Tipping Ethics

[Fantine]

My children have worked in restaurants when they were younger. In this Bible Belt state, no one wants to work on Sunday morning--because the churchgoers are legendary for tipping 10% or less, sometimes not tipping at all.

One mean couple left her a fake dollar bill that said, "Disappointed? You won't be if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior." We made up memes about it. "How to turn youth into atheists..." Things like that. I was shocked (I never worked in a restaurant growing up--department stores and then office jobs.) The fake bill proclaimed that Christians were cheap. Christians were exploiting young people earning $2.63 an hour without tips.

But lately I have been getting tipping fatigue. I am happy to tip 20% at restaurants, but now every fast food eatery, coffee shop, drive through, etc. hands you a credit or debit receipt asking if you want to pay 15, 20, 22, or 25% And I think, "You're getting $11-15 an hour while the restaurant employees are getting $2.63. And you are handing me a cup of coffee through a window." But I think they expect something, so I'll put something like fifty cents.

What do you think about tipping ethics? I have heard DoorDash moonlighters trying to support their families saying sometimes they drive 10 miles and hardly get enough to cover their gas in a tip. I would be generous in tipping a delivery person.

I tip the people who cut my hair, do my nails, etc. usually 20%.

I would rather see everyone getting paid a living wage and just incorporate it into the price. So what is your tipping ethics?

 

[dogs4thewin]

My family usually tips by the service provided and I HATE tipping pools. My grandfather, grandmother, mother and I recently went out to eat at a place that uses the tip pool method I was not happy with the service and I already hate tipping pools after we left I asks pa pa if he had left a tip in the jar he said yes I reply I wish you had not as A I was not happy with the service ( neither were the rest of them and B tipping pools are so unfair that if a place has a tipping pool and I go there if it is up to me they do not get a tip.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I think American tipping culture is ridiculous. Persons should be paid a livable wage without relying upon consumers to make up the difference. I spent time in Japan this summer where workers are paid a livable wage, food is cheaper, and yet there is no tipping. If you leave money on a table there, servers have been known to chase you up the street to return your forgotten money to you.

That said, I don't live in Japan so I tip as is our culture in the U.S. I believe tipping should be graduated according to quality of service received. My rule-of-thumb is 10% as a baseline no matter what. Good service gets you 15%. To get 20% you have to provide both good service and be pleasant. You don't have to smile necessarily (although it helps), but don't act like you hate your job and serving me is an inconvenience. If you make my experience unpleasant, I think you should not be given a big reward for doing so.

I also think percentage tipping is sort of silly in and of itself in that it reflects overall price not effort expended. It's not any harder to get that $40 rib eye to the table than that $15.00 mac & cheese. I think it makes more sense to tip for the service than the price, yet it is not how we do things here.

 

[jacks]

I usually tip, because I feel social pressure to do so. One thing I always wonder about is the $2.63 (or there about) wages sited. This must vary by state. In my state it's $15.74 per hour and all employees including restaurant employees are paid at least that. (Employees who are 14 or 15 years old may be paid $13.38 per hour (85% of the state minimum wage))

 

[YorkieGal]

Tipping is a scam that continues to allow employers to be stingy and lay the blame on consumers instead of themselves re: low wages which should be illegal. IMO.

 

[Occams Barber]

My children have worked in restaurants when they were younger. In this Bible Belt state, no one wants to work on Sunday morning--because the churchgoers are legendary for tipping 10% or less, sometimes not tipping at all.

One mean couple left her a fake dollar bill that said, "Disappointed? You won't be if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior." We made up memes about it. "How to turn youth into atheists..." Things like that. I was shocked (I never worked in a restaurant growing up--department stores and then office jobs.) The fake bill proclaimed that Christians were cheap. Christians were exploiting young people earning $2.63 an hour without tips.

But lately I have been getting tipping fatigue. I am happy to tip 20% at restaurants, but now every fast food eatery, coffee shop, drive through, etc. hands you a credit or debit receipt asking if you want to pay 15, 20, 22, or 25% And I think, "You're getting $11-15 an hour while the restaurant employees are getting $2.63. And you are handing me a cup of coffee through a window." But I think they expect something, so I'll put something like fifty cents.

What do you think about tipping ethics? I have heard DoorDash moonlighters trying to support their families saying sometimes they drive 10 miles and hardly get enough to cover their gas in a tip. I would be generous in tipping a delivery person.

I tip the people who cut my hair, do my nails, etc. usually 20%.

