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Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

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Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#31

Post by ghaff »

LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

With respect to Europe, in the UK it's pretty common to see a "voluntary" 10% added to the bill for table service these days.

The expectation of tipping for more and more things and the ratcheting up of default amounts in digital payment systems are somewhat annoying. But knowing that you'll be paying 20-25% more or so in a lot of situations between tipping and sales tax isn't really that much more of a mental burden. Honestly, I'm more bothered when restaurants also tack on various fees for "living wage" or health insurance or whatever.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#32

Post by distortionfield »

LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

> If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table.

Idk where your at but where I'm living in America, these kinds of places still very much encourage a tip and will still give you some dirty glances if you skip the tipping page at checkout. On principle, I won't tip these places, but there's very much still a social expectation.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#33

Post by theonething »

nickthegreek wrote: post #29
LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

Those places where I have to carry my food also ask for tips when I checkout.

Correct and I really hate it.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#34

Post by jaredandrews »

LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

> If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do.

What makes you say this? As another comment points out, minimum wage is lower for restaurant workers in most (all?) states. How would a restaurant without tips outcompete in this system?

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#35

Post by exogeny »

gambiting wrote: post #25

"Customers looked at the higher prices ($25 for the chicken instead of $21, $17 cocktails instead of $14) and ordered fewer and less-expensive items, even though they were paying exactly the same amount for them by tacking 20% onto the check at meal’s end." You know what, I worry about this sometimes. We think that we're so evolved and advanced race - that we have poetry and literature, modern medicine and rocket sci…

Back in the day, I used to oversee a lot of usability research for a well-known travel engine. Every single time, people would choose the lowest possible base price. It did not matter if you explained to them how uncomfortable it might be, any add-on fees they'd occur, quality of product, or literally anything else. All that mattered was the first number they saw.

I don't know if it's a uniquely American thing, but the ability to wrap one's head around future cost additions or commensurate value is just completely not there, at all.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#36

Post by LarryMullins »

notjonheyman wrote: post #26
LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

There are restaurant employees that expect a tip because they prepared your food then packaged it up. This is an insane concept to me. In that case these same employees should tip the grocery store clerk that rang up and bagged their groceries, or to their amazon delivery driver, or to the dental assistant that cleaned their teeth. It's absurd to me that the burder of closing the pay gap is on the customer. I'm not o…

> There are restaurant employees that expect a tip because they prepared your food then packaged it up.

'Expect', one word with two very different meanings.

    1. To predict or believe that something will happen

    3. To consider reasonably due.  Synonyms: hope, want, wish
They 'expect' a tip in the sense that they want one, but they don't 'expect' tips in the anticipatory sense, because tipping glorified cashiers just isn't part of the American tipping culture. Baristas and the like put tip jars on the counter but I'd guess that only 1 in 10 people ever put anything in those jars. I never do.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#37

Post by jzb »

colejohnson66 wrote: post #6
changoplatanero wrote: post #3

> It seems like the only way to get rid of tipping in the US is for every restaurant to do it simultaneously, either by mutual decision (ha!) or through some kind of legislation (double ha!) Another unmentioned way is if customers just get fed up with paying tips and start tipping less. I get annoyed with any digital payment screen that only offers default tip options of 18% or more and take my revenge by sometimes s…

The problem with taking "revenge" is that you only hurt the employees. Assuming the employer is not stealing tips, not tipping doesn't affect the bosses at all. If you want revenge, stop visiting the place.

Yep. The person who's getting punished here has literally no influence over what percentage is being suggested on the tip screen.

Also 18% is diddly. I pretty much tip 20% or more with very few exceptions. Times are hard, prices have gone up, but I still make tech money and service folks make a lot less.

I did restaurant work in my teens and 20s and have no interest in doing it again. But I do like being able to eat at restaurants and get carry out, so the least I figure I can do is tip generously to support the folks who make that possible.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#38

Post by agloeregrets »

notjonheyman wrote: post #13

You think restaurants are bad... you should see services like UberEats and DoorDash drivers. I have had orders cancelled by the driver because they found something that tipped higher despite me tipping $7 for something down the street less than 1 mile from my house. I have also tipped $20 only for instructions to be ignored where I put my gate code, unit# and ask for it to just be dropped off at my door step but the…

My personal favorite is that DoorDash started a $2.99 'Express' fee. The idea being like UberX vs Uber Pool: If you don't choose this option 6/10 times your driver will pick up other orders and deliver them prior to yours. Might I add that it is a brutally cold area here and zero of the drivers have any sort of keep-warm bag. So at the last minute it is a $3.99 fee that I'm assuming, mostly pays DoorDash's bills. Just so my food is not frozen and soggy. I stopped using the product, it sucks to pay 50% more for cold food or 60% more to maybe have it not be as cold.

Edit: Reddit says the driver gets ZERO.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#39

Post by hervature »

galleywest200 wrote: post #27
LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

The problem is the incredibly low wages employers are allowed to pay at tipped establishments. Federally that wage is $2.13 per hour. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped

That's only if the employee has earned more than $5.12 in tips. For what it's worth, I know many illegal aliens making $+20/hour in tips. Minimum wage here is not a problem.

Re: Why Tipping Is Impossible to Get Rid of in America

#40

Post by astura »

LarryMullins wrote: post #12

Make no mistake, tipping continues in America because most Americans like the system. If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table. If enough people hated tipping, restaurants that don't have tipping would eventually out-compete those that do. They may yet do so, but presently most of the pub…

>If you don't like to tip, there are plenty of restaurants where tipping isn't expected; specifically those where you carry the food yourself from the counter to your table

These places still ask for a tip. Even to-go only places practically demand tips.

I was recently told by a friend that it was just as socially expected to tip for counter service as it is to tip at a sit down restaurant.

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