I am tired of tipping for service that does not go above and beyond baseline expectations and I am even more tired of being guilted for not doing so. Thus, I’m throwing down the gauntlet and scaling back my tipping. The generous approach has only rewarded corporate greed, perpetuating a flawed system. I am no longer going to be a willing participant in the cultural proliferation of tipping.
Tipping Is Out Of Control – I’m Scaling Back
I would hope that tippers and anti-tippers have a common goal: supporting living wages for workers. I’m not interested in the “go find another job” arguments of the anti-tippers or the “you hate people of color if you don’t tip” arguments from the pro-tippers.
Reasonable minds can agree to disagree on whether to tip or not, especially when it comes to situations like hotel housekeepers or the waitstaff in airline lounges.
A number of recent incidents have caused me to rethink tipping.
During the pandemic, tip jars began appearing at the grocery store. The envelopes at hotels that were intended for housekeeping tips became more prominent and more frequent. At coffee shops, instead of a 15% or 20% tip option coming up, a $1, $2, or “other” option comes up when you buy a $4 cup of coffee. Really, you want a 50% tip now for making me a cup of coffee?
But what galled me most was the extended conversation we had on Live and Let’s Fly concerning tipping Uber Eats and other food delivery drivers. Drivers made very clear that without a compelling tip in advance, there would be no effort made to get you your food on time and hot. This from the company that once explicitly rejected tipping as part of its business model.
Here’s the problem: hotels (and restaurants and other businesses) use the prospect of tipping to keep wages down. Dangle “up to $20/hour in tips” and you can pay your workers much less. This represents a transferred cost to customers. And shouldn’t a clean hotel room not require paying extra? Isn’t that a fundamental part of the package?
But when we stop tipping, it is workers who are hurt most of all. And yet doing so perpetuates a broken system. Doing so emboldens hotel owners to further exploit their workers. When you tip you validate a business strategy that plays on pity and guilt to abuse employees.
And I’ve had enough of it.
I’ve already stopped using Uber Eats in the USA. No more food deliveries. I will not be suckered into paying drivers extra to perform the very service I pay for and nothing more.
And I will support hotel strikes for better wages and respect picket lines, but I will not step on to the hamster wheel of guilt that claims I must tip for having clean towels or making my bed. Tipping is the easy solution to assuage our guilt, but it is not the right solution.
That’s not to say I won’t tip at all. Restaurant tipping is so ingrained I cannot help but to continue to do so. And I will continue to tip generously. I will also reward exceptionally good service with a tip in other contexts, which is actually what tipping is supposed to be for. I did this just yesterday at a hotel..if you go above and beyond, I will express my gratitude with a tip (as long as it is not in Japan).
What I will stop doing is supporting avenues for the proliferation of tipping, especially in the USA. Sorry, I’m not tipping when I pick up my own fast food. Sorry, I’m not tipping the plumber or the electrician or the florist. Give me a fair price and I will pay it. Don’t include a service fee and then attempt to guilt me with an extra “gratuity” line.
CONCLUSION
There is no easy answer to the problem of tipping…and it is a problem. But I’m sick of it. I’m sick of the greedy hands lining up, which are more often employers than workers. I don’t like that model. I’m out, at least in terms of support the expansion of tipping beyond non-traditional spheres like waiters and bartenders.
How about you?
The Uber driver will often drive 10 minutes and more to pick up the food. They have zero control how long is sits before they get there since they aren’t making the food. They will then drive 10 minutes—maybe more maybe less—for the delivery. The food isn’t going to be hot.
I carry out fairly often and almost always reheat what I bring home because it loses temperature.
Or worse they are picking up 2-3 orders total from 3 different places to 3 different addresses. 3, lukewarm orders, coming right up.
Or the Uber/DD driver will get 3/4 orders from the same restaurant, then allow yours to get cold while they wait for those others to be completed. There is no reason the middleman, ue/dd requires 20-30% for their services, or more. It shouldn’t cost more than 5% to run their site, and the delivery fee should be upfront and what the driver gets. Nor am I paying 20%(10 bucks) on a 50 dollar order from a restaurant 2 miles away.
I fully agree with you. “Stacks” (multi-stop orders) ruin it for everyone. I have not taken a stack in over a year, by choice. The worst part is, Uber clearly bundles orders together based on tip. They’ll take someone who tipped $10 for a couple miles and bundle it in with someone who tipped nothing for a similar distance. The driver delivers cold food, the good tipper gets screwed, and it keeps happening because Uber gets its cut either way.
btw, the maximum stack is 3, but they can be from different restaurants, which is even worse. Seems like the customer who ordered from a family-run Chinese restaurant (always fast and ready) gets stuck waiting for another order from a 30-minute wait Taco Bell drive-thru.
Go get it yourself than. Problem solved.
That’s what I do. But the restaurant still pushes for me to pay a tip for service I didn’t receive beyond the “service” that the kitchen provided to put my food in a to go box.
I am not a delivery person nor do I work in a profession that receives tips. That said, it really annoys me that people balk at tipping any food (restaurant or grocery) delivery driver. Every delivery service I’ve used offers to make you the first delivery from the establishment for an additional $2.99. Surely, EVERYONE by now understands that those making these deliveries are not employees of the restaurant or grocery store and are basically working for tips — they’re also using their own vehicles. Personally, I’d prefer to see a 25% delivery fee that goes directly to the driver added to all restaurant deliveries. I don’t know why anyone would think ordering 4 $25 meals delivered to their home would not equate to at least to a $30 tip. That’s $5 more than satisfactory dine-in service AND it was taken to your home (or office). That’s a bargain in my book. Actually, the amount of the meal should probably be considered less than the mileage. A $3/meal and a $5/mile is likely fair in most cases, regardless of the total. People who work for Uber or door dash aren’t waiters.
Uber Eats DOES offer to have the driver deliver your food first, prior to other deliveries. Instacart offers this service, as well. The cost is $2.99, and on certain orders, it is worth it to me. I don’t understand why anyone would expect to have dinner for four picked up and delivered to the comfort of their home for less than $20. Maybe, I’m just an over-tipper. My daughters accused me of over-tipping until they both had part-time jobs in the food/bev industry in college. I think what people don’t understand about food delivery services is that drivers are NOT employees and do not even get a minimum wage for the 30 minutes they spend driving to the restaurant, going inside to pick up the food and driving to your home. The “delivery charge” Uber and DD charge does not go to the driver. A small portion does and likely covers their gas and transportation for the delivery. I don’t understand why people who normally tip 20% when dining inside balk at the idea of tipping the same 20% for delivery. Seriously, if you don’t want to tip at least 20%, why don’t you simply go and pick up the food yourself?? I tip restaurant delivery drivers the greater of 20% w/a $10 min PLUS $3 per meal. So, two meals from Burger King would be $10+6= $16. Two Outback meals totalling $65 would be $13+6=$19. When I use Instacart for delivery of groceries, I just add $1-1.25 per #of items. People seem to forget that they are being provided a valuable service. I am happy to pay $20 for someone to go to Publix and shop for 15 items for me for a $20 tip. Honestly, that seems like quite a bargain.
