I find it hard to believe that this topic hasn’t been debated here before, but i couldn’t find it anywhere, so here goes.
I’m interested in the subject of tipping (waiters, cab drivers etc.). Having moved to the US from Australia, a country where tipping is generally not expected, i find the whole culture of tipping interesting, and would like to know what people think of it.
For example, does anyone think that the onus for paying an employee should rest on the employer, not the customer? And to what extent is it really acceptable not to leave a tip if the service has been crap?
An argument i have sometimes heard for tipping is that it keeps prices down (e.g. food in restaurants) and if tipping stops then wages, hence prices, would go up. First of all, would this shifting of responsibility be a problem? Second, if the argument holds, why is it that eating out seems to be considerably cheaper in Sydney (a city of over 3 million with high rents) than it is in my current city of Baltimore, a city with a struggling downtown and relatively low rents? And that difference is to do with more than just the exchange rate - it also seems to be cheaper in Sydney compared to incomes in that city.
Also, should the tipping percentage be higher in fancy restaurants than at your local cafe? If tipping is based on the amount of work actually done by the waiter, i would argue ‘no’, as the staff in cheap cafes and chain restaurants are often worked considerably harder than those in fine dining establishments. I know this both from observation and from personal experience, having worked in all types of restaurants and hotels in Australia, Canada, and Britain. On the other, is tipping a reflection of the level of decorum and finesse achieved by the staff, and the experience required to work in a fancy joint?
Finally, i don’t want anyone to misconstrue this question as an exhortation not to tip. Having worked in Canada, where tipping made up a large proportion of my income, i know how important gratuities are to service workers. I consider myself a pretty generous tipper when i eat out. And i know that many waiters, bartenders etc. make really good money. It is more a moral question about whether there is a better way of doing things.
michael.