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People no longer know how much to tip

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Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#151
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's insane that we live in fear of retaliation for not giving a vendor more money while getting nothing in return.

don't ever fuck with the people who prepare your food

1. Not tipping in the aforementioned scenario is so far away from qualifying as "fucking with" anyone

2. Not only would spitting in food get you fired but it's also a crime. Do you really think it's common for people to be this reckless with their livelihood?

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm pretty sure the reason is that the employees are paid a living wage. The reason is cultural. They take pride in their work, regardless of any additional donations. I would even say it is insulting to be left a tip since the assumption, then, is that the worker would not have done the job to the best of their ability without the prospect of a donation.

To note, "it's cultural" usually means "they've tried a lot of options and this one stuck as the most pragmatic at a social level" There's just so many reasons to not accept tips. In tipping countries it's seen as a boost for productivity, while in practice it also generates friction within the staff, widens the gap between day and night staff, blurries the client/staff relationship and makes kitchen staff miserable.…

"they've tried a lot of options and this one stuck as the most pragmatic at a social level"

i am very skeptical of that claim. many cultural practices are done because they have always been done that way. and the reasons they evolved is long forgotten

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#153
post #57

It can sound controversial, but can we please stop with tipping altogether? Leaving aside for a second the fact that now tipping is basically asked everywhere (even at automated machines) - as an European I consider it an extremely stupid trend. If you're "forced" to tip, then it's not a tip anymore. The concept of tipping, at least in Switzerland, has always been to show gratitude for an *exceptional* service. I tot…

Tipping is not quite everywhere, Australia and Japan come to mind. Tipping boggles my mind as it is such an obvious manipulation of both the customer and the employee, by the employer. Don't make it my job to figure out your financials, I am just here to eat. Price your service properly and pay your workers.

I understand culturally Japan is different, but what is to stop Australian business owners from shifting the burden of paying employees from themselves to Tippers?

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#154

The biggest myth is that of poor service workers being paid under minimum wage and relying on your tips to survive the reality is that attractive waitresses make up to FIVE TIMES the take home nightly pay of workers in the back in tips. tips are extremely lucrative. there is a reason that wait staff themselves never oppose the current system. Not to mention the legal myths. if they actually received $0 in tips their…

> the reality is that attractive waitresses make up to FIVE TIMES the take home nightly pay People constantly make this statement as if it is something wrong. The factor of the matter is that I probably make 20-30% more than ny teams project manager, why? Because I went into computers and had a mind for it and being blessed to be fairly intelligent (at least I'd like to believe so), resulting in me getting paid more…

It's wrong because you go to restaurants for food, not to get your coffee refilled and awkward smalltalk. so the tip should go to the person who is making your food, not refilling your coffee and making small talk. And if the tips mean they are making more than double the cooks the cooks time is not being valued and they will likely quit

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#155

Pro tip: pay cash whenever you can. You can avoid a kiosk that asks you whether you want to tip 30%, 25%, or 20% for the $8 coffee you just bought and just throw some loose change in the jar.

As the government pushes us towards a cashless society. Australia is on the brink of going cashless, so your solution would not work.

Australia's government has over reacted and over reached since March of 2020. A backlash is inevitable.

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#156

It can sound controversial, but can we please stop with tipping altogether? Leaving aside for a second the fact that now tipping is basically asked everywhere (even at automated machines) - as an European I consider it an extremely stupid trend. If you're "forced" to tip, then it's not a tip anymore. The concept of tipping, at least in Switzerland, has always been to show gratitude for an *exceptional* service. I tot…

In New Zealand pre-covid the restaurant industry were subtly trying to introduce tipping especially in places American tourists visited. I remember seeing an 85+ year old kiwi shaken down by a very pushy waiter. When tourism ended during covid it seemed to be rolled back. But once again cruise ships are rolling into our ports I expect to see it pushed again. Kiwis are quite resistant to the idea. When staff are frien…

I've never seen that in NZ and I travelled the South Island in 2020 just before COVID hit (and nearly got stuck in an Airbnb for lockdown). Nowhere I remember was asking for tips other than the usual tip jar by the till.

