Do you tip when eating a sit-down meal?
How often do you tip? Do you see tip jars or touch-screen systems for tipping in your neighborhood businesses? What about ice-cream parlors, bakeries or movie theaters?
Do you tip whenever you are asked or prompted to? How much do social pressures influence your tipping practices?
In “To Tip, or Not to Tip?” Christina Morales writes about how the pandemic, and new technology, have made tipping more ubiquitous and easier than ever before.
Last year, Anna Johnson found herself using an electronic screen to pay for a pickup order at a bakery in Phoenix, a normal enough experience at many food businesses she frequents. But this time, she was bewildered when the machine recommended that she tip as much as 35 percent — on cookies.
“It just surprised me that they’re asking everyone for that,” said Ms. Johnson, 66. “People can’t afford to keep on paying more, more and more.”
Tipping fatigue like Ms. Johnson’s is real, and it is widespread.
In the thick of the pandemic, Americans like her dug deeper into their pockets to recognize the hard labor and health risks taken on by workers in every corner of the food business — servers, cooks, cashiers, delivery workers. For many customers, adding 15 percent or more for a takeout meal or grocery delivery felt like the least they could do to help essential workers.
Covid cases are on the rise again, and the risk to restaurant workers is still elevated. But as business has returned to something more like normal, many customers and experts in the hospitality industry say that deciding how much money to leave, or whether to leave a tip at all, has become a tougher decision — complicated by new technology, and requests for tips at food business of all types, from bakeries and yogurt shops to food trucks and juice bars. In interviews, customers, including some who have worked in the food-service business, said they felt uncomfortable with the many requests to tip, and pressured into giving more. Higher menu prices, a result of inflation, have raised the amount of a traditional 15 or 20 percent tip. In some cases, restaurants are adding service charges and gratuities to the bill that some diners may not notice right away.
Students, once you've read the entire article, then tell us:
What is your reaction to the article? Do you feel that “tipping culture has gotten out of control”? Why or why not? How do you decide when to tip and how much? Did your tipping practices change during the pandemic? Explain your point of view. Do you think there are situations when tipping should not be expected or allowed? Why? Do you, or does anyone you’re close to, rely on tips for income? How do you feel about changing expectations around tipping? As a teenager, without the income of a full-time job, how do you navigate tipping? The article mentions a college student, Janhavi Bodkhe, who described feeling social pressure to tip. Have you ever felt this way? How do deal with tipping as a young person? In a New York Times guest essay, Michelle Alexander writes about the racist roots of tipping in the United States:, “After the Civil War, white business owners, still eager to find ways to steal Black labor, created the idea that tips would replace wages.” Ms. Alexander advocates raising wages instead of making workers rely on tips. What do you think of this perspective? Do you agree with the argument to get rid of tips and replace them with higher wages? Why or why not? I'm visiting the US and having a hard time navigating tipping etiquette. I went to a McDonalds, got some food for takeaway, no tip line on check. I went to a local fried chicken place, got some food for takeaway, and a tipline on the check.
Don't get me wrong; my husband and I always tip well, whether eating in or getting to go. $20 min on a $60 check is the norm for us. But the amount of posts I've run across on reddit with servers screaming obscenities and cursing a couples future offspring, etc. really puts a bad taste in my mouth and makes me want to tip y'all less. No one is obligated to tip you... AT ALL. It's not mandatory and it's not a law, let alone even a rule. It's a 'thanks for doing your paid job well, here's some extra cash for you, stranger, even though you chose this job and agreed to its hourly pay'
If it's not enough, why don't you apply to the nearest warehouse for a solid 9-5 stable income or just look for another job all together if there's no factories nearby?
We're not obligated to pay your bills, our obligations lie in being polite, courteous, eating with our mouths closed, treating you with decency as we would anyone else outside of your establishment, not causing massive problems so no one spits in our food, etc. But on top of paying what we owe for our experience as a set price by the restaurant? It's not our problem. Paying your bills is your responsibility, not anyone else's. Again, this is coming from a person who tips well. Seeing these posts with servers whining over being shorted a tip makes me want to stick to 10% and not a penny more. Hell, I should just save it all and give it to a bum at this point. Y'all are entitled af.
