North American Tipping Culture vs the Rest of the World

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Thread necro. I wonder if we can get it out the system here at some point. Especially for places that don't actually service you.

That video clip with 5 and 10 per cent options must be from a decade ago. Every terminal I use these days starts at 15 per cent and goes up from there.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I've recalibrated my tipping behaviour; this 20% base tip on the machines with amounts going up to fu-cking 30% of the post-tax amount is insanity.

I've now started basing my tips on what the thing prompts me for. I go to this Korean mom and pop place where the prices are decent and their POS prompts for something like 5%, 8% or 10% tip. Boom - "Custom -> 20%" every time. Same with places that have workers that will hit the "no tip" button on your behalf before handing you the machine. Back it up, big tip.

I know this is going down the road of those "I'll be honest, need it for beer" hobo signs, but whatever, for now it seems to be always people honestly not expecting big tips.

Places that start at 20% on the POS? "Custom -> 10%".

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I've now started basing my tips on what the thing prompts me for. I go to this Korean mom and pop place where the prices are decent and their POS prompts for something like 5%, 8% or 10% tip. Boom - "Custom -> 20%" every time. Same with places that have workers that will hit the "no tip" button on your behalf before handing you the machine. Back it up, big tip.

I know this is going down the road of those "I'll be honest, need it for beer" hobo signs, but whatever, for now it seems to be always people honestly not expecting big tips.

Places that start at 20% on the POS? "Custom -> 10%".

So you cut the serves wage do decisions made out of their control? That seems irrational.

[PepsiFree]

I mostly do 20% at every restaurant or bar now, and don’t really tip anywhere else.

Who is pinching pennies where they’re out for a proper meal?

[TorqueDog]

^ Nah, 15-18% is perfectly reasonable for service that "meets expectations". It used to be that 12%-15% was the range. I can't remember where the hell I saw it, but I was pretty taken aback to see one of the machines here in Calgary prompt with a tip percentage higher than 20% as a minimum option. I'm already spending $250-$300 at your establishment, you're getting very well taken care of, but gouging is just going to make people go out to eat less. Between the increase in menu prices and the increase in default tip percentage, it's getting a bit ridiculous as it is.

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Same with places that have workers that will hit the "no tip" button on your behalf before handing you the machine. Back it up, big tip.

I suspect those are the places where they don't get the tips, the owners pocket them, so they're saving you money.

[Amethyst]

I think 15% is plenty in Canada. It's not like the servers are making $2 an hour here. I decided to "custom tip" places that had higher options. But quickly realized that the custom option wants a dollar amount, not a percentage, and I hadn't paid enough attention to know what dollar amount I wanted to tip. So now I just do 18% if that's an option.

The only place I tip more in somewhere that I go for the evening to see a band or something and don't spend a lot, because I'm not drinking that night.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

^ Nah, 15-18% is perfectly reasonable for service that "meets expectations". It used to be that 12%-15% was the range. I can't remember where the hell I saw it, but I was pretty taken aback to see one of the machines here in Calgary prompt with a tip percentage higher than 20% as a minimum option. I'm already spending $250-$300 at your establishment, you're getting very well taken care of, but gouging is just going to make people go out to eat less. Between the increase in menu prices and the increase in default tip percentage, it's getting a bit ridiculous as it is.

I suspect those are the places where they don't get the tips, the owners pocket them, so they're saving you money.

Many of the machines always show a tip screen. There is no way to not show it.

[Wormius]

Explain the reason for tipping anywhere besides the US?

[PepsiFree]

You guys spend so much time thinking about tipping.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You guys spend so much time thinking about tipping.

I guess aside from that 7 year span when nobody said anything.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You guys spend so much time thinking about tipping.

I feel the same way about tipping as I do about daylight savings time. Only time I even think about it is when people are complaining about it

[Ryan Coke]

Tipping’s a societal defect that got imported from the US due to our proximity. The people that support it generally are the ones that have benefitted the most from it, and often didn’t get real jobs where tipping isn’t part of the compensation.

