Survey highlights people’s growing confusion over tipping etiquette

While almost 9 out of 10 Americans consider themselves good tippers, etiquette surrounding gratuities is one of the great debates of the past few years. To quote Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, “I don’t tip because society says I have to. All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds.”

Restaurants, coffee, takeout, tattoos, and even wedding photographers have tipping options nowadays. So when is it appropriate to tip, and how much?

Who and why of tips

If it seems like tipping etiquette is confusing, that’s because it is. Even the experts agree. Michael Lynn, a professor of consumer behavior and marketing at Cornell University, has studied tipping habits extensively. “I wish I could give you a real simple answer — and there isn’t one,” he said.

Food service has the most entrenched culture of gratuity, with 83% of Americans saying they tip at sit-down restaurants. Both servers and restaurant owners expect tips to bring in extra money to supplement the low base rate of pay.

Outside of the food industry, the most common types of workers to get tips are hair stylists (74%), rideshare drivers (54%), and taxi drivers (47%). The least tipped workers are home repair workers (11%) and furniture delivery workers (23%).

While 60% of those surveyed said they wished the U.S. would follow other countries and eliminate tipping entirely, they still obey the expected tipping protocol. Other factors correlated with higher tipping rates include industries where workers provide customized service and appear to make a low income.

These factors may help explain some of the disparity in tipping etiquette by survey participants. While 98% of respondents said they always tip at restaurants when they receive tableside service, only 31% leave a tip when picking up takeout.

In addition, local businesses seem more worthy of support, with patrons of locally owned coffee shops tipping at a much higher rate, 49%, than customers of chains like Starbucks or Peets, at 27%.

Feeling the pressure

With the rise in self-service checkouts and service industry businesses struggling to hang on amid rising inflation, results showed that people are more inclined to tip simply because more establishments are asking — whether they want to or not.

With the use of tablets at checkout, it’s hard to avoid tipping. When the cashier or barista turns the ipad around to give you the tipping option, it seems rude not to leave at least something.

54% of respondents feel pressured to tip when they use an ipad or tablet to check out. 51% tipped when they usually would not because the ipad or tablet prompted them to do so.

How much are Americans tipping?

There are plenty of videos on social media of servers explaining how frustrating it is to receive a $2 tip on a $200 bill or when a customer uses a coupon to drastically cut the bill and tips only on the remainder.

Customers can tip according to percentages or a custom amount. Around 90% of respondents gave a tip of 15% or higher. Of those respondents, 17% have tipped more than 20%. Christmas brings out Americans’ generosity, with 23% of those surveyed reporting that they tip even more during the holidays.

The pandemic altered the tipping landscape, with more than 25% of respondents tipping more and another 20% tipping for a broader range of services. With rising inflation, though, 17% of respondents admitted tipping less than they used to.

Prior experiencee in the service industry also affects tipping habits. 52% of respondents said that they previously worked in the service industry, and 37% of those respondents said they are more generous tippers because of it.