I would rather see everyone getting paid a living wage and just incorporate it into the price. So what is your tipping ethics?

Australians usually don't tip and it's not because we're stingy. Australia has the highest minimum wage in the OECD and wages for service staff are not premised on tips. Tipping is also seen as a little demeaning - it sets up a subservient relationship which is completely contrary to Australian culture.

We also tend to sit in the front seat of taxis and rarely use courtesy titles like Mr, Mrs, Doctor or 'Sir'. Apart from formal situations most people are referred to by first name or nickname. This includes the Prime Minister of Australia (Anthony Albanese = 'Albo').


I have never, ever tipped my barber.

OB

 

[Margaret3110]

I think that the whole practice of tipping should stop and workers should be paid a living wage.

 

[jacks]

I think that the whole practice of tipping should stop and workers should be paid a living wage.

I agree, it is very awkward to figure out how much to tip and when. Also the pressure of having a check out computer asking anywhere from 15% to 30%, every time you pay. While the server looks on...The problem is even if they are paid a "living wage" the demand for tips never decreases. It will take a social revolution to end tipping at this point!

 

[Margaret3110]

I agree, it is very awkward to figure out how much to tip and when. Also the pressure of having a check out computer asking anywhere from 15% to 30%, every time you pay. While the server looks on...The problem is even if they are paid a "living wage" the demand for tips never decreases. It will take a social revolution to end tipping at this point!

I've heard (though not seen it myself) of people being asked to tip at a self checkout kiosk. Which makes exactly zero sense!

 

[sandman]

My children have worked in restaurants when they were younger. In this Bible Belt state, no one wants to work on Sunday morning--because the churchgoers are legendary for tipping 10% or less, sometimes not tipping at all.

One mean couple left her a fake dollar bill that said, "Disappointed? You won't be if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior." We made up memes about it. "How to turn youth into atheists..." Things like that. I was shocked (I never worked in a restaurant growing up--department stores and then office jobs.) The fake bill proclaimed that Christians were cheap. Christians were exploiting young people earning $2.63 an hour without tips.

But lately I have been getting tipping fatigue. I am happy to tip 20% at restaurants, but now every fast food eatery, coffee shop, drive through, etc. hands you a credit or debit receipt asking if you want to pay 15, 20, 22, or 25% And I think, "You're getting $11-15 an hour while the restaurant employees are getting $2.63. And you are handing me a cup of coffee through a window." But I think they expect something, so I'll put something like fifty cents.

What do you think about tipping ethics? I have heard DoorDash moonlighters trying to support their families saying sometimes they drive 10 miles and hardly get enough to cover their gas in a tip. I would be generous in tipping a delivery person.

I tip the people who cut my hair, do my nails, etc. usually 20%.

I would rather see everyone getting paid a living wage and just incorporate it into the price. So what is your tipping ethics?

There are many people who are sadly still locked into the 10% of old. People just need to be educated 20-25% should be the standard.

That fake dollar thing would have angered me …. And the next time those same people came in ….I would have given them plastic fruit along with the fake dollar….(I guess I never would have made a good server)

I used to be an everyday star-bucker ….but quit when they started the thing with the credit card select a tip. Even though I always used to tip them previously.

Not sure about the living wage thing …it sounds good, but it brings on a new set of problems with ownership ...which has to then cut staff ….. additionally it would be detrimental to many servers who would be taking a pay cut without tips … One of my daughters used to make upwards of 500 a night ..obviously it depends on where you work.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I usually tip, because I feel social pressure to do so. One thing I always wonder about is the $2.63 (or there about) wages sited. This must vary by state. In my state it's $15.74 per hour and all employees including restaurant employees are paid at least that. (Employees who are 14 or 15 years old may be paid $13.38 per hour (85% of the state minimum wage))

It does vary by state. Some states require tipped workers to get the same minimum wage as everyone else; other states have a different minimum for jobs where tipping is expected. I do not know if it still is, but it used to be that the minimum wage under federal law for employees that tend to receive tips was just $2.13/hr.

 

[iluvatar5150]

The whole model is stupid, biased, and exploitative, but both sides are pretty sold on it (regardless of what online commenters have said). Restaurants that have tried doing away with it have received a fair amount of push back and, in many cases, reverted.

So until society decides to do away with it wholesale, I've decided to be generous. I've had a number of lucky breaks in my life, and I can afford it. If I'm already spending $50+ on takeout for two adults and a toddler, another $5-10 bucks isn't going to kill me.