But I definitely recommend to young people to get a job with tipping while they work to get their education, since the pay is significantly better than non-tipping jobs.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I feel the same way about tipping as I do about daylight savings time. Only time I even think about it is when people are complaining about it

Like zipper merges and hemorrhoids.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

You guys spend so much time thinking about tipping.

You are gonna be absolutely floored at what people spend a ton of time thinking about in the [insert subject here] thread.

[Bleeding Red]

I was a server for 10 years in both "mom & pop" and corporate places. Also my family owned and managed restaurants for over 50 years.

I think tipping brings out the worst in humans. Diners become judgy and petty. Servers & bussers become just as judgy (racist) and sometimes vengeful. Back of the house (cooks, dishwashers) become envious and mean. Managers can at times become thieves (as can servers & bussers).

You may not think you fall into this trap, but it seems some are now judgmental of the machines (and programmers).

I admit, I liked having cash in my pocket (when cash tips were common) and banking my paycheque. I did not like how serving made me feel - about myself and towards others. I knew which teenagers were leaving a pile of pennies on the table, that the large family in for Sunday lunch after church would want separate bills and be lousy tippers. I and my colleagues made instant judgement calls all the time.

I know servers who would re use bills to scam the restaurant to make a few extra bucks, justifying it by saying they were making far less than others. I saw servers spit in food because their diners were playing games (ordering every item on the menu like Sheldon Cooper or putting cash on the table and removing a bill for every perceived error). Cooks holding up large table orders because they didn't get tips.

I experienced more racism working at the corporate restaurant than anywhere else - mostly "Cheap {insert race here} bastards"

The fear is that no one will pay $30 for a dinner they used to pay $20 for. Or that no one will do the job without tips.

It crazy. End tipping ASAP and just pay the actual price.

[troutman]

I like tipping. Young people working hard that can use a few bucks more than me.

[Bleeding Red]

Originally Posted by troutman

I like tipping. Young people working hard that can use a few bucks more than me.

Ageism.


What if that young person is an older person (40+).
What id that person is wearing a wedding ring or not?
What if that person is heavier or has smaller "attributes"?
What if that person isn't working hard enough to your liking based on your scale??


Judgment calls all. And not necessarily nice.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Bleeding Red

Ageism.


What if that young person is an older person (40+).
What id that person is wearing a wedding ring or not?
What if that person is heavier or has smaller "attributes"?
What if that person isn't working hard enough to your liking based on your scale??


Judgment calls all. And not necessarily nice.

Those working in the service industry don't make a good wage and have to rely on tips. I don't care what the age of the person is or any other judgement calls you listed when deciding whether to tip or not. I generally tip when I go out to eat or I'm spending time with friends in a bar.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

You are gonna be absolutely floored at what people spend a ton of time thinking about in the [insert subject here] thread.

You clearly think about tipping far more than just when you’re active in this thread.

There’s no reason to get offended by the comment. I couldn’t tell you what range of numbers the last 20 tipping prompts, or which places had prompts that were deserving vs not deserving. I don’t read anything into it. A place that has 15, 18, 20% options vs a place that has 20, 25, 30% options are viewed no differently to me and I have trouble imagining why they would be. We’re just different folks.

Just because I tip 20% and don’t feel the need to pinch pennies around it doesn’t mean you should feel bad about 12% or need to justify it. I just don’t really care to math it out and make a dining experience an evaluation of someone’s performance. A flat 20 solves the “just make it part of the cost” issue because I know everything is just 20% more than what it says.

I get it though. My partner always asks me what to tip. They put thought into it literally every single time that machine is in their hands. I just think it’s silly.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by GGG

So you cut the serves wage do decisions made out of their control? That seems irrational.

This is exactly the attitude that has us in this place.

1. A wage is the hourly rate they are paid for showing up and working. Tips are supposed to be an added bonus for doing a great job. We've normalized that they are expected.

2. Someone pulling me a drip coffee out of a carafe isn't a server. They can take their 20% prompt and collectively shove it. 10% is better than the 0 that should be expected for that job.