Tipping in the USA

[Deleted]

That's a great question.

I mean if even 50% of those working as servers said "This is unacceptable we want a change" that's a significant number to surely warrant Government interest

[Raelbo]

It's not my job to pay them so I'm not screwing anyone over.

Actually you are. The accepted payment model for the waiter is that the customer will give them 15-20% if they do their job right. They should only get less if they do a poor job. The restaurant gave you the power to be the judge instead of billing that extra 20% directly. By deciding to keep that money for yourself (even if the service is fine) you're just choosing to be a dick

Their employer is and they are okay with it, since they work there.

And the system works fine as long as there aren't too many dicks taking up table space.

A lot of them earn more than average anyway due to tips, so I don't see them rioting.

So basically you're admitting that you're a freeloader happy to save a bit of money at the expense of your waiter.

It's a business where both the employer and the waiter benefits and it should be changed. Tips should be taxed, too.

That's a totally different debate and doesn't justify your choice to not tip. By all means, petition the system to change, but given that it is what it is, you should tip until that happens.

[zenkai]

Us foreigners like me an Australian , or British, Europeans & New Zealanders who may visit the USA for a Holiday are not used to tipping.

I know Tipping from customers makes up quite a bit of a workers wages in the USA.

So some basic questions about Tipping in the USA.

How much do you normally tip someone.?
Do you have to Tip ?
If you have 2 people serving you.. do you tip both ?

Do wait staff in Canada expect Tips as well. ?

How much do you normally tip someone.?

Depends on the service, for servers/pizza delivery I tip 20%ish, 10% if they are terrible.


Delivery people (non food) it varies on what they are delivering.

Do you have to Tip ?

Nope, you're not required too. Unless it's a large party.


If you have 2 people serving you.. do you tip both ?

Just tip standard, if the place will split the tips. For instance some restaurants give 10% of a servers tips to bus boys. Any place that is giving you 2 servers means you have a large party and Restaurants tend to have large party policies that add 15% gratuity to the bill. Those servers would then split the tip

[pateuvasiliu]

I get your perspective. But i'm not cold enough to not care about people's lively hood.

Then you should get off the internet and use that money to donate to the poor.

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Actually you are. The accepted payment model for the waiter is that the customer will give them 15-20% if they do their job right. They should only get less if they do a poor job. The restaurant gave you the power to be the judge instead of billing that extra 20% directly. By deciding to keep that money for yourself (even if the service is fine) you're just choosing to be a dick



And the system works fine as long as there aren't too many dicks taking up table space.



So basically you're admitting that you're a freeloader happy to save a bit of money at the expense of your waiter.



That's a totally different debate and doesn't justify your choice to not tip. By all means, petition the system to change, but given that it is what it is, you should tip until that happens.

Lol this is the brainwashing I'm talking about. You're being shamed into thinking that it's your job to pay them. It's not.

Freeloading would be not paying at all. You pay for your food. It's the employer's job to pay the staff.

Actually you are. The accepted payment model for the waiter is that the customer will give them 15-20% if they do their job right.

I don't recall signing any such contract, so it's not my problem.

[Kathandira]

Then you should get off the internet and use that money to donate to the poor.

Well, for one, i'm on my company's internet, lol. And as well, I tip, so on this topic, i'm already doing my part.

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I don't recall signing any such contract, so it's not my problem.

It's an acknowledgement when you go to a restaurant that tipping is expected. If you aren't willing to tip, it would be best if you avoided places which tips are how the employees are paid.

[AkundaMrdal]

I mean if even 50% of those working as servers said "This is unacceptable we want a change" that's a significant number to surely warrant Government interest

I doubt servers would be the one asking for change. This way they can make much more money. If they serve as low number as 5 customers per hour and everyone tip 5€ they have nice 25€ + their wage.
"Easiest" way how to change this system would be if large amount of customers stoped giving tips.

[pateuvasiliu]

Well, for one, i'm on my company's internet, lol. And as well, I tip, so on this topic, i'm already doing my part.

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It's an acknowledgement when you go to a restaurant that tipping is expected. If you aren't willing to tip, it would be best if you avoided places which tips are how the employees are paid.

Then they should include the tip in the prices.

