r/tipping

Last year the steak was $89, this year $105. Why wouldn’t the owner keep raising the prices?

Previously 15% was a tip for excellent service, then it jumped to 18%, then 20%, now they want 25%. Why wouldn’t the server keep expecting more?

We are suckers to them.

A tip is voluntary. Not compulsory. Not required

I’ll start by saying I’m both a tipped employee and someone who is frustrated by how outrageous tipping culture has gotten. I understand not tipping in a lot of contexts, but I feel like people on Reddit don’t understand that the employees aren’t the ones asking for tips. Under posts with tipping options that start at 25% (or something similarly crazy) there are always comments saying things like “then look them in the eye and tip nothing, if they want to be greedy they won’t get anything.” The people getting the tips are not the people setting the Ipad options. A lot of us wish the options started lower, and it’s not our fault they don’t.

So many anti-tipping people seem to categorize tipped workers as entitled, but most tipped workers are just trying to get by. We also wish we were just paid well by the restaurants and not at the whim of customers.

Bought a hotdog at a food truck - asked to tip. This one is somewhat understandable but I don’t tip if I’m not being seated.

Bought t-shirts - asked to tip. Tipping for a non-service related purchase is not happening.

Bought a Christmas tree decoration - asked to tip. Really? Also, I don’t tip stall owners. Plus minimum wage in my state is $16.

Asked to tip when I bought. $120 dollar blanket. A blanket. Tipping options started at 20%. Beyond the pale.

Not tipping reminds me of a grown man catching a foul ball at a baseball game while a little kid stands next to him crying because he wanted that ball.

Now, let's get something straight. You caught the ball. You did the work. It's your fucking baseball. Nobody can make you give it to that kid.

But you're standing there watching this little kid cry, clutching your baseball, making your little boohoo faces at him, and refusing to give it up.

And then you go home, get on Reddit, and proudly tell everybody how you kept that baseball because you didn't owe that kid a goddamn thing.

And you know what? You're absolutely right.

You didn't owe that kid a fucking thing.

You're still a shitty person.

That's what some of you sound like when you come on here bragging about how you don't tip.

You keep arguing about what you're obligated to do, as though that's the same thing as what a decent human being ought to do.

It isn't.

Morality isn't measured by how little you can get away with giving other people.

My wife and I visited a hotel where I know the owner. We sat for casual conversation with the owner for over an hour at the restaurant. He offered drinks. We kindly accepted. The server came by during our talk and happily brought us 2nds. We then went to the pool where the server brought us 3rds. My wife dropped her drink by accident, got a 4th. All free. Before we left, I asked the server to ring me up for a dollar so I can leave a $20.

That would be the right thing to do in this situation, right?

A full-service food server was arguing with me here on Reddit saying “how dare you only tip me $4.00 you owe me at least 20% of what you spend.”

Basically if I spent $10 I owed him $2 but if Inspent $100 I owed him $20.

I shut him down. Stopped him in es tracks showing him the math.

If any full-service conservatively has 5 tables to their section with 17 seats and they work a 8 hour shift, if 80% of their section stay busy that’s around 3 covers per table per hour. If each tipped $4, with a 1 hour lunch, after 7 hours that’s $60/hour, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year I alone and paying my share of $105,000 per year in tips.

He read this toooooooooook a looooooooponge pause arguing with me.

Then came back arguing how I have to make up for all their circumstances. Sick pay. The restaurant not being busy (not being 80% busy) on and on they went until they got tired.

Then they started baby harassing me.

The proof is in the pudding.

I’m not gonna roll out dough of 20% of a $200 bill at a highflutten restaurant just to be nice. If you want this kinda extra dough you’re gonna have to give me amazing service which isn’t happening today at expensive restaurants.

I’m genuinely curious. If you used to be against tipping but now tip regularly, what changed?

Was it having more disposable income? Working in the service industry? Did someone make an argument that finally clicked? If so, what was it?

Do you feel good about tipping now? Has it changed how you view people who don’t tip?

Do you think non-tippers are selfish? Should they feel guilty? Do you ever feel morally superior to them, even though you used to be one yourself?

Or do you still understand and sympathize with their position?

I’m particularly interested in whether your financial circumstances changed or whether you experienced an actual shift in your values.

