Tipping

[ksr]

In a few short years tip option defaults have gone from 10/12/15 to 12/15/18 to 15/18/20 or 15/20/25, and some are even higher now. Some people get annoyed while others it seems will tip whatever they are told.

We have a local restaurant that we normally eat lunch at maybe once a month. Their Tip screen now shows 25/22/20, in that order. As if to say that 20% is the bare minimum and makes me feel like I'm being cheap. I'm so annoyed about this that I am finding myself less and less inclined to dine there.

My favorite restaurant has 15/18/20 which I find somewhat more reasonable.

 

[MichaelB]

If a tipped employee only earns the regular minimum wage, they would wonder how they will pay their bills. The idea that tipping is to "make up" wages is just not the case, speaking for waitstaff generally.

Tipped wait staff don’t make the regular minimum wage. Labor regs carve out an exception for wait staff of full service restaurants. Federal minimum wage is $7.50 per hour and for tipped staff $2.13 per hour.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We have a local restaurant that we normally eat lunch at maybe once a month. Their Tip screen now shows 25/22/20, in that order. As if to say that 20% is the bare minimum and makes me feel like I'm being cheap. I'm so annoyed about this that I am finding myself less and less inclined to dine there.

I would walk out Tip zero and never go back.

 

[Montecfo]

Tipped wait staff don’t make the regular minimum wage. Labor regs carve out an exception for wait staff of full service restaurants. Federal minimum wage is $7.50 per hour and for tipped staff $2.13 per hour.

I am aware of this. I think you may not have noticed the context of the post I was responding to.

My point was that tipped wait staff should easily exceed the regular minimum wage, not simply meet it.

 

[GenXguy]

We have a local restaurant that we normally eat lunch at maybe once a month. Their Tip screen now shows 25/22/20, in that order. As if to say that 20% is the bare minimum and makes me feel like I'm being cheap. I'm so annoyed about this that I am finding myself less and less inclined to dine there.

My favorite restaurant has 15/18/20 which I find somewhat more reasonable.

I got a haircut the other day with military discount was $13, and the minimum tip option was $5. Custom was an option, but I still tipped $4.

 

[youbet]

I got a haircut the other day with military discount was $13, and the minimum tip option was $5. Custom was an option, but I still tipped $4.

This makes me glad the barber I've been going to for 47 years doesn't have a computerized payment system. One man shop, Doesn't take plastic. No cash register. Just makes change out of his pocket. No prices posted. Appointments only. I pay $20 + $5 tip. Some extra beyond that on holidays.

 

[HarveyS]

Tipped wait staff don’t make the regular minimum wage. Labor regs carve out an exception for wait staff of full service restaurants. Federal minimum wage is $7.50 per hour and for tipped staff $2.13 per hour.

True. Federal minimums as stated.

But also misleading. States, counties, and even cities can set their own rules. In Los Angeles County, minimum is $16.04 for all employees, tipped and non-tipped.

30 states (and DC) have a state minimum wage higher than the US Federal wage. As high as $15.74 in WA (and $16.50 in DC). $13/hr in IL.

Cities also have higher minimum wage laws. For example, West Hollywood, CA minimum wage is $17.64, but CA minimum is $15.50. Chicago minimum is $15.00/hr

By federal law, a tipped worker is anyone who regularly receives at least $30 per month in tips. States have a different threshold for tipped workers, ranging from $20 - $120. Only five states have laws requiring tipped employees be paid more than the federal minimum wage of $7.50/hr. And, again, cities can have higher wage laws. NYC minimum for tipped workers is $10.00/hr. LA minimum is $16.04 for all employees, tipped and non-tipped. Chicago minimum for tipped workers is $9.48/hr.

sources: US Dept. of Labor, investopedia, minimum-wage.org, cda.org

 

[Chuckanut]

From today’s WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/tipping-down-service-workers-a4c27a2e?page=1


There’s a paywall so here are a few quotes.

