UNITED STATES—I know I am not the only person who is a bit annoyed when it comes to tipping in the service industry. It seems like everywhere you go, no matter where you turn, someone is asking you to tip them. Look, I grew up where it was always a given that if you dined out at a restaurant, no matter what the restaurant, you were expected to leave a tip. You have to be aware that tipping is something you have to do if you plan to dine at an actual restaurant.
I am a proponent that if you know you cannot tip that you should not be going out to eat. There are those restaurants where if you have a large party you will indeed find yourself paying a gratuity or tip EVEN if you are delivered terrible service. It is something you sometimes can’t get away from, so be aware of that before you dine out. However, my frustration is you now have retailers and these everyday eateries that are asking for you to tip. Like, are you serious, are you freaking serious?
There are actual stores that have a tip counter at the register, and I hate to say it, this is a direct result of the pandemic. Tipping became an extreme norm because so many businesses and industries were forced to close their doors. Those restaurants that kept their doors open, had those DoorDash, GrubHub and Uber Eats runners collecting big bucks to stay in business and it spilled over to all other industries.
That I can totally understand, but if I’m getting my own drink, you’re not doing anything special or outside of the norm, should I be tipping you? If you’re asking me to be honest, my answer is no. No, I should not be tipping you. There is nothing you’ve done that screams TIP. However, go to Starbucks, go to Tropical Smoothie Café, go to any coffee house and they are asking for a tip, even though these workers get paid an hourly wage much higher than waiters and waitresses.
The tipping has gotten so bad because you’re in a situation where fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s and so many more are asking you to tip, when you’re already spending like $10 on a single meal. No, it is not happening, America, I am not tipping and I have no qualms about noting no tip when that monitor is turned around.
Yes, I know it is something so many people dread, but I am not one of those individuals. I’m not tipping just because the opportunity to tip is available. I will select no tip in a heartbeat and move about my day as if nothing has happened. There is no need or reason to feel guilty because a tip is an option and you get to choose what you tip, it should not be mandatory. You even see this with these Uber Eats and Door Dashers who deliver you the wrong food or the food is damaged in some sort of fashion, and you’ve already tipped them.
Just in the past week, I ordered via Door Dash and tipped the driver in advance, then guess what, the order was cancelled, and I was alerted by the driver of this, and the company still tried to charge my card for a tip that wasn’t warranted because no product was delivered to me. The tipping conundrum has just gotten out of hand, and I’m truly hoping there is some sort of leveling to the mayhem. The American public can only take so much; plenty of our wallets are taking a hit that we just cannot afford any longer.
Written By Zoe Mitchell
