Should Tipping Be Banned?

[Winston]

In my previous post, I meant to say "reward" when service exceeds my expectations.

And I don't like having to tip barbers, taxi drivers, carwashers, etc. They're paid to perform that service.

But how do you know that the "tip" isn't built into the cost of the service anyway?

Yeah, I've had it explained to me how severely UNDERPAID waiters are and how they deserve the "tips". That's not my problem. By the way, in California, the minimum wage has just been raised to $10.00/hr.

Has anybody encountered sales clerks, government employees, secretaries, policemen, firemen, doctors, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, handyman, painters, etc. who EXPECT to be tipped for services rendered?

I heard that minimum wage doesn't apply to waiters, and that restaurant owners can get away with paying less than minimum wage, or almost nothing per hour, because they expect them to get tips from customers. That's kind of stupid. It should be optional not forced.

I also hate when they try to make the excuse that restaurant food prices would be higher if there weren't tipping. That doesn't hold water. How come in other countries where tipping is optional or non-existent, the waiters don't need to be tipped and the restaurant prices are not raised without tips? So that stupid American argument holds no water.

I also don't get why people tip taxi drivers in America. The metered fare is already too high. Do you have to tip Grab drivers and Uber drivers too?

Forced gratuity interferes with free will. I should write an article about this and print it out and hand it to everyone who demands tips. The average American sucks at point by point debates and I'd kill them easily at it, so they'd be intimidated if challenged to debate. lol

[Winston]

The ugly truth about tipping and why you shouldn't do it.

[Winston]

I usually tip well, mostly because the difference between leaving 5 bucks versus 10 on a 50 dollar meal doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot to me, but a good tip can make a server's day. I like making random people happy, it's like the opposite of trolling, and feels pretty damn good. Plus I'm a big believer in karma, so I always do unto others as I would have done unto me.

If it's bad service, I obviously will not do this, but generally I get good service because the servers know me from previous visits and know I tip well. That being said, I wish servers were just paid a decent wage and the tip was just factored in to the price of my meal. It's sort of a bullshit practice that doesn't benefit consumers or servers, but rather only aids the owner of the establishment.

Why do you like making random people happy? That makes no sense. Why don't you give to bums too? And charities? Why do you care about total strangers with an entitlement mentality?

Plus you spoil them with big tips like that and raise their expectations so that they expect others to do the same and when they don't, it makes others look bad. Better to abolish tipping altogether like the rest of the world does, which is saner. Also there's no logical reason to tip someone just for doing their job.

Either way, the main point is that it is WRONG to make tipping obligatory and mandatory like they do in America. It should NOT be obligatory. It infringes on your FREE WILL and that is simply wrong and immoral. Even in Britain tipping is optional and you won't get dirty looks for not tipping, because in saner countries they respect your free will, whereas in America, they do not respect your free will because America is LESS free than most countries, contrary to the big lie of America being a free country, which is not true because most other countries are far freer, including Mexico.

If tipping were optional like it should be, that would be ok. But in America it's considered a social obligation, there's pressure to tip, so you aren't allowed to not tip. It's not optional. This is true even for taxi drivers and hair cutters. Do you tip taxi drivers too? So stupid.

Another thing I hate is that you are expected to be GLAD to tip, even if you aren't, so America forces you to be something you are not. I hate that too.

[Yohan]

I heard that minimum wage doesn't apply to waiters, and that restaurant owners can get away with paying less than minimum wage, or almost nothing per hour, because they expect them to get tips from customers. That's kind of stupid. It should be optional not forced.

Tipping in USA is an annoyance - I do not know about any other country where tipping is so obtrusive.

I even heard from US-citizens, that there are restaurants in a prime location with plenty of guests, that the waiter is working not only without salary, but he pays a 'fee' a kickback every working day to the restaurant owner that he is allowed to work there because those guests give high tips.
True or not, I don't know.

------------------------

This is indeed much better here in Japan, it is said that prices in general are more expensive compared to the USA - however in the States, everybody doing any service like delivery man, taxi driver, waiter, barber, porter in a hotel, car wash/gas station etc. expects a tip and if not given he or she will get rather aggressive towards you.

I found that In USA for small services, such tips and sometimes surcharges (like small printed 'cover fee' 'late night surcharge' or taxes etc) might increase the regular price by 25 percent. Nothing is inclusive....always add something to the basic price.

In Japan, prices for any customer have to be inclusive, salaries are regulated. In the Japanese mindset tips are not only not expected - we don't have such a custom here - but they are even considered to be a kind of insult, a give-away from a rich person towards a poor person.

Do not offer any tip while you are in Japan. Upper class hotel management even offers regular training and advice to their staff how they should react when tips are offered to them by foreign visitors (especially those who welcome visitors from USA)

-------------------------------

Other Asian countries where hotel staff receive really poor wages like in Philippines tips are gratefully accepted by waiters and room maids etc. but in no way expected and nobody would dare to demand a tip from a hotel guest.

I also hate when they try to make the excuse that restaurant food prices would be higher if there weren't tipping. That doesn't hold water. How come in other countries where tipping is optional or non-existent, the waiters don't need to be tipped and the restaurant prices are not raised without tips? So that stupid American argument holds no water.

I also don't get why people tip taxi drivers in America. The metered fare is already too high. Do you have to tip Grab drivers and Uber drivers too?...

