I dont care if its more expensive, food just is now, idc. Thats not the problem, the problem is that you make something optional, but actually its not optional. You choose to tip, but actually you cant choose to not tip. Thats the whole american freedom, its so backwards. Like there is more freedom in europe like that, if you want there is private health care if you want to pay, but also other options. Like, if you really want, you can tip in europe as well, but that would just be your generosity, not something expected. Just include the damn tips in your prices and sell shit at the actual “what you pay” price, not some honky “secret math problems” price.
The risky move is that you can absolutely just choose not to tip here, but you'll likely get terrible service or just outright denied service next time you go there
You get what people expect you to pay for is the key distinction here.
Since tipping is after the fact, service providers can form biases and provide services based off their expected tip. It's a demonstratedly racist, sexist, whatever else-ist practice. And that works both ways.
You don't want people taking advantage of the fact that you well may never see them again either though.
Honestly, many tourists are borderline overly generous about tipping in my experience. There's only a few regions that don't follow the 'When in Rome' philosophy.
In California they also add “service fees” and “cost of living fees” with the letters description being “to provide adequate pay and insurance for employees. This is not a tip, please tip your server” and that exists so management can scrape off an additional 15% that goes into an “employee fund” which just means they take it and pocket it.
Like how about you just pay your employees and then if I think they did a superb job I will give them a little extra
They list those fees, like COL, healthcare, ect, to send a message. Usually to complain about a politician or law. I've been in a couple restaurants that had it listed and they name the governor and/or the law. They don't have to, they can put it in the price like everything else. If one of their vendors raises prices they don't and try to make a statement or list it as a separate cost. It's disrespectful to the employees too, like I didn't want to give my employees enough money to live but unfortunately I have to. I once brought it up to a waiter after getting a bill with added costs and you could tell she hated her boss for putting it on the menu. Made sure to give her cash tip. I don't eat at those restaurants anymore and will walk out as soon as I see it listed.
While I really agree, I know how much I am struggling out here so I do tip just so the employee can eat dinner (I also just don’t go out to eat anymore cuz I just can’t afford a $25-30 meal that becomes $45-50 with random fees and the tip). I also like to do cash tip so I know they get it and not come scummy management. But again, can’t afford it anymore except for an occasion or if I need a pick me up lol
I still do that. Minimum wage here is like $18/hr. It’s not like the states where you can pay them $3/hr. I refuse to tip a minimum of 18% like so many machines insist on
I am shocked to see people saying 10% was a thing, been tipping since the 90s and never tipped below 15%. Everyone I know tipped either 20% or double the tax (about 15-20% depending on the year)
I know you weren't asking me directly, but I genuinely believe its because of the corporate culture shift, trying to put more pressure on the customers to pay employees directly, thus having the employers pay less.
10-15% is a good tip. 25% feels like were fronting the employee wages on top of the service fees.
That's exactly what it is, most states still have the tipped wage set well below the federal minimum, and the companies operating them don't want to give that up.
The standard went to 20% because the mental math for 15% is too hard for most people these days. All the other old rules are out the window as well, like you're only supposed to tip 10% on alcohol and tip on before tax amounts not the total.
Agreed. The whole point of a percentage is that the tip will increase along with prices. Now some servers are arguing that a 20% tip is the "minimum", which is crazy. On the other hand, the minimum base pay for tipped workers hasn't increased since 1991. Some states have increased that limit, but the majority have not, and many that have only require base pay to supplement tips up to minimum wage combined.
I don't get why people keep saying it's higher. They must be workers that get tips trying to sway public opinion so they make more money.
As prices for food goes up (which they have quite ridiculously), 15% of that amount also increases. Why should I give an even higher increase for no reason?
15% is definitely the lowest tip option on a lot of checkout systems now, if not 18%. I'd assume it won't be long till 18% is the new minimum on the majority of screens and you need to press the "other" button in front of the person who served you to put in 15%.
That's something that's holding me back from visiting your country... that and the several ingredients that are allowed in your food that are banned in Europe.
Idk about your experience but most of the time I use services, anything from a gas pump to doordash to a coffee vendor the tip screen always shows "10% - 20% - 25%" making 20% in the center and subliminally the "default" option.
Where the hell are you eating out? I've seen it maybe once and I did what all men in the UK do....get the Mrs to ask them to take it off so I don't have to have the awkward polite conversation.
We do increasingly have an "optional service charge" added automatically to the bill in a lot of restaurants though, which is done in the hope people are too British to ask for it to be removed.
it's slowly creeping over. i've seen a bunch of tipping screens in cafes. worst case was when they didn't actually make the coffee, they just used a machine similar to those self service coffee machines in a spoons, and then showed me a tipping screen. you're already charging me £4.50 for a dead mocha from a machine you just pressed a button on, i'm not tipping you shite
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u/Happy_Disaster7347 9h ago
I might not have a lot to be proud of about the UK, but fuck me I am so glad we don't have a tipping culture.