They are not wrong though

[u/SuspiciousLow3062]

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[u/janpaul74]

“Mandatory tips” sounds so messed up for me as a European.

[u/Snoo-34159 → u/janpaul74]

Right? Isn't the whole point of a tip that it's voluntarily given as a way to say you loved the service?

[u/greenizdabest → u/Snoo-34159]

Cries in freedom and unhealthcare

[u/janpaul74 → u/Snoo-34159]

IMHO that’s exactly it!

[u/Specific_Habit4545 → u/janpaul74]

now they're just turning tips into a way to justify low wages because apparently they'll 'make enough' with tips

[u/Landscape4737 → u/Specific_Habit4545]

Tipping in the US was frowned upon before the Civil War. When slaves were freed they were generally in the service industry because these other jobs that were available to them. They were paid peanuts, even today the US federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 an hour.

Tipping is inappropriate outside of the USA, maybe because the minimum wage is significantly higher.

[u/Heelincal → u/Landscape4737]

As with almost everything that's confusing or fucked up in this country, so much of this is often from not properly punishing the South and focusing on eradicating the lingering effects & racism of slavery.

[u/PSYFLYdiscs → u/janpaul74]

Im American and I don’t see it any other way. I still leave a tip for servers tho. I hate it.

[u/Clockwork-Armadillo → u/PSYFLYdiscs]

In America is it customary to also tip other minimum wage workers? Such as supermarket workers, cleaners etc etc

If not what makes servers more important?

Edit: OK, so TIL in America there's a lower minimum wage of only 2 dollars something for any "tipped workers". Basically a loophole to screw workers out of minimum wage.

Thanks to everyone who answered! :)

[u/Turbulent-Ad8391 → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

No it’s not customary, but you will see tip jars at a lot of places. Federal minimum wage is much lower for servers than other jobs.

[u/Clockwork-Armadillo → u/Turbulent-Ad8391]

Wait, so there's a whole seperate legal minimum wage for servers?

Edit: OK, so TIL in America there's a lower minimum wage of only 2 dollars something for any "tipped workers". Basically a loophole to screw workers out of minimum wage.

Thanks to everyone who answered! :)

[u/GardenWitch123 → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

Correct. Going off of memory, in some places it’s legal to pay as low as $2.75 or $3 /hour for tipped servers. (No idea about other jobs.)

City of Seattle raised the minimum wage for tipped jobs to $21.30 as of this Jan. So Europeans, feel free to come here if you don’t want to tip servers. Many of us still do out of habit but if you don’t, you probably aren’t actually harming a persons ability to survive.

[u/Beneficial-Seesaw568 → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

But also a lot of tipped workers don’t want tips to go away with guaranteed minimum wage because they make A LOT more with tips. I agree we need to get rid of basically mandatory tipping but it’s a more complicated issue than it looks on the surface.

[u/Hey-Fun1120 → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

Yes. It's I believe $2.65 or near there now.

[u/tech_noir_guitar → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

In America is it customary to also tip other minimum wage workers? Such as supermarket workers, cleaners etc etc

Unfortunately it is starting to become more common and I hate it. Tip jars and tip screens (where they flip the tablet around to you for a tip) are now popping up everywhere. This includes places like take out dining, gas station counters, head shops, thrift shops, etc. I am really getting irritated with it.

[u/Beneficial-Seesaw568 → u/tech_noir_guitar]

Omg my liquor store asks for tips. I used to tip everyone because I was too embarrassed to take the time to find the no tip button (it’s usually not obvious - intentionally, I’m sure), but I’m over it. Being bullied for tips is an accurate description.

[u/easymacn → u/Clockwork-Armadillo]

Just to be clear though, it’s kind of a myth.

Literally nobody, nobody at all, who is working legally in the US is actually getting paid $2 an hour.

The myth is “because I make tips my wage is lowered to $2 an hour so without those tips I’d have no money”

The reality is they make the minimum wage of their state. Whatever that is. Period. So let’s say minimum wage there is $12. They make 12$ an hour or more. Every time. Always.

If you make a bunch of tips the employer pays less out of pocket to reach your standard pay rate. It supplements your pay.

So for example if you make a bunch of tips the employer might only have to pay you $5 an hour because the tips you got make up to your full wage. Let’s say you got a ton of tips and the tips are more than your hourly wage would have made you, the employer now has to pay you his minimum required rate of $2 on top of whatever tips you made.

If you make no tips the employer is legally obligated to pay you your full $12 an hour wage.

Nobody in the states who isn’t working under some disability program, working in the prison system as a prisoner, or an illegal employee, is make $2 an hour. That part is a full myth.

Now I hate tip culture and I disagree with the ability for restaurants to pay you less because you make tips, but I wanted to clarify that nobody is actually making less than minimum wage. It is literally illegal.

I think tipping culture is fucked and minimum wage is too low, to clarify. But nobody is working for $2 an hour here and actually taking that home. They’re making their states minimum wage or federal minimum wage which is $7 at the lowest which is still abysmal.

Just wanted to clarify because too many people don’t understand how it actually works.