What does annoy me about tipping are the smaller shops that have iPads at checkout that, after inserting your debit card, require you to select a tip for the person who literally only rang up your purchase. It’s the equivalent of going to Walmart and being asked if you want to tip the cashier for ringing up your items.
thank you Mathew for saying this!!
I WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THIS. DELIVERING FOOD IS A LUXURY SERVICE. IN MOST CASES IT IS NOT A YOU HAVE TO GET DELIVERED BECAUSE YOU CAN GET IT YOURSELF BUT YOU HAVE YOUR REASONS TO GET IT DELIVERED AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE DISABLED FOR THIS REASON ALONE YOU SHOULD VALUE YOUR DRIVERS. LET’S POINT OUT THE#1 FLAW OF THESE DELIVERY APPS. #1, IT IS NOT A TIP BUT A MUCH NEEDED DRIVER FEE TO OFFSET OUR OVERHEAD AND PAY FOR OUR TIME AND EFFORT.
I HAVE BEEN AFTER UBER TO CHANGE THE WORDING TO A DDF (DELIVERY DRIVER FEE). PEOPLE FORGET THAT THAT THIS IS THE DRIVER’S BUSINESS, WE ARE NOT EMPLOYEES. SO FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO BOSS US AROUND “STOP IT”.
WE ARE IN FACT IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY AS WE TRANSPORT GOODS TO A DESTINATION. WE ARE NOT WAIT STAFF AND THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON BECAUSE THEIR BOSS TAKES ON ALL THE OVERHEAD COSTS.
IN THE CASE OF DELIVERY APPS THE DRIVERS TAKES ON ALL THE OVERHEAD. HERE’S THE LIST.
VIABLE CAR $420 MTH AND REGISTRATION FEES
CAR INSURANCE $280
FLAT TIRES IN MIAMI AT LEAST 2 PER MTH $100
DAILY GAS MIN $20 A DAY X 6 DAYS MAX $30 $120/$180 PER WEEK. SOMETIMES THAT DOUBLES
OIL CHANGE $70 PER MTH
BRAKE FLUID, ANTIFREEZE ETC $20
TICKETS/TOW (PARKING) MIN $50
CLEANING $100 PER MTH
JUMP, LOCKOUT OR BROKE WINDOW $120 APPROX EVERY 3 MTHS SO $40 MTH
INTERNET $40 MTH
PHONE REPLACEMENT $200 EVERY 3 MTHS SO IT’S ABOUT $60 PER MTH
AT A MIN I’M ALREADY AT $1660 PER MTH EXPENSES
THATS $415+ PER WEEK IN EXPENSES. $69.16 DAILY
THAT MEANS THAT OFF THE BAT I NEED 69.16 DAILY JUST TO COVER THOSE FEES AND IT DOESN’T INCLUDE HOUSING AND ELECTRIC.
MIAMI HAS GOTTEN SO BAD WITH THE $2 AND $3 ORDERS THAT I BARELY GET A DELIVERY. I’M AVERAGING 1 ORDER EVERY 2 TO 3 HOURS.
I’M HAVING MANY DAYS OF $30 IN OVER 7 HOURS OF WORK. I HAVEN’T EVEN PRICED THE WEAR AND TEAR ON OUR CARS AND BODIES.
YES THE MENTAL STRESS CAUSE EVERYONE FEELS ENTITLED TO GIVING US THUMBS DOWN CAUSE THEY WAITED TOO LONG OR THE RESTAURANT MISSED SOMETHING. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE A SERIOUS PIECE OF WORK IN ORDER TO BLAME DRIVERS FOR THINGS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL. I HAVE GOTTEN TO CUSTOMERS IN LESS THAN 20 MINUTES BUT BECAUSE THEY WAITED AN HOUR HOUR AND A HALF+ IN TOTAL FROM THE TIME THEY ORDERED. THEY GIVE ME A THUMBS DOWN, DON’T TIP OR LOW TIP AND SOME WRITE A REPORT THAT I TOOK TOO LONG. MIND YOU THEY WATCHED ME WAIT AT THE RESTAURANT FOR A VERY LONG, LONG TIME.
WE DEAL WITH UNRULY SUPERVISORS, EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS WHO ALL THINK WE ARE THEIR PERSONAL PUNCHING BAGS. WE DEAL WITH STRESSES OF TRAFFIC AND UNRULY DRIVERS.
WE DEAL WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE NOT VALUING OUR TIME AND EFFORT. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE TO WAIT IN DRIVE THRU’S AND TRAFFIC.
THAT IS DAILY EMOTIONAL TAKE DOWNS. NOT TO MENTION COMMUNITIES THAT REQUIRE SECURITY GATE ID CHECKS, BLDG CODES AND BLDG ACCESS.
LARGE COMMUNITIES THAT TRIPS THE GPS ETC.
PEOPLE RUNNING UP TO US, PEOPLE WITH DISMISSIVE AND DISRESPECTFUL ATTITUDES TOWARDS US. RESTAURANT CANCELLING ON US LEFT AND RIGHT WHICH AFFECTS OUR RATING AND HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR PAY AND THE AMOUNT OF ORDERS WE GET PER DAY. I’VE HAD DAYS WHERE THE SYSTEM HAS GIVEN ME ONE ORDER AND IT’S TOO LOW SO I DON’T TAKE IT. SO THE SYSTEM DECIDES TO NOT SEND ME ANYMORE ORDERS FOR 4 TO 5 HOURS. WHICH BY THAT TIME I’M MENTALLY EXHAUSTED AND TURN THE APP OFF. WE DEAL WITH HEAT/COLD WEATHER, TRAFFIC COPS AND STREET DETOURS AS WELL AS TRAINS AND BRIDGES.
WE DEAL WITH THE APP CONSTANTLY MAKING US PICK UP ORDERS 5 TO 7 MILES AWAY WHICH WE DON’T GET PAID FOR. CAUSE THE APP DOESN’T PAY DISTANCE TO PICK UP EVEN THOUGH IT’S PART OF YOUR DELIVERY. YEP, THEY ONLY PAY FROM STORE TO CUSTOMER. WHICH IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO DRIVERS WHO CAME FROM FAR AWAY. CAUSE CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THAT IS A GAS EXPENSE TOO THAT HAS TO DO WITH EACH ORDER WE DELIVER.
