Millennials’ generosity to servers hardly tip-top
U.S. millennials are quick to whip out their wallets for pricey avocado toast and craft beer. But when it comes to rewarding the waiters and bartenders who serve them, those wallets often stay closed.
Ten percent of millennials don’t tip at all when dining out, compared with 3 percent among the older generations, according to a study released Monday by CreditCards.com, an online credit card marketplace.
And those millennials who do tip at restaurants tend to leave a median gratuity of 15 percent, less than the overall average. Gen-Xers, baby boomers and the oldest Americans, the so-called Silent Generation, are more generous, leaving 18 to 20 percent.
“It was interesting to see that millennials are the worst tippers — because the typical restaurant worker is a millennial,” CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz said in an interview.
The study was conducted for CreditCards.com by market-research firm GfK, which gathered data last month from 1,000 Americans age 18 and older. Millennials were defined as ages 18 to 37.
Taxi drivers and baristas fared even worse with their millennial customers. Eighteen percent of millennials surveyed said they typically decline to leave any amount when presented with preentered tipping options — “It’s self-defeating.” say if they’re in a taxi taking a Lyft or Uber.
“Millennials’ financial struggles are a big reason they tip less,” Schulz said.
Men, southerners, westerners, parents with young children, lower earners and the less educated also said they tip less in restaurants than the overall median of 18 percent, the study said.
The study found people who are college educated, over 65, from the Northeast and Midwest, and women all reported leaving a median of 20 percent. or