Stop asking me for tips. 'Tipflation' is out of control.
Have you noticed an increase in the expectation for tips these days in everything from fast-food restaurants to delivery services?
For instance, you:
- Go out to eat at a fast-food joint, and upon receiving your order, you are asked for a tip.
- Order DoorDash, and you're asked for a tip before a driver accepts your order for delivery.
- Visit the barbershop, and after getting a haircut that costs $30, you give the barber $40, hoping to get change, but the barber thanks you, implying that you’ve given a $10 tip.
- Take an Uber ride, and within five minutes of getting out of the vehicle, you receive an email requesting a tip.
- Grab something at Starbucks, which my wife visits twice a week, and they expect a tip for pricey coffee or premade sandwiches warmed up in a toaster oven.
I recently got a burrito from QDOBA in West Milwaukee. It cost nearly $18. That was sticker shock enough, but when I went to pay for my order with my card, I had to choose how much of a tip before I completed the transaction.
Wait, the burrito with the chips was nearly $18, and you want a tip on top of that?
If you’ve ever been to a more upscale lounge or a flea market like 7 Mile Fair, you’ve probably experienced this one: You go to the bathroom to wash your hands. There is an attendant in the bathroom with mints, paper towels and cologne. You want to dry your hands but must tip first (or feel awful not giving one) to get a paper towel.
While I’m not opposed to showing generosity for good service, I’m all tipped out, and I’m not alone.
According to a Pew Research study, more than ever, most Americans are being asked to tip service workers. More than 70% of adults say tipping is expected in more places than it was five years ago. They even got a name for it: “tipflation.”
The night I tipped a waitress $100 at the Waffle House
Overall, I consider myself a good tipper. When the wife and I go out to eat for date night, she decides how much we tip. We often tip more than the standard gratuity.
How much should you tip?How about nothing. Tipping culture is out of control.
I tip for good to excellent service. If I go to a restaurant, I want a person to greet me with eye contact and a smile and make me feel good about spending my money in the establishment. On too many occasions, I have received subpar customer service.
The most I’ve ever tipped was $100 at a Waffle House when my father and I drove to Mississippi to see my hospitalized grandmother. Things did not look good. My father and I were sitting at a booth waiting for our server to come over, and Pop was visibly sad. The server was bubbly, but Pop couldn’t smile. She asked what was wrong, and I told her what we were going through.
After she brought us our waffles, bacon and coffee, she asked if she could say a prayer for us on our journey. My father said he never turns down prayers. She held our hands and prayed for us in the middle of the night. I gave her a $100 tip because it was precisely what Pops needed.
The surprise on her face made her night and ours.
The Pew survey of nearly 12,000 U.S. adults showed how much tipping varies based on the service received. For example, 81% of customers who go to a nice restaurant with servers say they always tip; however, only 53% of people who drink at a bar tip. The survey showed that only 7% of people say they always tip when eating at a fast-food establishment.
Inflation bites us all, but low-wage workers hit hardest by prices
Let’s face it, inflation has made everything more expensive. Gas, rent, taxes, education and medications. Inflation makes leaving a generous tip tough, though.
Inflation affects lower-wage workers the most, as they struggle to cope with the increased rent and food costs and to pay their bills. In February, a bill was initially proposed to raise Wisconsin's minimum wage to $10.85 an hour. Followed by another increase to $15 within a year. The bill called for the minimum wage to be adjusted for inflation after that. It would also end the tipped wage and allow local governments to set wage ordinances. However, it’s unlikely that such a bill will ever gain traction among Republicans who control the legislature.
Meanwhile, many workers rely on tips to supplement their income. That's fair enough, but it shouldn't be our responsibility to determine whether they earn enough to meet their basic needs. It is concerning that the state has not raised the minimum wage in 15 years, leaving workers in a precarious financial situation.
While increasing Wisconsin's $7.25 minimum wage won’t end tipflation, it could help slow it down. We’ve all heard the arguments against a minimum wage increase, such as it:
- Could lead to more inflation.
- Would force companies to hire fewer workers or lay them off.
- Might deprive less-skilled workers of entry-level jobs.
I’m not sure if any of these reasons are justified. However, according to economists, it is a well-known fact that to cover basic needs such as food, rent and transportation, every working adult in every county of the state must earn a salary that is more than twice the minimum wage of $7.25.
HOA rules and fees aren't restrictive.They're a trade-off for a better home.
Many restaurants and low-wage jobs claim to love and value their employees. However, until the minimum wage issue is aggressively addressed, they expect customers to tip their employees generously because they refuse to pay them a livable wage.
So, while they thank customers for coming to their establishment, they are essentially passing on the responsibility of paying their employees to the customers.
Tipflation is unfair to employees and customers, as it pressures customers to tip even for subpar service. Right now, I’m all tipped out.
James E. Causey is an Ideas Lab reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @jecausey