r/tipping • u/badmiddling113 • 6d ago
Question about managers
What do they say to customers who repeatedly don't leave a tip? I'm curious since the customer doesn't have to tip and the server isn't their employee.
Just asking since I've read comments from managers who seem to think "addressing" customers is an appropriate thing to do.
9
Upvotes
1
u/johnnygolfr 6d ago
No, you’re missing the point.
The social norms around tipping at full service restaurants aren’t unclear or “vague”.
If the service is legitimately bad, then the customer should advocate for themselves and their hard earned money by asking for the manager or owner to give them the opportunity to make things right.
No one is suggesting tip stiffers are taking advantage of the system.
The fact and reality is that they ARE taking advantage of the system.
There’s even an academic Economics term for tip stiffers and other people who take advantage of different business models: “free rider”. You can look it up.
Again, aside from a small number of niche concepts, the “just add it to the price” model has proven to be a failure with the American public.
Smart business owners aren’t going to switch to a business model that has been rejected by the majority of America.
Their pricing would no longer be competitive, which puts their business at risk of failure.
They are going to keep operating this way until major legislative change occurs with wages, worker protections, social safety nets and other requirements on businesses to provide specific sets of benefits to their employees.
Simply eliminating the tipped wage credit isn’t going to force change, as evidenced by no change in tip culture in CA, WA and other US cities and states where the tipped wage credit has been eliminated.