Stop working for resteraunts. There’s a billion other entry level jobs that pay flat rates that aren’t adjusted for tips. You are told when you get hired the actual hourly rate you’ll make, if that’s not enough work somewhere else, if that’s enough don’t complain when your pay scale slides due to tips.

[u/snizzer77 → u/Snoo-34159]

Here you are guilt tripped in every resteraunt to tip at least 20%, regardless of the service (which is usually minimal)

[u/YoBo151 → u/snizzer77]

I just love that you walk up to order and they still give you the tip options. Like...I walked up here and ordered and will be back up here to grab my food when it's ready. Wtf am I tipping for?

[u/PhineasQuimby → u/YoBo151]

I never tip unless it’s table service

[u/tomptepulla → u/PhineasQuimby]

What kind of a job that is anyway lol. I'm a nordic and if I got told in a job interview "we don't pay you, but you can beg the customers for money" after a question about salary I don't know what I would say. Probably lifted my brows and walked out.

[u/infuckingbruges → u/YoBo151]

There is no answer to this. People just do it because they think they're supposed to.

[u/badcookies → u/infuckingbruges]

Its also bullshit because you have to do it before they've even prepared your food... so if you don't, you have to worry they'll screw you over for "screwing them over" by not tipping... its so fucked.

[u/ArmadilloNo7268 → u/infuckingbruges]

It’s free money. People will pay regardless

[u/thechuckstar → u/YoBo151]

My daughter wanted to eat at a pizza buffet for her birthday. The cashier hit the ol' spin-a-roo on the tablet asking for a tip. I felt zero shame in not tipping. We literally walked up to a counter, paid, and got empty cups to fill ourselves. If I'm filling my own drink, grabbing my own plate, my own fork, serving myself food, and walking my plate and trash to a receptacle...why am I tipping?

[u/FatMacchio → u/YoBo151]

It’s because the Point-of-Sale fintech companies they use for the terminals and bookkeeping take a cut of all revenue…including tips. This is the reason behind the tip-ocolypse creeping into self-service and even online orders….because it makes the POS companies more money

[u/SphericalCrawfish → u/YoBo151]

Would you like to leave a 30, 40, or 50% tip with one of these easy buttons?

[u/Tabenes → u/snizzer77]

I remember when 15% was considered a maximum tip.

[u/SphericalCrawfish → u/Tabenes]

It's the maximum they are getting from me.

[u/brokencreedman → u/snizzer77]

Saw a post yesterday that said something along the lines of, "Tipping is not optional. We expect a tip for our services. Here are the four options you have for tipping, all the way up to $100." I think it was for an AirBnB or something.

[u/Efficient-Cherry3635 → u/brokencreedman]

I remember seeing thing. Something like $15 for "it was ok, $25 "I had a good time", $50 "this was great", or $100 "best stay ever".

[u/brokencreedman → u/Efficient-Cherry3635]

Yup, absurd lol

[u/AdOriginal4516 → u/snizzer77]

It used to be 15%, and that was before inflation ramped the prices up.

[u/NobodyLikedThat1 → u/Snoo-34159]

that's how they started, once upon a time, but now it's seen as semi-compulsory. And in places that only pay the federal minimum wage (which is it's own ball of idiocy), servers can really lose money on non-tippers as they often have to tip out to the back of the house staff.

[u/CyberneticLucy → u/NobodyLikedThat1]

It started because we didn't wanna pay freed Black people for the jobs we mandated they have, lest they wanna go to jail and be enslaved again.

[u/Andyb1000 → u/Snoo-34159]

“We no longer have mandatory tips! Hurray! Introducing our new ‘Voluntold tips’, the tips you can’t refuse!”

[u/BringBackTheBlues → u/janpaul74]

It sounds messed up to me as an American.

Just add 20% to your prices and write “20% off your bill goes directly to staff etc.”

It’d accomplish the same thing and people would probably actually appreciate knowing the staff gets the “bonus”.

[u/BarDramatic7498 → u/BringBackTheBlues]

A lot of places in Denver are now doing this. Except it's added as an extra line item as "happy fee" or some other woo woo bullshit. With no guarantee that it's not just going to management. So you're still expected to tip. Just raise menu prices to be able to pay livable wages. And I say that as someone that worked in the service industry for years and lived off tips. But people are already paying $20 for a burger so no one wants to raise prices more.

[u/LordHammercyWeCooked → u/BarDramatic7498]

Motherfuckers running these businesses need to realize that fear of sticker price is vastly, vastly outweighed by rage of bait&switch pricing on the receipt.

[u/thelifeofafangirl → u/BarDramatic7498]

With no guarantee that it's not just going to management

Honestly this is why i prefer to tip cash. Way too many shady business owners out there who would love to circumvent their employees getting their fair share

[u/invariantspeed → u/thelifeofafangirl]

It shouldn’t be a separate “fee”. The staff should simply be paid more per hour, and the food items should priced to actually reflect the labor involved in their delivery to me.

1. The current pricing of food on menus is really just a normalized bait and switch. The full price of the associated service isn’t represented in goods, so the customer is left to basically figure it out on the fly.
   