WE GO THROUGH A F LOT AND SUPPLIES. YES FORGOT TO MENTION SUPPLIES. I PAY FOR EVERY INSULATED;ATED BAG TO KEEP YOUR FOOD INTACT .
THAT ALONE SHOWS THE DRIVER CARES AND DESERVES AN EXTRA TIP. IF THE RESTAURANT GIVES IT TO ME HOT YOU GET IT HOT. IF IT’S COLD STOP THUMBING DOWN THE POOR DRIVERS. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT. DO YOUR BEST TO ORDER FROM NEARBY RESTAURANTS TO CUT DOWN THE DELIVERY TIME FRAME. ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE HUNGRY.
STOP CHASING DOWN THE DRIVER’S, YOU ARE PROLONGING THE DELIVERY TIME. YOU ARE ALSO CATCHING THE DRIVER OFF GUARD AND VIOLATING THEIR PEACE OF MIND AND IMMEDIATE SPACE.
THIS IS PART OF THE REASON YOU MAY WIND UP WITH THE WRONG ORDER OR MISSING ITEMS LIKE DRINKS.
PLEASE ALLOW THE DRIVER TO COME TO YOU. IT IS MORE PROFESSIONAL, LESS DRAMATIC AND FASTER.
IN SUMMARY EVERY DRIVER WHEN THEY START WORKING ALREADY HAS A MINIMUM DAILY COST OF $70 AND THAT DOESN’T COVER LIVING EXPENSES, FOOD AND ELECTRIC. HOA ETC.
SO FOR ALL OF YOU ENTITLED CUSTOMERS, STOP IT!
BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING, PAY $3 A MILE AND EXTRA FOR ALL WE GO THROUGH. THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE PAST 3 MILES THAT’S A $5 TO $20 TIP EXTRA.
I CANNOT TELL YOU EVERYDAY. HOW I DRIVE OVER 7 MILES. NOT INCLUDING THE DRIVE TO RESTAURANT AND CUSTOMERS TIP LESS THAN A DOLLAR TO $3.
SHAME ON ALL OF YOU WHO DISRESPECT, BELITTLE AND UNDERVALUE DRIVERS TIME, GAS AND EFFORT!
STOP IT. STOP IT, STOP IT! WE ALSO PAY FULL TAXES, THE FEE TO FILE AND TOLLS. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME WHEN YOU THINK WE DON’T DESERVE HIGHER TIPS WHICH WE ALL KNOW IT’S DRIVER’S FEE!!!
TO ALL THE GREAT (10%) AND UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMERS…WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU. TYSM,
AMEN!
Good man. I hate every time I visit the US because of tipping. A living wage should not be up to the mercy of a patron but a given in any job.
Do you tip a bartender so they will heavy pour liquor ? If you do isn’t that the same as paying them to steal liquor from the owner?
Thank you James! I have always argued the same but somehow people find a way to justify it. And I refuse to believe they don’t know exactly what they are doing.
The worst part is, Uber clearly bundles orders together based on tip. They’ll take someone who tipped $10 for a couple miles and bundle it in with someone who tipped nothing for a similar distance.
Correct.
I agree with this comment. It has always infuriated me when a waiter or bartender “hooks you up” with a free appetizer or a heavy pour then expects a kickback in the form of a tip. It’s theft and extortion and I refuse to fall for it.
““you hate people of color if you don’t tip” arguments from the pro-tippers.” I do not understand this argument seeing as how tipping in the united states has racist origins. Once slavery was abolished , blacks were hired for $0 wages in service jobs and depended on tips. It was just a reinvention of slavery.
I personally do not go to restaurants. maybe 6x per year for special occasions, otherwise its 98% home cooked food I eat.
I only use uber when going to the airport . $50 for a 25min ride, so I think i’ve paid enough.
At hotels I usually leave the do not disturb sign on and decline housekeeping.
I have NEVER heard anyone say nor imply that if you “don’t tip, you hate people of color”. I live in a large metro area with a minority population that makes up more than 50% of the population, and more than 50% of my deliveries from restaurants and grocery stores are white.
Bad tipping for delivery services is just ignorant, period.
Wait. Doesn’t “minority” being over 50% make it…not minority??
What an uncharacteristically bold position coming from you. Normally you’re a wishy-washy beta male. I would have expected you to just keep getting ripped off without complaint.
Yeah, what a beta male!
Oh, wait, nobody cares about this alpha/beta male nonsense except for a small group of sad men.
Having taken issue with it I assume you’re one of those sad men, beta.
Sorry Chi you’re not just beta you’re a troll.
Many takeaway orders (in person), and smaller groceries, also ask for tips nowadays, but I have conditioned myself to give precisely 0%
And Uber Eats (and Doordash deliveries)? Have you had the pleasure of watching the dumbass through the app driving around the neighborhood for 16 minutes because he doesn’t know how to read an address? No thanks on deliveries, either.
You sound like the dumbass. I guess you’ve never had an issue with using a gps-based maps app. You may want to think about advising air traffic controllers on how to avoid near misses.
Hey numbnuts, the dumbass is the one driving back and forth, not calling for help on directions, for 16 minutes. Are you one of those dumbass drivers? Sounds like it. Furthermore, people didn’t run around like a headless chicken 20 years ago before the advent of widespread gps, they actually found addresses. So think before you post again, dumbass.
You are not going to tip a plumber or an electrician?
If someone comes into your home and performs a service, repair, etc, then a tip is expected.
The rest of your post is fine. I do tip at coffee shops after learning from the Starbucks stuff over the years that baristas and such are helped by tips. In other contexts, I don’t even have the cash to tip anymore…
Why tip a plumber or electrician?
Those are strong trade jobs with strong unions that are well paid considering only a high school diploma is required. People can quickly make mid to high five figures with no student loans. The cost of repair includes the wages of the technician so I don’t see any reason to pay extra.
Are suggesting they will sabotage your home because you did not pay above the agreed upon amount ? That’s not a tip, that’s extortion!
I fully agree with your statement that tradesmen like plumbers and electricians should not be tipped. I feel the same way about cashier’s that do regular checkouts, including small shops with 1-2 employees and have an option to tip when checking out. That’s just ridiculous to me. However, for companies that offer 3rd party delivery services, like Uber Eats, Door Dash and Instacart, the tip is literally for having the items delivered to you and should be the main consideration when tipping. Those drivers aren’t receiving an hourly wage and are 100% reliant on the tip. If you don’t want to tip, go ahead and put zero tip for your Uber eats and see how long it takes for a driver to even accept your order. People forget that they are paying someone to go to the restaurant, pick up the food and take it to their home. It’s even more relevant for folks who request a grocery order from a supermarket. I think it’s a bargain for me to pay a $25 tip for someone to go to Publix and pick out, purchase, bag and deliver 15 items. That $25 easily saves me an hour or more.
