The latest trend has now moved beyond 18% minimum to now seeing 20% minimum on the little screens.

Today I told the employee as she was ringing me up "to please add a 15% tip to my charge". She said, oh you do that yourself (as she pointed to the touch screen).

The screen showed the following tipping amounts:

20%
25%
30%
Custom

Not even an 18% much less 15%. Are you kidding me? Cumulative Biden-inflation has already jacked us up 25% from a few years ago and you actually think there's a possibility thats popular enough to list another 30% on top of that without even giving a 15 or 18?

So for now on when this occurs, I'm going to let the employee know that they will get zero tip for letting their employer get away with pistol whipping patrons. Sure, we could tap "custom" then do the math in our head but don't even go there. We know what you are doing.

Imagine if many people took a stand.

/rant endorsed by Camacho

I agree that tipping is out of control, but telling the employee that is simply working an hourly job that they are the ones that shot themselves in the foot over how tipping is being handled at their work is slightly ridiculous. Most of the hourly workers that I come across don't care if you tip or not and some even seem embarrassed to ask you to complete that part of the transaction. Take your complaint to the appropriate person, but don't take it out on the employees. They are simply doing what they have been asked to do.

Yep,

That's the ticket. Penalize a hard working individual for a point of sale system that they have zero control over. But I get it, it also just derails my day when I have to hit custom on the screen at a counter service place and then do engineering level math to figure out what 15 or 18% of $50 is.

I agree with this. But then again, there are many cases where people (including the one "just carrying out orders") needs to step up and say "sorry boss, there are plenty of other 'ethical' employers to work for". Unlike the German SS officer in 1941, no one is forcing them to take that job.

Until people stand up, this baloney will continue to escalate. Sometimes we don't have the time to ask for higher up (and in my case today, she was the only one there).

America is a laughing stock of tipping rates. More than twice the international norm.



https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Average-reported-tip-rate-in-American-restaurants-over-time-according-to-NPD-Group_fig3_320516887

Aggie sporting events are all cashless now, so when you slide, insert, or tap your card, before you can do anything else you have to choose no tip up to 25%. For handing me a hotdog or a beer you want a tip? Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

And the owners that are paying full wage to employees that have tip options do not have to share those tips. So likely at places that are not sit down restaurants, those tips could just be going into owners pockets

mhnatt said:

---

I agree with this. But then again, there are many cases where people (including the one "just carrying out orders") needs to step up and say "sorry boss, there are plenty of other 'ethical' employers to work for". Unlike the German SS officer in 1941, no one is forcing them to take that job.

Until people stand up, this baloney will continue to escalate. Sometimes we don't have the time to ask for higher up (and in my case today, she was the only one there).

America is a laughing stock of tipping rates. More than twice the international norm.

---

You can't be serious?

Most of these employees are high school/college age kids that just need a job while in school. Not sure they are the ones that should be responsible for shutting down the atrocities of tipping. You have the ability to just say no to the tipping request. Most of the employees in this town are fantastic and do a great job of being kind and courteous. I would hope you would be also and take your frustration somewhere else.

75AG said:

---

Aggie sporting events are all cashless now, so when you slide, insert, or tap your card, before you can do anything else you have to choose no tip up to 25%. For handing me an overpriced hotdog or a beer you want a tip? Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

---

fify

Remember that the convenience of using your credit card costs the business at least 3% of your sales amount. Those fees add up.
I will never penalize an hourly rate employee for credit card practices they have no control over. Tips don't just go to the staff member you interact with, they often are pooled for the kitchen staff, bussers/dishwashers, hosts, bartenders, etc.
In short - be kind to all hourly workers. Actually, be kind to all humans.

-And yes, I know tips for everything can be annoying and they are on the rise, but if I can afford to dine out, I can afford to tip.

aggie-1997 said:

---

You can't be serious?

Most of these employees are high school/college age kids that just need a job while in school. Not sure they are the ones that should be responsible for shutting down the atrocities of tipping. You have the ability to just say no to the tipping request. Most of the employees in this town are fantastic and do a great job of being kind and courteous. I would hope you would be also and take your frustration somewhere else.

---

Yep. And your rationale appears to be coming from the type of employer that exploits these kids into pushing our society into tipflation.

So if you don't think there's a slight ethical issue here, or timid is your thing, then by all means carry on virtue signaling in the name of the children. Otherwise I'll put money on the kid who actually has a spine when they see their employer doing something that isn't right and stands up against a very bad trend. That's the kind of kid who will go far in life.

At the rate of the chart (posted above), you will have zero issues in 2040 when asking/expecting a 50% tip becomes commonplace and these same kids won't have to pay back their student loans.

mhnatt said:

---

I'm going to let the employee know that they will get zero tip for letting their employer get away with pistol whipping patrons.

---

An excellent Texags gem there!

How about just not doing business there and thus the employee will not get that inflated tip, and eventually no salary and the employer will have no business. Problem solved. And better yet, YOU got to help TEACH the employer a LESSON in business.