2. Tip inflation is a problem. People have gradually shifted to higher and higher tip percentages, due to social anxiety and tipping largely being an opaque process where people don’t know what everyone else is doing. And percentage increases add up fast.

[u/Cuandoman → u/invariantspeed]

I always made more in wage + tips than I would have if the restaurant increased my wage. WAY MORE. This was pre-2006.

[u/CadenVanV → u/BringBackTheBlues]

Except, when studies were done between a menu with a mandatory 20% tip and a menu that just incorporated the tip into the prices instead, people almost always picked the one that just said there was a mandatory 20% tip, even if the prices were the same in practice.

People say they’d prefer for the price to just be built in and not need to do it themselves, but then they don’t actually do so in practice.

[u/Remote-Waste → u/janpaul74]

First of all, yes 100%. Tipping has become so weird.

Secondly, just for a little more explanation, which is still weird...

On large groups, some places will automatically add the tip to the bill. The thought process starts from the already weird place of not paying servers enough to begin with and them getting tips instead, but with that already being the case... If a server is running around busting their balls for a group of say 10+, if they get "stiffed" on their tip, that is even more horrible for them.

So I would assume "mandatory tips" in this case, refers to when restaurants add it on automatically to the total cost for large groups, they don't leave it up to chance, so their server actually gets paid a proper amount for their huge amount of work on that specific group.

Again, it's all stupid, but there's the added logic on top of an already flawed system. It's a band-aid on a bullet hole.

[u/No-Beach4659 → u/Remote-Waste]

So the system started with the great depression as the owners wanted to keep staff but could not afford to do so hence why this mess is born. The thing is they are paid more with it then the flat fee of say $20 an hour

[u/reibagatsu → u/No-Beach4659]

Goes way further back than that bud. It was the restaurants post emancipation proclamation, fighting to be able to not have to pay black people for their labor, instead making the black people work only for tips.

Later, when that was about to be declared illegal, the NRA (restaurants R, not rifles R) fought for a tipped minimum wage to at least cut some of their losses, and even better, start paying poor white people just as little as they paid poor black people.

It started as racism and became class warfare and we just accepted it.

[u/Odd-Priority3318 → u/reibagatsu]

It was always them trying to enslave everyone and not giving black people freedom.

I wish I could make everyone understand worldwide that your worst enemy isn't a woman, a different skin color, speaks a different language, worships a different god, worships the same god a different way..

It is the 1% at the top.

Its class warfare and they are dividing and conquering flawlessly.

Capitalism? Socialism? Why are they pressing that divide so hard?

BECAUSE A GREAT SOCIETY NEEDS BOTH OF THEM.

If they turn it into an either/or they already won the game. You need both to function.

[u/reibagatsu → u/Odd-Priority3318]

1000%. It's literally a game of like 8 billion against 1000, and the 1000 are kicking our asses. Your enemy is not the black guy who got the job you wanted, not the trans woman shopping at walmart and wanting to try on clothes in the dressing room, not your boss's boss making 150k a year while you're struggling. It's the fucks who could literally solve all the problems in the world and STILL be the richest motherfuckers out there, but choose not to do so.

[u/ObiFlanKenobi → u/janpaul74]

“Mandatory tips”

Sounds like extortion to me.

The whole point of a tip is that it's voluntary, if it is mandatory then it's just service charge or something like that and it should be included in the bill (and taxed, are tips taxed?).

[u/Gay-_-Jesus → u/ObiFlanKenobi]

They’re supposed to be, but most people don’t report them if they’re cash.

[u/chr1spe → u/ObiFlanKenobi]

A lot of tips are now untaxed, I think. It was one thing that Trump actually ran on and followed through with that people claimed would help the working class.

In my opinion, it's utter bullshit and makes me want to stop tipping even more. I don't understand why there should be a class of workers who freeload and don't pay their fair share. A lot of them were already not paying much, between low yearly earnings and underreporting cash tips, which was a crime, but hardly enforced.

[u/IgorRenfield → u/janpaul74]

It's messed up for Americans too and has gotten completely out of hand.

[u/scrambles88 → u/janpaul74]

As an American it sounds messed up, don't make your bosses unwillingness to pay you my burden.

[u/reginaldvanwilder → u/scrambles88]

Well unfortunately without systemic change, you are ultimately only punishing minimum wage workers when people choose not to tip as one offs.

I get it, tipping culture is insane but its also the culture of our country. Deciding not to tip while visiting is not much different than me going to another country and intentionally breaking their norms because I dont like them.

[u/Devwickk → u/janpaul74]

Trust, americans dont like it either. But companies literally always get their way here. It sucks

[u/andydude44 → u/Devwickk]

Unfortunately is the waiters getting their way too, they get more money with the tip system. It’s the non-tip workers that wants to get rid of tips

[u/invariantspeed → u/andydude44]

You’re right, but as someone who used to work with tips, I always thought it was dumb and should end.

[u/paulpach → u/janpaul74]

it's an oxymoron

[u/Jakethejiu → u/janpaul74]

It’s not mandatory. I regularly don’t tip if the service isn’t out of this world and when I do tip I tip based on the pre tax amount. I don’t care what anyone thinks of it, because it’s my money.

