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Posted by on May 21, 2022 in Restaurant Reviews | 0 comments

To Tip or Not to Tip?

 

 

I tend to follow what I call the “what if everybody did this?” rule. I tip (and behave) as if to satisfy the collective larger question — what would happen if every single customer did precisely the same thing?

If you’ve dined out recently, chances are you’ve been confronted with the option of tipping at casual restaurants.

I’m not talking about sit-down restaurants with waitstaff. Those workers are intentionally underpaid and thus derive most of their income from tips. Standard tipping in most restaurants is 15 to 20 percent. In America, there is popular consensus on this (other countries have different standards when it comes to tipping).

However, the new trend is the tipping option at the service counter or cashier. Restaurants increasingly offer counter service, which can be either dine-in or takeout. Most places now have tip jars (for cash) on display and the option of adding a tip with a credit card. No doubt, you’ve experienced this if you’ve dined out anywhere lately.

I’m perfectly fine with paying food service workers, and even tipping non-waitstaff in some cases. What does puzzle me is the absurdity of being confronted with what I consider to be totally unreasonable options. Note this is the new standard tipping option almost everywhere, even at counter service, where the customer seems intimidated to tip 18, 20, or even 25 percent. Seriously, 25 percent? For the cashier to take my order, press a few buttons, and then place the food on a tray? Why would anyone tip the same amount to a counter person as a waiter, who typically makes several trips back and forth between the kitchen and dining area, engages in conversation, offers suggestions, and essentially becomes a host for the restaurant? A 25 percent tip on a $42 takeout meal? $10.50 extra? Really?

When tipping, so long as the service is acceptable, I tend to follow what I call the “what if everybody did this?” rule. I tip (and behave) as if to satisfy the collective larger question — what would happen if every single customer did precisely the same thing? For instance, if Marieta and I leave two bucks inside the tip jar at the counter, that might not seem like a lot of money. But if 200 customers are served on a shift, and everybody tips a buck , that’s $200 bucks extra for the staff. I have no problem with that. I actually think this should be a standard rule of etiquette in almost all situations.

Readers may disagree. And I do get annoyed at the assumption that I must tip regular workers when many of them work for giant corporations paying their CEOs millions and generating profits for shareholders. I bristle at being expected to take up the slack of economic inequity. That said, I want to do the right thing.

I’m surprised there’s not more public discussion about this. Moreover, I’m convinced the confusion is deliberate. I’m also certain that many restaurants do this to avoid having to pay workers a living wage. While I strongly oppose this, I also don’t want to penalize working-class people for a tipping system that amounts to a shakedown.

Comments welcome.  Feel free to join the discussion HERE ON FACEBOOK.
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Footnote: I snapped this photo last week at a local Las Vegas restaurant. I estimate about half of the casual restaurants now offer this “option.”

Should We Phase Out Tipping?

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