I agree with you, but this is the way it works in the States. No idea how to change that.
The weak point is with the working contract - there should be a salary per hour etc. and also with prices on the menu and the bill. To mention 'tips' on the invoice should be void and outlawed. But how to change this behavior? People in the States are obviously accustomed to it, and do not really feel disturbed about it.

-----------

In Europe, to work like in USA only for tips is illegal for sure, employees have to be reported for health insurance and income tax. Tips are never mentioned on a restaurant bill - but many customers do not accept small change from the waiter when paying the bill and let it on the table - it is often collected by the staff in a tip-box and later on counted and distributed to all employees.

In my native country, Austria (EU) in some well-known sightseeing places, I remember there was also some research done checking out staff of some hotels, restaurants and other service related companies how they treat local and foreign visitors who give tips and those who don't and no difference has been found - staff was doing exactly the same service as instructed and expected - with and without tips.

[Tsar]

I heard that minimum wage doesn't apply to waiters, and that restaurant owners can get away with paying less than minimum wage, or almost nothing per hour, because they expect them to get tips from customers. That's kind of stupid. It should be optional not forced.

Tipping in USA is an annoyance - I do not know about any other country where tipping is so obtrusive.

I even heard from US-citizens, that there are restaurants in a prime location with plenty of guests, that the waiter is working not only without salary, but he pays a 'fee' a kickback every working day to the restaurant owner that he is allowed to work there because those guests give high tips.
True or not, I don't know.

------------------------

This is indeed much better here in Japan, it is said that prices in general are more expensive compared to the USA - however in the States, everybody doing any service like delivery man, taxi driver, waiter, barber, porter in a hotel, car wash/gas station etc. expects a tip and if not given he or she will get rather aggressive towards you.

I found that In USA for small services, such tips and sometimes surcharges (like small printed 'cover fee' 'late night surcharge' or taxes etc) might increase the regular price by 25 percent. Nothing is inclusive....always add something to the basic price.

In Japan, prices for any customer have to be inclusive, salaries are regulated. In the Japanese mindset tips are not only not expected - we don't have such a custom here - but they are even considered to be a kind of insult, a give-away from a rich person towards a poor person.

Do not offer any tip while you are in Japan. Upper class hotel management even offers regular training and advice to their staff how they should react when tips are offered to them by foreign visitors (especially those who welcome visitors from USA)

-------------------------------

Other Asian countries where hotel staff receive really poor wages like in Philippines tips are gratefully accepted by waiters and room maids etc. but in no way expected and nobody would dare to demand a tip from a hotel guest.

I also hate when they try to make the excuse that restaurant food prices would be higher if there weren't tipping. That doesn't hold water. How come in other countries where tipping is optional or non-existent, the waiters don't need to be tipped and the restaurant prices are not raised without tips? So that stupid American argument holds no water.

I also don't get why people tip taxi drivers in America. The metered fare is already too high. Do you have to tip Grab drivers and Uber drivers too?...

I agree with you, but this is the way it works in the States. No idea how to change that.
The weak point is with the working contract - there should be a salary per hour etc. and also with prices on the menu and the bill. To mention 'tips' on the invoice should be void and outlawed. But how to change this behavior? People in the States are obviously accustomed to it, and do not really feel disturbed about it.

-----------

In Europe, to work like in USA only for tips is illegal for sure, employees have to be reported for health insurance and income tax. Tips are never mentioned on a restaurant bill - but many customers do not accept small change from the waiter when paying the bill and let it on the table - it is often collected by the staff in a tip-box and later on counted and distributed to all employees.

In my native country, Austria (EU) in some well-known sightseeing places, I remember there was also some research done checking out staff of some hotels, restaurants and other service related companies how they treat local and foreign visitors who give tips and those who don't and no difference has been found - staff was doing exactly the same service as instructed and expected - with and without tips.

Yes! The United States is a wretched nation of greedy people. The United States government and corporations are too greedy and cheap to pay workers, pay wages, and offer worker protections and benefits so they expect the ever-increasingly poor (or declining income earners if not poor) to pay tips, taxes, etc to subsidize other low earners or service workers or to corporations. I will not name the corporation but they added a $15 surcharge for people getting a prepaid mobile plan of 1GB (the cheapest option) increasing its cost to about $60 USD. Note that that prepaid does not even give 4G. Luckily I could find my way around a certain US city on foot because at least Google maps could update every 5-10 minutes although I did get lost for 30-40 because I went in the wrong direction. That was in 2020. In 2019 there was no surcharge the time I got a prepaid mobile plan. The United States is a disgrace of a nation. It is not a nation for People. It is a nation for Rich People, Cotporations, and let's not forget the most important group of all...the "Chosen People."

I am really happy to be out of the USA. Haven't felt less stress since I was in Italy. If I wasn't worried about money and I had a girl, life would be almost perfect.

The United States really is a Fourth World nation. The only Fourth World nation to exist and that will ever exist. It needs to try to use sanctions, wars, or intimidation (like a mafia state) because the American Regime knows it is like a little child throwing tantrums, making a mess of the world, and telling other nations "I won't be your friend if you're friends with that nation" and "I won't play with you if you play with that nation." It is no wonder it is collapsing and the world is getting tired of America. America cannot play fair or play by rules, including the ones they make or treaties they sign, because America cannot compete anymore. America is a dying Empire. The "Sick Man" of the 21st Century.

I will say what I always said and confirmed. America is the best for shopping, especially online shopping. It also has an excellent postal and delivery system (as long as a person has a residential address. In simple terms, a person must own a house or rent a house...or own or rent a townhouse condo). America is terrible in everything else.