have money for myself most the time so i can't afford to give others more money than they were originally asking for this is just based off that 1 time i got pizza delivered and wasn't able to tip the dude, i actually feel pretty bad about it tbh
I think tipping should be an optional thing. Technically tipping isn't required but if you don't, you generally look rude. It's not customer's responsibility to pay an employee's wage; it's the employer's. So that alone is the biggest problem.
I like to tip if the person did a good job at whatever service. I don't like being made "forced" to tip or made to feel guilty if I don't.
Tipping doesn't make a person do better service. It's just directly passing off wages that servers, bartenders, food delivery drivers, and other people working in tipped jobs need to survive onto the customer. I honestly resent being expected to tip and I seriously don't really eat out (1-2 times per year max) or order food delivery (it's probably been more than 10 years at this point) because of this.
I lived in Japan for a few years and their customer service was amazing and there was no tips. Good customer service was just expected as part of performing your job duties. The employers paid all of these employees Japanese minimum wage (I didn't remember what it was so looked it up - it's currently 902 yen/hour aka over $8 USD/hour) at the very worst.
I’m in the US as well and i just feel like we should all be paid enough to not have to rely on gratuity and tipping.
I do tip and i try to tip well, but it’s such a backward in the past way of making money. Your employer should see your worth and WANT to pay you for it not rely on customers to do it for them.
Although, i have had some awful customer service where i didn’t leave tips. I get everyone has bad days and all that, but there comes a point where i have to step back and ask myself if it’s truly worth the amount i’m giving. If it’s not then no tip if it is then tip.
I know some wait staff and bartenders who love the tipping system and make great money that way, unfortunately it’s not like that for everyone.
I’m neural, I guess. I think servers should not have to rely on tips, nor do I think they get paid enough for what they have to deal with on a daily basis. Customers can be downright rude and disrespectful. Yeah, some customer service can be awful but you can’t ignore how ****ty customers can be. As someone who’s worked for the unemployment line with Bank of America, I’ve seen how ungrateful customers can be. I’ve also had similar crappy experiences when I worked at an Airport. Won’t get too off topic here, though…
I think tips shouldn’t have to be a thing, though. Just pay servers a living wage and not justify paying them poor amounts of money by saying they have tips. I swear some customers act like they haven’t had jobs before.
I always tip at restaurants but I do think it should be optional. First of all, restaurants and corporations should just pay their workers at least minimum wage (tbh even the minimum wage in the US isn't enough to live on these days). However, I don't want to get rid of it completely because I love tipping people who go above and beyond and showing them my appreciation for their great service. I'm currently working in South Korea and there's no tipping (and a lot of Asian countries, in my experience). Prices for meals are good and workers are paid a livable wage. Sometimes I want to tip but it's not done here. First time I tried, the waiter chased after me to give me back my money.