AGAIN, what I don’t agree with are the retail places that expect or ask for a tip simply for ringing up my items.
Really? I always thought “professional” occupations and trades (I don’t know a better word, just the one in use) don’t get tips, just like owners of businesses, because they all have pricing power by virtue of their skills and/or business ownership. Has that changed?
You must be a tradesman yourself. I have never heard of tipping plumbers or electricians.
I tip delivery people and “installers” (e.g., the person setting up my treadmill, my mattress or my refrigerator), but as others have said, not union tradespeople. Do you tip your doctor (other than maybe at the holidays, when you would call it a gift)?
Similarly – well before Uber Eats, Doordash and such, food delivery drivers were always tipped. As were cab drivers. So tipping in those contexts seems fine to me. Uber’s “no tipping” start was funded entirely by VC money.
Define “greed” Matt?
Parroting buzzwords of the typical dullard journalist with an IQ of less than room temperature doesn’t make it so.
While I entirely agree with the premise that tipping is egregious now, this line about “greed” devalues your whole point. Hell, you want to talk about greed, it’s “greedy” for these “delivery” services to allow their drivers to expect a tip. They shouldn’t know in advance what tip they will get, and it certainly shouldn’t be expected given what they make given their level of skill. Heck, visit the random typical reddit sub for these people and read the dripping entitlement of what they think they deserve. Heck, when did “20/hr” become the “living wage”. It was 15, then 12 before that. What is a “living wage”, exactly? Minimum wage in the US puts an individual in the top 15% of wages globally. So excuse me if I don’t feel sorry for people not making what they think they are owed as a no-skill, barely laborer.
Yes, tipping needs to go. But this mentality of these people deserving something just for the act of showing up needs to go too.
I think aiming to earn minimum wage after expenses is a good start and not a sign of entitlement. No delivery driver (I am one) regularly makes $20 an hour.
The great thing is, “our” entitlement isn’t really – we pick and choose exactly the deliveries that we want to do and never cross paths with those who thing what we are trying to make is too much for their wallet. I harbor no grudges for the person who orders Taco Bell at midnight with a $1 tip, or even no tip, and can find a driver to deliver their food. Good for them. Rather, it seems to be the people (usually customers) who get the economics explained to them about why the app can’t find them a driver that evening who get all worked into a lather about entitlement.
Matthew, I applaud you at least taking this stand. As we’ve traded posts before, I accepted that personal delivery services are indeed expensive. I don’t use them except in very rare cases, like when I travel. At least you have the balls to stop using them vs. bitching each time about why it’s so expensive to have individuals run personal errands but still aim to earn human wages.
This isn’t “explaining economics”. No offense, but a tip is there for job well done. I have no issues tipping if I am getting something worth tipping over. I shouldn’t be expected to tip just for the delivery. Especially when, on more than one occasion, I have tipped 4-5 bucks for an order from a restaurant <2 miles away, only to have it come in over an hour or dropped off at the wrong house. I worked these jobs when I was younger, and my neighborhood is very well laid out and almost impossible to get wrong. Unless the person is an idiot. Then to have to argue the order was dropped off at the wrong house when even the picture of "delivery" doesn't show my front door, but clearly someone else's, you do not deserve a tip for that. This is why tipping should only be available after the fact. You clearly expect it for you to do what you agreed to do. That's a problem. This is why I have largely stopped paying for delivery because it isn't worth the effort when more times than not the order is extremely late or dropped off to the wrong place.
Well, OK, you’re caught up on the nomenclature of delivery apps, and I agree with you in that case. It shouldn’t be called a “tip”. However, as the actual pay (before tip) doesn’t even cover the cost of driving the car, much less their time, most drivers just call them “bids.” It can’t possibly be considered a tip when it covers direct costs. That’s on Uber for retaining that phrase when it’s clearly not logical.
The nice thing about UberEats (not sure about the others) is that if some driver didn’t do what they were supposed to, like what you described, you can reduce the “tip”/bid all the way to $0 for an hour after. So it’s not like your initial offer is set in stone.
I guess my issue, and this isn’t really directed at you, but even calling it “bidding” doesn’t seem “right” to me. If the route, delivery, whatever, doesn’t support the cost for someone to do it without a tip, it shouldn’t exist. But again, I would prefer a fee based delivery instead of this obfuscation by hiding it in percentages that the consumer/restaurant pay and jacking up their menu prices to then call it “free delivery. Then again, I expect the general populace to not be full of morons, which is clearly not the case. As we all know they will probably balk at a “5 dollar” delivery “fee” despite not understanding it currently not really being “free”. If that makes sense. Even though when compared it would be an identical end cost.
Thank you for pointing out the egregious use of the word “greed”. Accusing a food delivery driver of “greed” is absolutely ridiculous.
Matthew, would be curious to hear your thoughts on cruise tipping (philosophically anyway). Those gratuities are automatically added but generally adjustable, and are said to be universally applied for your room steward, waiters, etc.
Just a sneaky way for cruise operators to pass labor costs on to the customer? I tend to think so, but then I’m afraid not to tip bc I’m wondering if they make way below minimum wage otherwise.
One issue I have with tipping is that it’s expected as a percentage of the bill. so, when I get a $20 steak I’m supposed to tip (at 15%) $3. And when I get a $100 steak I’m supposed to tip $15. The person who gave me the $100 steak didn’t do 5 times the work that the person giving me the $20. steak did.
What’s funny is, for delivery services (as Matthew previously discussed), people tend to get worked up knowing that $5 worth of tacos costs as much time and expenses to deliver as a $150 bag of sushi. But they want to tip 15% on the tacos. I agree that spending twice as much on delivery as on food sounds ridiculous, but this ingrained percentage calculation is like a mental block. Would people have an issue if Uber advertised as “$10 delivery from any restaurant”?
Yes, I would rather a fee and standard menu pricing for delivery. I have no issues paying 2/mile for delivery with a minimum 3.99 fee. That’s about what delivery has always been for most restaurants that did it prior to the DD/UE “revolution”
I thought about this as well. When my family goes to IHOP, I’ll tip up to 30% because I see how those folks hustle for a relatively small amount that it may cost (and I use coupons to boot!). If I go to a steakhouse, I’ll drop it down to 20%, perhaps even 15%. As you point out, the guy working and getting a $15 tip from us deserves it in EITHER place, really.
But then again, I personally wouldn’t go to a high end restaurant that charges, say, $50 for a bottle of wine and I’m supposed to tip $10 for someone to pop a cork on each of those bottles? But I don’t pee away my money on stuff like that to begin with.