People are cutting back on tipping, frustrated by ubiquitous requests for gratuities.

As of November, service-sector workers in nonrestaurant leisure and hospitality jobs made $1.28 an hour in tips, on average, down 7% from the $1.38 an hour they made a year prior. The data is according to an analysis of 300,000 small and medium-size businesses by payroll provider Gusto.

“ “There’s an ongoing rejection of the whole system by both workers and consumers who have been increasingly pissed about it,” says Saru Jayaraman, director of the Food Labor Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley and president of One Fair Wage, an advocate for higher wages for restaurant workers. ”

 

[COcheesehead]

The tip screen at my local coffee shop now has three big options $1, $2 and No Tip.
There is a fourth option in small text: custom tip.

 

[tulak]

The tip screen at my local coffee shop now has three big options $1, $2 and No Tip.
There is a fourth option in small text: custom tip.

I’ve seen the screen tip amount change depending on how much you spend.

If you buy a cup of coffee, it’ll prompt you for a $1/$2 (fixed amount) tip. If you add a pastry (exceed a certain amount I’m guessing), it’ll offer you a percentage.

I would image this would be amount driven. If the percentage calculation is less than $1, then prompt a fixed amount ($1+, etc), otherwise give a percentage option.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Yesterday was DW's birthday, we went to a local Thai place that she likes. We tipped 20% as they did give her a free desert with a candle.

I did like the fact that at the bottom of the bill were some suggestions for 15%, 18%, 20% and 25%.

Nothing forced, just the math was done for you, I am OK with that.

 

[GenXguy]

I bought a $3 Wednesday Whopper on the Burger King app yesterday. No mention of a tip in the app. Just over 20 years ago, I used to get those for 99 cents each through the drive-thru any day of the week for an extended time period.

 

[GenXguy]

Yesterday was DW's birthday, we went to a local Thai place that she likes. We tipped 20% as they did give her a free desert with a candle.

I did like the fact that at the bottom of the bill were some suggestions for 15%, 18%, 20% and 25%.

Nothing forced, just the math was done for you, I am OK with that.

Some people in this thread said they tip 10%, but at least the math is easy.... for most people.

 

[Car-Guy]

So with Christmas time right around the corner we are tipping a few of the support folks we see around here pretty often that we never seem to tip. Ex, $50 to our regular Fed Ex drivers (see them at least once a month) $50 to the trash transfer station attendants, etc.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

So with Christmas time right around the corner we are tipping a few of the support folks we see around here pretty often that we never seem to tip. Ex, $50 to our regular Fed Ex drivers (see them at least once a month) $50 to the trash transfer station attendants, etc.

And don't forget the postie.

 

[GenXguy]

So with Christmas time right around the corner we are tipping a few of the support folks we see around here pretty often that we never seem to tip. Ex, $50 to our regular Fed Ex drivers (see them at least once a month) $50 to the trash transfer station attendants, etc.

I've never heard of anyone tipping those type of workers. Or the "postie". I guess this is just another example of the tipping culture getting out of hand. They're not even on that list/chart about how much different types of workers are being tipped that I posted a while back, so it must be pretty low.

Ref: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/tipping-116352-28.html#post3016143

 

[MichaelB]

I've never heard of anyone tipping those type of workers. Or the "postie". I guess this is just another example of the tipping culture getting out of hand. They're not even on that list/chart about how much different types of workers are being tipped that I posted a while back, so it must be pretty low.

Ref: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/tipping-116352-28.html#post3016143

This is nothing new. There are thread discussions from years past discussing holiday tips, including mail carriers, delivery people, etc.

Here’s one example from ‘09 https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/christmas-tips-47867.html

 

[Major Tom]

I've never heard of anyone tipping those type of workers. Or the "postie". I guess this is just another example of the tipping culture getting out of hand. They're not even on that list/chart about how much different types of workers are being tipped that I posted a while back, so it must be pretty low.

