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Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

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Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#71

Post by _ea1k »

focusedone wrote: post #53

Wait staff are not paid enough. At least in my state, the minimum wage for tip-accepting employees is horrific. I was a waiter twice and understand all of that so I always tip and try to be generous. Also, I'm pretty bad at math in my head so I usually guesstimate tips too high. A downside of tipping on the checkout systems I see is the baked in 15 / 20 / 25% options. OR tap custom and probably stand there like a mor…

This isn't about wait staff who make the tip minimum wage, though. This is about fast food workers who make the regular minimum wage and get the tips as a sort-of bonus. From what I can tell, they are almost always pooled together, even across shifts in a lot of cases (for good reasons).

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#72

Post by thieving_magpie »

snowwrestler wrote: post #44

This is exactly how I think about tipping. I, and many friends and family, worked retail and food service jobs when we were young. Now I’m professionally successful and will not miss a couple extra bucks on a cup of coffee. So I’m happy to help boost the person serving it to me. I know it means way more to them than it does to me. This also explains why people (including me) get SO MAD if they find out that tips don’…

The way you describe it sounds like a micro trickle-down wealth redistribution rather than making sure someone has a fair wage.

Personally I find this really frustrating. You're not paid fairly for your labor. You only achieve a living wage through the generosity of those "happy to help boost" me. In my mind that reinforces a power dynamic between the "professionally successful" and those in the service industry. If I get a tip that raises my wage to something I can live off, now I must be profusely thankful to the person that donated their money to me.

I may be isolated in that opinion. I understand many service industry workers prefer tipping. For my personality though it's distressing.

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#73

Post by HEHENE »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #38
cammikebrown wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A dollar is great!

I've gotten poor treatment after giving 10% on a $18 drink before. Edit: so I guess I'd ask what is the approximate reference price for your "A dollar" comment? Cause if it's a $5 can of beer, vs a $20 cocktail those are very different tips.

I have always understood the rule of thumb to be $1 for “poured” drinks (beer, wine, etc) and $2 for cocktails.

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#74

Post by pc86 »

focusedone wrote: post #53

Wait staff are not paid enough. At least in my state, the minimum wage for tip-accepting employees is horrific. I was a waiter twice and understand all of that so I always tip and try to be generous. Also, I'm pretty bad at math in my head so I usually guesstimate tips too high. A downside of tipping on the checkout systems I see is the baked in 15 / 20 / 25% options. OR tap custom and probably stand there like a mor…

I will happily tip 20-30% at restaurants without thinking about it, when there is even decent service (free-refill drinks refilled, server not overtly rude or clearly wishing they were elsewhere, etc). But this isn't about servers, it's about tipping having become expected or at least overtly requested in areas where it never was before.

There's a Subway by my house that has the following options: 20%, 25%, 30%, custom, or skip. Before the advent of consumers swiping their own credit cards, no Subway employee received tips for anything.

I will gladly tip someone $20 on a $60 meal because they're making less than $3/hr. I'll also vigorously support legislation and politicians that want to pay them a livable wage. I'll be damned if I'm tipping the Subway employee making $18/hr an extra $5 for the sandwich that took them all of 4 minutes to make. It's ridiculous.

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#76

Post by alistairSH »

kahrl wrote: post #25
cammikebrown wrote: post #5

As a bartender, I know that I will make more money from tips than any business owner would ever pay me, even if prices were raised 20+% and tipping was removed. I’d rather risk a slow shift with less tips than work a job with a slightly higher hourly rate and no tips. I know there is a lot of bitching online about tips, and I agree that since COVID I’ve seen some absurd situations with asking for tips when the custom…

I think most complaints are coming from customers who don't want to have to consider the wellbeing and livelihood of underpaid employees, who require charity to survive. In most every transaction these days, customers are guilted into providing wages for essentially unpaid employees, and I'm sick of the mind games.

100% agreement. I'd prefer to pay the true cost of my coffee, including reasonable living wage and benefits for the barista.

I neither need nor desire the additional mental load of worrying about tips.

And I don't love the implicit argument being made in the article... the wealthy should subsidize coffee consumption for the less-wealthy. If you can't afford the full cost of a carry-out latte, perhaps make your own coffee at home? Or, alternatively, maybe Ferrari should slash prices, ask the wealthy to donate money to make up the difference, and we can all drive super-cars?

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#77

Post by freedomben »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #33

Some (many?) countries have demonstrated that no-tipping can work just fine. > makes them less competitive to any nearby coffeeshops that haven't raised prices Maybe I'm an outlier but for me I'm sick of the mental game of "Am I good member of society for the % I selected, and how much will my date judge me if I choose what used to be the norm -- 10%-15%... and am I the sucker if I choose a high amount while other pe…

I agree with your sentiment on tipping - I feel the same way. However I think the article did a pretty good job at answering your question of Why cant we just give employees dignity and a fair wage?. It's for economic reasons.

To make it work you'd have to collude on pricing with all the other coffee shops (which I think would be illegal but IANAL), or you'd have to use government force to ban tipping (which would without a doubt hurt many people in different areas). It's a hard problem, though I do hope we can figure it out because the status quo of expecting 20+% tip on an already expensive product is not good.

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#78

Post by tetraca »

Der_Einzige wrote: post #3

The only reason I continue to tip is the knowledge that my food will be spat in / worse if I don't. I would happily pay higher food prices to avoid tipping culture. Tipping culture simply doesn't exist in most of the world, and Americans who can't imagine a world without it here have no vision.

> The only reason I continue to tip is the knowledge that my food will be spat in / worse if I don't.

Nobody does this, even if you're a "horrible" customer and a poor tipper. If you're a bad regular at a restaurant, the front of house will probably grumble about you behind your back (maybe even give you a rude nickname) and give you curt service, though.

EDIT: They have probably dealt with much worse than you. You're not a church brunch group demanding 20 lemons and a jar of sugar packets that tips them in fake $100 Jesus bills.

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#79

Post by FalconSensei »

dcchambers wrote: post #45
waynesonfire wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The intent is not to reward a task. It's a nod of appreciation that there is even an employee that's willing to show up to work and service you. You give them a dollar. At least that's how I look at it. I'm not a fan either just articulating my attitude towards it.

That's not at all how tipping was intended though. Tipping started as a way to express thanks for someone going above and beyond in their duties. It's devolved into a way for employers to pay less and shift the cost directly to customers via guilt at the cash register.

AFAIK, but it could be wrong, it was basically racism. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/minimum-wage-raci...

Re: Why Is Tipping Everywhere You Checkout?

#80

Post by RegnisGnaw »

britch wrote: post #23
wrycoder wrote: post #7

How much of the “tip” actually gets to the employees?

If it's not 100% it's wage-theft

Really? I own a coffee shop and the employees don't always get 100%. For cash, yes its 100%. For CC they get around 97.8% (I pay 2.2% CC fees).
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