Matt didn’t bring up that tipping generates prejudices including gender and racism both in the staff and clientele. Even if most people in group Z are bad tippers, that invites the restaurant staff to feel that the minority (literally) of people in group Z are bad tippers and will treat them accordingly. I have heard horror stories from waitresses who were stiffed by members of certain groups repeatedly so she gives up on trying to serve them including being extra friendly (and giving slow service) and deliberately giving them cold food. There’s a secret in the industry that they rotate the bad tipper groups to different servers to account for their bad tipping.
A funny story: My hairdresser says that members of a certain group will try to haggle her down on her base price keeping in mind that you already “haggle” via your tip. I pay her at least 30% tip, or more, since I’ve known her forever. I said that when they try to haggle her on price, that’s her opportunity since she knows she’s not getting a tip from them so I suggested telling them that they get a “special deal” from her:
TWICE the price.
Then she doesn’t have to serve them at all. They invited to haggle over price and she doubled it and now she doesn’t have to deal with a difficult client who, quite frankly she says, come to the salon with their hair dirty anyway and require twice as much time from all their demands. They asked for a price, she doubles it, and now she doesn’t have to deal with them anymore.
I’ve always thought this too (coming from the UK where we generally tip a lot less anyway). You could order a $10 wine to do with your food or a $200 high end bottle champagne but your tip will be about about $2 on the wine but $40 on the champagne! Makes zero sense, same amount of effort required. I get it that a table of 8 will require a lot more work than a table of 2 for instance. Though depending where you go the table of 2 might spend as much as the table of 8 depending what is ordered and tip the same amount!
The fact that Shake Shack, a fast food joint, solicits tips for… I am not even sure for what since you place the order using a computer, they put it on the counter, you take it to your seat and then toss the trash yourself after you’re done.
Can’t wait for McDs to start asking for tips.
The age old Reservoir Dog tipping discussion:
https://youtu.be/Z-qV9wVGb38
As a non_US person, I already find it odd that the price eg for food doesn’t include tax and then a 20% tip is expected. The price advertised for the food is not the price at all. I much prefer my check to cover the reasonable wages of the staff and then be able, at my discretion to tip for really good service. Tipping at 20%+ does not lead to better service in the US – I find it comparable with Europe where 10% is more the norm. All we are doing is being hoodwinked by the restaurant owners who refuse to pay their staff a fair wage.
Another article about tipping. Seriously? JUST DON’T TIP THAN! Really!
Don’t forget CORPORATE tipping that spread in USA hospitality industry, and mostly MANDATORY nowadays:
– Hotel “Resort” fees;
– Destination fee;
– Extra amenity fee;
– Parking fee (while parking on the hotel property)…
This corporate greed never ends unless we, the consumers, put a stop to it by protesting and not paying.
Most of the “extra” services that those properties want us to pay for are in facto free – like internet, swimming pool, beach towel, etc. – all included in the price already.
The above also fees the USA tipping culture, where the price given is not the actual price to pay but rather a starting point to which one need to add both personal tipping and corporate tipping. I’ve been at resorts that have “no cash needed on our property” and yet many workers their expected tips from guests. Those things are annoying and can be stressful.
And 20-25% tip is not a TIP, it’s a quarter of the price you pay! The “tip” means 1/100th or other smaller amount of the whole (like tip of the iceberg, or tip of the mountain).
I’m with you.
I will not tip for coffee or fast food service. I don’t tip hotel housekeeping. I’ve quit using Uber Eats etc because all I got was cold food and it just became a hassle. I’ve even quit tipping Uber drivers in NYC because the worked with the taxi folks to limit the number of drivers artificially raising prices. Since they artificially altered the market their tip is now baked into the fare as far as I’m concerned. My exception is early AM when the prices reflect pre-limitation prices and then I tip.
Tipping is utterly out of control and I for one refuse to be a part of it. The only tipping I still reliably do is for eat in restaurants where the wage structure is baked into law in this regard.
I was at a restaurant in France recently and was asked – in English – after already paying tourist prices for my meal if I would like to add a tip. I pointed to the 7 euro water and the inexplicable 3 euro “service fee” (for the fork and knife apparently) and said that’s the tip.
The service was good; I expected mediocre food and got it. The place was close to my hotel and in the main square of Avignon (for anyone who’s been here) and I was heading back after a tiring day out. Tipping is not part of French culture. What was unexpected was the blatant request for a tip because the infection you write about clearly has spread across the Atlantic such that they know that they can squeeze another 20% out of the novice American tourist they mistook me for.
PS: I never eat out in the USA when I am there because 1) I spend a lot of time in Europe and Asia, and 2) tipping culture disgusts me – didn’t used to but does now such that the wife and I avoid all restaurants when in the USA. We’ve got a great house with a nice kitchen and we use it. So, as shown in our case, the aggressive tip hustling in the USA backfired.
husband*
I agree tipping is gotten out of control and I often tip out of guilt. I’m also amazed at how many countries where tipping is not part of the culture still pimp for tips. I recently ordered a customized item online and they asked for a tip in the checkout screen, unbelievable!!
A recent craving for ribs required installing their app as the restaurant no longer has phone orders. Your order is then prepaid and you pick it up. Fine. Order brought home only to discover several substitutions were made. While looking for a clue as to the legitimacy of the substitutions, I find this rib joint also adds 15% for stuffing my order in a bag and handing to me. Never again. Uber and DD I deleted long ago for crappy selection and service. And I noticed Walmart delivery fees plus tip was sometimes adding 30%, so they’re next.
I have always wondered whether pilots should be tipped as a percentage of base fare or whether total fare including fuel surcharges should be used?
I too have been thinking of this tipping issue recently when I used UE at a local restaurant and went to pick up the food. The owner recognized me as a regular and told me to just call in my order directly and not use UE because the UE menu prices are higher due to UEs charges to restaurants. So UE takes a cut from the restaurant AND from the driver,.
But, I’ll still tip when restaurant dining, coffee orders at a local cafe, pizza delivery, and hair cuts. But no more UE and the like for me. But I don’t understand the anti tipping crowd when it comes to restaurant dining, haircuts, or pizza delivery (direct from the pizza place without UE or similar 3rd party)
Good post, I am in complete agreement Matthew.
I ONLY tip for exceptional service. I will not and do not patronize ANY establishment or service that has any form of mandated tipping. When people accept a job, no matter what the pay, it is not my responsibility to supplement their income stream, especially if they accept a low paying job. If these employees are upset with non tipping customers, they can take their grievances to their EMPLOYER – or find other better paying employment.
Does that mean you regularly don’t tip at sit-down restaurants? I’m just trying to understand where your line is.
I tip the soapy massage girl in Bangkok. But that’s just me.
