Tipping culture in the United States has been a hot topic for years. Once upon a time, Americans were only expected to tip servers at restaurants and those who provided excellent service. But today, they’re bombarded with tipping screens at grocery stores, drive-throughs, self-checkout stations in airports and more.
So one woman has decided she’s had enough. Below, you’ll find a post that was recently shared on the True Unpopular Opinion subreddit detailing why this woman has decided to stop tipping out of obligation, along with some thoughts readers have shared.
Every year, it becomes more challenging to find places in the United States where patrons aren’t expected to tip
Image credits: MargJohnsonVA (not the actual photo)
So this woman has decided that enough is enough
Image credits: Jessie McCall (not the actual photo)
Later, she added more information to her post in response to comments she received
Image source: Main_Party121
Tipping has become ingrained in American culture over the past century
Image credits: EggfooVA(not the actual photo)
While the idea of tipping servers, hairdressers, taxi drivers, nail artists, bartenders and more might seem bizarre to many people, these habits are ingrained in American culture. In fact, tipping has been the norm in the US for over a century now. In 1921, Wallace Rice stated in an edition of ‘Hotel Monthly,’ “When it gets so that a man pays money to another man in order to retain his own self-respect, which he forfeits if he doesn’t, it certainly may be said that tipping has entered the national consciousness.” But despite the fact that tipping was actually expected in many European countries in the mid-1800ss, they began to move away from the custom as Americans embraced it.
Today, tipping culture seems to be as distinctly American as s'mores. It’s becoming more common in many places in Europe again as well, but the obligation to tip servers at least 15% still prevails in the US. Not to mention how many places now provide tipping prompts on iPads that guilt customers into leaving more than they planned to. But apparently, pushing customers to tip more and more is beginning to backfire. As of this summer, two thirds of Americans have a negative view of tipping, and 41% believe businesses should simply compensate their workers better rather than relying on customers to provide high tips. One third of Americans are also annoyed with the tip prompt screens that have popped up across the country, and a third also say tipping culture has gotten out of control.
But as Americans have felt increased pressure to tip, many have felt less desire to do so
It’s no surprise that some patrons, such as the woman who shared this post on Reddit, have had enough with adding tips onto their bills. In fact, “tip fatigue” is even causing many customers to leave smaller tips. But the debate about tipping continues, as many service industry workers in the US can earn as little as $2.13 an hour. Without tips, there’s no way they would be making a living wage. Some are calling for fair wages to be provided by business owners or mandated by the federal government, but others argue that servers and bartenders who earn plenty of tips would make far less if the system became more standardized.
Corey Mintz at NBC News believes that tipping is a “con” that we should reject, rather than continue debating. Meanwhile, Gene Marks at the Guardian thinks the current tipping system is the best solution for everyone. “It’s a chance for workers to have more control over their financial welfare,” he writes. “It gives them some skin in the game. If a restaurant is doing well because it’s safely operated, properly managed and delivers great food, and customers are enjoying the experience, then they will usually tip. The better the experience the better the tips. And when that happens, everyone – from the wait staff to the dishwashers – can share in the business’s success.”
At the end of the day, it’s up to patrons to decide how much to tip
Image credits: Sam Dan Truong (not the actual photo)
Michael von Massow, Associate Professor of Food Economics at University of Guelph, wrote a piece for the Conversation reminding patrons that at the end of the day, we have a lot of control. He argues that we get to choose where and how much we tip. “While tipping is a social norm, no one should feel pressured to tip more than the standard percentage, if at all,” von Massow writes. “If a business is prompting you with a tip percentage higher than you are comfortable with, you can always enter a custom amount that you feel is appropriate instead.”
While this woman’s post might have shocked some readers, particularly those who work in the service industry in the United States, she is by no means the only person who feels this way about tipping. The amount of Americans who say they always tip servers and food delivery couriers has been decreasing over the past few years, and that trend isn’t likely to change unless the system does. We would love to hear your thoughts on this woman’s post in the comments below, pandas. Are you an avid tipper? Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing tipping culture, we recommend reading this one next!
Some readers agreed that the tipping system in the US is broken
But others believe that tipping is still important, pointing out how many people rely on tips to make ends meet
