This is really hard for me but I have had to put my foot down in recent times. It still makes me uncomfortable but I just can’t support this anymore. If I’m sitting down at a restaurant with a server I tip 20 - 25% but
I’m tired of tipping for takeout and I absolutely refuse to give extra when checking out at a store.
Tips have crept up because cost of living has crept up but minimum wage has not. People can’t live on 2.25 plus tips and 7.25 if you don’t make enough tips to be more than 7.25. It’s just insultingly low wages and impossible to live off of
Tip value sure, but tip percentage? I mean think about it, the price of the food will go up, so the percent of that elevated food price will also go up. Like, if I bought a $20 meal and tipped 15%, that's a $3. But if because of inflation or whatever, the $20 meal increases its price to $40, a 15% tip is now $6. The tip has gone up, but the percentage has remained the same.
So why are tips now going up to 21, 23, 25, hell I've seen a tablet that suggested 30%? (We all know the answer why, I'm being rherorical.)
As funnystuff stated in the other reply, since food prices have gone up, tip amounts have gone up as well.
The two main reasons I see that tip percentages have crept up is the social pressure to not be the one that tips "poorly" and that automated prompt with suggested tips.
Those end up in a feedback loop. If you're standing next to someone and the tip options are 15, 18, and 20 percent, there is a social pressure not to tip the lowest amount. It's the same where if there are 3 wines on the menu, the cheap, the reasonable, and the expensive. Most people won't buy the cheapest option. The cheapest option is there to pressure you into the middle one. Well, now that they have that, why not slowly increase the suggested amount to 18, 20, 22. Or like we are seeing in a lot of places now. 20, 25, and 30.
What sucks is that there are no repurcussions for businesses that suggest these larger percentages. Nor are there any for businesses that traditionally are not tipped to display the screen as well. Not until we either pass legislation to regulate tipping prompts or collectively refuse to purchase services from these businesses.
I understand what you're saying, and agree it's impossible to live on minimum wage in a big chunk of the country. However, tips are already pegged to inflation. If food gets twice as expensive, your 20% also doubles. For folks like Teachers, they might be lucky to get a 1 or 2% cost of living adjustment each year. That's waaaaaaaaaay below inflation, and just falls further and further behind, like the base minimum wage.
We're talking percentages. There's no reason why the percentages should have crept up when cost of living has gone up considering prices have risen along with the rest of cost of living.
Fuck it. 15 percent tops for me. This 20-25% for a tip? Fuck that.
Of course it’s the employers responsibility to provide good wages, I never said otherwise. All I said is the minimum wage of literally $2 if you’re tipped is ridiculous
Not tipping at all is seen as rude in the US culture.
Besides, there's a difference between below average service and absolutely horrible service. For example, there was one time years ago at a restaurant where my family went out to eat. First, our waiter got my mom's order wrong. Then, when she mentioned it to our waiter, he picked up the incorrect item off the plate with his hands. I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting as it was years ago, but I think our entire meal (five people) ended up being comped. We were not happy.
Same. It gets a little skewed towards higher % at lower dollar amounts though. I might have a $8 meal with a water and leave $2. It's worth more than $1 and I'm not messing with change.
This is my policy if it's a sit-down restaurant with servers making minimum wage... I absolutely refuse to tip fast food. Because I work in fast food, and over time I've seen wages get more and more skewed towards dependence on tips. It's insane. Just give us a living wage, is that too much to ask of this capitalist meat grinder?
Same. The point of a tip is to tip the waiter, not anyone else. Tipping someone who's taking my order at the counter just seems weird. Same with tipping in a mobile order app.
That's the golden number for me, but only if I eat in the damn place, not takeout. I also tip gas station employees only when they calibrate my tires or wipe my windows.
Honestly I dont use percentages unless the meal is insanely expensive. I never tip at something as simple as a coffee shop or quick-dine-and-go thing (unless I'm a regular). Otherwise they get 5, 10, or 20 depending on service and food (regardless of total meal cost). My favorite places always get a little extra (5 -> 7, 10-> 15, 20 -> 25)
I don’t go to coffee shops but I wouldn’t tip there either. I don’t think I should be responsible for paying employees a living wage. Charge me appropriately for the item and pay your fucking employees.
I agree that's how it should be, but how things should be doesn't pay the bills. Don't take your anger out on the employees. Those are the only people you're hurting.
First of all, I don’t go to coffee shops which is what we were talking about so the point is moot. Second, the fact that you seem to think it is the customer in the wrong and not the employers shows just how brain washed you are by corporations. People have been unionizing and striking across the country for living wages and that is the answer, not shaming the customer. Wake up.
Jesus fucking christ my dude. Not going to coffee shops is a valid option, but since you apparently haven't noticed there are not yet living wages in most of the country. Either don't use the services or tip until there are. Have some goddamn class solidarity and don't force people to work for your benefit for poverty wages until things get better. Don't pretend your greed is socialism.