Problem is the credit card processor requires those screens because it makes them more $$$ on what they skim off the top in fees.

I tip at a sit down restaurant, whether takeout or to go. Everywhere else gets nada.

mhnatt said:

---

The latest trend has now moved beyond 18% minimum to now seeing 20% minimum on the little screens.

Today I told the employee as she was ringing me up "to please add a 15% tip to my charge". She said, oh you do that yourself (as she pointed to the touch screen).

The screen showed the following tipping amounts:

20%
25%
30%
Custom

Not even an 18% much less 15%. Are you kidding me? Cumulative Biden-inflation has already jacked us up 25% from a few years ago and you actually think there's a possibility thats popular enough to list another 30% on top of that without even giving a 15 or 18?

So for now on when this occurs, I'm going to let the employee know that they will get zero tip for letting their employer get away with pistol whipping patrons. Sure, we could tap "custom" then do the math in our head but don't even go there. We know what you are doing.

Imagine if many people took a stand.

/rant endorsed by Camacho

---

Starbucks is even worst than that. Their tip amounts are $1, $2, $3 and below that in smaller font "other amount"

So if you are in a hurry and not thinking you might just hit $1 which is a large tip on a $2.84 cup of coffee.

I am not sure that a person who pours you a cup of coffee and turns around and places it on the counter has earned a tip?

75AG said:

---

Aggie sporting events are all cashless now, so when you slide, insert, or tap your card, before you can do anything else you have to choose no tip up to 25%. For handing me a hotdog or a beer you want a tip? Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

---

Not only are they cashless, but also you have to open warmer trays and select your own food. No human contact whatsoever unless you need help paying for the items on the new self-service scanning registers.

Tipping is personal decision based upon the level of service. In a restaurant, if the food is late coming out of the kitchen, but the server keeps checking on us, then I do reward the server because it is not their fault. At an A&M game when I am simply making a purchase, I don't tip anything because the server hasn't done anything extra. Also, as a former coffee shop owner, I can tell you that the people who are the hardest to please are usually the worst tippers.

My main issue is that while I do not mind tipping servers that I know are only making sever wages ($2.13/hr) and I will tip them appropriately, some establishments that have the tip prompt when checking out, I don't know if they are in this pool or not. If they are making a decent wage and only managing my order by standing behind a counter, then I shouldn't be expected to tip and shouldn't be asked to leave a tip. I would also like full transparency about where the tips actually go.

MiMi said:

---

My main issue is that while I do not mind tipping servers that I know are only making sever wages ($2.13/hr) and I will tip them appropriately, some establishments that have the tip prompt when checking out, I don't know if they are in this pool or not. If they are making a decent wage and only managing my order by standing behind a counter, then I shouldn't be expected to tip and shouldn't be asked to leave a tip. I would also like full transparency about where the tips actually go.

---

Transparency is no longer required in the US since Covid. Just pay your extra taxes and move on. This will probably be part of your social credit score coming out very soon.

mhnatt said:

---

aggie-1997 said:

---

You can't be serious?

Most of these employees are high school/college age kids that just need a job while in school. Not sure they are the ones that should be responsible for shutting down the atrocities of tipping. You have the ability to just say no to the tipping request. Most of the employees in this town are fantastic and do a great job of being kind and courteous. I would hope you would be also and take your frustration somewhere else.

---

Yep. And your rationale appears to be coming from the type of employer that exploits these kids into pushing our society into tipflation.

So if you don't think there's a slight ethical issue here, or timid is your thing, then by all means carry on virtue signaling in the name of the children. Otherwise I'll put money on the kid who actually has a spine when they see their employer doing something that isn't right and stands up against a very bad trend. That's the kind of kid who will go far in life.

At the rate of the chart (posted above), you will have zero issues in 2040 when asking/expecting a 50% tip becomes commonplace and these same kids won't have to pay back their student loans.

---

First off, you don't know anything about me, so to suggest that I am part of your problem is simply ridiculous. Second, I have been a small business owner and took care of my employees without asking for tips. So maybe get your facts before you start painting people with a brush that fits your narrative. And suggesting that I am possibly timid is cute. I like how you are trying to spin this.

Don't believe I am the one with the problem in this thread. You may want to check your ethics before you start casting stones at others incorrectly. I have no issue with the tipping problem you perceive. I simply make the personal decision if I am going to leave a tip or not. I don't let it spin me into apocalyptic thinking or start blaming teenage kids for the problem.

My teen works at a cafe here where you order at the counter but they bring the food to your table. They have the tipping screen and he appreciates the tips but doesn't expect them. It is split between all the staff on shift. He has absolutely no control over the settings on the machine and I don't think he would feel comfortable telling his boss what the customer said if they did complain about it.

We pay cash wherever we can, especially when tipping.

Always tip in cash, or you're tipping Uncle Sam too!