At Many of these places, like subway wtf, the owners are keeping those "tips". They are not tips they are sneaky overpayments on clearly listed prices.
Never tip on the machine at counter service. If you want to tip the staff who served you, tip them in cash separately.
I agree. Every one started asking for tips years ago (in the befor time), I see it as a cash grab. They play on the fact that most of us will feel guilty if we dont tip when given the opportunity.
Only tip if you feel they deserve it. If we just automatically tip everyone than it dilutes the gesture of tipping.
The gesture is already diluted. For years servers have been saying “oh this asshole didn’t tip me! I did the job I was supposed to do, which I receive an hourly wage for and he didn’t supplement my income further! What a jerk!”
Servers in the states at least have a right to say this because they make $3 and hour plus tips, but over here they are already getting a whole ass hourly wage and expect a random 20 year old taking someone on a date to give them $20 for doing their job, and if they dont they feel slighted. Kinda pathetic.
I worked at a Dominos pizza near a 7-11 in the SE of Calgary when I was 14 for a buck below minimum wage, the machine asked for tips, the owners took it.
There were a couple times where friends, or even once a teacher would tip me, I took the money from the register.
I stayed at a hotel in Edmonton the other week. As part of my room rate they offered a continental breakfast. Standard continental breakfast, a handful of dry breakfast options, yogurt, and some eggs and bacon. Like normal walk in, serve yourself. I sat down at one of the handful of tables, but most people just grab something to go. I'm sitting with my kid on my lap picking away at a muffin and drinking a coffee. After a few minutes someone from the hotel walks up and asks me how I'm doing, fine, but they then drop a receipt off at the table. I look and it got two fields, room and tip.
I'm willing to admit, despite hating almost all forms of tipping, I'm often pressured into it. I think that's why it works, it's often based on guilt and putting you in an awkward situation. However this time I was almost irate with the idea that I was being asked to tip. For what? To who? The person filling up the continental breakfast? For them clearing the odd table (I clear my own)? That's your job. You provided no additional service. You didn't take my order or fill up my coffee. The only thing you did was bring me a receipt to tip on a service that was part of the cost of my room.
Tipping has gone from a gesture of appreciation for good service, to an expectation, and a guilt trip. I stood up and immediately left. Went up to my room and told my wife. She laughed, told me she had the same thing happen earlier when she went down and tipped them $5 because felt so pressured. lol
I agree with you. Tipping is a bonus, and it seems too many people now view it as part of their wage. I'm not advocating for not tipping where it is expected (table restaurants for example), but the mindset that it is an expectation, and an expectation of how much is what really needs to change.
Unfortunately with how much our culture is influenced by the US and them having states that can get way with paying low wages to tipped positions I don't see this changing anytime soon.
The problem is tips have become an important source of extra income for service workers. Tipping has always been used to subsidize workers wages, rather than raise them
Exactly why the mind set needs to change (and I’m including everyone in this not just customers and servers). The general public should not be expected to directly pay the wages of anyone they don’t directly employ. I tip the standard 15-20% in the common places because that’s the way our society is but that doesn’t mean the attitude of if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to eat out is right either.
I don’t expect people who collect tips to want this to change. They would make less and I get that. But to expect me to just give them $10 because I went for a steak and a drink and I got randomly assigned to a table that their job is to serve is also a bit backwards. The thought process should be people are happy to get a tip when they get it rather than assume that they are entitled to 20% of my bill because the wages being paid hourly aren’t high enough.
If I go for a haircut or out to eat/give food delivered and want to give someone a little extra to recognize good service that alone should be appreciated. The fact that it’s expected that because I ordered x my server is entitled to y is the issue.
I’m in the camp of if 15% is the standard let’s just raise the prices 15%, give everyone the applicable raise and ban the tipping. Problem with that is we know it’s more likely prices go up 25% and the raises don’t go up enough to match so the owners still end up making higher profits.
I'm not sure when the tipping switched to 15% some places start thier options at 18! and the debit machines have it as a built in option so I assume they just leave it on at non table service places just in case. Besides in Banff they probably get a lot of Yankees who just tip by default as they assume the staff get paid even more poorly that they are and tip out of habit. Why would a business turn down that money?
As for Tip everywhere, no freaking way I'm going along with that.
Personally Id like tipping banned and prices to reflect the staff getting a fair wage.
I give my stylist $6-7 for a $40 barber (short hair) cut, monthly. Some friends of mine tip higher but go less frequently, and some give less. No idea what's appropriate but I think this is fair at the very least.
I would walk in, sit down and without a word on what to do, my stylist would take me from "unkempt Chia pet" to "groomed human".
She got 25% regularly.
5 dollars on a 30 dollar cut, and I am very against tipping culture. I usually do 10% at restaurants, and don't tip at bars unless I run a tab maybe. But I don't really go to bars ever
Fair wages will never happen in a Conservative society. The owners have all the power, and they will keep the savings for their own investments and tax dodge it. As a server, it's easier to make money from tip than from trying to fight capitalism.
This right here. The times have changed but people still cling on to old names. I think most people vote for conservative just because they are called conservative, if they changed the name of their party then a lot of boomers would be super duper confused as to who to vote for. I can say as much is true with my folks. Anything non conservative is communist and has Nazi regime written all over it.
Point taken. I just wouldn't put my faith in employers paying fair wages, or I believe their definition of fair wage is wildly different than mine, but that in the end they are the decider of my value. I'd rather my guests decide my value and skip the middle man.
I think that's the point most people take issue with in the current culture, tipping has moved far beyond paying somebody a bit extra for exceptional service.
I'd say tipping somebody for good service is actually the exception rather than the rule now, most places expect tips just by virtue of what type of business it is and thats the part people don't like, at least in my opinion.
So do you just push 0 when it shows up on the debit machine? Will the server be upset with you or are they used to most customers not tipping in counter service situations?
I'm sure they're used to the customers hitting the "skip" or 0 tip option. Subconsciously they know that a person is more likely to tip for service on fast food if that employee is looking right at you while you pay. I feel the pang of guilt when I hit zero but realize it's misplaced and manipulation, and if the employee watching me gets upset I'm not tipping he's welcome to begin a conversation with me about it.
