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Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

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Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#31

Was really shocked to go through my normal Starbucks drive thru recently and was verbally asked “are you going to leave a tip?” and they thrust the card reader in my face which starts with a $1 tip as the first option you see on the left hand side. You have to hunt for the “No”. Of course Starbucks knows their target, those that feel too embarrassed if they don’t leave a $1 tip. (I paid). I tell myself, not again. Th…

If you pay with a Starbucks card through the app, it’s just a quick scan, and it asks in the app after the fact.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#33
We can regulate this in a variety of ways

The point of sale system can be shamed or regulated, or have codes for the merchant type that dictates whether they have the option of doing a compulsory tipping screen

The payment processor can dictate all or cut them off, payment processor can also be regulated from on high

We can also make viral articles shaming a random shop for their behavior. This is not normal now but we can make it so.

We can realistically address the conflict of interest from service workers wanting more tips that are shaming consumers for not tipping a certain amount. We pretend that because they’re closer to the environment then their thoughts should be more privileged, when it is so convenient to just gamble on getting more tips that its a conflict of interest.

And of course the crazier thought of raising wages, but we should stick to things we can control

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#34
post #17

I’ve implemented a personal policy to make it easier for myself and reduce bias: Full waiter experience (seated, handed menu, food brought to table, plate cleared) gets 20%. If the level of service is less than that, the percentage starts to go down proportionally. Counter service is flat-rate $1 per person served. This is the same every time regardless of quality of service (unless something truly malicious happens,…

If the level of service declines below "full waiter experience", likely so too do the prices.

This is not generally true in my experience. You can buy cheap take-out/counter-service food, or expensive take-out/counter-service food.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#36
post #17

I’ve implemented a personal policy to make it easier for myself and reduce bias: Full waiter experience (seated, handed menu, food brought to table, plate cleared) gets 20%. If the level of service is less than that, the percentage starts to go down proportionally. Counter service is flat-rate $1 per person served. This is the same every time regardless of quality of service (unless something truly malicious happens,…

If the level of service declines below "full waiter experience", likely so too do the prices.

There’s significant overlap between counter service and sit down restaurant prices. The front of house labor is not a massive proportion of restaurant cost.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#37
post #17

I’ve implemented a personal policy to make it easier for myself and reduce bias: Full waiter experience (seated, handed menu, food brought to table, plate cleared) gets 20%. If the level of service is less than that, the percentage starts to go down proportionally. Counter service is flat-rate $1 per person served. This is the same every time regardless of quality of service (unless something truly malicious happens,…

If the level of service declines below "full waiter experience", likely so too do the prices.

And so should the tips. It makes no sense to tip someone who just hands you something from behind a counter.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#38
I think tipping should be outlawed. The price should be the price. Workers should not be subject to inconsistent pay for the same amount of work. In addition it gets rid of any bias in wages (more attractive people or people of different ethnicities might get higher tips for the same work).

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#39
post #21

I mean, the US could just get a decent welfare state like a grown-up country, but instead you have the worst paid members of society depending on tips.

waiters aren't the worst paid workers by far

Thanks to tips they make roughly 3x what the back of house staff make and their work is much easier (I have experience).
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