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I hate tipping culture. When I lived in places without such a culture, it was a much more pleasant experience. I hate the cognitive load of looking at a menu pr

I hate tipping culture. When I lived in places without such a culture, it was a much more pleasant experience. I hate the cognitive load of looking at a menu price and then seeing a new price when tipping. And I hate the fact that tipping has become mostly decoupled from customer experience -- after all, there's not really much a waiter or taxi driver can do to make the eating/driving experience better. I just want the food or the ride in silence.

donohoe 2y ago
While I agree with the general point, there is often quite a lot waiter or taxi driver can do to make the eating/driving experience better.
- highwaylights 2y ago
  Honestly, I’d rather be left alone unless I try to get your attention. If anything, tipping culture seems to have made it so that uber drivers feel compelled to make small talk or a waiter feels compelled to keep interrupting us to make it clear they’re being attentive, which is making the experience worse not better (IMHO).
hypeatei 2y ago
Same, the cognitive load and worries about making an error is just not worth it. Why we decided this is a good model is beyond me.
bradburywine 2y ago
I don't mind tipping as a way of saying "Thank you!" for great service. What burns me is when I go to order food delivery from an app, and it's asking me to "pre-tip" for service I haven't even received yet. I've seen several Instagrams and TikToks where drivers leave customers' food get cold at a restaurant because they didn't like the tip they got through the app.
- vouaobrasil 2y ago
  Yeah that is another thing. I do agree with the "thank you" part though, but in North America, there are indeed a few times where the tip was "strongly encouraged" even before the service! And TBH, of the hundreds of times I've eaten ANYWHERE in North America, the service has been exactly the same: "here is your food. [later]. Are you enjoying your food. [later]. Did you like the food? Okay, where's the 15% tip?"
  - benterix 2y ago
    Yeah, I mean most of the time I don't really need any other service. What are these guys supposed to do - dance on the table? I just want to have the food and don't need anything else. I don't get the tipping culture, it's inconsistent (why only certain professions get tips?).
  - trashtester 2y ago
    "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." This holds everywhere. (Well, with the exception of some places where locals have gotten used to tourists behaving differently.) To travel some place and then complain about the local customs there is just a rude if a someone goes from France to the US as if someone goes from the US to France. If you don't like the local culture in some spot, just stop going there. In many jobs in the US, the tips ARE the salary, and the customer is the employer just as much as the owner of the place is. And if you (as a customer) don't pay for the work in such a setting. Now if the locals don't like this arrangement, they should work to change it. But when we are visiting, we should try to adapt.
    - lores 2y ago
      All 50 states have a law to the effect that minimum wage is minimum wage, and if tips + tipped wage dies not reach it,b the restaurant must make up the difference. With that in mind, why are service staff singled out to receive tips? Why not warehouse workers or street sweepers? Their job is less pleasant. Include everything in the price like in most of Europe, and have the staff know in advance what they'll be paid, it makes the experience a lot less stressful for everyone.
portaouflop 2y ago
If you think there is nothing the waiter or driver can do to worsen/improve the situation just shows that you don’t have any experience working in such a job. There are dozens of tiny things I can do as a waiter to improve your experience without ever talking to you. If you are a tipping customer I know you appreciate these improvements.
- mPReDiToR 2y ago
  Why not do the best job you can all the time? I'm sure there are food outlets in your area who would like to hire wait staff with a will to succeed regardless of the customer's attitude and behaviour. Better establishments might equal better pay and even some support from the company that's not been fought for by unions and lawyers; just common decency to the people who are the face of their business. I may be imagining a utopian ideal there, but it never hurts to encourage someone, which was my intention in this post.
  - trashtester 2y ago
    > Why not do the best job you can all the time? > I may be imagining a utopian ideal there You definitely are. Most people need some kind of incentive to do their best. What those incentives are, vary wildly. In a family restaurant, the whole family may share in the pride of providing a great experience (and maybe get rewards from online reviews). Tipping is simply ONE approach. Part of a tipping culture (when it works) is that tips is not something "extra", no more than smiling or saying "thank you, it was delicious" or any other way of showing appreciation during the social interaction involved in the transaction. To not tip in such a setting (without good reason, such as bad service), is simply to behave in a rude uncultured (relative to the local culture) way. Like drinking wine from the bottle and eating the steak with your hands in France.