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I doubt servers would be the one asking for change. This way they can make much more money. If they serve as low number as 5 customers per hour and everyone tip 5€ they have nice 25€ + their wage.
"Easiest" way how to change this system would be if large amount of customers stoped giving tips.

Which won't happen as they are shamed/brainwashed into thinking that it's their duty to pay.

[Raelbo]

Lol this is the brainwashing I'm talking about. You're being shamed into thinking that it's your job to pay them. It's not.

It's not about being shamed, it's about being a decent human being. For most people (like 99%) this is intuitive because of empathy. But I do accept that not everyone has empathy, and that for such people what I am saying makes absolutely no sense.

Freeloading would be not paying at all. You pay for your food. It's the employer's job to pay the staff.

If tipping wasn't a thing then the food would cost 20% more. Yes, it is left to your discretion whether to pay the tip or not. If everyone thought like you and no one tipped then they would raise the prices and pay the staff more. So in essence you are, absolutely, freeloading because you're effectively scoring a discount on your food because other people are prepared to cover the costs with their tips.

And you're welcome to try and blame "the system" as much as you want, but everyone knows it's just a weak excuse. And you know what, I fully support the right of anyone to be the biggest douche they can be. My only demand is that they're honest about it instead of being pathetic and trying to pretend that they're decent people. If you choose to be dick own it!

I don't recall signing any such contract, so it's not my problem.

You don't have to be contractually bound to be a decent human being. In fact I would argue that you can tell who is a decent human being by how they treat other people when there is no obligation compelling them to be decent.

[Kathandira]

Then they should include the tip in the prices.

I'd totally get behind that. Personally, i'd rather just see servers get a fair even wage. I was a server for a long time. There were times where I did quite well, and others where I did very poorly. It was difficult to feel confident that you can pay your bills in full each month if your monthly wages fluctuate.

[Noah37]

Isn't the server already paid by restaurant for his job? The only acceptable tip for me is to round numbers. If I have to pay 19.85€ I give them 20€. If I order bottle of wine I don't see a reason to tip them 5 - 10 €. Do they think they deserve this money for merelely bringing the bottle to my table?

In the US restaurants are only required to pay a minimum of $2.13 an hour as long as their salary plus tips equals out to minimum wage. So, in many cases the only way servers are actually making any money is if they receive tips. I agree, it is a really dumb system, and I'd much prefer just to pay more for the meal and not have some dumb game in place. That being said, I generally tip between 18-22%, depending on the service and how easy the math is as I usually just tip flat dollar amounts and don't mess with change.

[Raelbo]

Then they should include the tip in the prices.

You're not wrong. But 2 wrongs don't make a right. Until they start including the tip in the prices you have a choice: Pay the tip or admit that you're a massive dick. It's simple really.

[Video Games]

Oh shit is it that time again? Time for yet another tipping thread?

At least it's a positive one.

Anyway, as I've worked in restaurants for the last 6 years, i tip regardless of service because at the end of the day they still need to make money and most of the problems are back of house anyway lol

[Growel]

Us foreigners like me an Australian , or British, Europeans & New Zealanders who may visit the USA for a Holiday are not used to tipping.

I know Tipping from customers makes up quite a bit of a workers wages in the USA.

So some basic questions about Tipping in the USA.

How much do you normally tip someone.?
Do you have to Tip ?
If you have 2 people serving you.. do you tip both ?

Do wait staff in Canada expect Tips as well. ?

I'm from the USA. I usually tip 15-20%. That's about what most people do. You just leave 1 tip for the entire bill. You're not legally required to tip, but you're really insulting them if you do something like 10%. (And if everyone did that, they'd probably not make enough money.)

As for tipping in non-restaurants, like picking up a Pizza? Read this thing (it's super funny!): https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/04/every...w-tipping.html

[Mellows]

It's less about whether the server thinks they deserve the money and more about the broken system that America have that allows companies to underpay their staff. The benefit of the system is, however, that generally you get better service as the staff need the tip to survive.

[Raelbo]

I agree, it is a really dumb system, and I'd much prefer just to pay more for the meal and not have some dumb game in place.

Well that depends on your value system really. IMO there are pros and cons. While the more communist approach of giving every waiter the same wage regardless of how they impact on the experience of the customers will protect waiters from unfair bias on the part of the customer, it also fails to reward those waiters who deserve it through merit.