I believe in a sliding scale for tips. Generally, I tip 20%. But when the restaurant hands me a $700 bill and the bottle of wine is three times what I pay at retail (which is already marked up), is $140 really necessary for two hours of service (and, generally speaking, usually less)?
And you would be correct to do so Mr Nelson.
For many of you business and first class flyers who generally eat in pricey restaurants and sleep in luxury hotels just remember that some — repeat some, obviously not all — of your waiters and waitresses are in a tough spot when it comes to helping support their families with their hourly wages. Federal law sets the minimum basic cash wage at $2.13 per hour for waiters and waitresses, and yes, many states do indeed mandate a higher level. But, jeez, you’d think all you $250K plus annual salaried folks are headed for the poor house!
Maybe that’s the reason why we can afford to do stuff like that? Not to overspend on frivolous things and not get sucked in into this vicious circle of pseudo-responsibility? Did it ever occur to you, that people who are doing pretty good for themselves are also the ones that you’re not quite likely to pinpoint as such?
Nice stretch. Most places asking for tips now pay over, many times well over, standard minimum wage, and aren’t qualified for “tipped” minimum wages. You think the barista at starbucks makes 2.13 an hour? No. They make between 10-13/hr plus tips, plus insurance, plus etc. So no, that 6 dollar cup of coffee doesn’t warrant an additional 2 dollar tip. Regardless of whether I can afford it or not.
Thanks again Matthew, for another great post.
Since I have been traveling heavily since the late 70’s, I have personally observed in the United States, that while tipping housekeeping was perhaps not outright expected, it was and continues to be much appreciated. In my humble “slice of pie experience”, tipping housekeepers in the USA is not new. Nor have I observed that any expectations of how much to tip has gone up dramatically more than inflation.
I fully agree hotel owners and management should pay a living wage instead of putting housekeepers in a position that depends so much on tips.
However, this has been heatedly debated by customers since at least the 70’s. I had friends who in the 70’s &. 80’s that left cards at restaurants and hotel rooms stating they were part of a movement called something like “non-tippers anonymous”. The card stated it was for the employee’s sake that they were not left a tip. The card advised the employee to give that card to their employer to pressure them to pay them more. As far as I am aware, that movement never achieved higher wages.
Over the decades there has been numerous ongoing debates that tipping is a bad concept because owners/management should pay better instead. Sadly again, I do not think any of those debates or movement ever created better pay. Instead, the worker just got “shortchanged” (pun intended) when customers did not leave a tip.
I also agree that tipping is totally up to the individual customer.
I always enjoy reading your posts, Matthew!
Safe Journeys!
I’m 100% with you and have been practicing this for a while. I lived 20 years of my life in the UK and travelled extensively throughout Europe for work where tipping is just not a thing, even in a lot of restaurants. Relocated to Canada and travel a lot through the US and am disgusted with the tipping culture. A few weeks ago, stayed at Thompson Denver, lovely property and excellent stay however buying a coffee in the morning or dining at the restaurant, a 20% service charge is applied and then still an expectation to tip. Charge the 20%, that’s fine, it states it goes directly to the service workers, but remove the tip box, it’s unnecessary
You obviously haven’t ordered food delivery while in the UK or Europe. Certain industries in the US are “out of control” with expectations of tipping. However, some services have expectations of tipping, even in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia — based upon my experience of spending 1/3 to 1/2 of every month outside of the US. You can order a $20 pizza in New York City for delivery with an expectation of a tip OR pay $30 for the same delivery in London with an unexpected, optional tip.
Capitalism isn’t the main focus in countries outside of the US. Personally and when it comes to all food services, I’d prefer the US switch and drop the Capitalistic basis and simply increase prices to include paying a living wage. However, people like you would be complaining about the significant price increases…. And you know you would.
My personal favorite is when you pick up your prepackaged food or drink from a cooler/heat lamp situation, scan it yourself at a self checkout, and then get asked for a tip. What in the world, I should tip myself. Happened at airport, concert venue, and Busch Stadium baseball stadium.
Sharon, Your statement is valid. The issue I have with several in the comment section are those that expect their meals or supermarket orders to be delivered for close to the same price as if they went and shopped themselves. I actually think Starbucks started the “tipping expectations” for customer services that really should have no expectations of a tip. It’s just another way for companies to increase profits by lowering or not increasing wages.
I’m just pleased we haven’t reached the point where airline pilots have a tip jar out for boarding — however, if airlines thought they could do it, they surely would. That’s Capitalism.
For a variety of reasons including getting various credits from cc companies during covid I started using various food delivery services but then one day I figured out the price markup was outrageous. It wasn’t just pay $x for your meal and then tip your drive, you also have a fee or fees to the company and frequently food prices are marked up.
At one point I realized what I was paying for 2 large subs getting delivered, I could get 2 good meals from Longhorn steak house if I picked up the food myself. And those meals also included free bread. From that point on I haven’t ordered any delivery food except the type where the local pizza or sub place have their own drivers deliver it and that is something I do infrequently.
Yeah all of the handouts are annoying.
I once was a semi-frequent visitor to Vegas but then around 2008 when the housing market and stocks crashed I wasn’t really affected by that and visited Vegas. I figured they would be grateful to have a customer, instead cab drivers tried to screw me, people kept expecting more and more and I thought “forget this I’m not coming back”. Since then I’ve only visited it once on a road trip for 1 day and while I miss the old times, the current days of paid parking, resort fees, excessive food prices and excessive tipping I can do without.
We all have our breaking point. With the recent price gouging by most places it is out of hand. I read a recent article indicating most of the prices increases are not due to wage increases or supply prices rising but just profit gouging by companies since most are now making huge profits on much higher profit margins.
Rich, Do you expect food delivery companies to offer to deliver your two subs for free? The US economy is based upon capitalism. Why would you expect two sub sandwiches to be order and delivered to your home for nothing? Of course, the company setting up the transaction has to make money and so does the person delivering those sandwiches in their own cars. In a capitalist society, things are priced based upon what someone is willing to pay for them. It’s no different than a 2000 sqft home in the city costing 6+ times what the same home costs 75 miles away.
Bea B, I believe this has more to do with the absolute breaking point of what consumers are willing to shell out for services. Personally I have been criticized for my generous tipping by expats, in various parts of this world. I regret none of it. What I feel now is some Covid hangover that has fueled ridiculous and sneaky fees on, well, everything. I will of course continue to tip well on excellent service, but I am now annoyed enough to pay attention to what is earned. Have a lovely evening
I’m a regular UberEats user. If you don’t order from them for a while, they will almost always send you a coupon good for a limited time giving you 25%, 40% and in rare cases even 50% off. Yes, the coupon requires a minimum purchase ($30 in my case) and your maximum savings is capped but I kind of feel only suckers and the desperate pay the full fee unless you are car free.
