‘Guilt Tipping:’ Pressure to tip everywhere has gotten out of control

[Kamaji]

‘Guilt Tipping:’ Pressure to tip everywhere has gotten out of control

By Alex Mitchell
April 8, 2022

We’re tipping past the point of no return.

Paying via tablet is now the convenient norm at pizzerias, coffee shops, fast food joints and other quick-services spots across the city, but the gadgets are quick to ask if you want to add a healthy gratuity to your order. Touch screens typically prompt patrons to leave a tip ranging from 18 to 30% — and sometimes even higher — when they grab and go.

Occasionally, the prompts replace the old tip jar — upping the ante on what was customarily a tossed buck or some loose change. But in many instances, patrons are being pressured to pony up at places where they’ve never been expected to tip before — say, for waiting on line for their burgers and fries at Five Guys. And they’re not happy about the sudden ubiquity of gratuity gauging.

“I was somewhere spending $23 on just coffee and pastries and the suggested tip was another $8 and I simply said no way. I’ll give a dollar or so as a custom tip amount, but let’s have a reality check here,” said Jared Goodman, a 26-year-old recruiter who lives in Brooklyn. “Recently I got a quick bite with my girlfriend and the suggested tip amounts were 25, 35 and even 40%. That’s just insane.”

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But, unlike the old days where you might directly hand a 10-spot to your server, nobody seems to have a handle on where the counter-service tips exactly go.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/guilt-tipping-pressure-to-tip-has-gotten-out-of-control/

[Kamaji]

I've seen these in a couple of places, and the net effect on me is that I don't tip at all.

[Free Vulcan]

I'll tip a waiter/waitress well if they are at the top of their game with five-star service.

A fast food place? For just doing your job? Are you kidding me?

[Wingnut]

Personally, I follow Mr. Pinks guide on tipping.

[Kamaji]

Personally, I follow Mr. Pinks guide on tipping.

What's that?

[SZonian]

What's that?

“I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.”
– Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs

[Kamaji]

“I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.”
– Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs

Thanks!  And I generally agree with the sentiment.  The issue these automatic tipping functions create is that, even at the lowest option, it's more than I want to tip - if I buy a sandwich and a drink for $9.48 (it's Manhattan) for lunch, and I feel like tipping, I might tell the cashier to keep the change from a $10 spot, or round the charge up to $10, but I'm not going to add 20% or more automatically.  So I decline to tip at all.

[catfish1957]

I acutally have upped my tipping 25-50% across the board.  Which my guidelines now are 12% for poor service 20-25% for good or decent service and 30-33% for excellent service,

Not for guilting, but showing my appreciation for working, while so many entitement junkies are staying home on Uncle Sam's dime

I re-enforce that by when I tip, I tell them that I appreciate them working, while so many choose not to,

[Cyber Liberty]

Everywhere I've eaten where the gratuity is mandatory in the bill, the service has sucked to the point I would not have tipped voluntarily.

[dfwgator]

“I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.”
– Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs

"I mean I’m very sorry the government taxes their tips. That’s ______ up. That ain’t my fault. I mean it would appear that waitresses are one of the many groups the government ___s in the __s on a regular basis. I mean show a piece of paper that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball."

[Hoodat]

Personally, I follow Mr. Pinks guide on tipping.

[catfish1957]

Everywhere I've eaten where the gratuity is mandatory in the bill, the service has sucked to the point I would not have tipped voluntarily.

I really dislike having the decison on how good service is, and how well I should tip being made by the restuaruant.

I don't think I have ever added to the tip under those circumstances.

[Hoodat]

I acutally have upped my tipping 25-50% across the board.  Which my guidelines now are 12% for poor service 20-25% for good or decent service and 30-33% for excellent service,

Not for guilting, but showing my appreciation for working, while so many entitement junkies are staying home on Uncle Sam's dime

I re-enforce that by when I tip, I tell them that I appreciate them working, while so many choose not to,

That has been my approach as well.  But lately, I have seen such a sharp rise in check totals that I am beginning to cut back.  And when I go to a place that has no personal interaction (e.g. where you place your order on a screen), I don't tip.  Tipping is for service, even on to-go orders.