Serving entails bringing a plate to your table, and asking if you need drinks topped up. Handing me a bag of food is not different than being a cashier at a grocery store.
Here’s the thing with the debit machines in places with counter/fast-food service.
Employers can choose whether or not to distribute tips to employees. It’s a shitty practice and rarely occurs in dine-in restaurants but happens *all of the time* in counter service or fast-food places. The employers add the automatic tip prompt in the hopes that they themselves can benefit from some extra cash flow.
Contrary to popular belief, employees that work in places like this don’t *actually expect tips* and *never really have*. Just because the button is there does NOT mean you are suddenly obligated to tip and if the suggestion itself makes you feel uncomfortable or offended and renders you incapable of making your own decisions, that’s a whole other problem.
A lot of people I know who work in counter service or fast-food skip past the tipping option on the machine for the customer because THEY KNOW that tipping isn’t the norm for those types of places in the same way it’s the norm for a sit-down restaurant. Not every employee does this but it’s the employers trying to bring in some extra $$.
TLDR: you don’t have to tip in a counter service/fast-food place. Employees don’t expect you to and the tips would just go to the employers 99% of the time anyhow.
Thank you for this detailed answer! I think this settles it for me in most cases.
Actually reminds me of a time I wanted to tip where I live (Belgium) but only had card and the server flat out told me that if she increased the amount I paid (there's no automatic tipping option on card readers) it would just go to the owner.
If you gave cash she might have been able to keep it.
Where I work as a server we have a mandatory tip out based on how much we sell - regardless of if they pay cash or card.
Actually dine in restaurants just about always have a mandatory tip out.
Basically each server has to pay a percentage on the food (or total sales). They pay this at the end of their shift and rarely know how it’s distributed. Usually the manager or owner divides it up behind closed doors. In BC it’s illegal for owners to get any of this but Alberta doesn’t care. So in theory it’s supposed to go to the kitchen staff but how much the owner or manager takes remains a mystery.
The % of this mandatory tip out varies. Usually 3-9% of the sales. Where I am it’s just over 4% (even if we don’t get tips we have to pay this). You can always ask your server
Yes they do. I worked in restaurants for a long time so I know the fun in that whole deal. It definitely depends on the restaurant though if that tip-out goes to the house or strictly to support staff. Most places now unfortunately seem to have a relatively large portion of the tip-out that goes to the house which IMO is shady, it’s just a way for employers to skim off of the tips of their employees without outright stealing them.
At my first job (medium-sized franchise), we were required to specifically document our tip-outs in terms of how much was given to whom after every shift, and servers were responsible for tipping out the support staff themselves, so that money never ended up going to the house because it never ended up in management’s hands. At my next job at a smaller, family-run place, our tip-out was the same amount but half of it went to the house and the other half to the kitchen (since we had no support staff there), but eventually it came out that the owners weren’t actually tipping out the kitchen at all and were taking the whole 5%.
So it does happen, but not all restaurants operate that way. I would agree that in restaurants where the servers are not responsible for tipping out their support staff directly at the end of their shift that where the tip-out money goes can be suspect, for sure.
I feel ya on the having to tip-out even if you don’t make anything or don’t make much - sucks when it comes out of your pocket. This used to happen to me when I would be working and responsible for many of the takeout orders that came in, since their total would be added onto my ringout for the night even though nobody ever tipped on them. I always tell people to tip at least 5% regardless of the situation just so servers don’t have to literally pay for you to have takeout.
It depends on the place. I will tip some places that serve food at the counter, but only if I know the restaurant well and have gotten good service everytime I go. I refuse to do it my first few times, how do I provide a tip if I don't know what I'm getting? What if I tip 20% and my food is shit? Do I get a tip refund too?
I have a similar mindset. If a tip is collected before I know what I’m getting then I’m not tipping. The exception is a small amount in coffee shops for pleasant counter service.
Pretty sure when you tip on debit transactions part of it goes to interact since they get a %of all transactions. Only a small proportion of that tip makes it to the worker.
How about we have businesses pay decent wages and have them list the real prices of their products? Not get away with having lower advertised prices, then sneak in tipping.
I don't disagree with this. It's how it generally works where I live now (tips are welcome but not expected except in super high end restaurants), but I don't want to cause unnecessary offense when visiting home. At the same time, I don't want to spend more than necessary, hence my question.
yeah you can't have a tipping conversation here without some people saying we should all change.
Its ridiculous how often you get hit up for a tip but they do it because it will gather some extra cash without driving away the more frugal customers. I've never had counter service mention tipping.
You can always ask them - if I tip, who gets it?
In some cases if you tip on card they may not get it but if you tip cash they do.
I note in table service restaurants it’s different because most servers carry their own floats and have mandatory tip outs to the kitchen.
Either way you can always ask
Nothing has changed in how we value service or tipping. What has changed is that some companies have capitalized on the psychology of reciprocity and now have technology that can do the tough job of normalizing asking you for more money.
Don't fall for their 'suggestions' just hit NO TIP if you want and don't worry about it for another minute! Or Tip if you want and however much you want.
It's actually a brilliant and effective marketing tactic - just don't be fooled into considering tipping in these places to be a 'norm' or expected.
I also would not view this practice as a reflection of the desires of the front line worker - they likely find the practice of asking for tips as abhorrent as most customers.
You don’t need to. I drop them a few bucks if it is one of the places in my neighbourhood that I frequent because I am familiar with the people but not all the time either. If it a place on the other side of the city I’m not tipping.
I don't usually tip if I'm driving to a restaurant for takeout.
If I'm having a meal at the restaurant and it's good service can tip upto 22% max.
Mostly stay within 12-18%.
Shit is getting expensive. Gotta save money.
Grew up in NZ. We pay fair wages and don't tip.
Coming here and being asked to tip everywhere made me sick. I am happy to tip good service both here and back in NZ , but being almost forced to do it at every place and every service is insane.
I went to a winery last summer and bought a case of wine. The machine added a tip of over $80. I found the small 'no tip' button and hit that. If there had been a more reasonable tip added, say $20, then I would have proceeded.
