Has tipping gotten out of hand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I give 0% tips and give zero Fs. Restaurt servers get 20% minus any service fees.

There is no tipping inflation if you don't allow it.

Ditto. Just don't go along with the requests for tips when you're serving yourself.

[Anonymous]

The craziest thing about being asked to tip when you pay - you haven’t received the product or service yet!

Agreed that this is crazy. I won't do it. Tips are given after the service is provided in appreciation of good service. Money paid in advance of the service is a bribe, which is unethical. I won't do the latter. You shouldn't, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many threads on this

I'm done with tipping
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1100632.page

I have stopped tipping in many (new) situations
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1090808.page

+1

Is OP posting from 8 years ago?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The craziest thing about being asked to tip when you pay - you haven’t received the product or service yet!

Agreed that this is crazy. I won't do it. Tips are given after the service is provided in appreciation of good service. Money paid in advance of the service is a bribe, which is unethical. I won't do the latter. You shouldn't, either.

It's not a bribe, it's merely a variable price increase above and beyond the price of whatever you're buying. It's still unpalatable, however.

[Anonymous]

It's not a bribe, it's merely a variable price increase above and beyond the price of whatever you're buying. It's still unpalatable, however.

How would you know how much to tip if you don't know the quality of the service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not a bribe, it's merely a variable price increase above and beyond the price of whatever you're buying. It's still unpalatable, however.

How would you know how much to tip if you don't know the quality of the service?

You don't, which is part of the scam. You're basically prompted to provide a "suggested" amount within a range of all very generous percentages, all of which merely inflate the price of what you're buying. The business is collecting a variable supplemental amount above and beyond their regular margin, but it is all gravy to them no matter how much it is. If no tip is left, their regular margin, by itself sufficient for the business to be profitable, is still there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not a bribe, it's merely a variable price increase above and beyond the price of whatever you're buying. It's still unpalatable, however.

How would you know how much to tip if you don't know the quality of the service?

It's no longer something provided for quality service. It's a price multiplier applied to people who don't resist paying more than the asking price for something. To that extent, the quality of the service is irrelevant to the tip, which is not associated with service at all. It's just a second, optional, layer of pricing. Viewed that way, it's unfathomable why anyone would voluntarily pay it. Some people do, obviously, probably out of charitable sentiments towards food service workers who are presumed to be underpaid by their employers. That, however, is arguably a matter for resolution directly between employee and employer, not for the customer to adjudicate and remedy in the employer's place.