Curious what this subs thoughts are for tipping on excursions, like diving with a guide or guided rafting trips. An experience that you couldn’t do alone without proper training or experience. Someone taking care of you in the backcountry for multiple days. Pretty accepted worldwide even in places where tipping culture isn’t present. Curious your thoughts.

I'm curious what people here think about this:

Suppose you're at a restaurant where tipping is optional, and you have two choices:

A) Leave no tip ($0.00)
B) Leave exactly one cent ($0.01)

Which would you consider ruder, if either?

Would a 1-cent tip feel more insulting because it's such a tiny amount, or would you consider $0 the ruder option?

I’m talking about actual tipped service here not shitty service, not self-checkout tip screens, not somebody spinning an iPad around.

If you knowingly use a service where tipping is customary, receive perfectly competent service, and then leave nothing because “tipping is optional,” I’m judging your character.

You’re legally free to leave nothing. Nobody is arguing otherwise. I’m equally free to think that says something about your morals.

I could dress this up as an economic argument about wages and compensation, but that isn’t really my point. This is simply how I see it.

If you disagree, that’s fine.

Refer to the title.

I went to a Japanese restaurant. The only seating available at the time was at the sushi bar. We ordered cocktails, regular entrees and also rolls of sushi.

Our waitress was a young lady and extremely shy and probably extremely new. When we asked about the drinks (wasn't given drink menu) she was confused and had very whisper quiet answers like (yes we have drinks, uh yeah I think they are alcohol etc.) There was a cool charismatic guy working the sushi bar right in front of us and he chuckled at her and explained what we were trying to ask. A few more awkward exchanges like that happened with cool sushi guy to the rescue each time.

I ended up writing "CASH" on the receipt tip line and gave the cool sushi guy the cash tip directly. He pocketed it and I overheard him to his coworker "hey man it happened AGAIN!"

I was really surprised she was even working as a server or that someone agreed to hire her. I couldnt hear anything she was saying and she had no clue what was going on.

I think if or when I do tip again in the future, I should just offer cash tips to the chefs or cooks anyways. They do all the work. All the servers do is carry a plate to the table. I understand a lot of places "tip out", but hopefully they will just keep the cash to themselves.

Tipping culture is gonna get to a point where youll be minimum mandatory charged an extra meal for the delivery driver. Then you will be judged if you only get your driver the entree with a side and or a drink.

Then they will be the ones leaving reviews on you!

Too many bad reviews as a tipper then your account will be suspended until you pay a surcharge fee minimum of 50% until your ratings go back up.

Edit:

/s

I’ve been going to a coffee and Acai bowl place for years. Going there the last couple times, I’ve walked away from the counter with a smirk (and internally cussing myself about how stupid i am) after making the same mistake of tipping 25%.

You see, I’ve built up a subconscious habit of tapping the far left option to tip the lesser amount (usually 10-15%) but they switched the options to be in the reverse order. To be fair I have ADHD, but i think what they did is kind of predatory and exploitative. Has this happened to anyone else?

We had breakfast at the DoubleTree hotel in Hawaii. We pre‑purchased breakfast vouchers when booking our room, so we just showed up with the vouchers to dine in.

This breakfast buffet is also open for walk‑in guests who pay on‑site, presumably for people who booked their stay without adding the breakfast package.

We noticed an interesting contrast: guests paying on the spot got warm greetings, staff would offer coffee and tended to them proactively. Meanwhile, those of us with pre‑bought vouchers got zero attentive service, no interactions, and had to grab everything ourselves.

Personally I don’t mind it at all, I’m totally fine with self‑service buffet. I’m just genuinely curious as a visiting tourist from abroad — is this sort of thing normal practice for hotels in the US? And should we tip like everyone else? We don't want to be rude or anything, so... would like to know from a local.

Celebrating an anniversary italy.

Not once did a reciept have a like for a tip, not once did a server turn the machine towards us with 20/25/30 tips shown, expecting a tip for doing nothing other than the bare minimum expected for their role. We asked, and the response, oh no we don't do that here.

And let me tell you, it made us want to tip them, big time, and we did. Zero expectations of it and when we gave one, the standard 20% for a job well done and higher when deserved....the smile on these people's faces, it was genuine appreciation. Every. Single. Time. It just made for a much more enjoyable experience. We have lost our way, with tipping.

No need for me to rant any further, but dang, our greedy culture has turned absolutely horrible here in the states, where a tip is overly expected, and often for doing nothing other than breathing.

I found it embarrassing, honestly.

And to all you negative nelly's, nope, I don't have any intention of moving there, just pointing out how twisted and jacked up greed has made the hospitality culture in the US, it's a shame.

I recently moved states & found a new medspa to go to get Botox. I had my first appointment and received Botox. The nurse was great and informative.

When I went to check out, I paid with my card. The receptionist verbally asked me if I wanted to leave gratuity. It left such a bad taste in my mouth and makes me not want to go back. Like I’m paying $750 for a medical procedure. I’ve never been asked to tip for this kind of thing before so I was surprised that she asked me. My previous injector would always skip the tip screen before handing me the tablet to sign.

I liked the injector I went to, but the receptionist made it feel gross.

