Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

apnews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

811–820 of 1001 posts

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

#811

Post by goodpoint »

xp84 wrote: post #485
kbos87 wrote: post #470

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am really of two minds about this. On one hand, yes, the suggestion that I leave a tip and the amount suggested has ballooned to a ridiculous level in some businesses. On the other hand, I recognize that there are plenty of businesses that still don't offer a way to tip at all (Starbucks until very recently), and more importantly, that none of these employees make anywhere near a living wage. Having worked service…

> none of these employees make anywhere near a living wage > the misery of minimum wage coffee shop employees. i don't know, TONS of people make way less than baristas and other counter-service workers. Lots of the customers of those baristas make similar wages as they do. Why does the barista deserve that money more? The maids at a hotel make less than a Starbucks barista, and there's no way they get significant tip…

> make some progressives feel generous and virtuous

What evidence you have to back up this claim?

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

#812

Post by courgette »

MuffinFlavored wrote: post #106
godelski wrote: post #30

One thing I've never understood is the argument for tipping. It has always been "because servers are being paid less than minimum wage." Which the issue with that is that that varies state by state. Most west coast states do not have a separate tipped wage[0]. So the question is, why do we tip at all on the west coast[1]? Worse, it seems to be expanding and increasing in size[2] The followup argument is often "well t…

> The followup argument is often "well they are still being under paid." While I can buy this argument, I do not think the solution is tipping The alternative is getting a restaurant to entirely change its identity. Their POS system will always have a spot for tip on a receipt. Their prices are based on the fact that they expect customers to tip the servers at least 15-25%. It's a monumental change. It's not just "pa…

Honest question : how do you think it works literally anywhere outside of Canada and the US?

We have bar and restaurants, too. People working there have kids, mortgage. I would even say that it’s more a “real” job than in the US.

“Real”, in the sense that, in the US, I’ve seen friends in their 40’s switching industry because they want to have kids. While for instance in France their is actual school you go to before become a waiter in the higher end places. Those are jobs were you are well compensated and that you can expect to keep for a while ( with a promotion path )

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

#813

Post by goodpoint »

nicbou wrote: post #592
Analemma_ wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remember: this is HN, where the bubble effect is strong. On Hacker News, everybody "knows" that Google Search is useless these days and that Amazon results are all counterfeit junk, even though in the real world I have never heard anyone bring this up and these services are still incredibly popular. It's the same thing with cash: I don't think I've seen anyone pay with cash in years. Even the old people at the grocer…

Remember that this is also an American bubble at times. In Germany, cash is still king. You can't go long without 10€ in your wallet. Tangential: I'm surprised that no one complains about these things. Google Search has become unbearable and Amazon is obviously bad these days. There's no way people aren't getting annoyed by the tech they use every day, yet you're right, no complaints.

> this is also an American bubble at times

It's almost always a silicon valley bubble

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

#814

Post by ulfw »

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 :)

Tipping in a coffee shop is just yet another way to obfuscate real pricing.

Instead of asking $5 for a coffee they ask for $4. Then you have to pay tax, which for absolutely ZERO reason is not included in the price. You're at about $4.40. Then you tip and end up at anywhere between $5 and $5.50 in actual money you spent on your "$4" coffee.

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

#815

Post by rubidium »

larrysalibra wrote: post #747
qqtt wrote: post #573

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is, that isn't how coffee shops typically operate in the United States, which is what makes it interesting. Operating a coffee shop without tips has special and unique considerations in the United States - chiefly, how to retain talent and employees when conventional wisdom would say it is better paying to get a job at a traditional tip-based coffee shop, which again, are plentiful in the United States. I w…

Former American here...grew up in Ohio but haven't lived in the country for a while (2007). When did coffee shops in the US start asking for tips? It must be a relatively new thing. Never saw tips asked for at coffee shops when visiting until the ipad checkout thing (square?) appeared. Is it a nationwide thing now or just confined to certain regions (coastal metro areas?)?

I saw it in Minnesota, Oregon, and DC in 2000-2003… so quite some time. This is barista made drinks, not your Dunkin’ Donuts brewed coffee.

It took the form of a tip jar. It was my main source of gas money when a barista.

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

#816

Post by courgette »

hooby wrote: post #751

In some countries like afaik Japan, it's customary to NOT tip and actually leaving a tip might be seen as an insult - as if you tried to insinuate they aren't paying their employees enough. I don't know why here in the west it's common practice to actually not pay employees enough and rely entirely on tips. Without those tips, many job offers in the service industry would not be attractive, as they don't pay enough t…

It’s a US and Canada thing.

I’m 40ish and I gave a type twice in my life in France. Both were exceptional situations were I felt that the normal compensation was not enough and I felt bad for the worker.

And even then.. I might have been influenced in my reaction by a long period spend in the US.

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

#817

Post by Ekaros »

What will be end-game of the tipping?

When will police, customs start to accept and ask for them? For better and more personal service?

Or judges and prosecutors. A hundred given at start would sure improve the vital service they provide?

And before that, why not tip at any financial transaction? Maybe some money when meeting some person buying your SaaS product?

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

#818

Post by schwartzworld »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #355
hedora wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US faced a dilemma: Post civil war, many people didn't want to pay freed slaves for their labor. A combination of tipping and converting jobs that were typically held by blacks to unpaid positions provided a solution. It became popular despite attempts to ban the practice. Today, tipped workers in the US are paid, but have a lower minimum wage than normal workers. Source: https://time.com/5404475/history-tipping-…

> Today, tipped workers in the US are paid, but have a lower minimum wage than normal workers. No, they have the same minimum wage as all workers. The employer is liable to pay the employee if tips + earnings from tipped min wage are less than earnings from non tipped minimum wage.

That's true on paper, but I worked as a server for like 12 years and never heard of it happening once. In contrast, I've had like 4 bosses who practiced wage theft.

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

#819

Post by watwut »

deathanatos wrote: post #429
djur wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't bribe someone because you think they deserve a bribe. That's not a bribe, it's a gift.

And a tip isn't a bribe. Thinking tipping someone so they don't sabotage the job they are already being paid to do is, to use the article's words "getting out of hand". It is not unreasonable for me to expect that you complete the job you are paid to do, for the price we already agreed upon. Period. Tips used to be for good service, circumstances where you know that due to circumstance you're asking a little more of…

What op described in this thread "I tip because it is the social norm (and bribery: don't want my food messed with)" is an unambiguous bribe.

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

#820

Post by coremoff »

zarzavat wrote: post #780
iLoveOncall wrote: post #702

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, in the UK it's almost always a 12.5% service charge. Almost always with terrible service of course.

This is because nobody carries any cash around anymore. And it's not socially acceptable for waiters to ask customers how much they want to tip. You just tap your card on the portable terminal. As for the service being terrible, it can be. But British people generally don't like to be interrupted during their meal. So the waitstaff have a tougher job to be present but not harassing.

> don't like to be interrupted during their meal

it's mostly around being interrupted mid sentence, in my experience (and it's certainly the thing that annoys me the most)

Post reply on HN