I went to a faire, I got a beer, and the only thing the person did was take a beer can from the cooler and give it to me, and there is a tipline? Do I tip here? Can anyone explain me the etiquette? It's very confusing. I almost never eat at sit down restaurants, and haven't for almost three years, but I did today and realized I have no idea how much I should tip. I was eating alone and it was an inexpensive restaurant, but in one of the most expensive cities to live in in my country. I did a quick Google search and found that it should be about 20% plus extra if you had good service, are in an expencive area, or are eating alone. I figured that 20% plus 10% for each of the above reasons, leading to 50%*, but when I paid the bill my waitress seemed very surprised (I thought she seemed happy, but I'm not sure). I told my sister and she just laughed at me and wouldn't say why it was funny. Did I tip right? Did I calculate wrong? How are you actually supposed to calculate a tip? Besides, if tipping goes away and employers pay their servers more, they're going to be raising the prices of everything you order, which means you're still paying their wage in addition to the food you ordered, and I guarantee you that they'll raise those prices more than the 15-20% your cheap ass refuses to tip them.
I’ve usually gone with 15-20% off the original price (not including tax), usually towards the upper end especially if I got water rather than a drink (since there is no cost for the water, add a bit for the effort for that). And of course, if there is any sort of discount/coupon, tip based on the price without it. In Toronto, a family member worked at a few bars and restaurants about 10 years ago. They said the tips usually averaged out to 15% and that was their baseline when they were out. I use 15% to this day, and admit it may be outdated. I don't go over for good service nor do I go under for bad. The servers' income should not depend on my mood or their ability, if they are good they should get a raise, if bad, fired. I loath the concept and think it should be done away with for the workers' sake as well as the customers (I either feel guilty for under tipping or like I can't afford meals out because I am over tipping, compared to their service which I still can't help but judge and hence, it ruins my mood every f**king time!). What really grinds my gears is the locations asking for a tip that don't have service staff at all! I order by phone, I come to pick it up, and if I eat on location I put the waste in the trash bin myself. Yet the machine asks if I want to tip? I have literally walked out and cancelled my order over this a few times. I’m finding whenever I order take out (I always pick up myself), there is always the option to tip whether ordered over the phone or online. I never know what to do. If they do curbside service I understand, but what about otherwise? What do you guys do?
Why do some places ask for a tip before they make your food and serve you?
I have never understood this. As soon as you place your order in some places, they ask for a tip. How am I supposed to know how much to tip if I don't know what kind of service I am getting? Going on vacation to the US. Even though i think it is ridiculous that the employers are not responsible for paying their employees, i don’t want to be a dick and not tip. So please help me figure out when to tip and when not to. Also how much tip is normal. Thank you in advance! Why do you tip a waiter/waitress more when the meal is more expensive? Are you also frustrated with the new tip culture?
I can’t be the only one frustrated with the increasing expectation to tip everywhere. I feel like it's just another way for CEO's/Owners to make more money and pay workers less. As a single parent on minimum wage I can barely afford to eat out. So when I do I avoid eating at restaurants/delivery.. Only pickups and I have my own drinks at home. But now I feel like it's nearly expected everywhere It's even installed in the card check out (usually iPad), and the pressure and social anxiety makes me never go to those places again. I thought tipping was for service (being served on) not handing me my receipt and bag of food. Then why not tip gas station workers or other similar minimum wage jobs. Trust me ones the workers start making $20+ an hour with tips the owners will get away with paying them less (proving it with %'s over time or however they do it).. I know it's easy to say "Just don't tip" but when you have social anxiety and it's installed in a large iPad and the eyes of the worker and the person behind you are piercing into your soul it's easier said than done. Long story short, my parents never took me to a restaurant because they treated me terribly and thought I would embarrassed them. There are a lot of other life skills I didn’t learn when I was growing up but could Google, there’s not really any guides out there for eating at restaurants.
How are you supposed to request a table when you get there? How do you pay? Do you have to call someone over? Is there a place for tips? I’m worried because eating at a restaurant is something I have always wanted to do but I don’t want to embarrass myself. Thank you. What are the consequences of not tipping in the US?
