Yep. My favorite thing is when I am not even at a restaurant and I'm being asked to tip a retail worker making well above minimum wage. As a former bartender who made $2.65US an hour and relied on tips for my "paycheck" each week, seeing this new "tipping everyone" trend is like a slap in the face.
Bottom line, if your business can't afford to pay its people a living wage, then it can't afford to operate.
Two of the most hilarious things I've seen are tips at self-serve kiosks, and tips where you carry the food to the person behind the counter. Tipping them for ringing up an item..
At a corner store I frequent, they recently changed POS systems, and the new ones show a tipping screen. The person there always quickly dismisses it; I think they haven't figured out how to disable it, and are a little embarrassed that the machine is asking you to tip for just ringing up your items.
(Well, they also make espresso drinks and made-to-order deli sandwiches, so I guess it's appropriate to tip if you order those.)
Yes, it's pretty common. It's also common for businesses where customers tip to underpay their employees on the expectation that they'll make it up with tips. It's legal to do this in many jurisdictions.
As an American, I wish we didn't do this, but it's a collective action problem that's very hard to solve.
What exactly is the definition of "underpay" here? Back when my wife was a server, it seemed like a cheat code to the service industry - she was making way more money waiting tables for $2.65/hr + tips than she had made at any other job she'd had (something like $18-20/hr 15 years ago)
Correct. bruckie has never actually worked as a server; otherwise he would know that tipping in the US is hugely beneficial to waiters, bartenders, etc., even with the legally allowed lower minimum wage. This is why tipping has never gone away through legislative means despite no shortage of waiters and bartenders in the populace, and why the occasional restaurant that proudly announces that it is a "no-tipping" establishment, and gets the requisite amount of slavering coverage in the usual virtue-signaling subreddits, never stays open long.
One thing that annoys me is that some states, like California, don't have a tipped minimum wage. (Well, we do, it's just set to the same number as the non-tipped minimum.) And yet we're still expected to tip. I guess the real problem is that it's expensive to live in CA, and our minimum wage needs to be hiked up quite a bit.
One of the many reasons I left the USA. Too bad US-Americans are so used to tipping 20% they even do it when traveling... giving the rest of us a reputation as being suckers.
Yes, one of the MANY cultural reasons. One less thing I have to think about when paying for food. There's honestly too many reasons to list: cost, safety, food, transportation, work life balance, education, being near family, and to see more of the world.
Yes, for nearly any restaurant this is the unspoken recommendation, and sometimes enforced automatically if your group is larger than 6-8. Source: I am an American.
Yes, at least in NYC. And you get to tip in coffee places too, even when your coffee is to go. The card payment device (whatever they are called) gives you options such as 20%, 40%, 60% when you try to pay.
for some people it is. Maybe you'll become a believer when you realize that waiters wages are only around $2.35 an hour plus tips. Some states require that wait staff make -at least- federal minimum wage ($7.50? or so). Most do quite a bit better than that in all but the worst restaurant jobs. Not really a living wage tho. Some people do well on tips in upper crust restaurants, and often bartenders have enough turnover to do pretty well too.
Yep. My favorite thing is when I am not even at a restaurant and I'm being asked to tip a retail worker making well above minimum wage. As a former bartender who made $2.65US an hour and relied on tips for my "paycheck" each week, seeing this new "tipping everyone" trend is like a slap in the face.
Bottom line, if your business can't afford to pay its people a living wage, then it can't afford to operate.
Two of the most hilarious things I've seen are tips at self-serve kiosks, and tips where you carry the food to the person behind the counter. Tipping them for ringing up an item..
At a corner store I frequent, they recently changed POS systems, and the new ones show a tipping screen. The person there always quickly dismisses it; I think they haven't figured out how to disable it, and are a little embarrassed that the machine is asking you to tip for just ringing up your items.
(Well, they also make espresso drinks and made-to-order deli sandwiches, so I guess it's appropriate to tip if you order those.)
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Yes, it's pretty common. It's also common for businesses where customers tip to underpay their employees on the expectation that they'll make it up with tips. It's legal to do this in many jurisdictions.
As an American, I wish we didn't do this, but it's a collective action problem that's very hard to solve.
What exactly is the definition of "underpay" here? Back when my wife was a server, it seemed like a cheat code to the service industry - she was making way more money waiting tables for $2.65/hr + tips than she had made at any other job she'd had (something like $18-20/hr 15 years ago)
> What exactly is the definition of "underpay" here?
> $2.65/hr+
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In college I worked at a Chili's and made anywhere from $15-20 an hour in a busy location, which was decent wages for a college student at the time.
Correct. bruckie has never actually worked as a server; otherwise he would know that tipping in the US is hugely beneficial to waiters, bartenders, etc., even with the legally allowed lower minimum wage. This is why tipping has never gone away through legislative means despite no shortage of waiters and bartenders in the populace, and why the occasional restaurant that proudly announces that it is a "no-tipping" establishment, and gets the requisite amount of slavering coverage in the usual virtue-signaling subreddits, never stays open long.
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One thing that annoys me is that some states, like California, don't have a tipped minimum wage. (Well, we do, it's just set to the same number as the non-tipped minimum.) And yet we're still expected to tip. I guess the real problem is that it's expensive to live in CA, and our minimum wage needs to be hiked up quite a bit.
One of the many reasons I left the USA. Too bad US-Americans are so used to tipping 20% they even do it when traveling... giving the rest of us a reputation as being suckers.
Tipping is why you left the US? Really?
Yes, one of the MANY cultural reasons. One less thing I have to think about when paying for food. There's honestly too many reasons to list: cost, safety, food, transportation, work life balance, education, being near family, and to see more of the world.
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Tipping isn't the reason I left, but after some years away, it's in the top 10 or so reasons I'm unlikely to move back.
It's pretty nice to go to a cafe, pay a fair price, and not be guilted into 20% extra by a PoS machine.
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Yes, for nearly any restaurant this is the unspoken recommendation, and sometimes enforced automatically if your group is larger than 6-8. Source: I am an American.
When i read it now it is ridiculous how high the tip rate is. Yes 18-25% a lot of them tip on the taxed total bill which is bananas
I kid you not, majority of Americans (myself included) feel some level of guilt pushing the 15% button.
depends on where it's at. Sit down? I will always tip. Pickup up at the restaurant? nope.
Yes, at least in NYC. And you get to tip in coffee places too, even when your coffee is to go. The card payment device (whatever they are called) gives you options such as 20%, 40%, 60% when you try to pay.
for some people it is. Maybe you'll become a believer when you realize that waiters wages are only around $2.35 an hour plus tips. Some states require that wait staff make -at least- federal minimum wage ($7.50? or so). Most do quite a bit better than that in all but the worst restaurant jobs. Not really a living wage tho. Some people do well on tips in upper crust restaurants, and often bartenders have enough turnover to do pretty well too.
In Canada, these days, even Subway expects a tip. It is insane.
Yeah the lowest option on some point of sale systems now is 20.