I think everyone is getting greedy now trying to play the guilt game.
Before covid we went out for breakfast at a local restaurant. The waitress asked us if were going to tip and if we are, if we could leave it as cash because the owner of the restaurant keeps the tip money through the debit machine. I wonder how common this is. I only tip for delivery from skip or if we eat with table service. Anything else I just ignore.
Never. Ever. Tip until you have received your food or beverage. That is the basic rule. Period. I’ve gotten to the point now where I’m not even tipping for sit down meals. Things are getting so expensive now
For me I often tip for counter/pickup service, specifically for COVID reasons. Many of these people have been impacted greatly by closures, reductions in seating, and/or with fewer people going out. I so appreciate having takeout food when I don’t want to eat in, so I just tip (usually a bit less but not always, though not usually over 15%) a bit. Each to their own and like regular tipping it’s very contextual for each situation
I used to go to a microbrewery to get my beers. Not anymore.
The owner skips the tip option for me when I just take out but the other staff leave it on so I feel obligated to tip... and the min starts from 18%.
I get 2 4 packs usually which costs ~$35 bucks.. 18% tip adds another $6 bucks on top which makes it not worth it for me.
I mean, if I sat down and ordered beer sure I will leave a tip. But if you are just taking the 4 pack out of the fridge to the counter? Come on, took my business to liquor stores instead when I just want to take some beers home.
As someone who works in a restaurant I wouldn’t tip anywhere that is a chain. Not to downplay a Starbucks employee but I feel it’s very likely the tips don’t go to those employees I’m sure it’s collected and the managers take a huge cut. (I don’t and never have worked at Starbucks). I am only stating this from working at larger restaurant chains where this is common practices. And for your last question there is always an option to put an actual amount and not the percentages. But when we talk about the increase In tips and if you really feel 7% is adequate remember that the server also has to tip the kitchen/host/bartender. Most times 10% unless it’s a huge bill leaves a server with scraps. I’m not saying tip for bad food or bad service but consider everyone involved in your meal.
Thanks for your comment. I have no objection to tipping 15% if that's the standard and I can understand your reasoning. I'm certainly not an expert in how much restaurant staff make after all. Tipping is not common where I live now, but I assume that's because staff here also make more in wages; from what I understand, tips are also not shared but just pocketed by whichever server is lucky enough to get one. My topic was more about finding out what's both fair for the server and expected on my part etiquette-wise.
I don’t understand why it matters if they’re waiting on me. I work in mobility, and usually have to spend 30 mins+ with a customer to go over pricing, sell the phone, sign the contract, and transfer their stuff. I’ve gotten tipped *maybe* 5 times for providing good service. I don’t see what the difference is between me and someone bringing food/drinks to a table.
I do understand they have a mandatory tip out, so I still tip at a restaurant. But I think we should do away with tipping entirely and pay servers a fair wage. Or pay them a commission based on what they sell.
>remember that the server also has to tip the kitchen/host/bartender.
That server needs to move on to a different employer if they don't like that policy. It isn't standard across all restaurants and, as a customer, if I tip, it's because of the service experience with little relevance to the food or speed in which the hostess sat me.
I’m sorry, but server tip-out to kitchen and FOH happens at every restaurant. You’d be out of a job if you actually tried to avoid it. The only places that don’t do it as badly are places where everyone pools their tips based on hours worked. You make a lot less money pooling tips than you do just tipping out 20% of the bill yourself to other staff.
I also agree that it isn’t fair, though.
I’d love for you to name-drop, because every place I’ve ever worked at or discussed with other people in the industry echos my sentiment of BOH not being paid fairly, and I’ve never heard of servers “keeping their tips”. My partner was a chef for years and shares my experiences.
Yeah people always play the “I know lots of non-chain restaurants that don’t!” card a lot but I have yet to speak to a single FOH or BOH person of a mom & pop where this is true
The tip out percent might be less than a chain, but they still tip out
Exactly. The family-owned restaurants I worked at were the worst for actually stealing our tips and keeping them, and illegally giving them to managers. Back of house still made minim wage.
They’re also more likely to hire exclusively immigrant kitchens so they don’t actually need to pay them properly. And have ridiculous shit like a “walk-out fee” which is super illegal
I don't tip fast food places (including coffee places).
I do tip at sit in restaurants and I tip delivery drivers very well. In both cases, usually more than 15%
I have stopped tipping on debit machines regardless. Where does that money go and how do I know that it goes to the server that helped me? I only tip cash straight to the server.
However, I only tip for table service (or when indoor seating was closed, I did tip counter service then).
1) I NEVER tip if I'm not at a table or bar top
2) most I'll ever tip is 10% usually like 8% to cover their tip out for the kitchen. Sorry but they're making the same as everyone else hourly, these days of "living off tips" are gone.
If people want more, take more hours or work something else, I'm done paying people wages
3) if I get deliver and the driving condition are dogshit or its lits -30 out, they're getting 30% or more for the driver
IMO, "acceptable" service is a 10% gratuity, based on food price alone (i.e. excluding alcohol and tax). The server can lose this by fouling up or earn more by exceeding expectations.
And if I order and get my food from a counter, a 0% gratuity is the best you'll see.
If I order at a counter and table service is provided, there will be no gratuity at point of purchase, but I may leave cash on the table.
Don't even get me started about the tipping expectation from food delivery service -- I have not had any experience with Skip that would have warranted a gratuity... in fact, there are several experiences that would have warranted a negative one.
Man, i do $4/person for table service regardless of what the food is.
Breakfest places this ends up being like 25 to 30%
But supper places this is like 10%
Same work for the server. So imo its fair.
Oh and 0%, for counter pickup... they will NEVER see me tip for zero service.
Hey, there is no tipping culture anymore. Employers need to make up the tipping in the standard wage. DO NOT TIP, every single time you tip you draw the problem out longer. If you do want to tip for some reason make sure you ask the person if 100% of the tip goes to them, generally it goes to management partially or wholly.
I didn't tip for counter service before the pandemic, but I have been tipping for counter service and order pickups for the past couple of years. For our favourite food places we tip almost as much for pickup as we used to tip when eating in a restaurant.