 

[jacks]

It does vary by state. Some states require tipped workers to get the same minimum wage as everyone else; other states have a different minimum for jobs where tipping is expected. I do not know if it still is, but it used to be that the minimum wage under federal law for employees that tend to receive tips was just $2.13/hr.

You're right HERE is a list by state. It's the people in Oklahoma that really get the shaft. I just happen to live on the west coast where all workers have a generous minimum wage. Of course it doesn't slow down the demand for tips at all!

 

[Kylie]

My children have worked in restaurants when they were younger. In this Bible Belt state, no one wants to work on Sunday morning--because the churchgoers are legendary for tipping 10% or less, sometimes not tipping at all.

One mean couple left her a fake dollar bill that said, "Disappointed? You won't be if you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior." We made up memes about it. "How to turn youth into atheists..." Things like that. I was shocked (I never worked in a restaurant growing up--department stores and then office jobs.) The fake bill proclaimed that Christians were cheap. Christians were exploiting young people earning $2.63 an hour without tips.

But lately I have been getting tipping fatigue. I am happy to tip 20% at restaurants, but now every fast food eatery, coffee shop, drive through, etc. hands you a credit or debit receipt asking if you want to pay 15, 20, 22, or 25% And I think, "You're getting $11-15 an hour while the restaurant employees are getting $2.63. And you are handing me a cup of coffee through a window." But I think they expect something, so I'll put something like fifty cents.

What do you think about tipping ethics? I have heard DoorDash moonlighters trying to support their families saying sometimes they drive 10 miles and hardly get enough to cover their gas in a tip. I would be generous in tipping a delivery person.

I tip the people who cut my hair, do my nails, etc. usually 20%.

I would rather see everyone getting paid a living wage and just incorporate it into the price. So what is your tipping ethics?

Here in Australia we generally don't have tipping. I mean, you CAN tip if you want, but it's not an expected thing. We pay our workers enough that they can get by without tips.

 

[Kylie]

My family usually tips by the service provided and I HATE tipping pools. My grandfather, grandmother, mother and I recently went out to eat at a place that uses the tip pool method I was not happy with the service and I already hate tipping pools after we left I asks pa pa if he had left a tip in the jar he said yes we reply I wish you had not as A I was not happy with the service ( neither were the rest of them and B tipping pools are so unfair that if a place has a tipping pool and I go there if it is up to me they do not get a tip.

What is a tipping pool? I'm from Australia, and the whole concept of tipping is rather alien to me.

 

[seeking.IAM]

What is a tipping pool?

It means servers don't get the tip amount left at their table based upon their effort. Rather all tips are collected by the business and divided equally among the staff working. It hurts the top performers, but benefits the slackers. Both receive the same amount of tip for the shift.

 

[dogs4thewin]

What is a tipping pool? I'm from Australia, and the whole concept of tipping is rather alien to me.

that is when the wait staff share tips either through use of a tip jar or sometimes by the rules of the business where if you have ay $1,000 in tips in a shift and ten wait staff each person would get $100 or sometimes some percentage based on their position head staff new guy whatever no matter how good their particular service was, so you could have someone who went to a table one time and took their order or you could have someone who kept a great eye on their tables and did a great job was nice ect and they would get a certain percentage of the tips. As opposed to your server being given your tip ether by handing the money directly to him/her, leaving it on the table or sometimes your receipt will have the name of your server and so the business knows via the copy they keep who waited on which tables and who gave which tips ( particularly when the tip is not added to the bill which is usually the case unless it is a large party

 

[Fantine]

I think that happens with tip jars, but servers do have to give part of their tips to a food runner, if one is used, and bartender if drinks are ordered.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I think that happens with tip jars, but servers do have to give part of their tips to a food runner, if one is used, and bartender if drinks are ordered.

I would think that ( now bar tenders are often tipped, but I would think that the employees who do not get tips because of their position either A would need to be paid the regular minimum wage in states where that is not the practice or B simply "make less as far as they do not get tips so minimum wage or $10 over minimum wage they get whatever is agreed to when they begin working.

 

[durangodawood]

....I spent time in Japan this summer where workers are paid a livable wage, food is cheaper, and yet there is no tipping. If you leave money on a table there, servers have been known to chase you up the street to return your forgotten money to you.......

I tried to tip my tour guide in Fukuoka and she wouldnt even take it. So much simpler for people to just get paid a wage thats rolled into the cost of the service. The downside is you do have to "suimasen" to get your servers or bartenders attention. But thats a small price to pay.