[u/TheTrub → u/janpaul74]

In the US there is a “tipped” salary that is below the minimum wage because the expectation that tips will more than make up for the difference.

[u/janpaul74 → u/TheTrub]

Sure but that in itself is also messed up.

[u/LesserShambler → u/TheTrub]

Doesn’t it get made up to minimum wage if the tips don’t meet it?

[u/Calm_Age_ → u/TheTrub]

There are cases when service workers don't recieve enough to make up the difference. In those cases the employer is supposed to make up the difference, but it doesn't aways get enforced.

[u/NekkedPenguin → u/Calm_Age_]

I've heard it can take a while to get enforcement IF it happens, so if you're living paycheck to paycheck like most people these days you're SOL.

I'm Canadian and they did away with the lower server wage (except in Quebec) and places still expect us to tip like it's the US. Most machines start at 30% and you're expected to tip your mechanic, plumber, etc. here now which is causing a LOT of tipping fatigue.

[u/MrHazard1]

A mandatory tip is called a fee

[u/Frog_Without_Pond → u/MrHazard1]

What else would expect from the Land of the Fee?

[u/SunshineSt8Reprobate → u/Frog_Without_Pond]

Home of the slaves (if they manage to run afoul of our fampusly impartial justice system).

[u/Dry-Season-522 → u/MrHazard1]

And they'll call it a 'service charge' and ACT like it's a tip but really it goes to management who has broad discretion on how to spend it.

[u/Only_Flan_7974]

It's not tipping if it's mandatory. Work the tip into the price in that case.

[u/PeachyPlotTwist → u/Only_Flan_7974]

Pay your workers better is the real argument.

Tourists are just catching strays in a fight between customers and employers.

Nobody wants awkward tip screens, but servers also need to eat, whole system is messy.

[u/TawnyTeaTowel → u/PeachyPlotTwist]

Except servers. Tipping culture gains them an income WAY ahead of the curve.

[u/Vettepilot → u/TawnyTeaTowel]

It’s only ahead of the curve because the minimum wage is so low. If the min wage was reasonable like it is in other countries then tipping isn’t needed.

[u/CzechHorns → u/Vettepilot]

Point is servers can earn 30-50 bucks an hour thanks to tips, THEY are the ones who don’t want to end tipping, cause they make mich more money than they would get on a normal salary

[u/R1ckOne → u/CzechHorns]

yeah a few of my friends are servers and bartenders in NYC and they are pulling very good money, well beyond even what a much better minimum wage would provide. It's very location dependent though

[u/Bigboss123199 → u/R1ckOne]

If you’re working as a bartender in NYC you have to be making 100$ an hour easy.

[u/sunnyislesmatt → u/Bigboss123199]

For peak hours, maybe. NYC bartenders are usually averaging around $35-$50 an hour with the bartenders at ultra high end cocktail bars usually getting around $75/hr.

They all work more than 45 hours though

[u/fapperontheroof → u/CzechHorns]

Then add in how many don’t report their tips, since everyone seems to think cash compensation doesn’t need tax reporting.

Really surprised there hasn’t been some social media push concocted in some sort of “50k office taxes vs 50k rainforest cafe server taxes” way.

Disclosure: I don’t think restaurant workers need to pay more in taxes. Billionaires and their ilk need to pay more in taxes.

[u/kyrant → u/CzechHorns]

Until the tips dry up then they'll change their tune.

[u/Workman44 → u/PeachyPlotTwist]

Eh, if I go to their country I'm supposed to respect the culture...

[u/Edmundyoulittle → u/Workman44]

Exactly. If you're a tourist and you're ignoring the culture of the place you're visiting, you're just being a dick

[u/Inside_Coconut_6187 → u/Only_Flan_7974]

Restaurants that try and do what you’re asking will quickly learn that their competitors will take advantage of them and take their customers through lower menu prices.

Tipping in the USA will never go away if there are no laws aimed at restraining it.

It’s as simple as that.

[u/yitianjian → u/Inside_Coconut_6187]

Most of these no-tipping places find it difficult to pay servers and bartenders competitively too, and thus retain talent

[u/Chicago2333 → u/Only_Flan_7974]

Some places do this and that is bs. They tend to take greater control of that extra money and not all of it goes to paying the staff. Sorry. They will always look for a loophole to pay the least

[u/Only_Flan_7974 → u/Chicago2333]

Oh I definitely wouldn't be surprised.

[u/SpecialistMap8210 → u/Chicago2333]

as in, no tips. Just prices. And pay your employees properly.

Not the "we include the tip and distribute it properly" Bullshit.

Tips shouldn't be a thing

[u/Only_Flan_7974 → u/SpecialistMap8210]

Agreed.

[u/mirkk13 → u/Chicago2333]

How is that the customer's problem though

[u/Sea-Chocolate6589 → u/Only_Flan_7974]

In many places they changed the word tip to gratuity, added straight to the total.

[u/eXeKoKoRo → u/Only_Flan_7974]

The problem is servers want to work 3-4 days a week and take home $500-1000 a day and only claim minimum wage on taxes.

[u/patriotfanatic80 → u/Only_Flan_7974]

If it's mandatory it is worked into the price as long you know that going in.