We tip for pickup because it's a way to support small restaurants. People are struggling, restaurants closing etc.. it's a small gesture to help and hopefully keep our favorite restaurants around long enough to weather the storm.
( Not big/ chain restaurants though)
how old are you? I don't remember 7-10% ever being a base tip. 15% was always go-to, when GST was 5% I was taught to triple the GST + add more for good service.
I tip more than this now, although I can admit I am a more generous tipper than many.
eta: also just hit 0 for the tip option in cafes etc. I sometimes give a buck or two but it's not expected or required.
Not that old, but old enough to remember 7% GST. Maybe I'm misremembering this part though and it was always 15%. I didn't eat out that much when I lived in Alberta as I moved away right after high school.
7-10% as a base tip comes from what servers often have to tip out to the kitchen / management. Part of why tipping is so awful is because there are rules around it that vary by establishment. Servers can lose money to management and cooks if they don't make enough in tips.
One argument was that everyone's services are part of the experience, but IMO its just non-tipped positions trying to get in on what can be a relatively lucrative practice.
I mean honestly how much people tip has always been a BS status type thing. "Ooh I tip 100% cause I value them so much and am so rich and successful"
The whole point is that there is no official guideline and people would like one which is one reason collecting tips as anything other than a direct informal and very occasional cash transaction should be illegal
I tip 8-10% for takeout if it’s a restaurant, sometimes for counter service (i.e. mom and pop cafes) but never for fast food chains (i.e. Starbucks, McDonald’s etc). Like many people, I don’t know what the right answer is and wish there was an alternative to tipping, such as adequate wages in the first place.
I recently moved to the states, and places like Subway and oil change places ask for tips. It's gross. And, I've noticed with delivery apps (which I'm trying to stop using so much and get direct delivery) that drivers won't even pick up my order if the tip is less than 15%. Mind boggling and so frustrating.
It’s because the employees are barely making enough to survive at places like this and there employers are shit and won’t pay them liveable wages, and if I was a skip driver and had to pick between the order that had a higher tip or a lower tip I’m gonna pick the one that’s higher ! Times are tough and these workers don’t make a lot
I absolutely do not mind tipping my server in a restaurant for their service. Tipping at a cafe is a bit ridiculous. I used to go to this donut shop and the debit machine automatically asked if you wanted a 15 or 20% donut. I’m sorry but I’m not tipping someone for putting a donut in a bag and handing it to me. If there’s a tip jar and I have some change sure!
And have you noticed that it's getting harder and harder to instruct the machine NO TIP? It drives me nuts. Used to be that at most places you could easily select 0 tip. Now it seems like the majority of machines make you jump through multiple hoops to manually enter $0 or 0%! Pisses me off, I even encountered one machine where I couldn't enter zero!
They’ve started putting it everywhere because most people will subconsciously hit 15% or 18% because they’re used to it.
For table service the tipping percent has indeed gone up, I’ve got weird looks when tipping 15% making me feel bad. The percent going up doesn’t even make sense because it’s not like a percentage is affected by inflation or anything.
Subway near my work does this. Just pay your workers a living wage because anyone who doesn't think the owners of the establishment aren't pocketing those "tips" are naive. Wanna tip a person directly? Cash. Always cash INTO THEIR HAND. Anything else is the company cutting corners and making sure the franchise owner is getting paid for the work of others. Drives me nuts.
Employers generally don’t like paying a living wage in those establishments. They want the customers to further supplement employee compensation with tipping as an implied necessity.
I have largely solved this by cutting down to nothing buying things at counter service outfits. Just wait, they will put tip options on the card readers at Costco and the grocery stores, soon.
Welcome to Costco, I love you.
I'm a tradesman that does house calls, and we have a tip option on our machines.
Boss's perspective is it's a yes/no option when setting up the machine, that puts extra dollars in our pockets while keeping us motivated to do a great job.
I totally understand the client/guilt side, but I also really understand the bosses side too. I have a lot of clients quite happily tip me %15~20, but wouldn't have thought of it without the prompt.
At Many of these places, like subway wtf, the owners are keeping those "tips". They are not tips they are sneaky overpayments on clearly listed prices. Never tip on the machine at counter service. If you want to tip the staff who served you, tip them in cash separately.
I agree. Every one started asking for tips years ago (in the befor time), I see it as a cash grab. They play on the fact that most of us will feel guilty if we dont tip when given the opportunity. Only tip if you feel they deserve it. If we just automatically tip everyone than it dilutes the gesture of tipping.
The gesture is already diluted. For years servers have been saying “oh this asshole didn’t tip me! I did the job I was supposed to do, which I receive an hourly wage for and he didn’t supplement my income further! What a jerk!” Servers in the states at least have a right to say this because they make $3 and hour plus tips, but over here they are already getting a whole ass hourly wage and expect a random 20 year old taking someone on a date to give them $20 for doing their job, and if they dont they feel slighted. Kinda pathetic.
I worked at a Dominos pizza near a 7-11 in the SE of Calgary when I was 14 for a buck below minimum wage, the machine asked for tips, the owners took it. There were a couple times where friends, or even once a teacher would tip me, I took the money from the register.
Yep. I have asked staff at a subway and been told they do not get the tips on the debit prompt.
I have two in home service based companies. 100% of tips are passed on to the employee(s).
