Here's a pickle: I agree with the direction of this article, but I don't agree with most of the individual points and statements. I think the expectation of tipping in the US is in general a bad thing, but has enough upsides for business owners and some higher-earning servers (and even some customers) that it will be hard to dislodge. I also think the incentive for any business to change is probably not as high as the author's wishful thinking makes out.
I mostly disagree that "it’s robbery", or it's some kind of unpleasant surprise at the end of the meal for the customer. Tipping is not a secret. You know it going in. You might not like it but it's not a new thing that gets sprung on you at the end of the meal. If you can't afford to tip at the level you want to, you probably won't enjoy eating there. It is too costly for you regardless of the printed menu prices, because you know in advance that if you experience service you really love, you're going to be delighted and you'll want to be generous with a tip - but if you feel like you can't afford the extra 20%, that will be unpleasant for you and the server.
Printed Price + Tip + Tax is the cost of many services in the US. It is not an ambush. I still prefer non-tipping cultures, like where I grew up, but I accept that this is the real cost of things here.
There are complexities related to the psychology of putting cheaper prices on the menu than you really end up paying, I agree with that, but it is not as simple as many of us seem to think.
Much of this article, and many of these comments, seem to ignore the realities of the complicated and entangled cultural accident that tipping the US is. It might be better to unravel it - but it will be difficult, and it will have costs.
> has enough upsides for business owners and some higher-earning servers
You don't need to mandate tips from everyone and their brother to do it. High-earning servers who serve the specialty needs of the rich will always earn their high tips. It's the fact that it's expected from everyone that's annoying.
Yes, it is annoying. My point is just that it being annoying doesn't mean that is easy to solve, or that the cost of solving the annoyance in a non-systematic way is worth it (i. e., trailblazing restaurants forge ahead on their own, instead of, say, legislation about it).
Also, most proposed solutions seem to involve raising the base cost to the customer... at which point the customer is no better off, and has instead lost the freedom to tip low or nothing if they choose, for whatever reason, to do so.
Tipping is not mandated, though. Unless there is an automatic service charge, in which case it is not exactly tipping. It's just a fee, like your parking or anything else to be factored in to the overall cost of the meal.
Is tipping somewhat mandatory in the US? Everywhere I've been it's up to the customer to decide if he wants to leave the tip. What if I won't leave tips?
Like the other commenter, I've never had this happen. If I tipped way below what other customers tip, I would like to be told politely and then make a choice about whether I was going to tip more, but I think even that would be frowned upon by business owners or managers. Usually, if I'm not sure (such as a service I rarely use), I will ask somebody what a typical tip looks like. A good example is a buck a bag for bell staff at a hotel - or $5 a bag for Skycaps, if you would like them to ignore the weight of your bag ;)
This happened to me once in NY at a fairly nice place. The waitress came back and asked what was wrong with the service, when we were really just a group of stingy Europeans.
I am American. I grew up pretty poor and we didn't go out to eat when I was a kid. When I was about 15 I went to a diner. My uncultured friends and I didn't leave a tip, not because we didn't want to, we legitimately just forgot to leave a tip. I would never forget now since 1) I pay by card and they have a tip line and 2) I am used to eating out now. The waitress followed us outside to the parking lot demanding a tip, it was awfully hostile.
It is seen as extremely rude. If you are picking up the bill for a party or a date and don't tip, it will shine a very negative light on you. And whoever you are with will probably leave the tip behind in your stead.
EDIT: If it was obvious to everyone that the service was bad, leaving without a tip will be fine.
If that's declared up front on their menu, I don't mind because I have the choice to not eat their if I'm not OK with that. I've never had to pay a service charge that I can recall on a small party. Usually over 6 or so.
I mostly disagree that "it’s robbery", or it's some kind of unpleasant surprise at the end of the meal for the customer. Tipping is not a secret. You know it going in. You might not like it but it's not a new thing that gets sprung on you at the end of the meal. If you can't afford to tip at the level you want to, you probably won't enjoy eating there. It is too costly for you regardless of the printed menu prices, because you know in advance that if you experience service you really love, you're going to be delighted and you'll want to be generous with a tip - but if you feel like you can't afford the extra 20%, that will be unpleasant for you and the server.
Printed Price + Tip + Tax is the cost of many services in the US. It is not an ambush. I still prefer non-tipping cultures, like where I grew up, but I accept that this is the real cost of things here.
There are complexities related to the psychology of putting cheaper prices on the menu than you really end up paying, I agree with that, but it is not as simple as many of us seem to think.
Much of this article, and many of these comments, seem to ignore the realities of the complicated and entangled cultural accident that tipping the US is. It might be better to unravel it - but it will be difficult, and it will have costs.