I’m going to make this travel blog related in that as I traveled to developed nations, I observed that ones with “welfare spending”, particularly on infrastructure, and a healthy regulatory system, generally had a better standard of living. How many West and North Europeans are clamoring to move to the USA?
The free market folks imported mass numbers of cheap labor workers who vote Democrat to save money rather than hire the more expensive workers who were promised by “reaganomics” that more jobs would be created and, therefore, higher wages as well. Instead, those same businesses took their tax cuts and then lobbied for looser immigration.
So sure, “capitalism” works in that it winds up creating socialist populations, one way or the other. Logically, aren’t socialist populations then a consequence of market economics?
Amem!!!! You now go to the bakery and ask for a loaf of bread. Person checks you out and turns an iPad that gives you the option to tip between 15% and 25%. For what? For getting me the bread from the shelf? Good luck with that!!!! Went to Starbucks this morning at the airport. $6.80 for a 16oz latte. And then the iPad asking to tip. Really?? Happy to tip at a restaurant where good service was provided. Other than that, no way.
I’m so much happier that I live in Europe. I’d much rather have a small amount of easy to control government corruption, than this culture of double and triple paying for everything. Just before I get ganged upon – I tip 10% in sit down restaurants in the US, 15-20% if the service has been REALLY great and can’t think of anything that’d make me tip more. I also do not tip if the service has not been adequate. When it comes to the delivery drivers – come on. You signed up for it. You knew what you were getting into. Your job is getting the food. So forcing a what, 30% tip? This is beyond extortion.
If you use an app based delivery service your food will often be cold and take a long time if you don’t tip. As someone pointed out it should be based on distance + special circumstances. Unless you order is super big, the minimum tip in the USA should be $1 for every mile the the restaurant is away from your delivery address (with a minimum of $3 or $4) and then $1 or $2 more if you live in a place where the delivery driver has to make extra effort (climb more than two stories, walk a long way in a high rise building, etc.).
I see tipping as a two-way street. For service that meets expectations, I leave no tip. For service that exceeds expectations, I leave a potentially generous tip. For service that is mediocre or otherwise significantly lacking, I leave a negative tip. I have no hesitation taking money from a tip jar, taking flatware from a restaurant, slashing the tires of incompetent DoorDash drivers, or issuing credit card chargebacks when so-called service providers demand a tip but then fail to deliver. Funny how quickly the attitudes turn when I expect a tip for having to tolerate or accommodate another person’s incompetence….
I think that during the pandemic, tipping more became common as a way of expressing thanks to those who had to deal with the public and could not work remotely. Then going to all credit cards made it more easy to program in those tip requests on the checkout page.
I have been reverting to pre-pandemic tipping amounts, and none for self-service. My exception is that I will tip more for the working poor – the parking attendant, the hot dog vendor, and so on.
I avoid the flipping of the IPAD by asking “What’s the total” and paying in cash.
Then it’s my prerogative if I want to leave a tip or not.
In addition to inflation, the culture of tipping in the US has exceeded any limits, not to mention taxes that are never included in the price.
I stopped traveling to the USA. Andaluzia, for example, costs half the price, maybe less, and the food and landscapes are twice as good. Even Japan is much cheaper than the US.
Now I will travel even less, since I have to renew my sixth US visa, where I have been fifteen times in the last ten years, but the next available date for an interview at the US Embassy is in 400 days. Maybe if I pay a tip to the Embassy staff they will advance my appointment.
Its really sad and crazy!
There’s a typo in your first line hard to take you seriously after that. If you don’t want to tip don’t tip. It’s done AFTER the fact for a reason. But there’s plenty of people who are needy and expect A plus service and leave 8%.
8% at a restaurant? Of what? The pre-tax or post-tax amount?
I’ve had repeated uncomfortable experiences regarding tipping at restaurants in Rome. The bill comes and “servizio” is clearly indicated as part of the charge. Then the waiter says something like, “The service charge on the bill goes to the house, it’s not for me.” Then he stands there and hovers closely as I fill out the credit card statement or dig in my pocket for Euros. It is pressure and it’s obvious and I hate it. I’m not talking about flashy joints on Via Veneto with pictures of the food and “we speak English” signs on the sidewalk. It’s happened to me in small neighborhood restaurants. I confess I usually buckle and leave a decent trip, which, I know, makes me a sucker. Maybe I’ll call for the manager next time and ask for an explanation of the bill. Or not. I’m looking for a nice dinner out. Not a fight.
Tipping is not given in Italy, it is supposed to be included when you pay the “Coperto”.
I never pay more, but sometimes I left the change.
And now restaurants charge a 3% cost of living fee or some other similarly named item. Kincaids in St Paul MN did it to me last week. So I’ve adopted a hard line 15% tip, maximum. It goes down from there if service is subpar.
Over the past 10 years or so, I have tipped probably a grand total of 5 times, for all things combined. A tip is for a job well done, not a job completed. I don’t care, nor am I being cheap, just not playing this sucker game of tipping increasing. The more people that continue to pay any tip just perpetuate the entire system. Similar to resort fees, the more people pay them, the more widespread amd higher they will become.
I stopped tipping completely. I’m not going to pay wages here, that’s the employer’s job. If the company doesn’t want to pay their employees then I’ll take my business elsewhere. Asking me to give 15% more for an excellent service that hasn’t even happened yet is really stupid. The economy is not doing well snd I can’t be asked to pay even more so that some company can under pay their employees and profit more.
I’m from the UK and lived in the US for a while. About zero people who visited me were happy about tipping and more that it was “expected” even when the service was sh*t! If the service is not good and the food is poor why am I expected to still add 15% or so – It was pretty off putting for visitors to be honest.
Often the discussion then was where do you draw the line, who deserves a tip and who doesn’t? Why do you tip the taxi driver but not the bus driver. Why do you tip the doorman but not the receptionist at the hotel. Why should I tip the bar man for opening a bottle of beer, it’s what they are paid to do! At one time it was why does the waiter get a tip but not the person in the coffee shop (or course even those lines have moved – especially with these newer tills that flip around and prompt for 15+ % tip on a coffee). You don’t tip the person in a clothes shop for helping you find something and folding your clothes and completing a transaction so why should you tip the cashier at a cafe for picking up a delivery you ordered online etc etc
I was (maybe wrongly?) told that TIPS meant “To Improve Personal Service” in other words that you may get one if you went above and beyond what was expected… As opposed to just performing the job you were supposed to do. So if the wait staff say took time to go through the menu and help you make an informed decision on what you might like, was attentive to your needs etc. Now it’s almost expected you tip 20% if they do the bare minimum of take your order and deliver it to your table. I’ve also noticed the standard amounts creep up from 15 to 17 then 20 and now I’ve even see 20 be the lowest suggested tip and 30% be the recommended tip!
