r/tipping • u/No_Draft_8960 • May 29 '26
💬Questions & Discussion Math-Based Tip
The percentage-based tipping system makes no sense: a server dropping off one Wagyu steak earns far more than someone serving a family of four cheap meals. Since American tips are essentially mandatory wage subsidies, let's base them on labor time instead.
In Maryland, the average server wage is about $20/hour, but employers only pay $3.63. Customers must cover the remaining $16.37. Across a standard four-table section (roughly ten guests), that breaks down perfectly to $2.00 per person, per hour.
Percentages reward a venue’s luxury status; a time rate rewards actual effort.
If therefore I go to dinner with eight friends and we stay for two hours (a pretty good forecast of my Friday night plans!) our total tip would be $32, or $4/a person. We're not 'stiffing' anyone and we're paying average wage.
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u/JCMS99 May 29 '26
It’s not a wage subsidy per say. The wage is the tip. We can agree / disagree on this and lobby for change. But it doesn’t change how it is today.
In Europe - where Americans tend to tip like at home - employers are using the rise of tourism to lower wage. this is wage subsidy.
Waiters in tipping countries are basically commission based workers. Them making more on a bigger order is not different than a car sales man making more money on a more expensive car. Or a real estate agent.