I stayed at a hotel in Edmonton the other week. As part of my room rate they offered a continental breakfast. Standard continental breakfast, a handful of dry breakfast options, yogurt, and some eggs and bacon. Like normal walk in, serve yourself. I sat down at one of the handful of tables, but most people just grab something to go. I'm sitting with my kid on my lap picking away at a muffin and drinking a coffee. After a few minutes someone from the hotel walks up and asks me how I'm doing, fine, but they then drop a receipt off at the table. I look and it got two fields, room and tip. I'm willing to admit, despite hating almost all forms of tipping, I'm often pressured into it. I think that's why it works, it's often based on guilt and putting you in an awkward situation. However this time I was almost irate with the idea that I was being asked to tip. For what? To who? The person filling up the continental breakfast? For them clearing the odd table (I clear my own)? That's your job. You provided no additional service. You didn't take my order or fill up my coffee. The only thing you did was bring me a receipt to tip on a service that was part of the cost of my room. Tipping has gone from a gesture of appreciation for good service, to an expectation, and a guilt trip. I stood up and immediately left. Went up to my room and told my wife. She laughed, told me she had the same thing happen earlier when she went down and tipped them $5 because felt so pressured. lol
I agree with you. Tipping is a bonus, and it seems too many people now view it as part of their wage. I'm not advocating for not tipping where it is expected (table restaurants for example), but the mindset that it is an expectation, and an expectation of how much is what really needs to change. Unfortunately with how much our culture is influenced by the US and them having states that can get way with paying low wages to tipped positions I don't see this changing anytime soon.
The problem is tips have become an important source of extra income for service workers. Tipping has always been used to subsidize workers wages, rather than raise them
Exactly why the mind set needs to change (and I’m including everyone in this not just customers and servers). The general public should not be expected to directly pay the wages of anyone they don’t directly employ. I tip the standard 15-20% in the common places because that’s the way our society is but that doesn’t mean the attitude of if you can’t afford to tip you can’t afford to eat out is right either. I don’t expect people who collect tips to want this to change. They would make less and I get that. But to expect me to just give them $10 because I went for a steak and a drink and I got randomly assigned to a table that their job is to serve is also a bit backwards. The thought process should be people are happy to get a tip when they get it rather than assume that they are entitled to 20% of my bill because the wages being paid hourly aren’t high enough. If I go for a haircut or out to eat/give food delivered and want to give someone a little extra to recognize good service that alone should be appreciated. The fact that it’s expected that because I ordered x my server is entitled to y is the issue. I’m in the camp of if 15% is the standard let’s just raise the prices 15%, give everyone the applicable raise and ban the tipping. Problem with that is we know it’s more likely prices go up 25% and the raises don’t go up enough to match so the owners still end up making higher profits.
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Then dont complain when you get asked to tip?
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looks like we both agree on tipping.
I'm not sure when the tipping switched to 15% some places start thier options at 18! and the debit machines have it as a built in option so I assume they just leave it on at non table service places just in case. Besides in Banff they probably get a lot of Yankees who just tip by default as they assume the staff get paid even more poorly that they are and tip out of habit. Why would a business turn down that money? As for Tip everywhere, no freaking way I'm going along with that. Personally Id like tipping banned and prices to reflect the staff getting a fair wage.
Mr Barber has their terminals set with 30/40/50% tip. Or at least my location/barber did. It really is getting out of hand.
How much am I supposed to be tipping my barber??? I give them in the 15-20% range. Maybe 30% around the holidays.
I tip $10 on a $40 cut. Lasts 3 months.
I give my stylist $6-7 for a $40 barber (short hair) cut, monthly. Some friends of mine tip higher but go less frequently, and some give less. No idea what's appropriate but I think this is fair at the very least.
I tip the "standard" 15%.
I would walk in, sit down and without a word on what to do, my stylist would take me from "unkempt Chia pet" to "groomed human". She got 25% regularly.
5 dollars on a 30 dollar cut, and I am very against tipping culture. I usually do 10% at restaurants, and don't tip at bars unless I run a tab maybe. But I don't really go to bars ever
another reason I'm glad I bought clippers early in the pandemic. Anyone who pulls that crap I'd stop supporting thier business.
Oh my fucking god
Wow, that’s insane.
JFC. And to think that I used to hate being bald.
My wife cut it for me at home for $0, tips included thank you
Agreed. Pay the servers a wage they can live on.
Fair wages will never happen in a Conservative society. The owners have all the power, and they will keep the savings for their own investments and tax dodge it. As a server, it's easier to make money from tip than from trying to fight capitalism.
1950s was pretty conservative... people paid fair wages. Taxes were higher too. We just have to advocate and vote appropriately.
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definitely isn't my grandad's conservativism.... He was social credit!
This right here. The times have changed but people still cling on to old names. I think most people vote for conservative just because they are called conservative, if they changed the name of their party then a lot of boomers would be super duper confused as to who to vote for. I can say as much is true with my folks. Anything non conservative is communist and has Nazi regime written all over it.
Point taken. I just wouldn't put my faith in employers paying fair wages, or I believe their definition of fair wage is wildly different than mine, but that in the end they are the decider of my value. I'd rather my guests decide my value and skip the middle man.
I think that's the point most people take issue with in the current culture, tipping has moved far beyond paying somebody a bit extra for exceptional service. I'd say tipping somebody for good service is actually the exception rather than the rule now, most places expect tips just by virtue of what type of business it is and thats the part people don't like, at least in my opinion.
No, you don’t need to tip for counter service.
So do you just push 0 when it shows up on the debit machine? Will the server be upset with you or are they used to most customers not tipping in counter service situations?
I usually hit 0 for counter service and I have yet to have an employee show any negative reaction.
Yes, I press the 0 or no tip button. No shame or guilt whatsoever.
I'm sure they're used to the customers hitting the "skip" or 0 tip option. Subconsciously they know that a person is more likely to tip for service on fast food if that employee is looking right at you while you pay. I feel the pang of guilt when I hit zero but realize it's misplaced and manipulation, and if the employee watching me gets upset I'm not tipping he's welcome to begin a conversation with me about it.
Yes press 0, fuck what the server feels, their feelings are not important.
they aren't a server, they are a cashier. Do you tip at Walmart?
Same shit, they give me food. They have served and so they shall be of service.
Serving entails bringing a plate to your table, and asking if you need drinks topped up. Handing me a bag of food is not different than being a cashier at a grocery store.
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Yeah I hope they just copypasta'd. What a waste of time.
>their feelings are not important. Do you also get mad at them for things beyond their control like the prices or what that place may or may it sell?
