Source
r/AskReddit•
LukeeT

Americans of Reddit, do you agree with the 'tip-giving' nature that your Country seems to wholeheartedly embrace and why/why not?

I'm English and we are only expected to tip workers that have a personal aspect to their job. For instance, we would never be expected to tip a bartender simply pouring drinks in a crowded bar and I have never heard of an Englishman tipping a taxi driver or pizza delivery boy. However, we will tip a hairdresser or a waiter as they seem to have to do a little extra in the personal aspect. I realise there are economic benefits of tipping in all types of work in the service industry as it gives incentive for a better quality of service, but tipping a New York Taxi driver that was fairly rude and aggressive for doing his job and then charging even when we weren’t moving, seems absurd!!!

Posted May 21, 2013, 4:13 PM UTC

114
Psionx0•

I disagree with it 100%. It may have been (at one time) a way to award great service. Now it has become a tool by businesses to cut costs. They don't have to pay minimum wages in many cases and use tipping as an excuse. Then they often take tip money - or that tip money gets spread around to everyone (even those who didn't do great service). Said tip money is often not reported for taxes.

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[deleted]•

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Psionx0•

I tip a standard 15%. It goes up with great service, and down with horrible service. Some where on reddit there is a belief that it needs to be 20%. I laugh.

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ruggerbear•

100%. In fact, I wish all service jobs were tip driven. It gives the consumer all the power. I'm a firm believer that the service industry should be paid minimal or nothing, just like salespeople. Tipping is just another form of commission driven market.

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[deleted]•

it gives the consumer just as much power as before, only they are now expected to pay more for the same service.

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ruggerbear•

No, the cost remains exactly the same, or lower if the service is poor.

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NativityCrimeScene•

Service industry workers should be paid nothing or close to nothing?! What the fuck is wrong with you?

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ruggerbear•

What exactly is wrong with that? Just like every other business, their earned wage should be tied 100% to performance. For service industry people, that performance is reflected in their tips since their customers are the patrons. Think of it like the stripper model. They actually pay the club to perform there and the only wage they receive is tips. The same model should be applied across the board to the service industry as a whole.

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NativityCrimeScene•

Oh I actually thought you were saying that service industry workers shouldn't be paid wages OR tips. The stripper model isn't 100% tips either because they make a commission on lap dances and that sort of thing (I believe). Maybe a commission + tips model would work for service industry workers, but then they should also be allowed to refuse to serve customers that haven't tipped in the past.

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71nobody•

I usually tip pretty well. I worked in restaurants and the service industry before, I know that these people depend on tips to get by. I'm doing pretty well, so it doesn't hurt for me to tip them.

1
YesRocketScience•

Having worked for a British company in the US for a number of years, I've noticed Brits seem particularly flustered by American tipping -- either they forget to tip, or tip extravagantly to avoid social embarrassment. I stayed at a timeshare home in the British Mecca of Orlando where there was a multi page explanation left on the kitchen counter about how to tip and whom to tip. fascinating stuff.

One of the rules on the guide that I never thought about before was the clue on credit card receipts: if there's a line that say "tip" it means you're in a situation where a tip is expected. Another great hint was never to tip with coins: rather, round up to the nearest dollar. On credit card charges, the tip should be in whole dollars and you should add up the total with the cents intact from the original charges.

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rileymanrr•

The waiters and waitresses make sure that my food is prepared properly and that I get refills on my drinks when I need them. The difference between good service and bad service is huge.

I have paid $80 (about £50) for a dinner only to have it completely ruined by bad service. On the other hand I paid only $15 ($30 for two people) for a pretty good meal, but it was made phenomenal by absolutely perfect service.

I tipped one 12% the other 29%.

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emrcickray•

I think the whole tiping thing here in the U.S. comes from it being a less classes country. a lot of us srarted at the bottem and worked our way up. most of us can remember having a tip dependent jod and how it sucked and want to help others get there start going .especially when it costs so little to do it. you may be able to say Americans are rude, loud and uncultured but we tend to do the kind and charitable thing when push comes to shuve. jumping up on the table and taking a big stinky dump will make you look better then not tiping and looking like you did't earn your way up.just a point of fact I am talking about Americans not American government...our politicians tend to be soulless.

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Atmy0wnpace•

I don't think tipping should ever be expected. I will tip if the service goes above and beyond the standard, regardless of the business. A gratuity is a bonus for a job well done not to be expected for standard service. Mr Pink said it best when he inquired why we tip waitresses in restaurants but not workers in fast food that basically do the same thing.

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emrcickray•

fast food poeple don't get tips because most fast food places will fire you if you ask for or exept a tip. next time your getting a mc'wopper or what ever just try to slip them a dollar as a tip. gratuity is on your gatuity for being served, not on whether they went above and beyond thats why its called gratuity and not a bonus. but it sounds like you have a lot to learn about gatude.

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