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 agree. I don't live in the UK, but we don't really have tipping here, other than jars on the counter in some restaurants/cafes. Why should someone get a tip for doing their job? They are paid a wage - just the same as I was for working over 30 years in a reception job. No-one tips a receptionist, however good they might be! Thankfully people here don't expect tips, and we don't tip hairdressers, taxi drivers at all.

I agree. Tips are to reward good service, not just to be expected.

As an aside, I’ve seen quite a few US doordash drivers being caught on camera doorbells etc being pissy about not being tipped/not tipped well enough. Very entitled

Well said.

I agree "who gets it" can be an problem, but frankly it's not one I'm concerned with

I wouldn't start inserting myself into anyone else's employment issues so don't do it with restaurant staff either; instead I trust them to address these things themselves if they wish, preferably without giving me a spiel which may or may not be accurate

I don’t do card tips as I don’t know who gets it
but I do tip waiters / staff if they have been nice and quick and the food is good

I was in a restaurant in the US once and wanted to tip with cash, but the waitress said "As staff we actually prefer tips by card, because we share the tips around all of the wait staff and with the kitchen, and if people are tipping with cash there's a concern that the money might not make it into the shared pot".

We went to pizza Hut not that long ago. First time we had been in years.

Food ordered on the app
Got our own glasses/juice/cutlery/plates/bowls/ice cream.

Then they had the fucking cheek to ask for a tip. I was livid, high end cheeky fuckery right there. Safe to say we haven't been back and never will.

This thread just minded me about that. Am sat in bed bloody fuming now

@Misthios

I'm surprised. I live in the US and I get asked every time I buy a bagel or a coffee if I'd like to tip. They've started adding it at bakeries too now.

I'm another non-tipper. I would far rather rip the nurse or the bin men tbh.

I see no reason to pay extra than the price shown, especially if it is somewhere I am unlikely to go back to.

I ran a tourism business for 18 years and I think we got 3 tips in all that time.

It has got out of hand here. I only tip takeaway and in restaurants. Agree @Noneofourbusiness the Pizza Hut one was grating, they only bought glasses and the pizzas and stood around the counter chatting for the rest of the time.

Went to Florida in October, first time back to the states since before DS 9 was born. Thought it was pricey then, it’s bonkers now in terms of expected %. We just did 20% each time to make it easier and didn’t tip any take out / self service places. Again, I did tip the ubereats and uber drivers peeps though. Worst was a courtesy driver who collected us to pick up our hire car. He had a tip jar which had a $20 poking out of it as a hint, it would have cost us $8 in an Uber! We gave him $5 for the 4min drive where he didn’t leave the car. He wasn’t happy but just gave us a scowl.

The tipping culture absolutely puts me off going to the US again. It's insane. I hate the way it's so aggressive and such a huge amount is expected. Plus you have to do the maths yourself. Why don't they just put their prices up by 20% and not ask for a tip. It reminds me of Ryanair pricing. Looks good value until you come to pay and then loads of other stuff gets added on. Feels like a scam.

Tipping really irkes me.
We have employment laws and national minimum wage (UK). When I worked in a shop I didn't get tipped everytime I helped a customer find an item. I got paid my wages.

I expect business to factor in staff wages and running costs into their prices.

If I were in a taxi I may be inclined to round it up or say keep the change

I have now started resenting tipping at restaurants as they have automatically added a service charge knowing it makes people feel awkward to ask it be removed (lovely bit of financial psychology there)

Used to be I would only ever tip if we were a large party and / or the venue was extremely busy and I felt the service was good in handling expectations.

I do tip, I always have since working in pubs as a teen. It's just habit, but there's no real logic to it is there? I don't have a good explanation as to why I'll round up the bill if going for lunch but not in Aldi. It's an odd practice really.

I hate the tipping bollox it's another useless thing from America that has made its way across to the UK.

Pay staff the right amount it shouldn't be on the public to top up pay or be made to feel they should be dishing out further money for someone just doing a job that they are already being paid to do.

We are all financially finding it a little harder these days with price increases for everything.

I feel that people are already doing their best by supporting a business if they are using it regularly for its services without having to feel they need to dish out a further couple of £££s on top of what they have paid.

So many pubs are adding “ gratuity “ on their card payment machine when u stand at the bar and buy a pint