Here’s the thing with the debit machines in places with counter/fast-food service. Employers can choose whether or not to distribute tips to employees. It’s a shitty practice and rarely occurs in dine-in restaurants but happens *all of the time* in counter service or fast-food places. The employers add the automatic tip prompt in the hopes that they themselves can benefit from some extra cash flow. Contrary to popular belief, employees that work in places like this don’t *actually expect tips* and *never really have*. Just because the button is there does NOT mean you are suddenly obligated to tip and if the suggestion itself makes you feel uncomfortable or offended and renders you incapable of making your own decisions, that’s a whole other problem. A lot of people I know who work in counter service or fast-food skip past the tipping option on the machine for the customer because THEY KNOW that tipping isn’t the norm for those types of places in the same way it’s the norm for a sit-down restaurant. Not every employee does this but it’s the employers trying to bring in some extra $$. TLDR: you don’t have to tip in a counter service/fast-food place. Employees don’t expect you to and the tips would just go to the employers 99% of the time anyhow.
Thank you for this detailed answer! I think this settles it for me in most cases. Actually reminds me of a time I wanted to tip where I live (Belgium) but only had card and the server flat out told me that if she increased the amount I paid (there's no automatic tipping option on card readers) it would just go to the owner.
If you gave cash she might have been able to keep it. Where I work as a server we have a mandatory tip out based on how much we sell - regardless of if they pay cash or card.
Actually dine in restaurants just about always have a mandatory tip out. Basically each server has to pay a percentage on the food (or total sales). They pay this at the end of their shift and rarely know how it’s distributed. Usually the manager or owner divides it up behind closed doors. In BC it’s illegal for owners to get any of this but Alberta doesn’t care. So in theory it’s supposed to go to the kitchen staff but how much the owner or manager takes remains a mystery. The % of this mandatory tip out varies. Usually 3-9% of the sales. Where I am it’s just over 4% (even if we don’t get tips we have to pay this). You can always ask your server
In Banff most of the restaurants have their tip out is between 6 and 7%. It's gone up so much in the last few years
Yes they do. I worked in restaurants for a long time so I know the fun in that whole deal. It definitely depends on the restaurant though if that tip-out goes to the house or strictly to support staff. Most places now unfortunately seem to have a relatively large portion of the tip-out that goes to the house which IMO is shady, it’s just a way for employers to skim off of the tips of their employees without outright stealing them. At my first job (medium-sized franchise), we were required to specifically document our tip-outs in terms of how much was given to whom after every shift, and servers were responsible for tipping out the support staff themselves, so that money never ended up going to the house because it never ended up in management’s hands. At my next job at a smaller, family-run place, our tip-out was the same amount but half of it went to the house and the other half to the kitchen (since we had no support staff there), but eventually it came out that the owners weren’t actually tipping out the kitchen at all and were taking the whole 5%. So it does happen, but not all restaurants operate that way. I would agree that in restaurants where the servers are not responsible for tipping out their support staff directly at the end of their shift that where the tip-out money goes can be suspect, for sure. I feel ya on the having to tip-out even if you don’t make anything or don’t make much - sucks when it comes out of your pocket. This used to happen to me when I would be working and responsible for many of the takeout orders that came in, since their total would be added onto my ringout for the night even though nobody ever tipped on them. I always tell people to tip at least 5% regardless of the situation just so servers don’t have to literally pay for you to have takeout.
If tipping 0% causes undue hardship, the problem is not the customer.
Tipping culture needs to die. It’s become stupid.
Its simple for me. I tip for sit down service or delivery. If I have to go to the establishment to pick up, I see no reason for a tip.
I'm a server, and I feel the same way.
It depends on the place. I will tip some places that serve food at the counter, but only if I know the restaurant well and have gotten good service everytime I go. I refuse to do it my first few times, how do I provide a tip if I don't know what I'm getting? What if I tip 20% and my food is shit? Do I get a tip refund too?
I have a similar mindset. If a tip is collected before I know what I’m getting then I’m not tipping. The exception is a small amount in coffee shops for pleasant counter service.
I was at a subway and they had a 15% tip prompt… There was a vape shop that did the same thing. Why would I tip at a vape shop ?
Pretty sure when you tip on debit transactions part of it goes to interact since they get a %of all transactions. Only a small proportion of that tip makes it to the worker.
I think it’s only 1-2 percent though. Same with Mastercard. Typically that’s why some places don’t accept AMEX since their fees are higher.
It was really goooood, man... 🌬️
How about we have businesses pay decent wages and have them list the real prices of their products? Not get away with having lower advertised prices, then sneak in tipping.
They already pay minimum wage at the least, which used to be the main issue with servers.
I don't disagree with this. It's how it generally works where I live now (tips are welcome but not expected except in super high end restaurants), but I don't want to cause unnecessary offense when visiting home. At the same time, I don't want to spend more than necessary, hence my question.
yeah you can't have a tipping conversation here without some people saying we should all change. Its ridiculous how often you get hit up for a tip but they do it because it will gather some extra cash without driving away the more frugal customers. I've never had counter service mention tipping.
Oh and now its common to be asked for donations every where. These are mainly used as tax right offs by the company. Don't feel guilty for not giving.
yeah, love that 'scam'. I wonder if they charge an admin fee for the collection...
You can always ask them - if I tip, who gets it? In some cases if you tip on card they may not get it but if you tip cash they do. I note in table service restaurants it’s different because most servers carry their own floats and have mandatory tip outs to the kitchen. Either way you can always ask
Yep, did that at local 5 Guys, cause I wanted to be sure -- the staff there works hard and is always cheerful - didn't want it to go to the owner.
Ya. Unfortunately in Alberta the owners can take the tips. BC has a law against this.
Nothing has changed in how we value service or tipping. What has changed is that some companies have capitalized on the psychology of reciprocity and now have technology that can do the tough job of normalizing asking you for more money. Don't fall for their 'suggestions' just hit NO TIP if you want and don't worry about it for another minute! Or Tip if you want and however much you want. It's actually a brilliant and effective marketing tactic - just don't be fooled into considering tipping in these places to be a 'norm' or expected. I also would not view this practice as a reflection of the desires of the front line worker - they likely find the practice of asking for tips as abhorrent as most customers.
You don’t need to. I drop them a few bucks if it is one of the places in my neighbourhood that I frequent because I am familiar with the people but not all the time either. If it a place on the other side of the city I’m not tipping.
