"Tipflation" in the USA

[El Presidente]

I have been to the USA a couple of times this year, predominantly Miami and Los Angeles and am no stranger to tipping culture in the US.  Now, we tip in Australia, and I tip everywhere for good service but the USA has taken tipping to a whole new level. 

Let's face it, automated % tipping added to your bill is thievery. It should always be your choice how much to tip. 

I can almost stomach electronic optional tipping (15%/20%/30%) ......but what if the experience was woeful?  Good luck. 

However? What is it that  once you have tipped electronically (say 15%)  the actual service provider also expects a cash tip?  Am I wrong that this not pure grifting? 

Let's face it. These days, standard prices in a good to very good main city US restaurant are "up there". Throw on the 20% tip and then a cash tip (god forbid)  and you  are at  3 star michelin restaurant pricing for a rarely anywhere near michelin experience. 

Now am I wrong or has there been "Tipping creep" over the past few years? 

I mean, I understand restaurants and bars.  However, Cigar Divans? 

Have a read of the following 

 

Tipping culture has gotten out of control

by Kara Kennedy

 September 22, 2023 05:11 AM

 

 

Last week at a cigar bar in Old Town, Alexandria, I overheard some jolly bartenders discuss the tips they’d gotten that weekend: “Five hundred last night. Five hundred the night before. Seven hundred the night before that,” one of them said. Unable not to pry, especially when it comes to money, I asked them if that was a standard take for a weekend. “Oh, sure. It’s tough work, but you can make a lot of cash here,” one replied. Satisfied, I paid for my drink and left a 20% tip. "I'm not going to look like the tightfisted Brit, ignorant of American norms," I thought. "Not again."

Perhaps two middle-aged men working in a fusty cigar bar are deserving candidates for such a king’s ransom. They were kind and indulged my nosiness. It turns out that the poor buggers don't even smoke. One of them said that the tips help to cover his multiple trips per month to the dry cleaner, a prerequisite ordered by his wife of him taking the job. Twenty percent here and there for good service and good food has become so normal that you’d be rude to complain about it. Trust me, since I arrived in America six months ago, I’ve tried. Some of my American friends are judgmental about the fact that I’ve decided to draw a line. Anybody who isn’t making me a cocktail, delivering still-hot pizza, or styling my hair isn’t getting 20% of anything. It would be 100% too much to give 20% to anybody merely bending their knees to pass you a cold bottle of water from the fridge beneath them. In some cases, there isn’t even a human involved. Today, online, I saw a guy who was prompted to tip a machine at a self-serve airport convenience store. “Who does it even go to?” he rightly asked.

Somewhere along the way, and only as recently as COVID-19, tipping culture has become so out of control that Americans are sick and tired of it. It may be the one issue that you all can agree on.

Tipflation is defined as “recent widespread expansion of gratuity to more industries, as opposed to being traditionally only prevalent in full-service restaurants.” You know something is awry when it gets its own portmanteau. But no American needs an explanation of this. They see it every single day in every single transaction they make. Just today, I was prompted to tip after buying a pint of milk at my local store. Technology has seen to it that it’s no longer a pleasurable experience to make a server's day unprompted, or, more recently, when servers were made to ask grovellingly, “Would you like to leave a tip?” Now, most of the time, all we see is a grunting employee tilting some kind of hinged, smeared screen that prompts a default 20% gratuity toward you on the counter.

What was once an accepted norm of 15 standard percent, 20 for great service, and 0 to 10 for crap treatment has turned into 20 to 30, expanded into all kinds of other transactions, and the actual mechanics involve a strange impolite pressure culture that’s uncomfortable from both sides. This existed for the same reason as the curtains on voting booths: True honesty is not possible in public view. Now, you don’t leave cash or a penned-in line noting the extra amount in a slip to be discovered later, out of sight, but rather choose it as the recipient of the tip stares on. It’s a sort of push poll.

If it isn’t an electronic tipping prompt that’s bankrupting you, it’s something else. Over my short stay so far in my beloved new home country, I’ve seen all manner of extra charges added on my receipt: credit card processing fees, service charges, convenience charges, cleaning surcharge. One friend told me, with incandescent rage, that he’d had a 5% "health and happiness" surcharge added to his receipt, separate from the gratuity.

As a waitress of six years, I know that the job can be hard and hostile, and I’ve done my fair share of giving smaller servings to rude customers and crying in the walk-in freezer. One place I worked had a head chef who would spit on the steak of anybody who had dared to ask for it well done. (It caused the kitchen to back up, and as Roberto, the chef, said, “The thing is absolutely ruined anyway.”) People are difficult, and you’re paid a pittance — in my case, I think it was $7 an hour. But it’s the choice you make when you take the job, and tips should be seen as nothing but an added extra. In a healthy tipping culture, you should even crack a smile when you get one.