I might be moving to the US soon. Seeing many posts of the american system did make me feel obliged to tip, however what if I don't tip, either cause I need to save every penny, as life's expensive over there, of simply cuz I am a jerk?
Do you tip whenever you are asked or prompted to? How much do social pressures influence your tipping practices?
In “To Tip, or Not to Tip?” Christina Morales writes about how the pandemic, and new technology, have made tipping more ubiquitous and easier than ever before.
Last year, Anna Johnson found herself using an electronic screen to pay for a pickup order at a bakery in Phoenix, a normal enough experience at many food businesses she frequents. But this time, she was bewildered when the machine recommended that she tip as much as 35 percent — on cookies.
“It just surprised me that they’re asking everyone for that,” said Ms. Johnson, 66. “People can’t afford to keep on paying more, more and more.”
Tipping fatigue like Ms. Johnson’s is real, and it is widespread.
In the thick of the pandemic, Americans like her dug deeper into their pockets to recognize the hard labor and health risks taken on by workers in every corner of the food business — servers, cooks, cashiers, delivery workers. For many customers, adding 15 percent or more for a takeout meal or grocery delivery felt like the least they could do to help essential workers.
Covid cases are on the rise again, and the risk to restaurant workers is still elevated. But as business has returned to something more like normal, many customers and experts in the hospitality industry say that deciding how much money to leave, or whether to leave a tip at all, has become a tougher decision — complicated by new technology, and requests for tips at food business of all types, from bakeries and yogurt shops to food trucks and juice bars. In interviews, customers, including some who have worked in the food-service business, said they felt uncomfortable with the many requests to tip, and pressured into giving more. Higher menu prices, a result of inflation, have raised the amount of a traditional 15 or 20 percent tip. In some cases, restaurants are adding service charges and gratuities to the bill that some diners may not notice right away.
Students, once you've read the entire article, then tell us:
What is your reaction to the article? Do you feel that “tipping culture has gotten out of control”? Why or why not? How do you decide when to tip and how much? Did your tipping practices change during the pandemic? Explain your point of view. Do you think there are situations when tipping should not be expected or allowed? Why? Do you, or does anyone you’re close to, rely on tips for income? How do you feel about changing expectations around tipping? As a teenager, without the income of a full-time job, how do you navigate tipping? The article mentions a college student, Janhavi Bodkhe, who described feeling social pressure to tip. Have you ever felt this way? How do deal with tipping as a young person? In a New York Times guest essay, Michelle Alexander writes about the racist roots of tipping in the United States:, “After the Civil War, white business owners, still eager to find ways to steal Black labor, created the idea that tips would replace wages.” Ms. Alexander advocates raising wages instead of making workers rely on tips. What do you think of this perspective? Do you agree with the argument to get rid of tips and replace them with higher wages? Why or why not? I'm visiting the US and having a hard time navigating tipping etiquette. I went to a McDonalds, got some food for takeaway, no tip line on check. I went to a local fried chicken place, got some food for takeaway, and a tipline on the check.
Don't get me wrong; my husband and I always tip well, whether eating in or getting to go. $20 min on a $60 check is the norm for us. But the amount of posts I've run across on reddit with servers screaming obscenities and cursing a couples future offspring, etc. really puts a bad taste in my mouth and makes me want to tip y'all less. No one is obligated to tip you... AT ALL. It's not mandatory and it's not a law, let alone even a rule. It's a 'thanks for doing your paid job well, here's some extra cash for you, stranger, even though you chose this job and agreed to its hourly pay'
If it's not enough, why don't you apply to the nearest warehouse for a solid 9-5 stable income or just look for another job all together if there's no factories nearby?
We're not obligated to pay your bills, our obligations lie in being polite, courteous, eating with our mouths closed, treating you with decency as we would anyone else outside of your establishment, not causing massive problems so no one spits in our food, etc. But on top of paying what we owe for our experience as a set price by the restaurant? It's not our problem. Paying your bills is your responsibility, not anyone else's. Again, this is coming from a person who tips well. Seeing these posts with servers whining over being shorted a tip makes me want to stick to 10% and not a penny more. Hell, I should just save it all and give it to a bum at this point. Y'all are entitled af.
