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Why some US restaurants are banning tips

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301–310 of 416 posts

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#301

We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service. Given the current wage structures and labor laws in the US and Canada, if I sit down at a table and I receive table service, I'm going to tip 15% unless the service was abhorrent. I am not going to tip if I order and take my food from a counter and serve myself (and then almost certainly clear my own table as well), or I buy any other form of product stan…

> We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service

Most people get 4-5% credit card cash back at restaurants (Amex, Chase, Cap1).

I prefer getting 18-25% cash back by leaving $0.01 tip.

I leave 1¢ so they know I didn’t forget. It saves a lot of back and forth.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#302

Every time tipping comes up there's a vocal contingent of anti tippers, coming from one of these perspectives: European pride, cheap fuckery, or faux labor concerns. It's important to remind that American restaurants work well - we have promp and good service as a rule, the majority of Americans are fine with and enjoy tipping and the vast majority of service workers enjoy getting them and are ahead financially vs Eu…

I’ve never met someone who didn’t think tipping was too widespread and too high. You say a majority of people are happy with the state of US tipping?

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#303
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LMFAO, have you ever been to a restaurant in Europe? The service is horrific. Sit down and wait 15 minutes for the menus, another 15 to place a drink order, another 10 for the drinks to get there, another 10 to place food order. Now you finish the meal, good luck getting the waiters attention to bring the check. European dining is the worst, every time I am back stateside I feel like im being waited on in the white h…

Have you tried eating out while not in a rush?

> Have you tried eating out while not in a rush?

Sorry, I prefer to eat while rushed.

That’s how the median American household income is US$7,600/month. Half of all households make more than this.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My last trip I gave a $10 tip to a waiter in a Spanish restaurant. I apologized that I didn't have euros. The guy smiled broadly and thanked me. If tip "culture" didn't exist in Europe, he would have thought of me as inappropriate and would have given the money back. Like if you try to give a tip to a firefighter, he'd give it back, because it's not appropriate.

Of course you can tip and nobody would refuse one. The difference is tipping is not expected by default and you get same service regardless of your tip. In contrast many years ago a waiter in a NYC restaurant made my then girlfriend crying when the waiter decided that the tip was not big enough. Is this great American service people here keep raving about?

> a waiter in a NYC restaurant made my then girlfriend crying when the waiter decided that the tip was not big enough

That's certainly not the norm in the US. I've eaten in restaurants in every state and have never seen or experienced anything like that. It sounds like you just got a terrible server or restaurant.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#305

We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service. Given the current wage structures and labor laws in the US and Canada, if I sit down at a table and I receive table service, I'm going to tip 15% unless the service was abhorrent. I am not going to tip if I order and take my food from a counter and serve myself (and then almost certainly clear my own table as well), or I buy any other form of product stan…

> We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service Most people get 4-5% credit card cash back at restaurants (Amex, Chase, Cap1). I prefer getting 18-25% cash back by leaving $0.01 tip. I leave 1¢ so they know I didn’t forget. It saves a lot of back and forth.

I don't know where you're from but on the north american west coast intentionally leaving a $0.01 tip is a "fuck you" message.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#306
post #70
post #3

Next also include sales tax in label prices.

We're going in the other direction. In Seattle it's common for restaurants to tack on an extra "service charge" that's not a tip, just because. It's supposed to be declared somewhere. With tip your bill can easily end up 40% higher.

If I see "service charge" I'm going to assume that it covers the tip. I'm not going to tip on top of that.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LMFAO, have you ever been to a restaurant in Europe? The service is horrific. Sit down and wait 15 minutes for the menus, another 15 to place a drink order, another 10 for the drinks to get there, another 10 to place food order. Now you finish the meal, good luck getting the waiters attention to bring the check. European dining is the worst, every time I am back stateside I feel like im being waited on in the white h…

Since COVID many restaurants (in Spain at least) no longer offer you a menu, you can view it via a QR code that there's on every table. Also, those times depend on the place and location. The ones I've been lately were pretty fast

[deleted]

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#308
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. What POS terminals are common there? I am curious about culture spreading through technology defaults and wonder if it's effectively driven by whatever Square chose and whomever else decided to ape the incumbent or whatever.

It's configurable on any terminal that supports it — obviously the terminal is designed so it can be used in a restaurant, or for paying in a shop, or paying a fee to the government. (To give an example of where even Americans don't tip.)

I'm not American, but from what I've heard about the wait times at the DMV, I'm sure many would love the option to tip 20% for faster service.

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#309
post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> European dining is the worst, every time I am back stateside I feel like im being waited on in the white house or something fancy. Part of European dining is the social aspect, that gets ruined when you're constantly being asked if you want another drink.

So you say "I'm good or maybe in a bit." Was that hard? (Versus trying to chase someone down to get your beer refilled.)

[deleted]

Re: Why some US restaurants are banning tips

#310

We need to at least normalize not tipping for counter service. Given the current wage structures and labor laws in the US and Canada, if I sit down at a table and I receive table service, I'm going to tip 15% unless the service was abhorrent. I am not going to tip if I order and take my food from a counter and serve myself (and then almost certainly clear my own table as well), or I buy any other form of product stan…

Too late to edit my own comment but one obvious exception to the "don't tip if paying standing up" is of course at a bar. I'm not going to fail to tip my bartender. Very different thing than a POS terminal prompting me for a tip at Subway.
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