The “tipping” culture in the United States has gotten out of control, depending on who you ask. Typically, it is customary to tip restaurant waitstaff at about 20%. Waitstaff normally gets paid well below minimum wage by the restaurant because tipping can be much more lucrative than a higher hourly wage. This dynamic allows the restaurant to have more servers on the floor simultaneously. The tips show that servers are more motivated to show up and perform well at work. However, tipping culture has extended beyond service-at-table to things as simple as picking up an order of food from a cashier. This dynamic has risen the age-old debate of tipping back from the ashes.
SOURCES:
‘I Was a Waitress on $2. Non-Americans Don’t Respect Our Tipping Culture’
Japan remains free from the tyranny of tipping | Financial Times
How much should you tip? Americans sound off as tipping culture continues to expand | Fox News
It’s not just your imagination. More places are asking you to tip | CNN Business