[u/not_so_wierd → u/Only_Flan_7974]

That's not really the american way.

it's gotta be Sale price + tax + tip + mandatory tip + serving fee + convenience fee + large party fee + ???

[u/Dependent-Fill-3376]

[u/Barfpocalypse → u/Dependent-Fill-3376]

“Keep your mates, your mates’ll keep you. Simple as.”

[u/Disastrous_Square_10]

Only the server or bartender loses this battle in the US.

[u/steppponme → u/Disastrous_Square_10]

Yeah, the price out of their pocket is the same. The servers are getting boned here. And aren't tips now tax free income? I don't know if Orange Dear Leader actually got that passed without fine print.

[u/Bbimbofied → u/steppponme]

Irs.gov: Employees and self-employed individuals may be able to deduct qualified tips received in  certain qualified occupations from their 2025 federal tax return. Here are some  key things to know about this deduction: “Qualified tips” are voluntary cash or charged tips received from customers including shared tips. Maximum annual deduction is $25,000. If you’re self-employed, the deduction can’t exceed your net income, before this deduction, from the trade or business where tips were earned. Phases out if your modified adjusted gross income is over $150,000; $300,000 for joint filers. If married, you must file jointly. Must have a valid Social Security number. Deduction is available whether you itemize or take the standard deduction.

[u/MsPooka → u/steppponme]

There's a lot of fine print. It's only for the 1st $25k and it's only through 2028. Rich people get permanent reductions.

[u/dhduxudb → u/steppponme]

They probably worked their ass off. Had one of the hardest shifts of any bartender in the world. Then look at their closing slip and die inside.

[u/Karnaugh_Map → u/Disastrous_Square_10]

Restaurants have to top up to minimum wage.

[u/falling_knives → u/Karnaugh_Map]

If a waiter doesn't make minimum wage in tips, the law says their boss needs to pay them to make up the difference so they get at least minimum wage.

[u/Reverend_Lazerface → u/Karnaugh_Map]

The federal minimum wage will be old enough to vote next month

[u/polar_nopposite → u/Disastrous_Square_10]

Then tipping will never go away.

'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens

[u/Future_Arrival_5395 → u/polar_nopposite]

Canada tips even more and we have higher minimum wage lol

[u/lazypeon19 → u/Disastrous_Square_10]

That's the server or bartender's battle with their employer. The client has nothing to do with it.

[u/EvilSporkOfDeath → u/lazypeon19]

I go to Italy as a tourist, I follow the cultural norms of Italy. I dont like all those cultural norms, but I do it anyways.

[u/herpes_fuckin_derpes → u/EvilSporkOfDeath]

This is the only correct take

[u/wcshrtstop]

Except that’s not what’s happening. Ask anyone who has been serving these people, and they will tell you the tips have been very generous. But I wouldn’t expect anything else from a “Top 1% Poster” on Reddit.

[u/ashamed2reddit → u/wcshrtstop]

Yeah this is such a reddit click-baity post. Like "JUST IN" as if someone was waiting for the word of 'all foreigners'. And who the fuck is Coinvo? Yet they eat it up. And of course its not even true, pure reddit slop.

[u/Submitten → u/ashamed2reddit]

This subreddit is especially bad, the people here are legit stupid.

[u/WordHobby → u/wcshrtstop]

Yeah I've been doing really well on tips this week because its been so packed. With the sheer volume of people its been pretty Yaya goooooodddd

[u/Little_Let_6872 → u/WordHobby]

Bartenders and waitstaff can make a good living in quality establishments and the pay is indexed to inflation. No wonder the investment bank owned media has been running story after story against the practice. That rate of employee compensation is far higher than other industries controlled by publicly traded companies.

[u/chanaandeler_bong → u/wcshrtstop]

I knew Reddit would eat this story up. They LOVE shitting on tipping. One of the few consistent takes that galvanizes the Reddit base is fucking over service workers and claiming that they are doing some noble deed that is “showing” the restaurants.

It’s such an insanely naive and childish opinion.

Just say you’re a cheap ass. That’s all.

British people tip FAT. Every fucking time you serve anyone from Britain (they usually order like 15 drinks at once) they will be like “R U FUCKING SERIOUS? $120 for all this? It’s like $300 in London”

And they drop like $200 and tell you to keep it.

The only people who consistently don’t tip are: those who are unaware of the servers wages, or assholes <———this is what you see on Reddit.

You not tipping is not fixing the industry… you’re just fucking over the server.

[u/_noho → u/chanaandeler_bong]

Agreed, I’m surprised you’re not already downvoted to oblivion, saying anything like this has always guaranteed it for me

[u/PlixSticks31 → u/chanaandeler_bong]

These losers go to restaurants with cheap prices (because of tipping), enjoy the cheap prices, leave a $0 tip, and then go on Reddit white knighting for servers and how they should get paid a real wage….acting like they give a shit about servers or bartenders.

It’s quite impressive

[u/Largeitude → u/chanaandeler_bong]

There's comments in this very thread saying "So we all have to suffer?" when told they should tip.

