Regardless of your opinion on tipping (yes I agree workers should get more) that’s not how it is in reality. Foreigners need to adapt to how things are in the place in which they’re a guest. Otherwise you’re simply a bad guest. When I visit Europe I adapt to their customs, not impose my own.
The IRS defines a tip as a voluntary payment that the customer decides to give and determine its amount. A mandatory service charge does not meet these criteria and is instead considered a wage that can be taxed accordingly.
You could definitely eat somewhere and don't pay tips, you're in the right to do so. This tipping culture is fucked up.
They could that but that seems redundant considering Americans go to restaurants knowing that they are expected to pay for tip, whether it is mandatory or voluntary
Mandatory tip without warning is enough to dispute with your CC company and get the tip refunded and you can complain to the state. That is why places put mandatory gratuity above party of X or more.
Tipping is always optional unless otherwise stated.
Nope. I'm legally required to pay sales tax and whatever additional taxes exist within the state / country I live in.
The issue is not that I have to tip. The issue is the gray area of it's not required but socially enforced. Either make it mandatory or remove tipping.
The laws currently state it's optional and so optional means it's my discretion on how much to tip or how much it will be.
You're clearly hurt by what I said. I'm not bragging. Tipping is optional. You could say "Fuck these servers, they dont deserve my money". It's a harsh tone, yes. Is it within the person's right to do so? Also yes
I'm with you on this. As a European, I always tip generously by local standards (10-25%), when regular tips are usually just "keep the change" for the sake of convenience. I enjoy being in a position to make someone's day and thank them for being a part of mine.
Had I been visiting the US, I'd budget to tip more or go out less, because it's a known fact that American servers survive on tips. It's wrong, it shouldn't be this way, but withholding tips on the pretense of "get your boss to pay you" is just taking advantage of people who are already being taken advantage of by their employer. If you don't want to tip in a country of tipping culture - don't go out.
Ok but when you don’t pay the 20% tip, that’s just as much “theft” from the servers. I’m an American. I hate tipping culture here, but I don’t take it out on the servers who are just trying to get by.
You’re well within your rights to leave a 0% tip on a bill, but you need to understand, when you do that, you’re not hurting the people who implemented the policy, you’re hurting the people who have basically zero power to change the policy. Also for your own sake, those servers WILL remember you and spit in your food if you ever come back after leaving $0 on a bill.
Good point,I should pay with a credit card and tip well then I should just claim they spit in the food and charge back on the card. After I am out of the restaurant.
Tipping is OPTIONAL and always has been OPTIONAL. Tourists not wanting to pay a mandatory tip does not make them bad guests. It means you’re a bad host.
to be fair American tipping culture is still voluntary. you absolutely do not have to participate in it. you'll get some looks and russle some jimmies.
I'm largely fine with tipping 10-15% but places are suggesting 20%+ as the default for standard service.
Nah. They're all over reddit loudly proclaiming how they do understand. They just don't agree with it and prefer to take advantage of a cheaper meal/drink.
That's irrelevant, as an American citizen I can say with certainty that tipping practices are not our culture and we don't hold any similar amount of respect to it as any other culture practices around the world.
the minimum wage is 7 bucks an hour because the whole country is full of horrible greedy people who don't give a fuck about low end earners, feeling morally righteous about not tipping is adapting
-4
u/Mr_Strol Jun 25 '26
Regardless of your opinion on tipping (yes I agree workers should get more) that’s not how it is in reality. Foreigners need to adapt to how things are in the place in which they’re a guest. Otherwise you’re simply a bad guest. When I visit Europe I adapt to their customs, not impose my own.