All the restaurants here in Lincoln, Nebraska have increased their menu prices anywhere from 20 to 30%. All to supposedly give their workers a “living wage.” And now they want tips on top of that? I tip, but not as much as I used to.

this will all sort itself out after they make cash illegal

wish i was kidding

Maybe she works hard sometimes but we had to wait for quite a while for service. Nice smile though.

Yeah but the IRS has the algorithm for each occupation and expected tips. Way under report, expect some questions.

AFA tipping at the counter goes, if I'm going to tip there, I will tip from change given back before I turn around and go sit. I make sure that the tip is noticed, but I don't flash a fiver or anything like that. A folded bill could be 1, 2 or 3 bucks. I just want them to know I kicked in so if there is any incentive to perform, I prepaid it. Coins automatically go in but I don't wan to insult with just a few coins.

Usually I barely get a thanks.

Story: in the days of college there was a bar that had the cheap pitcher night. They only set out maybe 20 pitchers so if you were late they might be all on a table somewhere with none available for refill. This was by design. So at the first pitcher we laid down the big tip. And we got a pitcher whenever we asked. They were half price so we were ahead anyway. Walking up to the bar with an empty pitcher got you nowhere.

Has tipping gotten out of hand?
 

Similar story. Pitcher was $2 but you had to put down a deposit on the pitcher so you gave the bartender $3 when you ordered and got back $1 when you returned it. But it was customary to leave the $1 as a tip.

Pizza two doors down was $1 a slice. So for $5, you had a pitcher of crap beer and 2 mediocre slices.

All was fine until the pizzeria raised their price to $1.25/slice and disrupted the economy. Now you couldn’t leave the $1 for the bartender but your night just got $0.50 cheaper.

I usually drank at home though. Olympia was less than $4 for a 12 pack.

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I wrote about something similar few years back. It had to be before lock down. Burger take out joint had a tip jar so I left the change in the jar, maybe 75 cents worth? The guy behind the counter said, "Gee, thanks". That really pissed me off so much that I wanted to stick my hand in there to grab my change back. This man, in his mid 30s, maybe wanted to make a stink so all other behind me will tip better? He basically worked the cash register and did nothing else but turn around hand me my bag. As far as I am concern, he didn't do siht, no more then the check out girls at Target.

Me too.

Depends on the business.

Family business here - know me by name - always take care of my order perfectly with smiles and friendly banter.

I don't mind sticking bills in their tip jar.

Absolutely but that's because we know them and actually enjoy their conversations. Most of these people are just there for the pay check and expect the tip even if they haven't done a thing to deserve it. Again, the entitlement is deep with this one.

Last coffee I bought, handed over a $5 bill for a $4.25 coffee and the guy didn’t bother to give me change.

Made me think, why am I paying $4.25 for 16 oz of bad coffee again?

Its the expectation or the entitlement to the little extra tip money that piss people off. Its not the amount it is the attitude.

Don't ask me, I've never done anything like that ;)

No tip, the store will make up for it in bags.

My only ***** about the tipping thing is that with the "suggested tips" the server knows darn well what got tipped as they check you out. First, the establishment can set the stage 25% 20% 15% whatever, and that leaves the CUSTOMER feeling bad (guilt trippish) if they "cheep" out.

An uncool but effective tactic. Chaldini "principles of influence" can go eff' himself. ****e pizzes me' off.

I always go 'high' at my local establishment. They do make it a point to know my name, what I want, and provide a frozen glass (secretly 'taller' by several ounces than the other glasses) when others get a plastic sippy cup.

But that's not what I'm after. Not at all.

Tip related story-

Wife and I enjoyed a nice dinner downtown this past weekend. It was a high end dinner, something that was supposed to happen for our anniversary, but got set back due to some other issues. Anyway, it was delicious dinner and a good time out.

Afterwards, walking back, a street musician played solo fiddle. slowly. slurring time in the most incredible way as only a bowed instrument could. The sound wafted down the street and lured me in like a rat in the pied piper.

I stopped, wanting to stay there and listen all night, but couldn't, looked back, and tipped the s#$% out of the musician. Turns out he was a she (shaving helps in determining those things)- but- I dropped more money in that fiddle case than I spent on any tip at a high end dinner.

And both were worth every penny. :)
(edit- the dinner was worth every penny. The fiddler- waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy
more.)

There is a husband wife team that work there.

The wife is the "tandem" cook along with the owner.

Her husband takes orders, waits tables, and runs the register.

They have it down so everything runs smoothly.

I told the owner once he runs a tight ship! (which he does)

Getting back to the husband/wife. One day as I head out after picking up my take out order I see the husband by his car - and it's a bit of a beater with one broken window with plastic covering it. He had the hood up and was fiddling with the battery. I offered to help but he said he had it covered.

It really stuck with me. A lot of these folks aren't rolling in money. Many could be living paycheck to paycheck. None of us actually know of course and it's really none of our business, for the most part.

Having gotten to know that couple - they are decent hard working folks and I will continue to assist in my own small fashion.

That's the beauty of patronizing the small businesses though. Many of them become family....

The other thing that I keep in mind is that these people have showed up to a job and aren’t begging at the freeway off ramp.

Reminds me of this little Chinese place we discovered on the outskirt of Chinatown. Husband and wife is the cook, and she's also the waitress along with a family friend who's a recently immigrated to this country about 8 -9 years ago. She lives in a small apt nearby with her disable husband and their young teenage son. He got his leg smashed in the Chinese army.

We try to make it a point to eat there once every month or two because I know they suffered during lock down. During that time, I was there once a week ordering takeout. Hey, that's how I got so fat!

This family friend made me cry just listening to her hardship and stories with her broken English. She was gone during the 3 Covid years and I am sure she had to dip into her savings. I make it a point to tip her 30-40 bucks (even for take outs) since our simple dinners are about 100 for the four of us. I tell ya, these smaller places really make me feel like home. Worst this is, the food is OK but not great.

I traveled to Japan and Singapore last year. in those countries you do not tip...now that was refreshing.

As others have said,
-I don't tip someone who hands me a bag at the register. That is not service. (I don't frequent a local place where I know the people).
-I don't tip before my meal is served. If asked, I advise I have cash based on the service when I am done.
-I do tip very well and have not problem with "suggested amounts" but refuse to be intimidated with the "chose 20% 30% or 50%" options.
-I absolutely check that the pre-calculated tips amount are not a % of the tax, and I do some quick math in my head to be sure it is correct (yes I have found some errors and they are always too much as opposed to not enough...surprise?).
-I will usually leave 10% when the service is BAD with a note explaining why. One time I left a penny with the note just so they won't think I forgot. No I didn't go back there.

Random side note: one time I paid cash at the register of a convenience store/gas station. I was handed my change but noticed that they only gave me bills but no coins. I mentioned it to the cashier and was told rather matter of factly that they don't "bother with the coins" and just round up. I looked around and saw no sign indicating this. I told them matter of factly that I bother with coins that due to me and want the amount they owe me! I suspect they cashier was politely stealing from the customers.

This chart only show the states leading the way to higher minimum wages.
Tipping is 'expected' to fill a gap in cost of living and averaged for food industry staff only. Very unique.
The IRS like the the Honey Badger doesn't give a f...

Some states have much higher average costs for citizens, overall, due to varying factors (no parf.)

But national inflation usually follows wages which follow inflation.
And that is heavily influenced by world economics, resources, and random events.
(that's about where my paygrade ends.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States
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