In the UK rarely you’ll tip the bar person, maybe in a busy bar (where ordering at the bar is more common compared to the US where often it’s table service) as it might increase your chances of being served quicker next time. I’m a restaurant usually it’s 10% and that’s normally if the service is good or you’re a bigger table as you appreciate it’s harder work. Pretty much everything else it’s uncommon to tip. People aren’t paid that well in the service industry in the UK either (in fact people are paid more in cities like NYC and Seattle etc than they are in the UK yet the people here don’t expect a tip and are usually happy when they do!).
The other annoying thing is that tax is usually not included either, whereas in other countries it nearly always is. Pay £15 for a burger on the menu in the UK it’s £15. Pay $15 in the US and it’s more like $19.66 due to some random amount of tax then 15-20% tip. Worse still are places like car hire where your $39 a day ends up at more like $79 a day due to 5 different random taxes added on top. Even something simple like going to a coffee shop, order a $3 coffee and it’s that’ll be $3.27 please… I know physical money is less of a thing these days but nothing worse as a tourist having 3 dollar bills ready to pay then being asked for the other 27 cents and having to figure out the change or give another bill and have pocket fulls of change at the end of your trip.
The sales tax being split out is considered a form of “tax awareness” going back to Revolutionary times and they have a point: It is quite effective at reminding people, continuously, of the impact of sales taxes and when politicians suggest raising it, they quickly get flooded with phone calls. Look at it similar to “airport” fees broken down in your airline ticket: When those are raised, we are barely aware of it and don’t protest but imagine if you were hit with them each time.
Income taxes should have no “employer portion” and should be paid every quarter. Then people would be more aware of the waste we deal with instead of whining about “de rich”.
Your points are SPOT ON!
I don’t tip.
Never have, never will.
My favorite part of this article…No flight attendant bashing in the comments. A nice change of pace because as we all know, flight attendants don’t get tips. I’ve been a F/A for 40+ years and never found that necessary. Because I’m in the customer service business, I also find myself over tipping except in some countries where it would be considered way in excess. Like you already stated, Japan never as it’s considered rude.
I hope you all will join the subreddit “End Tipping”, where we discuss the eventual dismantling of this discriminatory and annoying U.S. tipping practice
https://www.reddit.com/r/EndTipping
As a former tipped employee, I will never leave a tip for anyone who isn’t required to claim tips as income. Every Starbucks has a tip jar. I asked an employee there how they disperse the tips and he told me that they split them with the whole crew. I then asked if he/they claim tips and he said, “What does that mean?” With that, I put my change in my pocket and told him to have a nice day. Yep, setting a tip jar next to a cash register for those that the IRS have not deemed as tipped employees is tacky and presumptuous.
The world should be run like the old Club Med, where tipping was strictly forbidden.
Agreed!
The best professions to get tips is working in tourist restaurants or services. People will waste money when they travel and tip big time.
Agree. In many ways, tipping has gotten WAY out of hand and it going both ways. I travel at least 14 days of the month. Two hotels come to mind prohibit tipping of housekeeping staff. I tip because I want extra in-room coffee and hotel toiletries like shampoo and soap.
I recently returned from Long Beach, CA from a trade show. The hotel (Bonvoy property) service was excellent. I was greeted by every staff member in the hallway, elevator and reception. I tipped for extra coffee and toiletry items and got them. Job well done.
I usually tip 25% in restaurants for great service, 20% for good service and 15% for average. But when dining in the same hotel (late and didn’t feel like eating elsewhere) and when I saw my bill, they tacked on a “service fee” on top of the meal and sales tax. A service fee for what? First night, you just had 2 people on staff. I took pity and they hustled despite the slow service. I was all set to give a 25% tip until I saw the service fee on my check. Sorry, 20% and that’s my final offer.
I do 100% agree with you Matthew. This tip (or “service charge”) came to a point that many restaurants just add them to the Credit Card Voucher, and it happened to me more than n on ce that I have rejected the tip because the food and service were just crap. But they came with the story that because of the “system” in their computer, they can not take it off. My solution: I stand up and walk away telling them to call the police. They immediately back-up, no restaurant wants the scandal with the police inside, and suddenly, the invoice and voucher are corrected IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS. These are not scams of the waiters but of the crook owners of many restaurants. Note: In Miami is a common practice.
I do 100% agree with you Matthew. This tip (or “service charge”) came to a point that many restaurants just add them to the Credit Card Voucher, and it happened to me more than n on ce that I have rejected the tip because the food and service were just crap. But they came with the story that because of the “system” in their computer, they can not take it off. My solution: I stand up and walk away telling them to call the police. They immediately back-up, no restaurant wants the scandal with the police inside, and suddenly, the invoice and voucher are corrected IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS. These are not scams of the waiters but of the crook owners of many restaurants. Note: In Miami is a common practice.
My favorite is when you check into your hotel room and the lights are not working the TV is not working and you have to call housekeeping to have somebody come up and fix things and after the work, the employee stands there waiting for a tip. I have seen this done many times. Now when I check into a hotel, I check everything and if something is unplugged, I’ll fix it myself. It’s sad that some employees stoop low to trick folks into giving them tips. Disgusting.
For me, I tip of someone is bringing me food and not if I’m getting my own. So both restaurant waiters and delivery drivers get tips but I pass for pickup orders and self service restaurants. It’s not perfect but I had to draw the line somewhere and this feels like an appropriate of a separating line as any.
Here’s my issue with tipping. In many places like NYC and California, tipped workers now make $10 and $15/hr respectively without any tips included. So if the point of tipping is ostensibly to pay for service and help make up the difference, why are we tipping so much in these places? Shouldn’t we be tipping less, since the cost of food is roughly proportional to the cost of living, and they’re receiving a higher wage from the restaurant? And what’s more: why aren’t we tipping flight attendants? They aren’t even paid minimum wage or anything resembling it for how much unpaid work they put in between deadheading and endless travel.
We sold our house and the movers came right on schedule. They were getting organized and the crew boss took me aside before he and his guys removed one stick of furniture. He asked if I was “going to take care” of them, that it’s customary to find that out up front. This company was going to move us out, then store everything we owned for three months until our new house was ready. This provided a little “incentive” to make sure they treated our property well. So I gave him $50 for each member of the 3-man crew. They called it a tip. To me it was protection money.
This nonsense is out of control in this country. Some clever restaurant owners thought let’s make the public pay the waiters salaries. Restaurants make bank and it’s crazy we just tip and pay their employees salaries. It’s now up to 20-30%. I tip a flat 10% period and do that begrudgingly. Let’s follow Europe. No tips round off if you like. It’s gotten out of control!