Most places in the world have found a happy medium with tipping. In Japan, even offering one is grossly offensive. It may be difficult in the beginning, when the pushy twenty-something is gawping at you when they pull up the gratuity screen and say something like, “Oooh, it’s asking you a question!” But I promise, it gets easier to say no. Even enjoyable. And as for laborers’ compensation, without screens and norms pressing customers and servers to make sure workers get their due pay every time you buy something, making tips a mere bonus again creates a world where, much more sanely and correctly, pay is between the employer and the employee.

 

 

 

[SCgarman]

This whole tipping thing has gotten real bad post COVID here in USA. I have no problem tipping for "sevices". But now Chinese takeout, an Italian restaurant where I get take home pizza/calzones, amongst other takeout eateries.....They all ask if you would like to leave a tip as you swipe your payment through the reader. It is programmed into the payment software now. Ridiculous! Whats next? The self checkout register at Walmart asking for a tip? SMH

[MickVanWinkle]

I tend to agree with the absurdity of who I’m expected to tip.  I’d lose track, but thankfully they often remind me with the flip of a tablet.

Then again, I take care of my postman and garbage/recycling people a few times a year, so I may be part of the problem. 

[chris12381]

As somone who routinely used to tip 20% and has noticed how it's really started to creep into places where, in my opinion, it has no place being, I've become a real pain in the butt.  I still tip generously in restaurants, for delivery drivers, staff at hotels, valets, etc. but unless the service at the sandwich shop was amazing, anything more than a buck or two into a jar is all you're gonna get from me. 

 The other thing I really get annoyed with now is the "courtesy" auto calculation of the tips which always includes the tax, fees (sometimes even ones imposed by the business itself!) or other add-ons.  

[Ford2112]

I like saying " other amount " and leaving like a quarter. You're not getting tipped for making me a bagel.

[Fireball]

You are not wrong, tipping in the US has gone really extreme. I was at a frozen yogurt place where I serve myself and add my own toppings, and there was a tip screen. 

[SCgarman]

27 minutes ago, Fireball Ron said:

You are not wrong, tipping in the US has gone really extreme. I was at a frozen yogurt place where I serve myself and add my own toppings, and there was a tip screen. 

It is literally everywhere now. I'd be curious if this nonsense is happening in any other countries.

[Ford2112]

It ain't happening in Greece.

[Andy04]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Now, we tip in Australia, and I tip everywhere for good service but the USA has taken tipping to a whole new level.

I would say that less than 5% of Australians have ever left a tip in Australia, and would never encourage anybody to tip a country where the minimum hourly wage is AUD $23.23 and tipping is not the normal.

[El Presidente]

Just now, Andy04 said:

I would say that less than 5% of Australians have ever left a tip in Australia and would never encourage anybody to tip a country where the minimum hourly wage is AUD $23.23 and tipping is not the normal.

.....we hang out with different people 🤣

restaurants, subject to service, 100% of my mates tip

[dominattorney]

1 minute ago, El Presidente said:

.....we hang out with different people 🤣

restaurants, subject to service, 100% of my mates tip

Good for them. I also do this in non tipping countries. It helps if you go back to a place. They treat you like kings. 

[BurstReynolds]

My buddy got his roof replaced a couple months back. Want to guess what option he was given at the bottom of the invoice?

[Lfhard]

On 9/23/2023 at 11:11 AM, dominattorney said:

Good for them. I also do this in non tipping countries. It helps if you go back to a place. They treat you like kings. 

Very true. I tip while on vacations in different countries, all-inclusive or not. Man, tipping in places some people don’t, they really do treat you like a king. I do agree the US has got out of control with tipping. Sure I tip when the service is great and the tip was well earned, but like most said anything else your not going to get much or anything. 

[dominattorney]

2 hours ago, Lfhard said:

Very true. I tip while on vacations in different countries, all-inclusive or not. Man tipping in places some people don’t they really do treat you like a king. I do agree the US has got out of control with tipping. Sure I tip when the service is great and the tip was well earned, but like most said anything else your not going to get much or anything. 

I despise the attitude of entitlement surrounding it in the US more than anything else 

[Fuzz]

Honestly, I detest tip culture. If I choose to tip, it's my decision and how much I believe should be the tip, not yours. While I do tip at most restaurants, I find I'm doing it less now, mainly because a lot of places are now asking me to order via QR code and pay before being served.

