To those who live in or who have visited the United States.
Growing up in the 90’s, the “minimum acceptable” tip was 10%, average was 15%, and a good tip was 20%. These days, I just round to the nearest dollar and tip 20%, but I’ve heard these days it’s not unusual to tip up to 40%!
What do you usually do?
As a transplant I refuse the whole US tipping system and stick to the way of “rounding it up”. It often ends up around 10% of the bill but % tipping seems absolutely stupid as you are being punished for buying more. A few rare times I actually tipped 20% because the service was very good. Nobody tips me on my job and on average I make less than these people so I don’t see the logical connection of this whole stupid tipping culture
You make less than $2.13 an hour, the federal minimum tipped wage?
What? Your comment makes absolutely no sense.
I always tip 20%, more for exceptional service. I’ve worked as a cook for about 15 years, at various places from dive bars to fine dining. At some places the servers and bartenders make insane money, often more than the chef who is usually on salary and not eligible for tips. But at a lot of places, the servers barely make ends meet and live not only check to check, but hand to mouth, week to week depending on the business. I never assume anyone is making bank so I tip well as a professional courtesy and to make up for people who don’t tip.
Increasingly these days, I’ve heard about and worked at places where the tips are split with the back of house crew, up to 40%. That ends up meaning that nearly 50% of our monthly pay is in tips, and that’s a blessing and a curse. Having PTO is basically worthless because missing out on the tips hurts so much.
Here in Seattle, they just raised the minimum wage to just over $20 an hour, and tips and benefits can’t be counted towards that. It’s a step in the right direction, but because capitalism is going to capitalism, it means that’s barely enough to live in the city with a single income source. So I still tip well regardless.
Most places in the country are not that fortunate, so I encourage everyone to tip their servers. If you think you’re going to force owners to pay people more by not tipping, you’re not only wrong, you’re actively making life harder for people who will likely never make as much as you if you work any sort of office job.
The system sucks, and needs to change. Some people can’t afford to tip generously, and that’s fine. But if you don’t tip out of principle, you’re just an asshole.
20% for excellent service.
It goes down from there. Yes zero tip is acceptable if the service sucked. If I ordered medium rare steak and I get well done steak. I normally won’t deduct that from the tip since that is a hard one for the server to see. But if it’s something they could have seen and didn’t fix, yeah I’m probably reducing the tip.
The tip is for service above and beyond, not a required part of the bill.
Americans: “I don’t care how bad the service is, you HAVE to tip a minimum amount.”
Also Americans: “My experience at the DMV was bad. Fire all government employees!”
20% minimum even if service sucked since it’s virtually always systemic reasons why the service sucked
20%—I feel for tip-based workers, but I’m also not running charity nor am I in a financial place in life to be tipping much higher than that.
If 20% is not in the list I will enter 20%.
I do the same as you with a few exceptions:
Laugh at my old man’s jokes about the weather when we go out for our weekly breakfast? You get an extra buck or two
If I order water, an extra buck or so. It takes the same energy as bringing me a beer. Especially at night clubs.
Bring me back my change but didn’t break up that fiver? I’ll tip you exactly 18% and make you bring me back five singles
The bars empty, you’re not making squat in tips and you hang out and chat with me. Could be an extra five bucks or so
Give me a free beer? I’ll tip an extra five bucks
Nothing, I live in a country where it’s the employer’s responsibility to pay their staff a livable wage.
Typically 20-25 at a restaurant. I’m not a fan of tipping for transactions where I’m not served. I only tip when someone does something.
I was going to answer, but then you clarified on the body of your post that you only wanted answers from people in the US, lol
15% flat always. Canada has sadly embraced tipping culture so I’ll not deny anyone the going rate or judge them at their workplace - but Vancouver is also expensive as fuck and anything over 15% starts putting meals close to the 100$ mark.
Don’t pay it. In Australia they’re trying, and I remind them they get paid well, get paid overtime, get paid a pension, and get paid more to take holidays. After being paid all that, why is the shitty machine prompting a tip?
0, after reading the comments I realised you do not want my answer, since I live in the EU
Appologies. My presumption was civilized places don’t have such barbaric practices
😘
15% typically, more if it warrants it. Food keeps getting more expensive, so the percentage doesn’t have to go up.
Zero. I believe that the negotiations of an employee’s market value are between the employee and their employer. I don’t believe that it is my responsibility to charitably subsidize a company through the subsidization of their employees’ wages.
Your choice not to tip will make no difference to the company, but every difference to a person who suffers through customer service for a living.
“I don’t want to subsidize a company” is just you inventing a convenient way to justify what is essentially theft. Why stop at not tipping? You could probably get away with stealing IDK, playground equipment too.
Not tipping is theft now? Is everything ok bud?
At least in the US, tipping is the accepted way that we compensate certain people for their time.
If you habitually never tip, you are not paying for the service that you receive in good faith. This is theft of service.
If you don’t like tipping, patronize places that include the tip in the bill. Tell restaurant owners to change their pay structure to avoid it. It won’t be changed by you individually shirking your obligation to pay.
Oh no I’m such a thief ahah don’t call the popo. I pay the service and products when I pay the bill with the agreed prices. If US companies are so broke and poor that they can’t even pay their people, they should close. I don’t beg for money when I work, disgusting.
Growing up, and even after working in foodservice, I was always told to tip at least 20% (almost) regardless of service.
There’s been maybe two times I didn’t tip 20% and the lower tip was definitely earned.