I have noticed last time I went to the SI that many of the cafe's and restaurants are passing on card fees, but those on the NI are not. That must surely be targeted at tourists.

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#157

I tip wait staff, hotel staff, uber drivers, barbers, and that's it. We seem to have entered this era of everyone asking for tips, in addition to the online buy-me-a-coffee micro donations culture but sorry, I can't tip everybody. Throw away the tip jars and demand higher wages from your bosses.

I remember the days when it never crossed anyone's mind to tip a barber.

When was this era?

Here is a guidebook for US army officers in 1984, https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA166412/page/n49/mode/2up... :

> There are certain individuals who perform services for you who should be tipped if you expect to receive good service. ... Tip a barber at least 15 percent; however, as much as 2 dollars may be appropriate in some establishments if multiple services are performed.

The Hertz Survival Manual For Traveling Businessman, 1967:

> A barber receives a 25¢ tip, and the tip for a shoeshine is 10¢.

A 1953 newspaper article on John Wayne's expenses at https://archive.org/details/sedalia-democrat-1953-05-19/page...

> Superior Judge William R. McKav commented, during the detailing of Wayne's expenses, that a star of his stature would have to tip $2 or "you and I would know what would be said"

A 1949 novel, https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.86579/page/n15... :

> “That does not mean that I have to look like a cheap skate,” said Seymour. “You told me to take the kid to the barber: next time take him yourself and see what happens when you don’t tip the barber.”

> “I never tip him,” said Sarah. “You’re just a big sport on your sister’s money.”

> And in fact, Sarah never tipped the barbers for the children’s haircuts and she disregarded the gestures of contempt and anger which sometimes occurred

In 1923, the result of a court case:

> On page 188 of the August issue of Office Appliances was printed an account of an experience by A. W. Morf, of the Woodstock Typewriter Company, New York, N. Y. He refused to tip a barber, and the tip was added to his check. The case came into the court of special sessions at New York, and the court fined the barber $25.00.

That's not to say everyone tipped, only that over the last century it certainly crossed the mind of quite a few people to tip the barber.

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#158

Pro tip: pay cash whenever you can. You can avoid a kiosk that asks you whether you want to tip 30%, 25%, or 20% for the $8 coffee you just bought and just throw some loose change in the jar.

I get thousands of dollars back from my credit card company every year and pay for everything I can with my cards. Many cards specifically give you a higher percentage back on restaurants. I have no intention of ever giving that up. The awkwardness at the counter when the tip prompt shows up is only in your head.

You know that paying with cash is effectively an automatic ~3% tip over paying by credit card, right? You are getting a cut of the service fee they charge the restaurant.

I do not trust a company bribing me with my own money.

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#159

I tip wait staff, hotel staff, uber drivers, barbers, and that's it. We seem to have entered this era of everyone asking for tips, in addition to the online buy-me-a-coffee micro donations culture but sorry, I can't tip everybody. Throw away the tip jars and demand higher wages from your bosses.

Would this be any different from a barber just increasing their prices by 20% and not accepting tips?

Re: People no longer know how much to tip

#160
post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To note, "it's cultural" usually means "they've tried a lot of options and this one stuck as the most pragmatic at a social level" There's just so many reasons to not accept tips. In tipping countries it's seen as a boost for productivity, while in practice it also generates friction within the staff, widens the gap between day and night staff, blurries the client/staff relationship and makes kitchen staff miserable.…

"they've tried a lot of options and this one stuck as the most pragmatic at a social level" i am very skeptical of that claim. many cultural practices are done because they have always been done that way. and the reasons they evolved is long forgotten

Cultural practices that don't match the current society either have such a low impact that getting rid of them isn't a priority, or they're not long for this world.

Sometimes practices can feel completely at odds with one's believes, but if they're still widely adopted it usually means influential parts of society are still relying on them.

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