International fans visiting the US for the World Cup have become frustrated by the culture of having to tip servers, telling the BBC that tipping fatigue has set in.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48704263

Many international fans visiting the US for the World Cup have become frustrated by the culture of tipping servers, telling the BBC that tipping fatigue has set in.

England supporter Geoff Pryor said he understood tipping for good service, but he found it “weird” when buying a bottle of water and “they try to get a tip for doing nothing”.

In the US, staff at some restaurants and bars are paid just over $2 (£1.50) an hour, and they expect customers to tip about 20% of the total cost of the bill so they can earn a living.

Frustrations have also been shared by hospitality staff, with one bar owner telling the BBC that many World Cup tourists have been bad tippers.

  • orclev@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    6 hours ago

    The problem is it has become a catch 22. Some places in the US have tried to do the right thing, increased wages to livable levels and told customers not to tip, but everyone who has tried it ultimately gets forced to undo it. The customers end up hating it because a) prices are higher on paper and b) a lot of them get off on having the power to fuck with the workers income by refusing to tip and you’re taking that away from them. The customers then end up going to other restaurants that still do tipping. Additionally some of the staff hate it as well because they feel like they’re making less money due to the odd tipping whale pushing their average salary up (this is highly variable but they’ll tend to remember that one table that tipped $1000 a lot more than all the ones that only gave them $15).

    I honestly think the only way you’re going to be able to eliminate tipping in the US is if it was outlawed at the federal level. Any action by individual restaurants just ends up getting punished by the market and forcing them back in line.