Majority of Americans Think Tipping is Out of Control

There are an unlimited amount of videos online to be found from delivery drivers getting angry at customers for not tipping. Sometimes they won't deliver the food unless a tip is promised, or they've even filmed themselves eating someone's food because of a small tip. Others have been seen throwing the food at someone's house or walking away after saying something rude because of the upset over the tip.

A recent survey suggests that the majority of Americans think tipping has gone too far, some 75% say tipping is out of hand these days. People are being prompted in dispensaries, grocery stores, coffee venues, and more. Where does it end? With the pressure to tip it has made many have a more negative view of tipping it seems as well. How can you tip before you have received the service? For some it's confusing when to know if they should tip or not and might feel pressured to give even if they cannot afford it.

One way to avoid the uncomfortable question if tipping might also be paying in cash. When you pay with cash you aren't prompted by the tip-ask on the payment device. With so much tipping pressure it might mean less being left altogether by consumers who are over being prompted endlessly while running errands or ordering goods and services. For drivers they shouldn't be expected to deliver on their own cost, making essentially nothing because they are out the time and gas etc, they do have the option to decline a delivery. For those consumers who want delivery they might want to consider whether or not they expect someone to provide a service to them for free because if they aren't tipping then they might not be aware of just how little those delivery drivers are making.

Now with some efforts to fight for minimum wages with delivery driving jobs it could also mean companies pulling out of certain regions altogether where they might be expected to pay up a minimum wage. That is going to mean jobs lost and options lost for consumers on where to get what they need as well.

For many the tip prompts are working though and a number of people will leave something even if they cannot afford it simply because they were asked to by the tip prompt. Meanwhile, you might find cashiers and other customer service staff now suggesting as they hand you the payment device that there isn't any pressure to tip to try and ease the uncomfortable situation that an individual might find themselves in. Overall it seems that many today are frustrated with the excessive tipping we are seeing in so many different business settings, even service workers themselves have agreed that it might be too much and that's a bit surprising seeing as it could mean more for them.

Related:
https://nypost.com/2024/03/12/business/over-75-of-americans-say-tipping-culture-has-gone-too-far-study/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/technology/uber-lyft-minneapolis-minimum-wage.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/technology/uber-lyft-minneapolis-minimum-wage.html
https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/tipping-survey/