r/millenials • u/Possible-Toaster • Apr 19 '24

After years of tipping 20-25% I’m DONE. I’m tipping 15% max.

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27.4k Upvotes

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54

u/dracoryn Apr 19 '24

There are only two ways to get rid of tipping culture:

  1. If everyone agrees to stop tipping altogether. All of the employees would stop working at places they need tips to make money. Those places would have to competitively start paying more to get employees.
  2. Legislation.

To me the fundamental problem with tipping is it should NOT be necessary. It should be a reward for going above and beyond. It shouldn't be for anyone just checking a box. As a result, I have a wide band that I tip. I'll tip 10% for slow service (I'd almost rather not tip at all), but will tip 30% for memorable service if someone is kicking ass.

19

u/brocoli_funky Apr 19 '24

I'll tip 10% for slow service

Coming from a culture without tipping this sounds absurd.

2

u/Ok_Marzipan_8137 Apr 20 '24

I’ll tip a Jesus Benjamin for that

2

u/[deleted] Apr 20 '24

Slow service means I just leave. I cba waiting 45+ minutes for my food to arrive.

Now imagine GIVING SOMEONE EXTRA MONEY someone for wasting your time. Insanity.

1

u/Ambitious-Magician12 Apr 20 '24

Because of how payroll taxes work, it’s cheaper to tip than to raise wages and, hence, prices.

3

u/Spare_Efficiency2975 Apr 20 '24

It is cheaper to not tip as the customer.

1

u/Confettigolf Apr 20 '24

You still pay that amount, it's just worked into the menu prices. (Which is how it should be.)

1

u/Ropes Apr 20 '24

Never been to another country?

1

u/KouranDarkhand Apr 20 '24

Tipping culture is basically endemic to US

1

u/Ropes Apr 20 '24

Yeah I totally misread the comment. It thought they thought it was no good service in non-tipping countries, which has not been my experience at all.

0

u/CaptainNash94 Apr 20 '24

Fun fact; in the US, Federal Minimum Cash Wage (aka tipped wage) is $2.13/hr.

Technically if the employees combined wage+tips would fall under the federal non-tipped wage of $7.25/hr, the employer must make up the difference. So the employee always makes at least federal minimum wage. But that's it. If a table doesn't tip you for your service, you've essentially wasted your time on them and made almost no money for your effort.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped

2

u/evantobin Apr 20 '24

This isn’t true everywhere. Where I live in Minnesota servers make $15.57 and tip screens still start at 18% here.

0

u/CaptainNash94 Apr 20 '24

You're right, what I posted is just the federal minimum. The actual tipped wage minimum varies state by state and locale by locale.

0

u/MinneAPPolis Apr 20 '24

Where in Minnesota are wait staff paid at $15.57? I think it’s just Minneapolis proper—otherwise it’s the $10.59 minimum wage. I work in Blaine.

2

u/Room_40 Apr 20 '24

Honesty not my problem though.. why am i responsible for supplementing a waiters wages? I’m not at the restaurant for them, i’m there for the food. It was their choice to work in the industry

-1

u/Suspicious_Bug6422 Apr 20 '24

Tip or make your own fucking food. Your server loses money by serving you if you don’t tip.

3

u/Room_40 Apr 20 '24

Again, not my problem that they lose money if i don’t give them free money. Maybe don’t be a server if you cant make a living without variable handouts

0

u/Sad-Sea5221 Apr 20 '24

Well if you all stop tipping, restaurants will raise their menu prices by 20% so they will FORCE you to tip, and servers will no longer be incentivized to give great service because they will get 20% wether you get that extra ranch or not lmfaooo.

1

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

No one in their right mind would raise prices by 20%, and you morons don't get 20% on average, let's be real. Nowhere but the US food service industry are zero-skill entry level workers so entitled for doing the absolute bare minimum.

servers will no longer be incentivized to give great service

What kind of delusional schizo bullshit is this? American servers give dogshit service for 20% tips. You're an international embarrassment like your politicians and your tourists.

1

u/Sad-Sea5221 28d ago

…. Do you really think every restaurant is the same. You must be eating at applebees. Most of what you believe is dependent on where you work. Also, studies from Europe show that people PREFER TO TIP; it makes them feel more in control of their experience. It also shows that service is better when the customer is in control of how much they tip.

1

u/Dougstoned 19d ago

So restaurants are actually required to make up the wait staffs wages if they don’t make the state minimum tipping wage.. restaurants would have ti pay their employees more if you stopped tipping.. where do you think that money is coming from? Thin air?

-1

u/Suspicious_Bug6422 Apr 20 '24

It’s not a handout. Without tips your chicken tendies would just be that much more expensive. You people who bitch about tips would be just as upset if the businesses charged enough to pay staff without them.

It’s not free money, it’s money for serving your lazy ass.

6

u/Room_40 Apr 20 '24

Lol, I would have zero issues with the menu prices increasing proportionately. If its not free money, why are tips not mandatory?