I went to a faire, I got a beer, and the only thing the person did was take a beer can from the cooler and give it to me, and there is a tipline? Do I tip here? Can anyone explain me the etiquette? It's very confusing. I almost never eat at sit down restaurants, and haven't for almost three years, but I did today and realized I have no idea how much I should tip. I was eating alone and it was an inexpensive restaurant, but in one of the most expensive cities to live in in my country. I did a quick Google search and found that it should be about 20% plus extra if you had good service, are in an expencive area, or are eating alone. I figured that 20% plus 10% for each of the above reasons, leading to 50%*, but when I paid the bill my waitress seemed very surprised (I thought she seemed happy, but I'm not sure). I told my sister and she just laughed at me and wouldn't say why it was funny. Did I tip right? Did I calculate wrong? How are you actually supposed to calculate a tip? Besides, if tipping goes away and employers pay their servers more, they're going to be raising the prices of everything you order, which means you're still paying their wage in addition to the food you ordered, and I guarantee you that they'll raise those prices more than the 15-20% your cheap ass refuses to tip them.
I’ve usually gone with 15-20% off the original price (not including tax), usually towards the upper end especially if I got water rather than a drink (since there is no cost for the water, add a bit for the effort for that). And of course, if there is any sort of discount/coupon, tip based on the price without it. In Toronto, a family member worked at a few bars and restaurants about 10 years ago. They said the tips usually averaged out to 15% and that was their baseline when they were out. I use 15% to this day, and admit it may be outdated. I don't go over for good service nor do I go under for bad. The servers' income should not depend on my mood or their ability, if they are good they should get a raise, if bad, fired. I loath the concept and think it should be done away with for the workers' sake as well as the customers (I either feel guilty for under tipping or like I can't afford meals out because I am over tipping, compared to their service which I still can't help but judge and hence, it ruins my mood every f**king time!). What really grinds my gears is the locations asking for a tip that don't have service staff at all! I order by phone, I come to pick it up, and if I eat on location I put the waste in the trash bin myself. Yet the machine asks if I want to tip? I have literally walked out and cancelled my order over this a few times. I’m finding whenever I order take out (I always pick up myself), there is always the option to tip whether ordered over the phone or online. I never know what to do. If they do curbside service I understand, but what about otherwise? What do you guys do?
Why do some places ask for a tip before they make your food and serve you?
I have never understood this. As soon as you place your order in some places, they ask for a tip. How am I supposed to know how much to tip if I don't know what kind of service I am getting? Going on vacation to the US. Even though i think it is ridiculous that the employers are not responsible for paying their employees, i don’t want to be a dick and not tip. So please help me figure out when to tip and when not to. Also how much tip is normal. Thank you in advance! Why do you tip a waiter/waitress more when the meal is more expensive? Are you also frustrated with the new tip culture?
I can’t be the only one frustrated with the increasing expectation to tip everywhere. I feel like it's just another way for CEO's/Owners to make more money and pay workers less. As a single parent on minimum wage I can barely afford to eat out. So when I do I avoid eating at restaurants/delivery.. Only pickups and I have my own drinks at home. But now I feel like it's nearly expected everywhere It's even installed in the card check out (usually iPad), and the pressure and social anxiety makes me never go to those places again. I thought tipping was for service (being served on) not handing me my receipt and bag of food. Then why not tip gas station workers or other similar minimum wage jobs. Trust me ones the workers start making $20+ an hour with tips the owners will get away with paying them less (proving it with %'s over time or however they do it).. I know it's easy to say "Just don't tip" but when you have social anxiety and it's installed in a large iPad and the eyes of the worker and the person behind you are piercing into your soul it's easier said than done. Long story short, my parents never took me to a restaurant because they treated me terribly and thought I would embarrassed them. There are a lot of other life skills I didn’t learn when I was growing up but could Google, there’s not really any guides out there for eating at restaurants.
How are you supposed to request a table when you get there? How do you pay? Do you have to call someone over? Is there a place for tips? I’m worried because eating at a restaurant is something I have always wanted to do but I don’t want to embarrass myself. Thank you. What are the consequences of not tipping in the US?
I might be moving to the US soon. Seeing many posts of the american system did make me feel obliged to tip, however what if I don't tip, either cause I need to save every penny, as life's expensive over there, of simply cuz I am a jerk?
