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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

#781

Post by jandrewrogers »

wongarsu wrote: post #757
jandrewrogers wrote: post #682

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where I live in the US, mandatory minimum wage is $18.69/hr. Tips are on top of that. It has less to do with a living wage and more to do with the fact that the employees make less money with a mandatory 20% service charge than they do via tips.

What's a mandatory service charge even supposed to be? Are restaurant bills cost-plus contracts? Is there also a refrigeration charge, and an ingredients charge?

Yes, service is added as a 20% charge based on the total bill. This is to offset the absence of tipping. If you simply add 20% to menu prices, it has other adverse consequences that reduce employee income in practice.

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

#782

Post by qwerty456127 »

Tipping is awkward. I feel guilty of being an ashole in both cases: if I don't tip I feel like I'm a greedy asshole, If I do tip I feel like I am playing an arrogant aristocrat. I wish everybody would just rise the prices and pay their employees enough for them to be happy without tips.

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

#783

Post by kaiwen1 »

I pointedly refuse to add any tip when the only special "service" is ringing up my purchase. I've become resigned to accepting the unpleasant glares of staff as I dial their tip to zero. That I'm even put in that position is just grossly antithetical to customer service. So here's my tip to all you business owners: pay your people, make it transparent, and stop annoying and insulting your customers.

Tipping has become a burden and nuisance for most Americans. We need a plan of action to remedy this.

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

#784

Post by rapht »

To me, this relates to a broader subject: the way prices are displayed.

In Europe, laws basically mandate that what you as a customer see on a price tag or price list, is what you ultimately pay.

You don't have to do any guesswork, looking at the fine print, compute anything in your head. You pay the price that is displayed, and there should be no expectation from any one that you pay anything above that.

When I go to a restaurant, I'm not like buying the food on the one hand, and the service on the other hand, and everything that the taxes cover above all that. I'm paying the restaurant for dining, which includes the food, the service, and whatever taxes the restaurant has to pay.

The details are none of my business... and I shouldn't have to do any contorsions to compare prices between restaurants!

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

#785

Post by courgette »

4gotunameagain wrote: post #524
dang wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should write a longer piece about your coffee shop! and the process behind it. If you do, you should submit it to HN - and if you do that you should email us (hn@ycombinator.com) because we might put it in the second-chance pool ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 ).

I love how one person opened a coffee shop which basically operates like every single coffee shop in the world apart from the US , and you guys need a detailed write up, charts, flow charts, tips for the secret sauce :)

Thanks for sanity.

I do understand the specific of the US situation, I’ve leave there since the last decade. In a very touristy city to boot, so a large part of my social network rely on tips.

But the lack of awareness from our US friends to understand that they are the exception, not the norm in that particular regard is a bit disconcerting.

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

#786

Post by SoftTalker »

jacktribe wrote: post #99

I've just opened a coffee shop in Los Angeles last month, and we don't take tips. We only use self-ordering iPads (I've custom coded an iOS app w/ Stripe Terminal for it), and we don't accept cash either. We've had a few customers baffled by the no-tipping policy, and still insisting that they leave a tip. Some even left cash on the counter or on the table. We had to chase a few of them down to return their money. Al…

I'm happy to tip when I'm receiving actual table service. I don't tip for a strictly carry-out or over-the-counter sale (e.g. coffee shop).

Even in Europe I tip servers and bartenders. It just seems nice. I've never had one turn it down.

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

#787

Post by vegardx »

adenozine wrote: post #690
frameset wrote: post #677

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would the Americans With Disabilities act apply here?

The ADA is mostly environmental issues. By that I mean if your business has proper ramps, braille on signage for ingress/egress/restrooms/hard copy menus. It doesn’t mandate that a business must prioritize disabled customers or even that every person with a disability be able to use the service. Again, car companies are the canonical excepted business, but the ADA cannot force you to serve a customer that your busine…

At no point has anyone argued that people with disability should be prioritized over any other customers. Just that they should be able to get the same service as anyone else.

How you think a car dealership is equivalent to a coffee shop is beyond me. That said, I can assure you that a blind person would be able to buy a car, if they wanted to. That they can't legally operate the vehicle isn't the business of the car manufacturer or dealership.

You are clearly advocating for one specific side. You've only argued for one specific side.

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

#788

Post by itwontbelik »

jonathanstrange wrote: post #779
4gotunameagain wrote: post #524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love how one person opened a coffee shop which basically operates like every single coffee shop in the world apart from the US , and you guys need a detailed write up, charts, flow charts, tips for the secret sauce :)

Sorry, I've lived my whole life in Europe in three different countries and have never been to a café where you can't pay in cash and don't tip. Tipping works differently, e.g. in my current country of residence you leave cash on the table, but unless your bill is very low (say, below 5 EUR) not tipping is still a bit rude. There used to be no tipping at all but with the increase in tourism that's no longer the norm.

> There used to be no tipping at all but with the increase in tourism that's no longer the norm.

I take this as local employees stating their entitlement to nickel and dime tourists as much as possible.

:(

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

#789

Post by figassis »

My issue with all this is the dishonesty. Yes, tips are ok, but don’t force me to pay them. Let me decide. Also, don’t lie, add a 25%-30% gratuity, charge me, then give me the check with additional tip along with all the same social pressure that it is “expected”. If I had an expensive meal, maybe I’ve been saving for a while to have it, and maybe that was a bad decision and maybe I won’t be having another one anytime soon. Don’t assume I just have money to burn. Because of this, I made it a point never to pay tips in the US if I feel a hint of pressure, regardless of how great the service is. I actually pay tips elsewhere, even when there is no tip item in a check.

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

#790

Post by mpawelski »

zzzeek wrote: post #71

I can't believe these comments, what is wrong with you people? if you are a highly paid technology worker, when you go to service establishments where people are working hourly and are desperate to work 40-50 hour weeks just to pay their rent and feed their kids, you *tip*. *generously*. the US has an insanely out of control income inequality issue that is very intractible and structural. If you are so fortunate as t…

> I can't believe these comments, what is wrong with you people?

I had a similar feeling while reading comments here, but then I reminded myself that most of people commenting here are from the US and are used to this strange tipping culture.

Oh wait, you mean comments criticizing American tipping culture? ;-)

Seriously though, I wished Americans would keep this broken tipping culture to their own country. Unfortunately they are polluting other places (especially the ones popular for American tourist) and introduce this broken "mandatory 20-30% tipping" madness.

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