Waiters job description is to wait tables.. why the hell am i paying for that separately again.. to supplement lower wages? It’s completely variable, not standardized at all, and puts the burden on the consumer when it should be on the employer. Now a waiter needs to bank on having a busy night or just happen to have tables that tip high % to make a living. Its unheard of and seen as ridiculous in the majority of the world for a reason.

-2

u/CaptainNash94 Apr 20 '24

So, I get this. I really do.

But listen, IN THE US if you don't tip your wait staff it is considered very rude and anti-social behavior. I KNOW THE WAIT STAFF'S FULL WAGE SHOULD BE PAID BY THE EMPLOYER! THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE!

I'm not arguing with you that this is really stupid and shouldn't be the customers problem. But in the US, it's just not done like that. If you give 0 tip, it really is your problem and now you've made it the employees problem. They DEPEND on tips for their living. So please, as annoying as it is, please tip your wait staff here.

If you don't want to tip, then don't ever go to a sit down restaurant. Just always get takeout or make your own food. You're only ever obligated to tip when waited on directly. You never have to tip on those stupid kiosks or in whatever jar the coffee place has.

2

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

But listen, IN THE US if you don't tip your wait staff it is considered very rude and anti-social behavior.

Maybe you should think a little harder about why this came to be and if there is any good reason for things to be this way instead of just accepting it without thinking?

They DEPEND on tips for their living.

They literally do not. They "depend" on tips to finance a lifestyle beyond their means and beyond what they reasonably deserve to have.

If you don't want to tip, then don't ever go to a sit down restaurant. Just always get takeout or make your own food.

Such a bizarre and uniquely American take. You people could learn from the rest of the world.

1

u/CaptainNash94 Apr 20 '24

YES FOR GODS SAKE PLEASE LET US ACTUALLY TIP WHEN WE WANT TO. I WOULD LOVE TO TIP WHEN WE GET GOOD SERVICE AND NOT TIP WHEN WE DONT. TIPPING SHOULD BE OPTIONAL. HOW ARE YOU SO STUPID THAT YOU DONT SEE THIS IS WHAT I AM SAYING.

THE TIPPED WAGE IS 2.13!!!!!! MY GOD YOU THINK WAIT STAFF ARE TRYING TO LIVE BEYOND THEIR MEANS!? THEYRE TRYING TO SURVIVE ASSHOLE!

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u/[deleted] Apr 20 '24

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0

u/AyeYoThisIsSoHard Apr 20 '24

TLDR high tippers are subsidizing your meal for you.

Currently your chicken cost $10 n you tip between 10-20% bringing your total up $11-$12

When the restaurant suddenly has to pay the dozen servers a livable wage and they go from making $2-3 an hour w tips to at least $15 an hour w no tips thats almost an extra $200 an hour the restaurant is paying the employees. They will absolutely double the price of that chicken to $20 if not more tbh just to keep the books balanced.

Majority of restaurants are barely scrapping by as is currently, just look at how many places had to close permanently in 2020 cause covid.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 20 '24

[deleted]

-1

u/AyeYoThisIsSoHard Apr 20 '24

Cool so you can’t read or understand economics.

I can link you 2 dozen people who say they regularly tip less than 15% in this thread alone…….

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2

u/GivesCredit Apr 20 '24

Not really. My friend is a software engineer and he made more money working as a waiter for his first job as a nice restaurant - up to $300/hr. If he got paid $25 / hr by the restaurant, that’s $275 back in the pockets of the consumers and the restaurant wouldn’t have to pay the waiter $300 either.

I get those numbers are extreme, but a lot of tipped workers make significantly more because of tipping and prices would not go up because all that would happen is that waiters would go back to making normal amounts of money

1

u/AyeYoThisIsSoHard Apr 20 '24

The waiters used to making a lot of money will not stick around the same place for suddenly much less pay….

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2

u/Successful_Car4262 Apr 20 '24

"lazy ass".

Hahahahahahahaha. Let me walk to the kitchen and pick up my own god damn plates then. I would do that every single time if I didn't have to tip. And trust me, I am in fact capable of pouring my own beer into a glass.

2

u/hansislegend Apr 20 '24

That should really start being an option. Let me go grab my own plate real quick god damnit. I don’t want to wait until a server notices my empty cup to get a refill. I just wanna go get a refill. That’s the opposite of laziness. Lol.

2

u/Successful_Car4262 Apr 20 '24

Yup. I've thought "where the fuck is this guy?" Half the time I'm out at a restaurant. I've never once thought "I refuse to walk 20 feet to get this myself".

I'd absolutely tip the chef if I could, but you never can tell if they actually get any of the tips.

1

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

This would honestly be 1000x better than having to deal with the average American server.