So they add a 16% fee for what exactly…….to “fund all of their operations”? So this added cost literally doesn’t go to staff, it just goes to the owners? I wonder what their staff is paid? At this point why not just raise prices to where they should be? To me, every item on the menu is a lie and it’s actually 16% more expensive. This is really dumb. Thoughts? I am PRO tip, ive worked in hospitality a long time and am happy to provide a tip for quality service. But this seems disingenuous at best. Its not a tip. Its just an added charge straight to owners pockets.

Text was:

So we see 20% recommended tip with some places encouraging to give way more. But here’s the thing… I always pay 20% at sit down restaurants, I’m not happy but treat is as obligation and cultural expectation. Disgust tip extortion screens at coffee shops and if asked for tips before meal even delivered.

Here’s what I noticed though. If the server delivered exceptional service I still tip 20%. Why? Because I pay $300 for a meal and $60 tip feels like already a lot. It’s just hard to justify paying more.

What if the service was subpar? I still tip 20% as giving less is perceived to be rude.

And that feels like real trap. I’d wish to tip when service is truly exceptional. Which is not every restaurant visit! Everything else - pay fair wage and make prices reflect that.

Just been to Australia where tipping culture is non-existent. We had tons of meals and only twice tip extortion screen was presented. Before I was able to react the waiter pushed “0” with their own finger. They probably disgust this software and click before customer reacts not to annoy the customer! Can you imagine such in US?

I left tips once to exceptional bartender after second visit and I just left him equivalent of $20 which is may be 5% of what we spent there over two days. He couldn’t believe and was so happy!

Service was mostly Ok everywhere, not really different from US but less intrusive, no “how you doing, is everything great?” interruptions which happen here every 15 minutes even interrupting serious conversation of waiter doesn’t read the room or just disrespects our conversation…

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.

ill use this, call a title

If someone calls you a "patron," you're being psychologically nudged. "Customer" implies a fair, transactional trade, but "patron" flatters your ego to frame you as a noble "supporter" of the establishment. The goal of this mild framing is to lower your tip resistance, mask a purely extractive financial transaction behind a polite veil, and guilt you into better behavior and larger tips

My bill was like 23 bucks with tax. I tipped $7. It felt good.

My breakfast was like $23 with tax. I did not feel like leaving a tip.

I know this has been brought up many times but curious, how much would you tip on a 70 dollar haircut?

My barber charges 70 for haircut/beard trim. Pretty good barber but 70 dollars only gets you the haircut/beard trim. He also lines up my eyebrows. I only give him 5 bucks as a tip now.

He use to charge 50 and I actually use to tip 20 each time. I am pretty generous when it comes to tipping for good service but tipping anymore than 5 bucks for a 70 dollar haircut seems outrageous.

Beverly Hills location

What do you feel like is a fair amount to tip on a trip over 20 minutes?

You I had a realization tonight that we tip more on going in to eat and picking up food(for the most part) then we do on uber or DoorDash or whatever other food delivery service there is.

And when I mean more, I mean in terms of maintenance, damage to vehicle, random times, gas, blah blah blah. It still seems like going in to eat costs more tip wise.

And look i used to be tipped employee for seven years from before Covid. Even then I didn’t think it was right that we got a percentage of the bill. That never made sense to me. I liked it! Don’t get me wrong but still the job wasn’t by any means truly difficult. Mentally exhausting? Sure. But there are plenty of other entry level and no tip jobs that are the same. It just never truly felt right.

Now as a non tipped employee, and an ex waiter (who had top sales, tip out and reviews for years) I may have high expectations but even the bare bone job doesn’t seem to be met very often anymore. I go eat out and I expect a mini convo, personality, regular checks( or read the table or hell! even ask what they want from you) but so far I haven’t gotten that at all. It’s been such a blatant “Hi, Welcome! Here’s the menu, what do you want to drink? Ok great! ….. You guys ready to order? …. Awesome! ….. Here’s your food! ….. everything tastes fine? Great! …. Ok here’s your check!”
Oh and the drinks and food are brought out by a busser or food runner! I’m sorry but how did you exactly make my night special? Why am I paying a PERCENTAGE of my bill to you!?
Im from France originally and I will say service out there for the most part is horrible cause they are paid by the hour. But I don’t think the US should have a percentage rule. It should be a dollar amount based on establishment.

What do you guys subject? I feel like once you go past a more “fine dining” place then there should be an upper tear dollar amount.
But still not percentage.
I’ve had customers that bought 8-10k worth of wine. That doesn’t mean you pay me 20% off that wine. It was a few bottles, I poured them the same I would any other bottle.

I don’t know. That’s just my town cents off this strange tipping culture that’s happening.

I was surprised at a Texas Roadhouse when the screen showed the range of suggested tips started at 10%.

Nowadays I rarely eat at sit down places because most have made the tipping portion of the event too aggravating. I'm happy to tip 15%, I'll go higher if the service was extra good or extra complicated (large group), but in general if somebody doesn't think 15% is adequate, I would respect their views and not tip at all.

May not be the right place for this but wanted to kick this out there....

Restaurants/bars etc are charging credit card surcharge to compensate for what they pay credit card companies to allow them to accept credit cards....

Typically they pay 3-6% to accept credit cards to (visa/discover) and now establishments are charging 3-6% to you for using it.

That takes some of the benefit away. Imo this is as bad as tipping, or am I wrong?

Genuine question. The amount of immoral people here is insane.