Tipping is out of control

From the Washington Post: Has tipping gone too far? Here’s a guide on when to tip.

Many Americans have tipping fatigue, with 1 in 3 adults calling the practice “out of control” in a recent survey.

Tipping has gotten out of control, especially post-Covid. I have likened it to yet another form of inflation, which is ignored or overlooked by the ‘official’ stats, along with enshittification, shrinkflation, and planned obsolescence–the trinity of inflation. All of these are hidden taxes which erode our purchasing power and maybe even our sanity.

American are now expected to tip for everything these days. Sometimes it’s merely a suggestion, like a tip jar, which can easily be ignored. Other times it’s more of an imposition, like those kiosks or point-of-sale screens in which you’re forced to play a sort of ‘game’ of having to choose between one of three tipping options, starting from high to highway robbery. Declining to play means everyone in your vicinity, including the cashier and anyone standing behind you in line, can see you’re a miser or a skinflint for declining.

If a $20 meal has a 7% sales tax, in addition to a 25% tip, and 20% YOY food inflation on top of that, all of this amounts to something like a 50% tax, and I am ignoring shrinkflation (such as smaller portion sizes, which is also like another tax). That is outrageous.

The post below also went viral:

Surprisingly, in the comments, I have seen many on the right support tipping. Such arguments fall along the lines:

1. Tipping is a good deal. Staff earn more from tips than from wages. This is perhaps the best argument for tipping, as it does not require the customer to be coerced into tipping. If tipping is a good deal, then this will bear itself out, without having to be forced to tip. Some people will tip a lot, most will tip less or none, so it evens out.

2. Or tipping is like the ‘free market’ rewarding for good service. This sounds dumb. How can people possibly calibrate their tips to match the economic value provided?

3. Tipping ensures better service. This is debatable. I remember when I’d go out to dinner with my dad he would complain about lousy service despite being a big tipper and a consistent customer. I remarked, “They think you’re a sucker”. If they can expect a generous tip and recurring business regardless of the quality of service, then what is the incentive to provide high-quality service, versus mediocre service?

4. Waitresses need tips because otherwise they are underpaid. Maybe this is true, but then why does the burden fall on me and other customers to rectify a broken system? This only perpetuates the problem. Of course, one can argue that it’s out of their control or shows a lack of compassion. Maybe, but the option also exists to not choose a profession that is dependent on tips? Again, why does the onus of correcting or fixing other people’s poor life choices or not being smart enough to get a better job, fall on myself and other customers?