To feel that tipping culture has got out of hand?

[LovelyTheresa]

Today, I was in a nice coffee shop to get a flat white to take away. I've been in this place before, with no issue. The (nice) barista pushed the card machine towards me, and said 'if you'd just like to add a tip then here are the options' there was a list of tip amounts from 5% up to 30% with 'no tip' as the bottom option. I was a little nonplussed so I added 10%, but I really thought that it was a bit cheeky. The coffee was expensive enough as it was, should staff really be soliciting tips for takeaway coffee? One doesn't tip McDonald's staff, so why is coffee the exception?

I don't tip unless they have gone above and beyond the expected level of service, certainly not in coffee shops of pubs. I would tip in a formal restaurant where we've sat at been served multiple times, trips and courses, and never at places that make you order via an app or at the bar!

Its one of the reasons I have no desire to go back to the US. People claim you get better service there as they rely on tips. Personally I found the opposite to be true. They knew you had to tip or risk being shamed or chased! So they couldn't care less about how you perceive their service.

I tip in a restaurant for good service but never more than 10% and not less than £5. It varies. Bad service? They get nothing. Anyone else, no. Chances are they earn more than me! I remember the last hairdresser I went to, went on about all his fancy foreign holidays (that I certainly couldn't afford) and then appeared very disgruntled that I didn't tip!

I always tip delivery drivers, especially Deliveroo etc. If you tip they bring the food faster AND they have a really shit job and deserve the tip.

YANBU. I'm not sure I'd ever tip for a takeaway coffee, unless maybe if I had some change and was stood in front of the tip jar I might.

I tip my nail girl at Christmas and will always tip deliveroo/uber eats drivers because I'm sure they get peanuts per order. Can't think of many other scenarios where I would tbh.

I have no problem hitting no tip . Businesses should pay their staff properly. I work for minimum wages and nobody tips me .

Asking fine, as long as if you tick a 'no tip' option it is accepted without comment.

What should be unlawful is automatically adding a service charge or tip.

I had a very unpleasant experience at a place in London when they added 20% to the bill which I asked to be removed and left a £10 tip (on a £160 meal - the service had been TERRIBLE). As I left the waiter and a manager blocked my exit (50yo disabled woman walking with a stick and accompanied by 4 teenagers) then asked why I had not left the service. I asked if it was compulsory and he said no, so I asked for the £10 back and left. He looked absolutely stunned but WTF??

I don't know where it stops to be honest.There was a thread a few weeks ago where people were tipping the supermarket delivery drivers.That was new to me😂

Ay my local they have a different clearly labelled handset preset to a quid for if you want to tip anything.

I wouldn't generally tip for anything that wasn't table service but can't blame em for trying and people do actually use it

YABU for tipping for a takeaway coffee.

I never tip.

I think tipping in America is one thing, since service is presumably not calculated into the cost of the meal. But not in the UK, where no adult is on below minimum wage, unless service really is good. I do tip teens since they earn a pittance.

It makes no sense to me that a self employed hairdresser or taxi driver gets a tip from someone like a min wage shop assistant when no one tips them and the hairdresser probably makes more money!

While I do tip in America, I still think it's disgusting that a business which cannot operate without servers, passes that cost on to customers, instead of paying proper wages!

I grew up in the US so used to tipping but I'd baulk at tipping for a takeaway coffee! I've seen this in the States and have no problem pressing 'no tip'.
What gets me is online shops asking if you'd like to leave a tip!

I just press the no button

There's a burger van that comes to our area once a week that you order online and then collect. They give you the option to tip. I just don't understand why you would

Obviously they try it on because so many do tip, like OP

It must be excruciating for the staff having to ask

They don't "have" to ask, @OhItsOnlyCynthia; they could simply leave it to the customer to read what's on the screen and choose for themselves

Like so many I'll happily tip if I've had some actual service and it was good, but badger me and they'll get nothing

see this is why I tend not to tip - because there's no logic to it!
Why is pubs 'too far' but not coffee shops or restaurants?

If it's a pub serving food then their staff do exactly the same as waiting staff in restaurants - take your order, bring it to you and clean up afterwards, and you've just said you happily give a tip in restaurants?!

On holiday in Florida we took the kids for pizza. After the meal asked for the bill and waited, and my DH eventually went to the till and paid the cashier. There was a tip jar on the desk which he assumed was to share around the staff and he put a tip in there. A few days later we returned to the restaurant and the waiter who had served us previously approached us and asked quite aggressively why we hadn’t tipped him. We said we’d put a tip in the jar and he said it wasn’t shared, but just for the cashier!!! This was a few years ago, but I’m still blown away!

I would not tip where there was no waiter service. It was self service for goodness sake. You are tipping someone for pressing a button on a coffee machine.

They don't "have" to ask, @OhItsOnlyCynthia; they could simply leave it to the customer to read what's on the screen and choose for themselves

I think they have to mention it - most people will just tap their card and wait for the beep. The staff will need to let them know there's another step to complete before their payment will go through otherwise they will just keep tapping it and wonder why it's not working.

Years ago, I went to a Harvester with my elderly Grandad and they didn't say about the tip screen on the machine. He put his pin in, it didn't work so he put it in again. He ended up tipping his pin code and I've never been into a Harvester since. I agree they definitely need to mention if it's preset on the machine.

I bought a dress online from Saint & Sofia and was given options at the checkout to give a tip. Flippin' cheek of it. I didn't, also I didn't like the dress, sent it back and have unsubscribed from their emails.

A few years ago I was so unimpressed with the service I received in a local restaurant that after we’d paid the bill I wrote on it in the space for tips - Try smiling at your customers.

I then stuck the bill back in the little folder and left.

In my job, we all go above and beyond doing more for customers/patients than any member of retail/hospitality staff has ever done for me and I never get a tip. I get paid £11.50 per hour. So no I do not tip on this basis. It's bonkers.

Tips were always considered a nice bonus when I worked in hospitality. Now it’s expected even for grumpy crappy service.

prices are expensive enough as it is!

I hate the saying in the states- if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to eat out.
tipping used to be to to ensure prompt service. In this day and age it’s just out of control.