In the UK in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, our family tipped the regular delivery people every year. In our case, it was the milkman and the newspaper delivery man. I cannot remember if we tipped the postman. For this reason, I do not view this as "tipping culture getting out of hand". FYI, in the US, the regulations concerning tipping are as follows (taken from the USPS website) -

"All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period."

 

[GenXguy]

This is nothing new. There are thread discussions from years past discussing holiday tips, including mail carriers, delivery people, etc.

Here’s one example from ‘09 https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/christmas-tips-47867.html

Well, I wasn't on this forum that long ago, but I honestly never heard of anyone in real life even ever talking about tipping UPS, postman, garbage collectors. And it wasn't in the earlier info I referenced, so must be very uncommon. I'm sure there are exceptions.

In the UK in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, our family tipped the regular delivery people every year. In our case, it was the milkman and the newspaper delivery man. I cannot remember if we tipped the postman. For this reason, I do not view this as "tipping culture getting out of hand". FYI, in the US, mail carriers are not allowed to accept a tip of more than $20, and no more than $50/year from the same source.

I'm in Illinois in the U.S., so I can't speak for what is normal in the UK. But I suspect this is pretty rare around where I live. But it does seem to be true that most people think tipping has gotten out of hand per the articles I have referenced. From what I've read, it's gotten worse with all the inflation leaving less money in people's pockets for tips and charity.

 

[MichaelB]

Well, I wasn't on this forum that long ago, but I honestly never heard of anyone in real life even ever talking about tipping UPS, postman, garbage collectors. And it wasn't in the earlier info I referenced, so must be very uncommon. I'm sure there are exceptions.

I was addressing your point about this being new. It may be new to you, but it certainly isn’t new or uncommon to the forum or US culture in general.

 

[GenXguy]

I was addressing your point about this being new. It may be new to you, but it certainly isn’t new or uncommon to the forum or US culture in general.

Well, I said I never heard of it. I'm sure there are some people that do. I was an onsite computer service tech many years ago and even received a tip a couple times. hehe

I actually just did some searching online that indicated 19% of people tip garbage collectors. That seems very high, so I'm skeptical. But, that's probably actually based on customer households than individuals. So, still a minority by far.

 

[HawkOwl]

I was addressing your point about this being new. It may be new to you, but it certainly isn’t new or uncommon to the forum or US culture in general.

I agree. As a child in the 70’s I remember my parents giving a Christmas gift (tip) to the mail delivery person.

 

[Pointby2]

Just the logistics of trying to tip UPS, postman and garbage collectors.
I am trying to imagine waiting for the garbage man, running out while their equipment is screaming and climbing up steps to their window. Then pounding on it to get their attention. Just to hand them a tip.

 

[GenXguy]

Just the logistics of trying to tip UPS, postman and garbage collectors.
I am trying to imagine waiting for the garbage man, running out while their equipment is screaming and climbing up steps to their window. Then pounding on it to get their attention. Just to hand them a tip.

We have garbage come by twice, once for the regular trash another time for recycled. I don't even know if it's the same crew or if it's different people on different routes rather than consistent all year. I wouldn't know the postman if I walked by him in public.

 

[Midpack]

Well, I said I never heard of it. I'm sure there are some people that do. I was an onsite computer service tech many years ago and even received a tip a couple times. hehe

I actually just did some searching online that indicated 19% of people tip garbage collectors. That seems very high, so I'm skeptical. But, that's probably actually based on customer households than individuals. So, still a minority by far.

OK Scrooge. It’s not that uncommon IME. We always tip more, amount (servers, haircare, coffee, etc.) and services (postal, garbage), in December. This article will blow your mind… https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/money/money-etiquette/holiday-tipping-giving-checklist

A poll on holiday tipping by CreditCards.com found that 45 percent of those polled say they give bigger tips to at least one type of service provider this time of year.