donohoe 2y ago

While I agree with the general point, there is often quite a lot waiter or taxi driver can do to make the eating/driving experience better.

highwaylights 2y ago
Honestly, I’d rather be left alone unless I try to get your attention. If anything, tipping culture seems to have made it so that uber drivers feel compelled to make small talk or a waiter feels compelled to keep interrupting us to make it clear they’re being attentive, which is making the experience worse not better (IMHO).

hypeatei 2y ago

Same, the cognitive load and worries about making an error is just not worth it. Why we decided this is a good model is beyond me.

bradburywine 2y ago

I don't mind tipping as a way of saying "Thank you!" for great service. What burns me is when I go to order food delivery from an app, and it's asking me to "pre-tip" for service I haven't even received yet. I've seen several Instagrams and TikToks where drivers leave customers' food get cold at a restaurant because they didn't like the tip they got through the app.

vouaobrasil 2y ago
Yeah that is another thing. I do agree with the "thank you" part though, but in North America, there are indeed a few times where the tip was "strongly encouraged" even before the service! And TBH, of the hundreds of times I've eaten ANYWHERE in North America, the service has been exactly the same: "here is your food. [later]. Are you enjoying your food. [later]. Did you like the food? Okay, where's the 15% tip?"
- benterix 2y ago
  Yeah, I mean most of the time I don't really need any other service. What are these guys supposed to do - dance on the table? I just want to have the food and don't need anything else. I don't get the tipping culture, it's inconsistent (why only certain professions get tips?).
- trashtester 2y ago
  "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." This holds everywhere. (Well, with the exception of some places where locals have gotten used to tourists behaving differently.) To travel some place and then complain about the local customs there is just a rude if a someone goes from France to the US as if someone goes from the US to France. If you don't like the local culture in some spot, just stop going there. In many jobs in the US, the tips ARE the salary, and the customer is the employer just as much as the owner of the place is. And if you (as a customer) don't pay for the work in such a setting. Now if the locals don't like this arrangement, they should work to change it. But when we are visiting, we should try to adapt.
  - lores 2y ago
    All 50 states have a law to the effect that minimum wage is minimum wage, and if tips + tipped wage dies not reach it,b the restaurant must make up the difference. With that in mind, why are service staff singled out to receive tips? Why not warehouse workers or street sweepers? Their job is less pleasant. Include everything in the price like in most of Europe, and have the staff know in advance what they'll be paid, it makes the experience a lot less stressful for everyone.

portaouflop 2y ago

If you think there is nothing the waiter or driver can do to worsen/improve the situation just shows that you don’t have any experience working in such a job. There are dozens of tiny things I can do as a waiter to improve your experience without ever talking to you. If you are a tipping customer I know you appreciate these improvements.

mPReDiToR 2y ago
Why not do the best job you can all the time? I'm sure there are food outlets in your area who would like to hire wait staff with a will to succeed regardless of the customer's attitude and behaviour. Better establishments might equal better pay and even some support from the company that's not been fought for by unions and lawyers; just common decency to the people who are the face of their business. I may be imagining a utopian ideal there, but it never hurts to encourage someone, which was my intention in this post.
- trashtester 2y ago
  > Why not do the best job you can all the time? > I may be imagining a utopian ideal there You definitely are. Most people need some kind of incentive to do their best. What those incentives are, vary wildly. In a family restaurant, the whole family may share in the pride of providing a great experience (and maybe get rewards from online reviews). Tipping is simply ONE approach. Part of a tipping culture (when it works) is that tips is not something "extra", no more than smiling or saying "thank you, it was delicious" or any other way of showing appreciation during the social interaction involved in the transaction. To not tip in such a setting (without good reason, such as bad service), is simply to behave in a rude uncultured (relative to the local culture) way. Like drinking wine from the bottle and eating the steak with your hands in France.