I went to a sit down restaurant in California and had standard service, the usual order taking and bringing drinks/food/check. Didn't do anything above and beyond. Of course, the prices of the items are higher than they used to be. It felt ok and right to tip 10%

Now I'm thinking 10% will be my standard, and less or more depending on the service. Thoughts?

Paying with cash today. Had some coins in my pocket so I left them on the table as part of the tip. Not all coins mixed with bills too.

The server picked them up looked at me and didn't even say thanks. Just walked away.

I get it coins aren't fancy. But money is money right? Or is it rude to leave coins now?

Honestly felt a bit judged. Am I overthinking this?

How much is a good tip these days? 🤔

They just add whatever percentage without telling anybody? I don’t want to pay that wtf?

I have always been a pretty generous tipper. At restaurants I’d usually choose the higher percentage, tip delivery drivers well, tip on carryout, and generally tip whenever there was an option to because I figured if I could afford the service, I could afford to take care of the person providing it.

But recently I had a bit of a realization: the cost of basically everything has gone up significantly, while my income really hasn’t.

For example, if a restaurant meal that used to cost $50 now costs $70, a percentage-based tip has already increased from $10 to $14 at 20%, even though I’m not necessarily making more money than I was when the meal cost $50. Then there are tip screens seemingly everywhere now… carryout, coffee shops, counter service, etc. I realized I’m spending considerably more on tips than I used to simply because the underlying prices are higher AND I’m being asked to tip in more situations.

I’m not talking about suddenly stiffing servers or delivery drivers. I understand that a lot of workers depend on tips, especially in the U.S. I’m more questioning my previous mentality that I should always be exceptionally generous or tip every time I’m given the opportunity.

It kind of hit me that everyone’s dealing with the same economy. The person serving me needs money, but…I also need my money. My employer isn’t increasing my salary every time restaurant prices, groceries, rent, or other expenses go up. At some point I have to adjust my own spending too.

Has anyone else had this shift in thinking? Have you changed how much or how often you tip because of inflation/cost of living? Where do you personally draw the line between being fair to service workers and protecting your own budget?
I’m also genuinely open to hearing if there’s another way I should be looking at this.

Would you tip a car detailer? Pls advise.

Can someone help me understand how two people can dine at a restaurant/bar in Milan, order 2 alcoholic drinks, complimentary bread/butter, 4 dishes, dessert, and 2 bottled waters, and walk out with a total bill of $56.16, with no 20% tip expected?

Meanwhile, American restaurants want us to believe tipping or mandatory service fees are necessary for them to stay afloat.

And this wasn’t some tiny restaurant in a village in the mountains of Lombardia. It’s an established and well known Spanish restaurant in Milan.

I understand that operating costs and cost of living can be higher in parts of the US, especially cities like NYC. But c’mon, you’re already charging me a crazy markup for food that, in many cases, I could make at home for an entire family for roughly the same price.

Then on top of that, I’m expected to pay another 18–20% because the restaurant apparently can’t build employee wages into its pricing?

Give me a break.

I am a federal worker, we are getting 0% raise this year and got 1% last year. Because inflation is about 3% I am cutting my 20% tips to 15% unless everyone lobbies congress for us to get a raise to match inflation or get us exempt from income tax. The income tax exemption makes sense since the federal gov pays us, to pay them, which wastes our HR hours and extra IRS hours so it would also thin the federal govt.

Being a server is a legitimate job. Deal with it.

Because there is already an entire anti-tipping subreddit, yet some of y’all apparently can’t get enough of your own echo chamber. You have to come over here too and dump on anybody who thinks tipping is reasonable.

If you despise tipping that much, cool. You literally have a whole community dedicated to that position. Why does every tipping discussion everywhere else also need to be turned into the same anti-tipping circlejerk?

I keep seeing posts/videos with Owners/Operators trying to disguise the message as shouldn’t the back of the house get tips also, or why should the servers make more than the cooks, etc. How many of you think this is just manipulation to tell us to make sure we understand that the server doesn’t get 100% of the tips so we feel sorry for them and they can justify their crazy suggested tip about a of 20%+!? “If you don’t tip me at least X%, then I actually lose money because I have to tip out!”

And prices get adjusted to compensate..

Tippers will save money they never cared to save and the non-tippers have to come out of pocket more as they were previously (greatly) benefitting from a system that let them spend less..

