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Tipping, a custom who's time has passed?

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philvie

philvie

Low-Roller
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Apr 20, 2014
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Why do we still tip? The USA is the only country who adheres to this outdated custom, and 20% at that, is the job that hard that 20% is a satisfactory amount? Charge a reasonable amount for a meal and pay your server a decent wage, simple right? And before anyone calls me a cheap bastard I want to go on record as saying I tip the customary 20%, I just think there is a simpler way. Thoughts?
 
philvie said:
Why do we still tip? The USA is the only country who adheres to this outdated custom, and 20% at that, is the job that hard that 20% is a satisfactory amount? Charge a reasonable amount for a meal and pay your server a decent wage, simple right? And before anyone calls me a cheap bastard I want to go on record as saying I tip the customary 20%, I just think there is a simpler way. Thoughts?
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Yeah I do agree with you to certain dregree, USA is pretty much only country out there where tipping is more "mandatory" Asia and Europe doesn't expect any tips in Resturant's.... but before we get rid of tipping system they would need to overhaul whole service industry then, especially wiaitress do not make enough they do rely on tipping heavily so... it will be interesting what VMB members would say!
 
I hate it too, and especially the fact that the amount you're 'supposed' to tip keeps rising.

Even twenty years ago 10% was considered the standard tip, now as people are saying above, 18%+ seems to be expected.

Just pay everyone a decent wage, increase prices appropriately to compensate, and forget that rubbish (and yes, I do like to patronize restaurants that do this, few as there are in my area.)
 
Not going to lie, when I go to vacation, I don't even know who to tip anymore. Do I tip the doorman who helps get my bags out of the taxi? Do I tip the guy who brings my luggage to my room, do I tip the maids? I'm not saying I shouldn't, but they are paid a full wage (unlike wait staff) so why are they to be tipped? In fact, we create a moral hazard by tipping them to the point where they are disgruntled when you don't tip them
 
Here's my thoughts. If a person feels a tip is not warranted, then don't tip. Just because others are doing it doesn't mean that person has to.

Are these people afraid of what others will think of them? Why would one care what others think?

OP was asking if there is a simpler way. Yes. See first sentence.
 
It will be more convenient if wait staff are paid regular wages without relaying on tips and those extra money are built in the food prices. But this kills motivation to do a good job or take care of your customers (you get paid regardless, why bother to be nice or courteous). This is what I see when I go to Asia, they generally don't expect tips but service are crappy unless you go to 5 star hotels. That being said, I still tip to reward a nice hard working server and don't tip or just leave loose change for a rough service. I just want them to come up with check boxes with % of tip without me doing the math or end up rounding up for convenience (exceeding 20%).
 
philvie said:
The USA is the only country who adheres to this outdated custom
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We may have to agree to disagree on this!

I can name many countries right off hand where tipping is customary, or at least it was when I last visited. Mexico and Canada, eh, are obvious examples. Tipping, although at a lower rate than we typically do, is common in Europe, and some places (like those frequented by stingy touristas) add it to the bill, as do some places here, particularly for larger parties. LOL, in St. Petersburg they told us to hand tips directly to the server, as if you leave them others will scarf them up.
 
Whether or not the US is the only country left where tipping is a custom, there is no better way in my opinion to directly reward good service. Eliminate it and what you will get is mediocre service, and poor attitudes on the part of service employees. You are already seeing it in many places where the employee's don't give a crap and provide poor service, even ignoring customers. Without a tip there is no incentive to offer above average service.

There was recently an article in the LVRJ about this subject as certain ethnicity are not familiar with the concept.
 
Boogaloo said:
I hate it too, and especially the fact that the amount you're 'supposed' to tip keeps rising.

Even twenty years ago 10% was considered the standard tip, now as people are saying above, 18%+ seems to be expected.

Just pay everyone a decent wage, increase prices appropriately to compensate, and forget that rubbish (and yes, I do like to patronize restaurants that do this, few as there are in my area.)
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20 years ago 10%? NO. I have been around a lot longer than that and 20%+- has always been the standard I have left. Depending on service. Going back to the 60/s
 
I do not mind tipping for exemplary service. I have a problem tipping someone for just doing their job. If you want a tip, give me a reason for tipping.
It is not for me to make sure that a worker has a decent income, that is the employers job.
I remember going to Vegas and thinking I was tipping people who were probably making more money than me.
 
philvie said:
Why do we still tip? The USA is the only country who adheres to this outdated custom
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No, it isn't. Although the US may be the only country (in certain states) that has institutionalized it to the point where servers are reliant on the custom to make a living wage.
 
I don't mind tipping wait staff. I waitressed for a long, long time and to me it is one of the few jobs where you can make good money without an education. It is also a skilled job and it is really hard. Dealing with people of varying temperaments at the same time, constantly juggling priorities, walking quickly for 8 hours at a time while carrying plates (don't even get me started on beer bottles, I never mastered that one). I don't mind tipping well.
I have issues with tipping for 'flagging' a taxi, or opening a door. And the one that gets me right riled up is when I go watch slot videos, there is always that person who asked what you tipped the person who brought the hand pay. That gets under my skin. When I started gambling it was coin machines, and the floor people had the WORST job. Making change, running hand pays, refilling machines and helping us drag our garbage cans full of coins up to the counters. (I never went to Vegas then, but that is how it worked here), then the people at the cage had to run these garbage cans full of change through the machines and bag them. I ALWAYS tipped them. Now you are just handing me money. And they want a percentage of my win?? Truth is I tip a little but nothing near what I keep seeing they expect. I always want good karma at the casino.
Now I have this entirely different take on who had the worst job and should be tipped, even just to say, hey, I appreciate what you're doing. And that's the people who are cleaning: taking empty glasses and cleaning the ashtrays. My last stay at Suncoast was nice, staff was great and room was decent, view was amazing and i got my first hand pay there (2 of them). Thing is, the place was filthy. Ashes on everything, overflowing ashtrays and I didn't want to touch the machines, all I could think was how many germs were on them and I am not a germaphobe. When the cleaning people don't do a good job, nothing else really matters. And if they do a good job we never notice they did it at all. I'd rather tip them than the person who brings me a hand pay any day. Is that something anyone does? Is it allowed??
 
eaglejohn said:
20 years ago 10%? NO. I have been around a lot longer than that and 20%+- has always been the standard I have left. Depending on service. Going back to the 60/s
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As a former busboy and waiter at a two hotels in NJ back in the late 70's, I remember 15% was the standard. Somehow it creeped up to 20%, but don't remember when. I also remember 10% tip for cocktails.

But yes, we need another thread on tipping because why?

You either tip or don't. You either get it or not. As a teenager or twenty something, you had a job in a restaurant or didn't. Tipping is a common practice in the USA.

For what it's worth, Psychologists/Psychiatrists were the worst tippers.

I think we need to start a thread on "Tip Cups" next to cash registers at places like Starbucks. I never had one when I was in the French Frying Legion at Burger King.
 
Demographic-chart1.png
 
For those who either have a problem with tipping or looking for an excuse not to tip, Tipping isn't mandatory. It's up to you.
 
Kobra2848 said:
My wife tips the ladies that clean around the machines on every trip.

Mark
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How does she do this? All along when they come by or at the end of the trip? I always make sure to look at them, smile and say thank you.. but they sneak up on you and since I don't really drink I tend to not have a lot of small bills handy.
 
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