The History of Tipping
February 4, 2010
Although the addition of a gratuity or tip to a bill is now largely perceived as a gift for good service, the origin of the practice may be traced back to 18th Century English pubs when tipping was considered an essential incentive for better service. These days, many workers rely on tips as a substantial and necessary part of their income. In 2003, tips from U.S. restaurants alone were estimated at a whopping $26 billion. There are many emotional reasons people tip, such as to avoid embarrassment or to feel better about themselves because they know a tip is expected. Employees who provide services may also use tricks of the trade to manipulate these emotions to receive a larger gratuity. Have a look at the history of tipping below.
I tip if it’s deserved. Squatting next to my table will only get you a weird look (and possibly a lower tip); if you touch me, you’d better be a good-looking red-headed gal. And I’ll get my own mints (note the plural) on the way out, thank you.
Comment by RaulJones — February 5, 2010 @ 6:11 am
I fear that if I travel to the U.S. I’ll be hated and reviled.
Because, I believe a tip should be a voluntary reward for a job well done, not an extorted payment in a protection racket. Here in Britain, we expect people’s pay to be at an acceptable level, and don’t expect an employee needs tips in order to earn a living wage. For sure, waiting jobs tend to be at the lower end of the pay spectrum, but hey, if you want more money? get a better job!
You should not expect a tip for doing the job you’re paid to do, with a surly attitude. In fact, you shouldn’t expect a tip, you should be pleasantly surprised when it happens.
And yes. Been there, done that. And no. I did not spit in non-tipping customers’ food.
Comment by soubriquet — February 5, 2010 @ 3:12 pm
And in every country tipping is different. While it is 15% in the US, it is 10% in Austria. As in the other comment, one tips more when there is a reason. I always tip as it is part of the payment of a waiter, if he is very nice or not. I think it always depends if you tip with paying or if you leave the top on the table.
Comment by Christa — February 5, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
That is just it tipping does not get you any better service 99% of the time.
Comment by John — February 6, 2010 @ 12:33 pm
and that sir, makes you a d-bag. servers make 2.13 an hour, and we are forced to pay taxes on our tips, meaning that it is a required part of our society. i take great pride in putting my testicles in drinks of people i know aren’t going to tip. have fun drinking my ball water.
Comment by johnnywaiter — February 6, 2010 @ 12:50 pm
What about the tattoo artist? how much to give them for a tip, and beleive me, you will want to tip them if you need to get finish up work done…
Comment by anony-mouse — February 6, 2010 @ 3:16 pm
Don’t forget tattoo artists. I usually tip 10-15%, more if they’re a good conversationalist.
Comment by Terry — February 6, 2010 @ 7:03 pm
Tipping is primarily to say thank you for exemplary service. Forget the other reasons. Poor service, poor tip. Great service, great tip.
Comment by Jimbo — February 6, 2010 @ 7:24 pm
So it’s a scientific fact that Black people don’t “know” what a proper tip is. Interesting. I wonder how the black community will respond to this? How does the white community respond? Why don’t we just have a “community” instead? And why “African-American” and not just “American”? You can tell if a Black person is black, the hyphen isn’t necessary, by the colour of their skin, and also if they don’t tip well. Bahaahha!
Comment by Titus — February 6, 2010 @ 8:52 pm
By definition then, we should all be tipping doctors, dentists, surgeons, lawyers, police, firemen, and all government officials on a regular basis for “better service”. But due to a peculiar effect of cultural cognitive dissonance, society on both sides of the pond has deemed doing so unethical, to the point of making it illegal. In fact, even the people who view tipping as a social and moral obligation expect these people to do their jobs well on the antiquated premise that they were hired to do it well, not poorly.
It’s an odd sense of privilege when people can expect to be paid for work that’s poor under the presumed “norm” that good work is the exception rather than the rule.
I don’t mind tipping for truly exceptional service, people who go out of their way to provide above and beyond the expected norm, and often do. What I object to is the expectation that not tipping is somehow socially and therefore morally reprehensible, but that it’s morally justified that people should feel grateful for “not getting bad service” or that “nobody tampered with my food”.
Tipping is what’s made bad service and a poor work ethic the new expected norm.
Comment by tomjones — February 7, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
I don’t tip at a coffee house . It’s not necessary nor is a tip expected at a drive thru.
Comment by Ken — February 8, 2010 @ 8:53 am
Of course, one problem w/ with tipping in the US is that in many areas wait-staff are not paid a fully salary with the “expectation” that they should make it up in tips. This turns a reward into an obligation in the sense that your server is not making a legal wage if you do not tip. Its an issue with the business.
Comment by Anonymous — February 8, 2010 @ 10:19 am
Get better tips by squatting down next to customer or touching them?! Oh NO!!!
