A debate on tipping

[Erebus]

I have mixed feelings on tipping as a concept to be honest. On the one hand, it's a polite thing to do and can help somebody out. On the other hand, it can be used to justify paying poverty wages.

It's exceptionally rare that I eat out but I always leave a tip when I do. Tipping in the UK doesn't seem to be as vital to a waiter's ability to pay the bills as it is in the US. However, things aren't exactly great in the UK right now. That tip could make a difference for them.

 

[Viker]

I don't think anyone is obligated to tip. This is a courtesy. And as the example in Reservoir Dogs provides, many depend on this for a living. Servers often don't make minimum wage even. I was briefly a server and legally made under minimum wage, without tips I would have been hopeless. Needless to say, fast food and restaurant work inspired me to get as far away from that line of work as possible.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I was once having dinner with an iceberg. When we got up after finishing the meal, the waiter looked at the tip and said, "Is that for both of you?" I said, "No! That $10 is just the tip of the iceberg."

They kicked me out of the restaurant.

 

[Secret Chief]

In the UK tipping (yes/no and amount) is entirely discretionary.

 

[sun rise]

The sad reality is that people are not paid living wages all too often. And in restaurants hourly wages are lower because people are expected to make up the difference in tips. So I tip

 

[Orbit]

Oof. It sounds like you are saying it is immoral to not tip. Is that so?

When tipped minimum wage is like $2.16 it IS immoral not to tip.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I don't eat out at expensive places, so I tip at least 50% or more. It makes me feel good to know the person serving me will be happy.

 

[VoidCat]

I tip but in reality I believe bosses should just pay their employees fairly. I find the whole bosses not paying their employees enough thus we should tip to be problematic as employees should be paid fairly to begin with and think folk should do something about it. In the meantime I'll tip if I can tho sometimes I can't.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

If I'm not mistaken the tipping culture within the U.S. is fairly unique to here. It's arbitrary and inconsistent, and in some positions the wages are so low that tips are depended upon. People should be paid fair, livable wages and tips should only be a bonus for exceptional service.

In Australia there is no obligation or expectation to tip.
It is certainly done by some people, but it's generally considered acknowledgement of excellent service.

Minimum wage here for a 20+ cafe worker working on a casual basis is just over $26/hour for a weekday, higher on weekends ($32) and public holidays ($53).

 

[Father Heathen]

In Australia there is no obligation or expectation to tip.
It is certainly done by some people, but it's generally considered acknowledgement of excellent service.

Minimum wage here for a 20+ cafe worker working on a casual basis is just over $26/hour for a weekday, higher on weekends ($32) and public holidays ($53).

To digress a little, a lot of businesses here were saying that they couldn't afford to pay a $15 minimum wage, but when labor became scarce, they seemed to have no trouble offering that and even higher.

 

[Vinayaka]

In Australia there is no obligation or expectation to tip.
It is certainly done by some people, but it's generally considered acknowledgement of excellent service.

Minimum wage here for a 20+ cafe worker working on a casual basis is just over $26/hour for a weekday, higher on weekends ($32) and public holidays ($53).

That makes so much more sense to me. Here in Canada wages are substantially less. I tip here, but wouldn't there.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

That makes so much more sense to me. Here in Canada wages are substantially less. I tip here, but wouldn't there.

The weird part for me is that an 18 year old is paid less than a 20+, but I think it's an effort to ensure people don't just stop getting shifts on their 18th birthday (so it scales up over a couple of years).

 

[Father Heathen]

In Australia there is no obligation or expectation to tip.
It is certainly done by some people, but it's generally considered acknowledgement of excellent service.

Minimum wage here for a 20+ cafe worker working on a casual basis is just over $26/hour for a weekday, higher on weekends ($32) and public holidays ($53).

Here, waitresses get next to nothing because the expectation is that most of their income will be via tips. And it's completely arbitrary which professions get tipped and which do not. I can understand why it would be a confusing and frustrating experience for foreign visitors. Same thing with how our sales tax works.