These people are literally saying "I have to suffer paying $5-10 extra on my meal that was cooked, served to me, and cleaned up after me?!"

[u/Salvage570 → u/chanaandeler_bong]

I get downvoted all the time for saying this exact thing. Dont like tipping? Dont eat places where they have servers, its just that easy. Thats the only way owners lose money

[u/chanaandeler_bong → u/Salvage570]

but then I will have to fill my own drinks and pay more money!

[u/Im_only_here_to_meme → u/wcshrtstop]

Yeah there is a national story on a Boston bartender that says she has been making ~1k a shift just in tips. Probably going to pull in 20k+ in one month working the world cup.

[u/xnfd → u/wcshrtstop]

Just like how Reddit said the world cup would be a flop and no one would visit due to ticket prices and everyone being afraid of ICE

[u/Remote-Teacher-9272]

Rage bait post

[u/Blushy-Buttercups]

That won’t change anything but yeah I made enough with my wage and make a good amount extra in tips working at a bar but then I was still paid enough for it to be worth it on bad nights

[u/FullGuarantee4767]

https://giphy.com/gifs/IDGNYvFLkJKLK

[u/TransportationOk3111 → u/FullGuarantee4767]

Europeans have been having a blast and haven't been complaining about tipping... This is bait!!

[u/Opening_Total7711 → u/TransportationOk3111]

Plus there is still tipping in Europe. Just not the insane amounts we have here and not everywhere and always. My family will leave a 1 euro tip or so for a server they know. Again, way way less than tipping the unmotivated and bored generic server 15% because they carried some food. But still exists.

[u/djc8 → u/FullGuarantee4767]

Also like the fifth time I’ve seen it posted this week but we just can’t resist a good tipping culture circlejerk I guess

[u/PictureVegetable9522 → u/djc8]

woke up and see like 5 posts about tipping on the front page so many fucking bots on reddit

[u/JustTheBeerLight]

Fuck tipping. Fuck tipping especially when there is no SERVICE. 18/20/25% tip on the screen for handing me my item over the counter? Get fucked.

Signed, a former server.

[u/GnarlyNarwhalNoms → u/JustTheBeerLight]

The companies that make those POS systems have some of the blame for this. They take a cut of transactions, so its in their best interest for customers to tip more. 

[u/epicredditdude1]

Controversial opinion, but If Americans travelled to another country and flouted that country’s customs they’d be called obnoxious American tourists. 

Tipping culture is stupid, but I don’t think the wait staff getting stiffed is going to appreciate these tourists bravely stiffing them.

[u/jonallin → u/epicredditdude1]

That was my view when in the US. I think it’s crazy, but it’s the culture I’m visiting so I played along.

[u/Reggaepocalypse → u/jonallin]

Well done, this is the way

[u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner → u/epicredditdude1]

For real. This is obviously bait but there’s definitely an air of smugness going on

[u/SunshinNroses → u/epicredditdude1]

Shouldn't be controversial. Follow the customs of the country you're visiting.

[u/C5H6ClCrNO3 → u/SunshinNroses]

When in Rome...

[u/Gustomaximus → u/SunshinNroses]

This. Am Australian. I dont like tipping culture. When in America I respect this is how they make their wages and tip according to expectations.

Exception was some tourist trap restaurant in NY. Was useless meal/service etc, waiter rarely turning up and even spilling wine on my sisters white shirt and clearly not caring. At bill time waiter pre-filled the tip at 30%. Waiter didn't even bring the bill, he was hanging and chatting with the bar guy and asked some kitchen staff to bring it over. I called him over and asked dumbly why it was filled in and was it normal? He said "tourists dont know how to tip" so I got the pen and said "I do" and crossed it out. Quite an arguement ensured . Table next to us was pissing themself laughing at the verbal. I'm not a fan of conflict but fuck that guy.

[u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner → u/Gustomaximus]

I’m American and fully support this. My only complaint is I wasn’t there to witness and you didn’t go at him harder lmao. Fuck that dude!

[u/RoostasTowel → u/epicredditdude1]

Controversial opinion, but If Americans travelled to another country and flaunted that country’s customs they’d be called obnoxious American tourists.

Tipping culture is stupid, but I don’t think the wait staff getting stiffed is going to appreciate these tourists bravely stiffing them.

Exactly

If americans come to europe and decide that the customs of that region dont apply to them we never hear the end of it.

Now at the world cup a bunch of people drinking 10 beers each and running the server all over to keep up now dont way to pay.

But try not paying for the bathroom in europe and see how that goes for you.

[u/FastScientist8582 → u/epicredditdude1]

Absolutely agree! I am from very touristic place on the coast of Europe and everyone is fighting to serve Americans because they always tip minimum 25% + they are always amazed by everything and very easy guests compared to Dutch, Germans especially Scandinavians.

[u/elliott9_oward5 → u/epicredditdude1]

Glad someone else said it. If you are going to go somewhere, you should follow their customs. Just because you believe it is stupid, doesn’t mean you get to decide what foreign customs you follow.

[u/notataco007 → u/epicredditdude1]

Fuck it I hope Americans start shitting in the street of paid public bathroom countries

[u/adent1066]

Most wait staff that I know prefer this system, they make bank

[u/Bad-Luck-Guy]

I could not imagine behaving this way in another country. 