I remember the first time I traveled to Japan. We went to a moderately fancy restaurant and left a nice tip when we left. Waitress chased us down the street to return our tip.

[Magnum Dongle]

Having worked as a server part time in college, it opened my eyes to just how sometimes my service never really impacted the tip I'd receive. Sure, sometimes on a bad day I wasn't at my best. But if the food got prepared wrong, or more to the point where it was not to the customers standards on a slammed night, even if I corrected everything I could still get a shit tip, and it wasn't like the restaurant was making up for that. So now since I have a great job, I will usually leave cash tips or tip on things that I know the tip is actually going to the server or person working. If it's going to the restaurant, f that they should have built it into the price. But I try to offset the dickheads who tip shitty because the sky was the wrong shade of blue today, or they're stuck decades when 5¢ got you a cola from the gas station. 

[Fuzz]

Here's a question: with QR code ordering, cashless payment (credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, WeChat etc) and these little fellas starting to gain popularity, will you still tip? And if so, how does the robot collect?

[Chibearsv]

I tipped harder during Covid with the thought that it helped the restaurants that were offering carry-out survive.  Now it's back to normal for me.  No more carry-out meal tips.  "None" is an option on the screen, and I use it.  

[anacostiakat]

The logic for tipping was always that staff get paid a low wage and that they make it up with tips for good service.  The creep or raise in their level of base pay to the minimum wage or in some places I think it is fifteen bucks an hour is a big discussion now here.  Or should I say argument?  The inclusion of a gratuity on the bill is utter nonsense and an affront to norms.  Heh.  You will get no tip on top of tip from me.  Have no problem with raising the base pay to mimimum or better either.

[joeypots]

Long ago in my youth I worked in restaurants. $2.10 an hour plus tips. Back then the normal tip was 15% to wait staff who had to “tip out” the bartenders and bus people. I made enough to keep my head above water but it was hard labor. One can make good money in a good to excellent well run restaurant and these days people tip better than they used to. A writer friend says he takes home $500 a shift 3 nights a week during the busy summer season.Not bad if you don’t mind working nights and weekends. 

I don’t tip anyone unless they are getting the current restaurant servers wage. Except at the great pizza place near me that hires a lot of young Eastern Europeian women. That tip jar is packed full.

 

[BrightonCorgi]

Don't tip beyond what is customary.  Screw the cashier, etc...  Not sorry. 

My cousin retired as a waiter at the Capital Grill.  It's the Capital Grill that all Boston sports stars go to after every game.  He made a very handsome sum being waiter for a long time.  He said, "you're crazy to tip for wine based on the price.  I don't deserve more serving a $50 bottle than $500."  Interesting to hear that from someone who can get you to open your wallet, and you say thanks.

[helix]

To insure prompt service.  Odd since you tips afterwards.

[MrBirdman]

As others have mentioned, the increased use of tablets for payment has lead to the growth of what I’d call “guilt tipping” - show you a screen with tipping options, and will you really be such a tight fisted bastard in front of the employees and everyone behind you (who can see what you leave) that you’ll stiff the person who rang you you for the can of soda you just bought? Because you can’t just avoid the situation - you’ve gotta press “No Tip” in front of God and Country!

I see employers as the problem, not employees. The boss has the final say in paying market wages and what goes on the tablet screen. I’d be ok with a button after the transaction “I’d like to leave a tip.” 

 

22 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

He said, "you're crazy to tip for wine based on the price.  I don't deserve more serving a $50 bottle than $500."

I rarely spend that much on wine at a restaurant (we have tons of high end BYOBs in PA for drinking special bottles without a 3x markup) but completely agree. But I know sommeliers would tell you they rely on tips too. One reason why some high end restaurants have moved to a gratuity inclusive model is to avoid this issue - the irony being that it prevents them from retaining top staff who make more being tipped. For example, I attended a wedding reception at Per Se in NYC in august and most of the wait staff were early 20’s. 

[BettyHumpder]

I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, I mean I’ll tip if someone really deserves a tipping, if they really put forth the effort, I’ll give them something extra, but I mean this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. I mean as far as I’m concerned they’re just doing their job.

I’m very sorry the government taxes their tips. That’s messed up. That ain’t my fault. I mean it would appear that servers are one of the many groups the government screws over on a regular basis. Show me a piece of paper that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball.

[BoliDan]

Can't even get a sandwich to GO without being asked for a tip. I got a Reuben the other day to go. The screen asked for a tip, I said no tip, because stupid. I got home and the sandwich maker gave me like 3 thing slices of corned beef, it was missing the slaw and swiss cheese. I was tempted to drive back, but it was rush hour and I was defeated...