 

[fantome profane]

I always tip, if the service is good I tip generously, if the service is mediocre I still give a basic tip (when I have a off day at work I still get paid, as long as I don't have too many of them). For me not to tip the server would have to do something absolutely horrendous, and I would be talking to the manager (or the police), and I have never done that.


I agree with those who think the tipping system sucks and it would be better if the employer just paid a fair wage to begin with. But that is not the system we have, so until that changes, tip your server!

 

[Father Heathen]

I always tip, if the service is good I tip generously, if the service is mediocre I still give a basic tip (when I have a off day at work I still get paid, as long as I don't have too many of them). For me not to tip the server would have to do something absolutely horrendous, and I would be talking to the manager (or the police), and I have never done that.


I agree with those who think the tipping system sucks and it would be better if the employer just paid a fair wage to begin with. But that is not the system we have, so until that changes, tip your server!

Right. I would always tip unless the service was especially rude or poor.

 

[HonestJoe]

When you go out and eat, are you obligated to tip your server?

I feel very strongly against the way the concept of tipping has been corrupted that leads to the question in the first place.

If it is any kind of obligation, it isn't a "tip" by it's proper definition. A tip is meant to be a bonus payment for exceptional service. That should be an entirely free choice by the customer, not a socially (and sometimes formally) expected or even required payment and amount.

It has long being used by employers as an excuse to maintain poor levels of pay in many areas of work, relying on tipping to make up the difference. I gather in America, this can go as far as having a lower minimum wage for employment groups like servers, on the assumption that they'll receive a certain level of tips. Sometimes this extends to back of house employees too though, who wouldn't naturally be expected to be tipped (though they may well be the ones putting in the effort that earns it).

There are a whole load of problems with this process, including inconsistent ways in which tips are actually received by staff (if they are at all), tips not being declared for taxes and the expectation of an automatic level of tip leading to conflict and resentment (as you described). There can also be ridiculous contradictions due to "tips" being a defined percentage of the price of the meal. Carrying a lobster and a bottle of champagne is not more effort that carrying a salad and a bottle of water but the first would likely involve a much larger tip.

Restaurant owners like it of course because it allows they to list the prices of their food lower than it actually is, with an expected gratuity percentage in the small print. I've always seen that as on the borderline of fraud, something that would be unacceptable in most other areas (and probably illegal, certainly here in the UK).

I could go on but I think there is a word-count limit here . I generally tip the "expected" amount when I do eat out (which isn't often) because I don't like conflict and I don't think that helps anyway. To improve the situation would require some form of systematic change, either by the industry as a whole or driven by government. Unfortunately, neither are going to happen.

 

[SomeRandom]

When you go out and eat, are you obligated to tip your server?

I'm a dishwasher and work with servers all day. They get so mad when they don't get tipped. They act so entitled to a nice tip. "If you can't afford to eat out, then don't!" one said the other day.

I don't tip usually when I eat out. I'm too broke. But if I can afford a burger, dammit I want a burger. I'm not trying to pay your bills miss server. That is your boss's job, not mine LOL.

A classic scene from Tarantino's movie Reservoir Dogs where this topic is debated

Depends on where you live.
In Australia it’s not customary, since we have a minimum wage. And I think folks in Hospitality make fairly decent wages.

The pandemic and inflation have affected that for obvious reasons.

So when we eat out we just pay for our meal. If someone wants to, they may give the server a little extra.

In America I would always tip, just because I consider server wages there to be atrocious. And if the server was nice, I’d add extra because I know I couldn’t be nice to folks on what they make, if I’m being honest

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I do tip, and I like tipping generously, but businesses really need to pay a living wage. We shouldn't be obligated and expected to subsidize someone's pathetically absurd wage because the company too cheap to pay a paying decent wage and too cheap to break with a crap tradition.

 

[Aštra’el]

No. It is a bonus that nobody deserves and few will earn from me.