While there are other ways of rewarding good performance, the advantage of the capitalist approach of tipping is that it gets the person whose opinion actually matters to reward the deserving waiter directly without the possibility of bias or unfairness that can be introduced by the restaurant owner/manager. Of course the weaknesses of the tipping method are asshole customers (although I expect that would kind of balance out over time), and more importantly outright bias. For example you'll probably find that a better looking waiter will do better on tips than a less attractive but harder working waiter. Particularly among female waiters you'll probably find that those willing to show a bit more flesh, or be more flirtatious will also do better. You can't really rely on customers to be ideal and fair human being.

[pateuvasiliu]

It's not about being shamed, it's about being a decent human being. For most people (like 99%) this is intuitive because of empathy. But I do accept that not everyone has empathy, and that for such people what I am saying makes absolutely no sense.

You do it because you're afraid of being shamed not because you have empathy.

That's just what you tell yourself to feel superior, which shows some other issues you might have.

If tipping wasn't a thing then the food would cost 20% more.

As it should. And people would decide, based on that, if they want to dine there.

I fully support the right of anyone to be the biggest douche they can be. My only demand is that they're honest about it instead of being pathetic and trying to pretend that they're decent people. If you choose to be dick own it!

And there we have it. The proof that you only do this so you have some sort of pathetic imaginary high ground to stand on.

You don't have to be contractually bound to be a decent human being.

Based on what you say so far I'm a far better human being than you are.

I don't need to go to forums and claim I'm better than others.

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You're not wrong. But 2 wrongs don't make a right. Until they start including the tip in the prices you have a choice: Pay the tip or admit that you're a massive dick. It's simple really.

You're not a massive dick for refusing to pay more than the bill says.

You're just brainwashed into thinking it. Which means the shaming tactics are working ( on you ).

Those of us who are slightly more resistant to manipulation see through it.


If you were really such a nice person you wouldn't be debating on MMOC and trying to compare yourself to me ( I don't even live in the US and you have NO idea how much money I give to the poor, as to claim I lack empathy ), you'd be out there and save a kitten from a tree.

But you're just the typical Facebook soccer mom commenter, who feels the need to flaunt how good of a human being they are in order to get attention.

[Video Games]

When in the US- please tip. I think the system is GARBAGE but hurting your server for things they don't control isn't the way to fight it imo. Remember- tipped wage in the US was $2.19 last time I checked.

Only on the southeast coast. West they have to at least pay mw and the restaurant has to make up the difference if they fall under that.

[cuafpr]

i know several severs that don't want the tipping culture changed in the US because they make more with it than without. Granted most of these are rather attractive females or work in high end restaurants. heck a friend in college got a job at hooters and made bank on tips. Heck i've tipped extra just because a person was attractive why not... my record is over 100% tip though but those are special circumstances.


If they got paid minwage it would be a pay cut to some. Most wait staff that does their job and treat their people well seem to make above min-wage, and i think some(most?) states have laws that if tips dont at least equal min-wage the store has to make up the difference.

[fiestatastic]

Us foreigners like me an Australian , or British, Europeans & New Zealanders who may visit the USA for a Holiday are not used to tipping.

I know Tipping from customers makes up quite a bit of a workers wages in the USA.

So some basic questions about Tipping in the USA.

How much do you normally tip someone.?
Do you have to Tip ?
If you have 2 people serving you.. do you tip both ?

Do wait staff in Canada expect Tips as well. ?

They're completely reliant on tips for income, you don't have to tip, but if you don't you're an asshole. You might not really be an asshole if you didn't know, because it sucks that the system is set up this way in the first place .... but after you know that someone is working for you and relying on your tip for their income and then you choose to instead have them work for you for free, then you're an asshole.

On the other hand, if your server is an asshole to you, then they didn't do their job and it's fine to not tip them .. they didn't earn it.

You just leave one tip. If there are multiple servers they'll take care of splitting it. A decent tip is 15-20%.

[RicardoZ]

Id reccomend Lambeau and Soldier Field, Cowboys, Steelers and Eagles. Id check out college games if youre near a big college, they are arguably better and more fun to tailgate at.

Definitely check out a college game, preferably in the south. Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee. Any of those are amazing places to watch college football, the atmosphere is electric, most of those places have 80k+ stadiums that are filled to the brim, especially Georgia and Alabama.