Perhaps you’ve noticed. We have reached a tipping point in the country over tipping.
To tip or not to tip has led to Shakespearean soliloquies by customers explaining why they refuse to tip for certain things.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers were grateful for those who seemingly risked their safety so we could get groceries, order dinner or anything that made our lives feel normal. A nice tip was the least we could do to show gratitude.
But now that we are out about and back to normal, the custom of tipping for just about everything has somehow remained; and customers are upset.
A new study from Pew Research shows most American adults say tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago, and there’s no real consensus about how tipping should work.
Tipping in restaurants is great but it has gone to places where it is not needed.
I wouldn’t say it’s great even there. If you want people to pay 20% more for their food so your workers can get paid, just list that on the menu. Raise all food prices 20% and pay the wait staff a decent wage. Customers pay the same in the end and your staff isn’t dependent on customer generosity to make a living.