Is the practice of tipping out of hand? Who’s to say what a good or bad tip is for service received? Who should we tip?
I’m not against tipping. Not at all. But isn’t tipping supposed to be a reward for good service? Seems we no longer apply that reasoning to tipping. It’s now expected.
I think I’m a generous tipper. But I also think it’s time to reconsider how it works.
For example, why should a party of two spending $100 tip the same amount as a party of six spending $100? The server works a lot harder for that party of six. Just because the food I order is more expensive, does that mean the server worked harder?
This actually happened to us recently. Tim decided to order a pretty expensive dinner – crab legs. So, we had a hefty bill. But I don’t think the server deserved a $20 tip because he didn’t give us that much attention. He barely even stopped by our table to ask about drinks, let alone anything else. He was quite busy, however, with several large groups that undoubtedly filled his section a lot longer than we did. If we don’t tip 20%, will something bad happen?
I was a waitress when I was 18 and 19. I worked at a Country Kitchen, which wasn’t a high-end eating establishment by any means. Like many servers, even today, I relied on tips to make my money. But you don’t make a lot of money on $3 meals. (Remember, that was almost 50 years ago.) However, I’d bet I worked just as hard, or harder than someone working at a fancy restaurant serving $10 meals. Yet they made more money than I did.
Also 50 years ago, the standard tipping rate was more like 10%. When did it start being 20%?
During the pandemic, we ordered a lot of takeout meals and tried to be generous with tipping, knowing restaurants were struggling. It seems, though, now that’s expected. If you order online for takeout, you’re always asked about leaving a tip. We do, but I’m starting to think that’s crazy. What’s the tip for?
I’ve even started to notice places that never expected tips are including it as an option when you check out. Should I leave a tip when all I do is order something and even get my own drink? I don’t think so.
At a recent spring training baseball game, I ordered food at a concession stand and paid with a credit card (many don’t even take cash anymore). Before I could pay, I had to choose whether to leave a tip. Are you serious? Now we’re expected to tip for concessions?
According to this report47%% of Americans tip 20% at dine-in restaurants. 58% of the respondents in their survey said they increased their tipping during the pandemic. That’s consistent with what we did. Do we have to keep it up?
The article also states that 68% still tip based on the level of service and that some have left nothing if they thought the service was unsatisfactory. I’ve always heard you leave just a penny if you want to make a point about the service.
I think it’s become harder to avoid tipping because of the way we pay at some places. Many use a handheld device, which they give to you when it’s time to determine the tip and sign. What if you choose 0? I have done this, such as in the concession example above. I didn’t think handing me two bottles of water deserved any kind of tip. Was I judged for that?
If you order takeout and pay online, do they see what you leave for a tip? And does that influence how fast you get your food or the quality of it? I sure hope not but I guess I don’t know.
What are your thoughts about tipping? I thought about doing a poll but decided to just ask for your comments on this post. Please let me know.
