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The usual explanation for tipping is that the minimum wage for tipped employees is lower than the non-tipped minimum wage (sometimes as low as $2.13). If you k

The usual explanation for tipping is that the minimum wage for tipped employees is lower than the non-tipped minimum wage (sometimes as low as $2.13). If you knew everyone was getting paid the minimum wage, would you still tip on a regular basis? I recently learned that in states like Washington, California, Oregon this is the case [1], and have been tipping less as a result, but still feel slightly bad about it (societal conditioning is strong!). [1]https://www.minimum-wage.org/tipped https://www.minimum-wage.org/tipped

rhino369 7y ago
>The usual explanation for tipping is that the minimum wage for tipped employees is lower than the non-tipped minimum wage (sometimes as low as $2.13). People get the cause and effect backwards on that. The minimum wage is lower because lawmakers knew they were already getting compensated by tips. It's a social custom, not charity.
maxerickson 7y ago
No, that's not the explanation for tipping. Those reduced minimum wages are justified because the jobs include tipping. The reason you tip your waiter is (ostensibly) because it creates a direct incentive for better service, by leaving some of the compensation up to the customer. Let's not have a bunch of replies that ignore my caveat please.
- oarabbus_ 7y ago
  >The reason you tip your waiter is (ostensibly) because it creates a direct incentive for better service, by leaving some of the compensation up to the customer. Funny how service is as good if not better in the vast majority of the rest of the world, despite a lack of tipping culture.
  - jmastrangelo 7y ago
    Is that true though? "service with a smile" and "The customer is always right" are notions I've seen far far more in the US. I think its more of a cultural thing than an effect of tipping, but service in the US is usually pretty high quality.
    - lotsofpulp 7y ago
      I would say the opposite, service in most other countries is better than the US.
    - robocat 7y ago
      From what I can tell (traveled to US, EU, live in non-tipping culture), it is often: "service with a FORCED smile" which I find far worse than service without a smile. and "PRETEND the customer is always right" which happens in non-tipping culture too (do whatever makes the least trouble for yourself at work).
    - oarabbus_ 7y ago
      Yes, it's absolutely true. Any Asian country I've been to had much better service than the US. France (Paris) had excellent service. Greece had extremely nice service. These are all low- or no- tipping places.

rhino369 7y ago

>The usual explanation for tipping is that the minimum wage for tipped employees is lower than the non-tipped minimum wage (sometimes as low as $2.13). People get the cause and effect backwards on that. The minimum wage is lower because lawmakers knew they were already getting compensated by tips. It's a social custom, not charity.

maxerickson 7y ago

No, that's not the explanation for tipping. Those reduced minimum wages are justified because the jobs include tipping. The reason you tip your waiter is (ostensibly) because it creates a direct incentive for better service, by leaving some of the compensation up to the customer. Let's not have a bunch of replies that ignore my caveat please.

oarabbus_ 7y ago
>The reason you tip your waiter is (ostensibly) because it creates a direct incentive for better service, by leaving some of the compensation up to the customer. Funny how service is as good if not better in the vast majority of the rest of the world, despite a lack of tipping culture.
- jmastrangelo 7y ago
  Is that true though? "service with a smile" and "The customer is always right" are notions I've seen far far more in the US. I think its more of a cultural thing than an effect of tipping, but service in the US is usually pretty high quality.
  - lotsofpulp 7y ago
    I would say the opposite, service in most other countries is better than the US.
  - robocat 7y ago
    From what I can tell (traveled to US, EU, live in non-tipping culture), it is often: "service with a FORCED smile" which I find far worse than service without a smile. and "PRETEND the customer is always right" which happens in non-tipping culture too (do whatever makes the least trouble for yourself at work).
  - oarabbus_ 7y ago
    Yes, it's absolutely true. Any Asian country I've been to had much better service than the US. France (Paris) had excellent service. Greece had extremely nice service. These are all low- or no- tipping places.