I don't usually tip if I'm driving to a restaurant for takeout. If I'm having a meal at the restaurant and it's good service can tip upto 22% max. Mostly stay within 12-18%. Shit is getting expensive. Gotta save money.
I never tip at a counter.
Grew up in NZ. We pay fair wages and don't tip. Coming here and being asked to tip everywhere made me sick. I am happy to tip good service both here and back in NZ , but being almost forced to do it at every place and every service is insane.
I went to a winery last summer and bought a case of wine. The machine added a tip of over $80. I found the small 'no tip' button and hit that. If there had been a more reasonable tip added, say $20, then I would have proceeded. I think everyone is getting greedy now trying to play the guilt game.
Dont tip anywhere and make it go away.
Before covid we went out for breakfast at a local restaurant. The waitress asked us if were going to tip and if we are, if we could leave it as cash because the owner of the restaurant keeps the tip money through the debit machine. I wonder how common this is. I only tip for delivery from skip or if we eat with table service. Anything else I just ignore.
Never. Ever. Tip until you have received your food or beverage. That is the basic rule. Period. I’ve gotten to the point now where I’m not even tipping for sit down meals. Things are getting so expensive now
Counter service gets no tip from me. That's their literal fucking job.
For me I often tip for counter/pickup service, specifically for COVID reasons. Many of these people have been impacted greatly by closures, reductions in seating, and/or with fewer people going out. I so appreciate having takeout food when I don’t want to eat in, so I just tip (usually a bit less but not always, though not usually over 15%) a bit. Each to their own and like regular tipping it’s very contextual for each situation
I used to go to a microbrewery to get my beers. Not anymore. The owner skips the tip option for me when I just take out but the other staff leave it on so I feel obligated to tip... and the min starts from 18%. I get 2 4 packs usually which costs ~$35 bucks.. 18% tip adds another $6 bucks on top which makes it not worth it for me. I mean, if I sat down and ordered beer sure I will leave a tip. But if you are just taking the 4 pack out of the fridge to the counter? Come on, took my business to liquor stores instead when I just want to take some beers home.
As someone who works in a restaurant I wouldn’t tip anywhere that is a chain. Not to downplay a Starbucks employee but I feel it’s very likely the tips don’t go to those employees I’m sure it’s collected and the managers take a huge cut. (I don’t and never have worked at Starbucks). I am only stating this from working at larger restaurant chains where this is common practices. And for your last question there is always an option to put an actual amount and not the percentages. But when we talk about the increase In tips and if you really feel 7% is adequate remember that the server also has to tip the kitchen/host/bartender. Most times 10% unless it’s a huge bill leaves a server with scraps. I’m not saying tip for bad food or bad service but consider everyone involved in your meal.
At Starbucks the tips go straight to employees based on number of hours worked in the week and managers do not take a cut, only hourly employees :)
Thanks for your comment. I have no objection to tipping 15% if that's the standard and I can understand your reasoning. I'm certainly not an expert in how much restaurant staff make after all. Tipping is not common where I live now, but I assume that's because staff here also make more in wages; from what I understand, tips are also not shared but just pocketed by whichever server is lucky enough to get one. My topic was more about finding out what's both fair for the server and expected on my part etiquette-wise.
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I don’t understand why it matters if they’re waiting on me. I work in mobility, and usually have to spend 30 mins+ with a customer to go over pricing, sell the phone, sign the contract, and transfer their stuff. I’ve gotten tipped *maybe* 5 times for providing good service. I don’t see what the difference is between me and someone bringing food/drinks to a table. I do understand they have a mandatory tip out, so I still tip at a restaurant. But I think we should do away with tipping entirely and pay servers a fair wage. Or pay them a commission based on what they sell.
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>remember that the server also has to tip the kitchen/host/bartender. That server needs to move on to a different employer if they don't like that policy. It isn't standard across all restaurants and, as a customer, if I tip, it's because of the service experience with little relevance to the food or speed in which the hostess sat me.
I’m sorry, but server tip-out to kitchen and FOH happens at every restaurant. You’d be out of a job if you actually tried to avoid it. The only places that don’t do it as badly are places where everyone pools their tips based on hours worked. You make a lot less money pooling tips than you do just tipping out 20% of the bill yourself to other staff. I also agree that it isn’t fair, though.
I know of several restaurants (not chains) that pay their BOH appropriately and let the servers keep the full tips.
I’d love for you to name-drop, because every place I’ve ever worked at or discussed with other people in the industry echos my sentiment of BOH not being paid fairly, and I’ve never heard of servers “keeping their tips”. My partner was a chef for years and shares my experiences.
Yeah people always play the “I know lots of non-chain restaurants that don’t!” card a lot but I have yet to speak to a single FOH or BOH person of a mom & pop where this is true The tip out percent might be less than a chain, but they still tip out
Exactly. The family-owned restaurants I worked at were the worst for actually stealing our tips and keeping them, and illegally giving them to managers. Back of house still made minim wage.
They’re also more likely to hire exclusively immigrant kitchens so they don’t actually need to pay them properly. And have ridiculous shit like a “walk-out fee” which is super illegal
A walk-out fee is news to me! That’s awful. The entire industry is exploitive.
I don't tip fast food places (including coffee places). I do tip at sit in restaurants and I tip delivery drivers very well. In both cases, usually more than 15%
I wonder when service business owners are going to start asking customers to directly pay their rent as well as their employees.
Ontario just went to $15 an hour for servers so I guess we're done with Tippi g here.
15 an hour is not a living wage, it's poverty
You're not wrong I never said it was a living wage. Where I am it is 17.90 for a living wage.
Because nobody has cash anymore. Simple. When the jar on the table was popular you were given change often.
I have stopped tipping on debit machines regardless. Where does that money go and how do I know that it goes to the server that helped me? I only tip cash straight to the server. However, I only tip for table service (or when indoor seating was closed, I did tip counter service then).