97% of my readers did NOT like having waitstaff sit down next to them.
http://amisimms.wordpress.com/?s=outback
Comment by Ami Simms — February 8, 2010 @ 12:58 pm
The amount of tip I leave is directly proportional to the amount of time my iced tea glass spends half full or less. I have thought it was amazing when I noticed the trend of tips increasing from 10% while I was younger (30 years ago) to sometimes over 30%! Insane.
Comment by alex brewer — February 8, 2010 @ 6:46 pm
Almost any word that people claim to be an acronym, actually isn’t. http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp
Comment by Tai — February 9, 2010 @ 6:30 am
Please tip your barista. Barista’s are highly skilled professionals (if you’re in the right kind of cafe) and they train extensively to know the nuances of the espresso they are serving you in order to provide you the best drink possible. Throw a dollar in the jar!
Comment by Your barista — February 10, 2010 @ 7:34 am
I find it hilarious that tipping is thought to have started in English pubs and was non-existent in the US in the 1800s. Now, unless your in a yuppie pubbar in London, you generally don’t tip the barman but in the US you do tip the bartender. I typically tip $1 per drink when I pay cash per order. A good bartender will typically remember you during the night. I’ve frequently had my last round comped.
The issue in the US is that Federal Minimum Wages are lower for restaurant staff which is currently $2.13/hour vs. $7.25/hour for non-tip workers (see http://www.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm) This tip-based minimum wage has also not kept up with inflation as well as the regular minimum wage. I think I was making about the same in 1992 when I last waited tables.
Further, food prices at restaurants have also held relatively steady except in large cities where more expensive restaurants have become more common. Unfortunately, the cost of living in these cities have gone up faster than restaurant prices (mostly in rent). Hence the general increase from 15% to 20%.
Finally, the US lacks a national health care plan. Very few restaurants provide health insurance for wait staff. These people are very much dependent on your tips.
I do feel for Brits visit the US, though. Not only do you get hit with a massive expected tip, but we also don’t typically publish prices with taxes included. So that $5.99 cheeseburger will likely set you back almost $8.
Comment by Eric Wolf — February 10, 2010 @ 8:01 am
Hey johnnywaiter, forced to pay taxes on our tips??? I’m forced to pay taxes on my wages to. I’d punch you right in the balls, you are an embarassment.
Comment by waiterboy — February 11, 2010 @ 3:43 pm
Non-tippers are the lowest of the low.
Comment by Joe Miler — February 13, 2010 @ 7:11 pm
to all you who feel like tipping should be voluntary, then email your congressman to demand minimum wage should be applied to all jobs. bartenders and waitresses make $2.13 ph – originally it was intended to be half of the minimum wage, but hasn’t been forced to keep up with inflation. if you don’t know how to do math, since 20% is too difficult for you, $2.13 IS LESS THAN 1/3RD OF THE CURRENT MINIMUM WAGE.
it is my most sincere hope that every time you stiff your bartender or waitress you think of your daughter/son/cousin/ any relative drastically affected by this shit economy/ the fact that your mother or father likely at one time or another relied on tips / your classmates who sleep only 5 hours per day after they spend 8 hours studying and attending class, they get to work for about 10-12 hours SERVING YOU.
if you don’t want to tip, then stay home and cook for your damn self. don’t waste my time.
Comment by Sara Baker — February 16, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
While many may fear being violated by a waiter, if you knew and thought about what your food goes through without the staff playing foot hockey with it, you’d never eat out in the first place.
This is a tricky game we play. Waiters hold a lot of power in their hands. They largely determine whether the experience was enjoyable. If I’m planning on ever returning to a place, I’m going to tip 30%. I don’t necessarily tip for better service; I tip if the experience was good. If the experience wasn’t good, I probably won’t be returning.
Of course, the obvious retort is, doesn’t that mean the service? Sure, but it’s not the only factor in the experience. The place might suck, but the waiter is on point, or vice-versa. An obsequious waiter is as bad as a surly waiter. I want out of my waiter the same thing that our bosses want from us; to have on hand what I need- whether food, insight, personality, or whatever- exactly when I need it. In the end, the customer does not want to feel like a schlub for the experience.
At the same time, such power belies the economic reward of the job and economic status of your bitchy waiter. I personally know waiters that make more than I do…and I make more than enough to pay the bills. They tend to the customer without regard to the tip. In their minds, that will take care of itself. And, if it doesn’t, it’s only money. That may be easier said than done when you’re dead-ass broke, but it’s why they work where they work and make what they make.
If you’re the type- in any job:
to feel any sense of entitlement,
that sits there and (figuratively) counts your money (in this case, assessing your tip prospect) while you’re supposed to be tending to the patron,
that complains about your lot in life and takes it out on the customer,
that pisses and moans because this struck a raw nerve,
you’ve fcuked yourself for good. I’ve met plenty like you, too. The snicker you’ll have to yourself for violating the patron is the kind of negative energy that has you stuck waitressing at some dive or, worse yet, at a chain restaurant, instead of doing what you’d want to do.
Comment by Bokolis — February 16, 2010 @ 3:13 pm