I just spent a few days in NoVa, and I was shocked to see what a hell hole Alexandria has become.  Eating out is unaffordable.

[catfish1957]

That has been my approach as well.  But lately, I have seen such a sharp rise in check totals that I am beginning to cut back.  And when I go to a place that has no personal interaction (e.g. where you place your order on a screen), I don't tip.  Tipping is for service, even on to-go orders.

I just spent a few days in NoVa, and I was shocked to see what a hell hole Alexandria has become.  Eating out is unaffordable.

Agreed.  For tipping, I expect to be served my drinks, my order taken correctly, and brought back promptly and correct.  I expect friendliness, and attentive to any addtional needs, I might have during the meal.

Your comment brought back memoreis to an argument my wife and I had many many years ago.  She was shocked that i didn't tip the girls who brought out the burgers at Sonic.  My contention was, that the meal was brought to me no more than  50 feet away, and the interaction in total was 10 seconds long. 

She guilted me into changing,  afterwards, I basically started roundeing up my order to the nearest dollar.

[GtHawk]

I've seen these in a couple of places, and the net effect on me is that I don't tip at all.

They have sprouted tip jars in what are considered fast food and recently at the bakery I go to and sorry but I don't tip for someone who passes me my food or paid already to do their job. The exception is a waitress or waiter who not only brings me my food but keeps my beverages filled and repeatedly checks if I need something and actually gets it for me. This BS has seriously gotten out of hand, first unskilled labor demanding $15 an hour and now they expect tips on top of that? I have a solution, I'll just make my own damn food it's cheaper and almost always better, especially fast food today, than if I go out.

[Smokin Joe]

I acutally have upped my tipping 25-50% across the board.  Which my guidelines now are 12% for poor service 20-25% for good or decent service and 30-33% for excellent service,

Not for guilting, but showing my appreciation for working, while so many entitement junkies are staying home on Uncle Sam's dime

I re-enforce that by when I tip, I tell them that I appreciate them working, while so many choose not to,

It is a combination of those reasons and the realization that folks who were COVIDed out of their normal livelihood are often relying on those tips not only for paying their bills, but for recovering from debt incurred trying to keep their families fed, often without relying on handouts. Tips are service based, but it has to be really bad before I would leave nothing.

[Smokin Joe]

Everywhere I've eaten where the gratuity is mandatory in the bill, the service has sucked to the point I would not have tipped voluntarily.

I only ever encountered that in bars in Canada, many years ago. But the effect of the mandatory gratuity was resentment against the management. Overall, the waitress (barmaid) would likely have made a better gratuity if we didn't resent it being written in, and with it written in, there was little to guarantee the waitress would get it.

Which is why I am skeptical of electronically delivered (and tracked) tips, because I do not know where they are going, and the government will have the ability to document them and get their cut, regardless, possibly from someone who did not get the tip.

[jmyrlefuller]

My standard tip at a restaurant is 10% rounded up to the next whole dollar. The only time I tip more is if/when I am flirting with the waitress. And ALWAYS in cash.

[Cyber Liberty]

I only ever encountered that in bars in Canada, many years ago. But the effect of the mandatory gratuity was resentment against the management. Overall, the waitress (barmaid) would likely have made a better gratuity if we didn't resent it being written in, and with it written in, there was little to guarantee the waitress would get it.

Which is why I am skeptical of electronically delivered (and tracked) tips, because I do not know where they are going, and the government will have the ability to document them and get their cut, regardless, possibly from someone who did not get the tip.

I tip in cash, never on the credit card.  Then it's between me and the server how much it is.  Management loves splitting tips.

[Gefn]

I tip in cash, never on the credit card.  Then it's between me and the server how much it is.  Management loves splitting tips.

Yes. I’ve always tipped in restaurants and diners 20% because I did a stint as a waitress and it’s appreciated since so many people don’t tip.

You have to tip your hairdresser. If I go to Dunkin’ Donuts, I’ll tip the change from the coffee or donut.

And I always give the guy a dollar for pumping my gas. Two dollars if he cleans my windshield.

And when I get my car serviced I bring in a huge box of donuts,

And, lastly, my mailman at Christmas, and I’ll bake for my apartments manager and maintenance crew. And I bake for the gals at my bank too.