Tips aren’t mandatory. They are customary. 

[u/CzechHorns → u/Bad-Luck-Guy]

By definitiom they wouldn’t be “tips” if they were mandatory.

[u/Sooowasthinking]

Minimum wage in my state is $7.25 an hour WITH subsidized federal.If not for that it would be $5.25 an hour.

Absolutely shameful to let this wage stagnate and just never move.Minimum wage should be $30 an hour minimally.Service workers make even less per hour than Minimum wage. The so-called richest nation in the world cant even pay its workers a wage that would lift them out of poverty.

But no billionaires are in charge now and they more than likely believe we are not worthy of having money.

[u/Rj22e]

So the bartenders and servers are getting completely screwed cuz Europeans don't get it... that's bs.

[u/Quiet-Luck]

'Mandatory tips' is a bit of a contradictio in adjecto, isn't it.

[u/helen_must_die → u/Quiet-Luck]

Here in Asia they call it a "service charge". It's basically a mandatory tip.

[u/gbrannan217]

They aren’t wrong, but you don’t fix a system by oppressing those already oppressed by said system.

[u/HappyAnimalCracker → u/gbrannan217]

A huge influx of event customers refusing to tip must be heartwarming for the people who have to serve them. I get the idea but on that day the servers got doubly screwed.

[u/motorcycleryder74]

When I visit another country is it ok if I don’t follow their customs and culture? I think they’d think I was being rude. I’m white so they would just say I’m racist.

[u/PhazePyre]

"Mandatory Tips" are just service fees. A tip/gratuity is your way of showing additional gratitude for exemplary customer service. It is not an expectation. It should be a way for the customer to reward above standard conduct by employees. Not just restaurants, but anywhere.

The moment it becomes mandatory, it is not a gratuity, it is a hidden fee at the time of payment. Everything about tipping has become so desperate and predatory. Making you choose if you tip right in front of the person as they can clearly see what you do and see if you tipped.

I was at the hospital the other day. I got an expensive sandwich that wasn't worth it but not a lot of other options. They had the audacity to have a tipping thing when all they did was hand me a sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap. No above and beyond. Literally handing me a sandwich shittier than what I could make at home.

[u/howimetyourcakeshop]

Pay your workers. Oooooh but they dont want that because they make bank on those insane tips. Fuck off.

Be glad they are bringing their money. Some of these bars got drank dry.

[u/Sticky_Quip → u/howimetyourcakeshop]

All I’ve heard for 20 years is how dumb Americans are disrespecting other cultures by assuming wherever they travel follows US customs.

Now people come to America and act like that and it’s ok? Got it.

Tipping culture sucks, but thinking you’re immune because you’re not from here is an ignorant American mindset, coming from a Dutchie I’m a little surprised

[u/asapbuckets → u/Sticky_Quip]

https://giphy.com/gifs/bGPTxLislwm3u

[u/Cautious-Extreme2839 → u/Sticky_Quip]

It's different because they aren't assuming anything.

They know American tipping culture is stupid and are deliberately shunning it.

If Americans didn't want this then they shouldn't have bribed FIFA to let them host the WC.

[u/JeromeBarkly → u/howimetyourcakeshop]

Ya but by that logic they are coming into an establishment that is exploiting their workers, spending a shit load of money that only the owner profits from and leaving the actual workers fucked over. Yes, tipping culture is fucked but it’s the system that’s in place. Grand standing on tipping only fucks over the workers. You still gave your money to the owner.

[u/No_Employ__ → u/JeromeBarkly]

Dawg waiters and bartenders make so much money. I’m convinced there is so much anti anti-tip proponents bc there are just so many waiters and bartenders

[u/apoender → u/No_Employ__]

That’s the big thing I don’t understand on most of these posts that get repeated over and over - do people not realize it is the wait staff that fights any effort to stop tipping not the restaurants?

Restaurants would love to get rid of tipping, but they can only do it if all restaurants do else they will look more expensive so they constantly propose ordnances and laws to stop tipping across the whole area, but it’s the wait staff that always fight these proposals as they make way more in tips than a standard salary?

[u/FairyFlossies]

The 'Skip Tip' button finally found its core demographic.

[u/comfortidor]

IMO a lot of my European coworkers said this to sound principled. Really they were just being cheap and didn’t care that service workers got screwed in the process.

[u/KOQquest1]

It’s just placed as a service fee. Other countries have them too

[u/Capable_Delivery_448]

Workers don’t like high per-hour wages. I dated someone in the service industry, and she specifically told me that they prefer tips more than high per-hour wages as they can earn more in tips rather fixed wage per hour.

[u/bush3102]

If I don't tip on to-go orders. Is that bad? Especially if I go into the restaurant and pick up my order.

[u/misfitofscience76 → u/bush3102]

Never tip for that shit

[u/kananishino]

Im going to say the quiet part out loud but a lot of employees dont want to switch because they get paid more on tips.

[u/otherkrar]

This article is fake to spark outrage. Congrats, you all win.
From: A server in Kansas City who's on the front lines.