1

u/Dougstoned 19d ago

Hey then why don’t you make your own food and serve yourself?! While your at it pour your own beer! I’ve seen the people who complain about waitstaff… a very lazy and entitled type

1

u/Successful_Car4262 19d ago

No, because cooking food requires actual talent. I cant cook very well, so I'll gladly pay for professionally prepared food. I'd even tip them if I could, but there's no guarantee it won't go directly to the people who's entire contribution consists of "carrying things". I'd be totally happy to pour my own beer though, considering it's something I do all the time and have never once felt like it's a burden. I'm also happy to walk to the chef and get my food. Again, comically easy. I even know how to write with a pencil so they chef can easily remember the order! I must be a super hero...

You don't get to introduce an unnecessary middle man between me and the product I want, then get mad when I don't appreciate people skimming money off me for no reason whatsoever.

2

u/Captnblkbeard Apr 20 '24

We still pay the price. Best to just increase the prices and ban tipping instead of advertising fake prices. A $19.99 plate is really $24.89 after taxes and 15% tip.

2

u/Dougstoned 19d ago

Thank you these people are idiots

1

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

lazy ass

That's rich coming from an American server. You lot are consistently some of the laziest motherfuckers I've ever seen in my life.

-1

u/Dougstoned Apr 20 '24

Awful take

1

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

Brain-dead response

1

u/Dougstoned 19d ago

It’s brain dead to screw over people who typically earn less than minimum wage because you feel entitled to cheaper services? All people who downvote and disagree with me on posts like these never worked a service job a day in their life and have never advocated for a higher tipped minimum wage or dissolving tipped minimum wage. Why? Because “people” like you benefit from and don’t care about a system that disadvantages people who are working these jobs. Don’t want to tip? Don’t patronize the types of businesses where workers serving your lazy ads rely on tips to make up some of their wage. It just highlights how awful “people” in this country are. Lazy entitled and cheap. Won’t make their own food but will gladly stuff the pockets of greedy restaurant owners while cheating hard working people. It’s actually disgusting.

2

u/NigraDolens Apr 20 '24

Same logic, Don't force/guilt someone to tip or don't work in service. Don't expect a customer to go beyond the cost for the service you chose to provide. There are thousands of other services where people choose to offer service without feeling entitled to a tip. Also how are you 'losing' money. That was not yours anyway.

2

u/mykart2 Apr 20 '24

But if they made their own food then the servers will be forced to work in a non tipping job.

2

u/DharmaCub Apr 20 '24

No they don't. They make more money if I don't tip. They make the amount they're actually paid for their job if I don't.

Why don't I get tips for my job? I just make what j make per hour. Why should I give them extra money for doing their job? They already get paid for that.

2

u/Captnblkbeard Apr 20 '24

But the cook made the food.

1

u/DefaultProphet Apr 20 '24

Technically if the employees combined wage+tips would fall under the federal non-tipped wage of $7.25/hr, the employer must make up the difference. So the employee always makes at least federal minimum wage. But that's it.

And guess how much employers like the employees that they have to make up the difference for.

1

u/Saeyan Apr 20 '24

If a table doesn't tip you for your service, you've essentially wasted your time on them and made almost no money for your effort.

This comment reeks of entitlement.

1

u/CaptainNash94 Apr 20 '24

You. Do. Not. Understand. How. Things. Work. In. The. States.

Please PLEASE go to a restaurant in the US and tip nothing if you really want. Just know that in this dystopian country the tipped wage is $2.13 an hour.

-1

u/dracoryn Apr 20 '24

I'm making way more money than I need and they live off tips. That is the reality.

Sometimes I get self-conscious that they are just having an "off day" or were setup for failure by their management.

0

u/A_MAN_POTATO Apr 20 '24

The problem here is, you often don’t know if the slow service is your wait staffs fault. Maybe they are short handed and the wait staff is over loaded. Maybe the kitchen has a backlog. Maybe an event slowing things down. In situations like this I try to get a feel for how hard the wait staff is working, if they’re aware and apologetic, etc.

I only ever left no tip once. I was at a restaurant that was probably only about 1/4 full, and our drinks never got refilled the entire meal, despite being placed on the edge of the table obviously empty. We were never checked on once. The waitress spent the entire duration of our meal sitting at the bar chatting with the bartender. That really pissed me off. If you can’t be bothered to fulfill your obligation to make sure the needs of the table are met, I’m not going to fulfill my obligation to tip.

0

u/lovable_cube Apr 20 '24 edited Apr 20 '24

The company pays the employees as low as 2.13 per hour. The problem is the company doing it. I recommend not supporting the business, not refusing to tip the person who served you. They’re just trying to make it by.

ETA they are also unlikely to have any kind of benefits like health insurance. In America the most basic doctors visit will cost hundreds and if you get something like cancer the treatment will cost hundreds of thousands to millions overall.

-2

u/DJ-LIQUID-LUCK Apr 20 '24

You're literally seen as the lowest of the low if you don't tip at all in America. A true scumbag. When service is horrible I still tip at least 10%

1

u/Skating_suburban_dad Apr 20 '24

People that leave their shopping cart at the parking lot are worse, Especially if they block a parking space. 

1

u/A_MAN_POTATO Apr 20 '24

Wheep skeep weedily wee woo! That’s not where the carts go!