Adulting Part Seven: Tipping
It used to be waiting tables was a fairly lucrative profession, but it no longer is because people aren’t tipping.
Tonight we ate at a mom and pop pizza joint. All around us were families eating popular Italian entrees. Directly across from us was a couple who were packing up a rather large pizza into a take home box. They left our very friendly and efficient server a $2.00 tip on what was probably a $35.00 ticket.
People view the subject of tipping many different ways.
This was the title of an article in an industry food magazine I read online: “Tipping Encourages Racism, Sexism, Harassment and Exploitation”.
It was an article about all the social injustices in the industry and a push for an equitable tipping system.
Tipping encourages these social injustices if this is how you view the world.
Tipping is a requirement in the service industry and I imagine a service industry worker does not really care about the social justice spewed in that article, they are just damn glad to receive a tip at all.
Especially these days.
It seems the 20% tipping rule is on “the endangered list.”
“Inflation might be turning Americans into grinches this holiday season, new data suggests.”
Regardless of a social justice viewpoint, or inflation, tipping is essential to some professions.
I very frequently see younger people making all kinds of social faux pas (an embarrassing or tactless act in a social situation) when it comes to people who are performing a service for them.
Tipping is important because it shows those who are performing the service, you are grateful.
Tipping used to be called a gratuity, an old French word, “gratuité” meaning gift or graciousness.
Gratitude is one of the keys to a happy life.
I worked my way through college bartending and I was extremely grateful for the tips bar patrons left for me.
People in the food service and other service industries are paid the state minimum wage for tipped employees which is generally less than half of the state minimum wage for non-tipped employees. I currently live in Ohio, the current 2022 Ohio Minimum Wage is $9.30 per hour for non-tipped employees and $4.65 per hour for tipped employees.
Minimum wage is set by the State and for food service, restaurants adhere to the law to keep their costs low.
One always sees the comment “well the restaurant should pay them better”.
The answer, this raises the price you pay and is generally means the server becomes a food service minimum wage worker (at $9.30 in Ohio) and there are better places to work than a restaurant if you’re minimum wage, for example, Home Depot in Ohio ranges from $10.26 per hour to $24.25 per hour.
Or you’ll see the comment “the restaurant pays them, why should I?”.
The restaurant is paying them the state minimum ($4.65 per hour in Ohio) which is far less than minimum, far less than what they could make in a mid range paying job at Home Depot.
How many places have you been lately where they’ve reduce hours because of staffing issues? How many places have “help wanted” signs? How many places apologize for slow service because of staffing issues?
Do you think maybe it’s because people are tired of working hard and gaining nothing?
It used to be waiting tables was a fairly lucrative profession, but it no longer is because people aren’t tipping. In fact, a number of issues surround groups who come to a restaurant, share a bunch of menu items, stay for hours, and then don’t tip or tip very little.
Read about:
“a table that stayed for about six hours and only tipped 10%”
The best thing you can do for tipped food service people is to give them cash.
If you put the tip on a credit card, they may not actually receive it, it gets reported to the IRS, or they have to wait a few days before it is handed over to them. It is fine to pay for the meal with a credit card, but always leave cash for the server.
Some places I have been to lately are including a minimum gratuity in the bill.
Why?
Because people aren’t leaving tips at all, or tips that don’t adequately cover the bills for these people who serve you in restaurants.
I think this is a bad idea because in this situation, while you could give more to the server, people just don’t, mainly because most Americans don’t like to be told what to do with their money in social situations.
There are places where true minimum wage employees expect tips, sometimes pressure a customer for a tip, like your local Starbucks. Starbucks baristas make an average of $15.00 an hour (compared to your tipped server $4.65 per hour (in Ohio)).
Tipping is optional in these kinds of places.
A new and rude phenomenon called “Tip baiting”.
“Tip baiting” is when customers offer a large tip when placing the order, only to lower it once the food has been delivered.
Isn’t that sort of despicable (deserving of contempt or scorn; vile)?
I generally use the “twenty percent” rule, which means I give 20% of the bill to anyone who performs a service for me in a restaurant.
Remember, if you can’t tip, in cash, don’t go.
If you don’t like my advice of 20%, here are some other guidelines:
Restaurants
If you received good service 15% to 20%. Don’t base your tip on the taste of the food, the server had no control over that, you should have mentioned that to them so they could bring you something different.
If your service was mediocre, tip the minimum 12%-15%, the server has to eat too.
Leaving no tip is very bad unless the server was downright rude.
With takeout, tipping is not necessary if you picked it up. If a person brought the takeout to your house the tip should be 10% of bill.
Valet parking: When your car is returned to you, it's appropriate to tip the valet $2.00 to $5.00.
Travel
Always tip in the currency of the country you’re visiting.
Curbside check-in is $1.00-$2.00 per bag.
Taxis 15-20% of fare.
Tipping a Hotel Porter $2.00-$3.00 per bag.
Cruise ships and all inclusive, they’re going to tell you how much to tip and it’s going to be steep.
If you are traveling, remember, in many countries, people do not tip.
In a few countries, it's even considered an insult.
Do your research when traveling abroad.
Spa and Salon
Massage therapist 15-20% of the charge.
Tipping a Hairstylist is 15-20% of the bill.
Tipping 10-15% of the bill for a manicure.
Tipping 15-20% of the bill for a pedicure.
A Barber gets $2.00-$3.00.
A Pet groomer gets 20% of the bill
During the Holidays, remember there is a difference between social tipping and Holiday tipping. An excellent guide about Holiday tipping from the Wall Street Journal.
“Focus on the people who make your life more pleasant all year long, according to experts.”
“Be very clear about the fact that you’re giving for the holiday season because they’ve gone above and beyond.”
The takeaway here: if you can’t tip, in cash, don’t go.
Good advice. But I tip way more than you suggested. It’s appreciated and the service on return visits is much better !
I am in total agreement with you. I didn't realize that customers not tipping had become an issue. I waited on tables at night while establishing myself as an illustrator. The job enabled me to see art directors during the day and not starve to death.