Bored Panda reached out to the Golden Rules Gal, Lisa Mirza Grotts, for some guidelines about tipping culture. She's a 23-year certified etiquette expert who helps clients and readers deal with business, social, and political situations.
In addition to her television, radio, newspaper, and online presence, she authored a manners blog for the Huffington Post for eight years. We wanted to know more about the current estimates of tipping and what the tipping etiquette is for classic services such as taxis, restaurant servers, and hotel staff.
The etiquette expert says that the typical amount to tip servers at restaurants is 20% of the bill. When it comes to a concierge or a doorman at a hotel, it depends on the special request that they do for you. Whether that's calling a cab or carrying your luggage up to your room, the nature of the request determines the sum.
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Grotts actually has gratuity guidelines on her website. She updated them after COVID-19 happened. "The 'tipping point' happened in 2020," the etiquette expert writes. "In normal times, gratuity depends on the quality and frequency of service." She agrees that many people may feel 'tipping fatigue,' but, as she tells Bored Panda, "the general rule is that when a service has been performed, a gratuity is in order."
"As servers are paid a low base pay, a little extra can make a big difference in the time of Covid. The amount all depends on the type of service, but one thing experts all agree on is when in doubt, give, and make sure to have cash on you." Are there times when not tipping is okay? "Tipping is not allowed at private lunch clubs and country clubs. Also, a tip would not be expected at self-service checkout or for medical appointments, to name a few," Grotts gives some examples.
The pandemic is a big reason why gratuity amounts have increased. Shubhranshu Singh, a professor at Johns Hopkins Business School, told NPR that we started tipping more to support essential workers. After the pandemic ended, expected sums didn't go down.
Another reason for 'tipflation' is that now it's much easier to ask for tips. All service industry workers have to do is turn a tablet around. "That person who gave service to you is in front of you and there is this social pressure," Singh adds.
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Michael Lynn, a marketing professor at Cornell and expert in tipping research, has found that the bigger the suggested sum, the more people tip. The researchers did an experiment with an Internet app-based laundry service. The app recommended different gratuity amounts at random. The bigger the tip the company asked for, the bigger the tip the customers paid.
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However, in the cases where there's no social contact, customers don't feel that social pressure. Because they have to tip after the ride, people feel less inclined to tip their drivers. In fact, research shows that 60% of people never tip when using rideshare apps, and only 1% always tip.
Naturally, 'tipflation' is also related to inflation. Sean Jung, assistant professor of hospitality analytics at Boston University, also told NPR that businesses are trying to lure in workers with benefits and higher pay. In fact, they're apparently fighting tooth and nail for them. But they also want to keep the prices of goods and services the same because lots of customers get spooked at any sign of inflation.