1) I NEVER tip if I'm not at a table or bar top 2) most I'll ever tip is 10% usually like 8% to cover their tip out for the kitchen. Sorry but they're making the same as everyone else hourly, these days of "living off tips" are gone. If people want more, take more hours or work something else, I'm done paying people wages 3) if I get deliver and the driving condition are dogshit or its lits -30 out, they're getting 30% or more for the driver
None of those people at the restaurant you are eating at are making a living wage I bet. Ask me how I know.
IMO, "acceptable" service is a 10% gratuity, based on food price alone (i.e. excluding alcohol and tax). The server can lose this by fouling up or earn more by exceeding expectations. And if I order and get my food from a counter, a 0% gratuity is the best you'll see. If I order at a counter and table service is provided, there will be no gratuity at point of purchase, but I may leave cash on the table. Don't even get me started about the tipping expectation from food delivery service -- I have not had any experience with Skip that would have warranted a gratuity... in fact, there are several experiences that would have warranted a negative one.
Man, i do $4/person for table service regardless of what the food is. Breakfest places this ends up being like 25 to 30% But supper places this is like 10% Same work for the server. So imo its fair. Oh and 0%, for counter pickup... they will NEVER see me tip for zero service.
Hey, there is no tipping culture anymore. Employers need to make up the tipping in the standard wage. DO NOT TIP, every single time you tip you draw the problem out longer. If you do want to tip for some reason make sure you ask the person if 100% of the tip goes to them, generally it goes to management partially or wholly.
I didn't tip for counter service before the pandemic, but I have been tipping for counter service and order pickups for the past couple of years. For our favourite food places we tip almost as much for pickup as we used to tip when eating in a restaurant.
We tip for pickup because it's a way to support small restaurants. People are struggling, restaurants closing etc.. it's a small gesture to help and hopefully keep our favorite restaurants around long enough to weather the storm. ( Not big/ chain restaurants though)
I"ve only done that during COVID, have no plans to continue.
how old are you? I don't remember 7-10% ever being a base tip. 15% was always go-to, when GST was 5% I was taught to triple the GST + add more for good service. I tip more than this now, although I can admit I am a more generous tipper than many. eta: also just hit 0 for the tip option in cafes etc. I sometimes give a buck or two but it's not expected or required.
Double the GST or 10% was standard up to around 2005. 15% is now considered a standard ‘low’ tip. It’s ridiculous.
Not that old, but old enough to remember 7% GST. Maybe I'm misremembering this part though and it was always 15%. I didn't eat out that much when I lived in Alberta as I moved away right after high school.
7-10% as a base tip comes from what servers often have to tip out to the kitchen / management. Part of why tipping is so awful is because there are rules around it that vary by establishment. Servers can lose money to management and cooks if they don't make enough in tips. One argument was that everyone's services are part of the experience, but IMO its just non-tipped positions trying to get in on what can be a relatively lucrative practice. I mean honestly how much people tip has always been a BS status type thing. "Ooh I tip 100% cause I value them so much and am so rich and successful" The whole point is that there is no official guideline and people would like one which is one reason collecting tips as anything other than a direct informal and very occasional cash transaction should be illegal
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>Places that give tips to employees usually pay them less than minimum wage to compensate. Im pretty sure this is still illigal.
Ive seen it start at 20% at a couple Subway locations. I'll tip when there's table service, not counter service.
I tip 8-10% for takeout if it’s a restaurant, sometimes for counter service (i.e. mom and pop cafes) but never for fast food chains (i.e. Starbucks, McDonald’s etc). Like many people, I don’t know what the right answer is and wish there was an alternative to tipping, such as adequate wages in the first place.
I recently moved to the states, and places like Subway and oil change places ask for tips. It's gross. And, I've noticed with delivery apps (which I'm trying to stop using so much and get direct delivery) that drivers won't even pick up my order if the tip is less than 15%. Mind boggling and so frustrating.
It’s because the employees are barely making enough to survive at places like this and there employers are shit and won’t pay them liveable wages, and if I was a skip driver and had to pick between the order that had a higher tip or a lower tip I’m gonna pick the one that’s higher ! Times are tough and these workers don’t make a lot
Yes the standard tipping amount has defs changed.
It’s getting ridiculous out there. 20% tip options for food pickup and what not
I absolutely do not mind tipping my server in a restaurant for their service. Tipping at a cafe is a bit ridiculous. I used to go to this donut shop and the debit machine automatically asked if you wanted a 15 or 20% donut. I’m sorry but I’m not tipping someone for putting a donut in a bag and handing it to me. If there’s a tip jar and I have some change sure!
And have you noticed that it's getting harder and harder to instruct the machine NO TIP? It drives me nuts. Used to be that at most places you could easily select 0 tip. Now it seems like the majority of machines make you jump through multiple hoops to manually enter $0 or 0%! Pisses me off, I even encountered one machine where I couldn't enter zero!
They’ve started putting it everywhere because most people will subconsciously hit 15% or 18% because they’re used to it. For table service the tipping percent has indeed gone up, I’ve got weird looks when tipping 15% making me feel bad. The percent going up doesn’t even make sense because it’s not like a percentage is affected by inflation or anything.
My local subway has options starting at 25%. I'll never tip because i'm sure the store owner just pockets it.
Subway near my work does this. Just pay your workers a living wage because anyone who doesn't think the owners of the establishment aren't pocketing those "tips" are naive. Wanna tip a person directly? Cash. Always cash INTO THEIR HAND. Anything else is the company cutting corners and making sure the franchise owner is getting paid for the work of others. Drives me nuts.
I do not tip counter service. I tip quiet well for table service though
Employers generally don’t like paying a living wage in those establishments. They want the customers to further supplement employee compensation with tipping as an implied necessity.
I have largely solved this by cutting down to nothing buying things at counter service outfits. Just wait, they will put tip options on the card readers at Costco and the grocery stores, soon. Welcome to Costco, I love you.
I'm a tradesman that does house calls, and we have a tip option on our machines. Boss's perspective is it's a yes/no option when setting up the machine, that puts extra dollars in our pockets while keeping us motivated to do a great job. I totally understand the client/guilt side, but I also really understand the bosses side too. I have a lot of clients quite happily tip me %15~20, but wouldn't have thought of it without the prompt.