What made you go from believing one thing to believing another?

My bill is $15 with tax and I’m leaving $4 tip.

All you morons on here that criticize me - YOU KNOW DAMN WELL 90% of these upscale restaurants aren’t worth a 20% or even 15% expected tip. You are definitely money 💰 grubbbers.

All you’re getting is a white tablecloth and candle and better quality food. The menu prices of $110 an entree cover that.

No way am I ever going to Willy-nilly tip Denny’s masked service at these expensive places just to say 😀 “I’m good.”

Like the title says, i like tipping waitresses or bartenders especially if they give our table a good service/ attention. Last night the bill came out to like $280 including their self tip, then i gave an extra $70, mind you we was at the bar , the chick is cool we know her already.

I do it because it comes out from my heart i like seeing ppl smile when you tipping them good for their hard work. I don’t do it for something in return, i tip both male and female bartenders / waiters good when i can.

If you don’t like doing thats up to you, but the come at me telling me im tipping too much just because they self tip themselves and then i give en extra tip. We are two different person he doesn’t like tipping, and i do, how can i tell him to don’t worry about it and to mind his business in a respectful way?

I go to a salon, where there are multiple barbers and hair washers working at the same time. I’m pretty sure the guy I get my cut from is the head barber/owner(?) of the salon. Recently they increased the price to $37 from $35, and depending on which lady is working at the receptionist they will “demand” tips. She will say “$37 and the tip” and makes you feel abit pressured. Total would be $42 using 15% standard rate. When she’s not working though, the tip actually is something customary.

Edit: The salon had a sweet old lady who washed and massaged my hair, which I would tip her because of her service but looks like she might’ve retired. The hair washers now I’m pretty sure actually get paid a wage.

I’m considering switching to a local barber ( 30) who basically uses his living room and his shop. It’s cheaper and way closer, but they don’t pre/ wash your hair after.

I’m certain tip credit wages are illegal up there. Yet every single restaurant had a tip screen. A shame. I hit no tip every single time. And the majority of the food was shitty anyway, but that’s a different story

Servers, which would you prefer??

I was at a brewery-branded restaurant at an airport. The sign at the front says "order at table through QR code".

No host. No server. No menu. Just a qr code glued to the table. I have 2 other people with me, I have to verbally give them menu options. We're just getting one beer each, even so that's me reading a menu to them. I order. I pay. The menu suggests a 20% tip.

Apparently I owed a tip for someone pouring a beer and setting it in the table, zero interactions, hospitality, beer education, nothing. I tipped $1 per beer (beers were $15 for a 16oz beer)

I have lived in the hospitality segment for my entire life. My son is a restaurant manager.

This situation really got me. I tip for service and did not receive service, nor did the staff really have an opportunity to provide it so I don't really blame them. The bartenders seemed to be friendly to those guests at the bar and I would generously tip them had there been space. Why should I be given the options of 18%, 20%, or 25% at a table where I simply have a food delivery person?

(I also know that the brewery branding does not mean the brewery has anything to do with the location, it's simply licensing)

Interesting observation yesterday. I, like many others, refuse to tip at fast food drive-thrus (and many other places). A Dunkin' near me has a sign in the drive-thru to attract potential employees stating pay starts at $18/hr. This is much higher than the average pay for similar jobs in that particular area. When I arrived at the window, the employee asked me if I wanted to leave a tip. I firmly said "No." She seemed surprised and taken aback, but I didn't care. This location frequently asks this.

Later in the day, I was visiting another town and went to another Dunkin' location. This one had a similar employment sign but said the starting pay was $20/hr and they did not ask for a tip. Wonder if the extra $2/hr made a difference or if the policy changed from the franchise owner.

I saw a post about tipping for self employed jobs like hairdressing (e.g. if someone is renting a chair in a salon should you tip when they’ve set the price?) Someone said they rely on tips because the price is mainly based on non labour overheads.

When self employed service workers calculate pricing do they put the labour cost as variable based on tips? I understand why tips exist when you don’t have control on accounting as an employee, but if you control the price then is labour not costed out in to the price you set?

How does this impact income and P+L forecasting (for anyone reliant on tips)? How can you calculate how much income/how many sales you need to make if it’s entirely variable on the amount someone chooses to tip?