Do you leave tips?

[Tired]

I constantly feel bad for not leaving tips. Tips are a common thing here in restaurants and cafes, and now we also have all these food and grocery delivery companies, whose workers also expect tips (and applications for those deliveries all the time try to show how important it is to tip them). I really dislike this whole tipping culture itself, cause I feel that because employers are paying low wages to workers, it is on me now to give them money so they can continue living their lives in not poverty, I just feel really bad for the workers who can't find a better job than that.
I am also not rich myself, and I have an SO for whom I am providing as well now, so every time I tip someone I feel bad, but if I don't tip them I also feel bad. I feel bad if I tip delivery guy and he comes being all unpleasant, or if i don't tip someone and the delivery person is some kind older lady. I dunno, I just get so stressed every time i need to order something to be delivered, or when I go out.

 

[Mary Terry]

I generously tip good waiters. I leave a few token coins for bad waiters to let them know that I didn't merely forget to tip them. There is no takeout delivery where I live so there is no occasion to tip a delivery person, and I never tip the overnight couriers like Federal Express, UPS and the United State Postal Service.

 

[Forest Cat]

I don't think you should feel bad about the tipping, you do what you can. If you can't afford to tip all the time, then you have to take care of yourself first and foremost.

Tipping is not a `thing` in Norway, people get salaries for the work they do. So I haven't thought about the pros and cons.

 

[Shevek]

I don't go to restaurants, etc. so tipping is not a decision now.
I won't order from Amazon because one thing they don't offer is a five minute break for the unlucky cyborg who has to pack my order.
When I drove cab, wait staff were consistently good tippers, possibly trying to affect their own luck, but sharing their own tips generously.

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

I don't eat at restaurants.

 

[TBRS1]

Having worked low pay jobs for much of my life, I give what I can now spare to others who work low pay jobs.

 

[Judge]

Tipping has always been a part of American culture as opposed to so many other parts of the world where it's considered "bad form", such as in Western Europe. (Seems travel shows are always emphasizing this, particularly about France.)

Personally I'm very structured about when and who to tip. Twenty percent or a bit over that, and not a percentage from sales tax either. Just the cost of the meal. Though I suspect most people just figure 20% of the bottom line because it's mentally easier.

I no longer go out anywhere with my cousin, and have never been to any establishment by myself, expecting a tip. Been a long time since I included a tip. Though I scoff at the idea of tipping establishments like "Papa Murphy's Pizza". Where they prepare the pizza cold, and hand it over the counter to patrons who must bake it in their own ovens. Seems absurd to tip anyone for simply handing a product over their counter. There has to be considerably more involved for me to tip them, IMO.

 

[Masked Man]

It depends.

When I go to a sit down type restaurant, yes, I tip the service staff (unless the restaurant is a no-tip establishment, which there are a few where I live, although it's not the norm).

I also tip hair stylists/barbers, and other service staff type things.

I do not tip at coffee places, places where I am picking up food only, sandwich spots, etc.

I do not use food delivery apps, so obviously no tips there.

I believe the tipping model has gotten out of hand and it is simply a reason for employers to underpay their employees and, once again, pass the costs on to the consumer.

 

[Outdated]

Tipping is a socio-political hot potato in Australia and Aussies will actively discourage the practice. Australian society is much more unionised and much more socialist that that of the US and we find the whole idea highly offensive on several different levels.

On one level is our pride in the way our health and welfare systems work and that no one in Australia needs to beg. In fact begging is illegal here. The way our housing prices are going through the roof at the moment means some people don’t have a roof over their heads but every single one of them is well fed and looked after.

On another level is the industrial relations side of things, we see the way some things work in other countries and we don’t like it. In the US hospitality staff are taxed for tips even if they don’t receive any tips, and if tipping becomes a thing here then you bet our government will start taxing it the same. We don’t want that.

Again with the industrial relations is that it’s illegal here to hit people with hidden charges. If a business owner forgets to include sales tax in the price then that’s the business owner’s tough luck, we pay what it says on the sticker and not a penny more. Most of us are very touchy about this and find things like credit card surcharges so offensive that we’ve outlawed them. That’s also why our automatic teller machines aren’t allowed to charge a fee. Sales tax (GST) is one set rate nation wide by the way – 10%.

And finally there’s the more socially cohesive attitudes we mostly have in work places. Some places do take tips but you’ll notice they have a tips jar near the till. The money that goes in to that jar will pay for their end of year work Christmas party. If you give a tip to a staff member personally and they pocket it instead of putting it in the jar it starts all sorts of arguments in the workplace. There are also some people that will be offended by the offering of a personal tip and will ask you to put the money in the jar instead. These days many wait staff are tourists on a working visa and they might not be aware of that trap so it’s best not to tip unless someone has really gone out of their way and bent over backwards to help you.

And as @Forest Cat mentioned, our staff are paid a living wage here and have no need to go begging for money from strangers. Casual wait staff in Australia currently have a minimum wage of $30/hour plus an extra 10% on Saturdays and an extra 15% on Sundays and public holidays. Note that that's the minimum wage, if they're worth keeping they'll be paid considerably more.