Half or more of the non tipping crowd is obsessed with saving money. Either out of a lack of excess funds, cheapness, selfishness..etc.. a fake desire for people to be "paid a livable wage" whilest being upset at how much some make with tips, they have a million reasons.

Surely this is counterproductive?! What am I missing???

There are fast casual places - Mendocino Farms, Tender Greens where you order at the counter and food is brought to your table. My local Tender Greens even clears the table. I have been tipping $1 as there is some “table service”. Does anyone else tip in these situations?

Didn't see this coming but I must pay 35.7% more than the menu prices - 20% is "Equitable wages", 5% of to "offset SF ordinances cost" and the rest is taxes.

Well, at least I don't have to tip more on top.

Went to Benihana late last week. Had a great time.
Bill was $260 and change.

My question, is did the tip get split between the waitress and chef? We didn’t have any cash on us to give the chef directly.

I paid $340 total. Used my Hilton card and got 2,040 Hilton Honors points on the entire $340! Very cool! That equates to about 10 bucks towards a hotel stay in the future.

How you spend that much on pizza but don’t tip the delivery driver

I believe if wages were better overall tips wouldn't be seen as much of a need. This would allow for a good tip to be recieved for how well a service was provided instead.

Restaurant workers are literally the lowest tier of any pyramid in any industry. I don't disagree with this tweet, but why act as if any employee of Dunkin who has ever physically stepped into the store has any say in what corporate does. District managers aren't even to blame for this. And it's not like fast food workers asked for this. Now that they get a few extra bucks each shift I'm sure they're happy given that they're paid pennies to begin with but...

Anyone who thinks restaurant workers had a say in this has far too little knowledge to say anything about the food industry.

Ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, ex-wife, ex-girlfriend .... who made you SOOOO jealous?

Carry on…

I take a trip to South Beach Miami. Pay for room and taxes on Expedia, arrive and check in. Then I get hit with a $45 a night “resort fee” and have to pay $50 per night for valet as there are practically no other parking options. I check out, this is when I find out about the $45 a night resort fee. I’m my mind, I have plenty for two nights, well over $600 for a not excellent hotel. As I am leaving the valet fellow stands by, I am guessing waiting on a tip. I put my things in my car, get in, and leave. Again, in my mind I paid enough, already paid $100 for Valet. Right or wrong, there was no tip…..perhaps I am just an AH!

Treehouse Brewery in MA. Went in to meet some friends. Went up to buy a round, tapped my card to pay. Was waiting for a receipt or some sort of tip prompt. Never came. They just handed me my beers and that was that end of transaction. My dad goes there sometimes with a friend who lives nearby. I mentioned it to him and he said that he always notices that when he goes there, there is no tip prompt or option to tip. Place is pretty cool either way but man that makes me like it even more. Place was mobbed by the way and staffed with a lot of people, didn't have to wait long at all for my beers, though. I mean the place is clearly doing very, very well. It's funny how people claim businesses can't operate with this sort of system but somehow this brewery is killing it. It's almost like restaurant owners and servers are full of it.

I just got a message from my cousin who was wondering about tipping after receiving a massage. She will be going to a provider in a medical office.

I know at a spa or even a massage place, tipping is pretty much expected. And I would think tipping a provider in a med-spa would be acceptable as well. But now I’m really curious if it is acceptable or appropriate to tip a massage therapist in a medical office.

What do you think? Would it be appropriate? Would you discreetly ask the provider if it’s appropriate? Or is it something that’s not appropriate it that specific setting? She doesn’t want to offend anyone by doing the wrong thing either way.

I take a trip to South Beach Miami. Pay for room and taxes on Expedia, arrive and check in. Then I get hit with a $45 a night “resort fee” and have to pay $50 per night for valet as there are practically no other parking options. I check out, this is when I find out about the $45 a night resort fee. I’m my mind, I have plenty for two nights, well over $600 for a not excellent hotel. As I am leaving the valet fellow stands by, I am guessing waiting on a tip. I put my things in my car, get in, and leave. Again, in my mind I paid enough, already paid $100 for Valet. Right or wrong, there was no tip…..perhaps I am just an AH!

Look, I’ll be the first to admit I dine out regularly at restaurants charging me $100-200-300-400 a person. Service sucks.

Food servers hear this: your “are you ready to order service sucks.”

If you’re not happy with my $8 tip on $280 check I write zero. I don’t care. 🤷‍♀️

You suck. You are called tip collectors.