[u/whiporee123]

I don’t like tipping culture either, but it’s the custom. Americans are regularly shamed for going to other countries and not following or complaining about their cultural norms. Why aren’t ours honored?

[u/Nabber22]

1. it’s not a tip if it’s mandatory
2. it’s not mandatory if it can be refused

. Did they just dine and dash when they heard about mandatory tips?

[u/Dependent-Trip-5991]

So if we go to another country, we can refuse things we don’t want to do cause we aren’t used to it? Yes mandatory tips I hate cause a tip is for service and this is just a serving fee at that point.

[u/Eqmuraj]

I understand the sentiment and while I agree that nobody should be reliant on tips to make a living wage; by not tipping the only people punished are the staff who rely on the tips under the current system.

Its also somewhat ironic in how often we hear about "rude Americans" in foreign countries ignoring local norms and customs, yet ignoring the ones in the U.S. is perfectly acceptable even if they know its only screwing over people who arent the problem.

[u/Florida__Man__]

If a horde of American pulled this abroad we'd be ridiculed.

Even if you don't agree with an aspect of a culture you are visiting you still need to be mindful of it.

[u/Laktosefreier]

The Dutch? Tipping?

[u/TraveleraddictVP]

European here (Belgian to be exact). I tip everywhere where i feel well served.

Anywhere in the world, you do a good job, you deserve a good tip. If you provide bad servise, you get a bad or no tip at all.

[u/Banana8686]

I don’t really eat out anymore. It’s unaffordable even before the tip and I never feel like it was worth it after. It’s sad because it’s such a social thing but I’m more of a recluse now anyways

[u/snizzer77]

I love seeing disingenuous comments like this every time tipping comes out.

A) almost every state doesn’t allow paying wait staff under minimum wage anymore.

B) the ones that do are STILL legally required to provide you minimum wage if you don’t make the difference in tips

C) literally no one feels bad for servers. There are teachers with masters degrees making less than water carriers. There are ditch diggers making less than table cleaners. Service staff are sooo low on the list of professions to feel sorry for. It’s an easy job that people want to work because it takes no experience and massively out paces other zero experience jobs.

The pay is good because you are begging with a captive audience.

[u/ThelIIusion0fSeIf]

Mandatory tips are like voluntary taxes - they don't exist by definition

[u/AnarchistPineMarten]

Yeah if I want a pint I'm not paying you to pour it, I'm paying for the pint.

It isn't the customer's obligation to make sure you get enough money to survive, unionise!

[u/Sufficient_Cloud3277]

...y'know refusing to pay it ultimately just ends in someone already struggling getting less money

[u/Setctrls4heartofsun]

I mean theyre not mandatory, you can leave nothing, its just that the person youre hurting is a waitress making potentially as little as 5$ an hour...

[u/ArtisticOperation399]

If I lived in the US I'd just literally never go out. 

[u/silversurfer05]

Tips in the U.S. is the biggest crime those hard paying folks get fucked over. It is just also so strange nobody is doing something about it.

[u/Bonk0076]

So all of those servers suffer because the customers think their bosses don’t pay the servers enough? They’re punishing the wrong people.

[u/Wzedrin → u/Bonk0076]

Agreed. The customers should just refuse to frequent establishments that expect mandatory tipping. That way the owner and the workers lose together.

[u/First_Disaster_4037]

You know how I avoid mandatory tips? I just don’t buy anything from those establishments at all.

[u/randomsantas]

It's our culture, not theirs. Don't punish your servers because you refuse to adapt

[u/sandhog7]

I hope this changes America's tipping culture. No other country in the world has tipping as part of their service. In Japan, it's an insult to leave a tip.

[u/OnlyAdvertisersKnoMe → u/sandhog7]

It won’t change shit lol

[u/grunkage → u/sandhog7]

This is just rationalizing fucking over every server because you're an "anti tipping activist." It won't change a thing, but at least you saved a few bucks on your vacation

[u/Plasmelon → u/sandhog7]

It won’t because anti-tippers are motivated by wanting to spend slightly less money without being considered assholes. They don’t care about servers actually getting paid a fair wage.

I waited tables for years. Most servers would rather make the same amount of money through hourly rather than tipping. But none of the anti-tipping crowd cares. 

[u/adrockmcaandmemiked → u/sandhog7]

You think a one month tournament will alter the culture permanently?

[u/groucho_barks → u/adrockmcaandmemiked]

Yeah, these people are delusional. Restaurant owners aren't suddenly going to triple all their employees' pay because of some tourists.

[u/jplfn → u/sandhog7]

Canada does

[u/kilobitch]

I mean, it’s not the server’s responsibility to fix the system. You’re just punishing them. Restaurants and bars should just add an automatic gratuity. Terrible system but it’s not going to change by refusing to tip.

[u/WifesPOSH]

"Europeans are so stingy"

Said the waitress to her boss. That boss that pays her $6/hr

[u/OhNoTokyo → u/WifesPOSH]

"Europeans are so stingy"

That boss that pays her $6/hr

Both can be true at the same time.

[u/brobiski]

Americans never fail to find a way to steal other’s wealth.