JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new Bankrate survey shows more than 1 in 3 Americans think tipping culture has gotten out of control, and younger people are tipping less than older generations.
Negative opinions about tipping are on the rise.
“I’m a big tipper. But I don’t like to be forced.” Melissa said.
The survey shows people are annoyed with the trend of pre-entered tip screens, and some people are tipping less because of them.
Only 35% of Gen Zers who go to sit-down restaurants always tip, compared with 86% of baby boomers.
“I normally tip 20%. When we go when people wait on us,” Linda Smith said.
Robert Knox said he doesn’t always tip.
“Sometimes you wonder why you even should tip you know; you just walk up to I don’t know, let’s give the example of a hotdog cart. They’re not doing anything above and beyond but you kind of feel bad about not tipping,” Knox said.
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But Donnie Burell sees tipping as a way of helping others.
“I think everybody needs to make a living and so I think we all should be giving our share when someone’s doing a good service to us,” Burell said. “If I’m going and ordering it and picking it up, and you know, having to do everything myself, I can’t. I can’t do it every time.”
Coffee shops, car washes, and other businesses other than restaurants have recently started to ask for tips. That’s why, in part, the majority of Americans believe tipping is out of control.
“People are annoyed about tipping. Yeah, 59% of Americans say that they have at least one negative view towards tipping, 35% say that tipping culture is just gotten out of control. That’s up five percentage points from last year,” Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman said. “People are especially annoyed about those pre-entered tip screens that pop up in coffee shops and elsewhere. I was actually asked to tip once at a self-checkout machine at Newark Airport, I was asked to tip at a pick-your-own strawberry farm. This is the kind of thing that’s giving tipping a bad name.”
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People are tipping – just not all the time. Here’s a breakdown of how many people always tip:
- Servers at a sit-down restaurant: 67%
- Hair stylists/barbers: 55%
- Food delivery people: 51%
- Taxi/rideshare drivers: 41%
“Inflation is a big part of the story. That’s why customers are annoyed because they feel like they’re paying enough already. And there’s less money to go around,” Rossman said. “But it’s also part of why businesses are asking for tips because their costs are up as well. And some are hesitant to raise prices any more than they already have.”