Tipping (2024)

FAQs

Tipping? ›

20% is the REAL standard for tips

For waitstaff at sit-down restaurants, the tip should be at least 18 percent of the pretax bill, according to Cortney Norris, an assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management at Oklahoma State University who studies tipping habits.

As a blanket rule, you don't need to tip anyone who earns a salary or performs a trade. That means you don't have to tip doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers or cable technicians.

15% is appropriate for average service ; 20% if your server is above average. You should feel free to tip above 20% if you received excellent service. If you received poor service, it is better to talk to the manager than skip on the tip. Leaving no tip does not correct the problem of poor service.

Tons of people tip 15% and it's completely fine, there's no need to feel bad about it. Don't give in to the pressure to tip more.

A majority of Americans say they would tip 15% or less for an average meal at a sit-down restaurant. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) say this, including 2% who say they wouldn't leave any tip. Only a quarter of people say they'd tip 20% or more. For most people, tipping is first and foremost about service.

The Web site www.tipthepizzaguy.com suggests the following: 15% for normal service, with a $2 minimum; 20% for excellent service; 10% or less for poor service; at least 10% for orders of $50 or more.

“It's up to the discretion of the customer," and it's not strictly necessary to tip in a fast food or quick service restaurant. That's very different from service at a sit-down restaurant, she notes, where the expectation is still that patrons should leave a tip of between 15% and 20% of their bill.

Servers might comp your meal (give it to you for free), send your table dessert, or, at the very least, offer you a sincere apology. If you get confronted for not leaving an adequate tip, understand that this is normal. Avoid this in the future and express problems with your server before you pay the bill.

And as such, you have some real responsibility when being served by a tipped professional that you don't have when being served by someone else. It's nice to give a coffee barista a tip, but you're not a horrible person if you don't because at least they're getting paid without you.

Why do Americans tip so much? ›

At the end of the Civil War, America's labor force “was flooded” with formerly enslaved people and immigrants, says Zagor. Employers took advantage of this class of “low-educated, low-income” workers, he says, and hired them for jobs that paid very little, encouraging patrons to tip as a supplement to wages.

Seven out of 10 Americans reporting tipping less than they used to and tipped below etiquette expectations at just 12.9 percent. Poor service and concerns about saving money were the top reasons for the decline in tipping. TIPPING AT THE COUNTER: ARE YOU BEING RUDE IF YOU DON'T LEAVE SOMETHING EXTRA?

In most cases, it is customary to tip waiters or service providers. However, there are certain restaurants or franchises, particularly fast food establishments like McDonald's, where employees are not allowed to accept tips.

Deciding how much to tip depends on what kind of service provider you're working with and how well they do their job. But if you're looking for a general rule for services in the U.S., 15% to 20% of the bill is a common guide, according to most etiquette experts we interviewed.

People generally tip 15-20% of the bill. To calculate tip multiply the total check by 1 plus the decimal percentage tip you'd like to leave. If you wanted to leave a 20% tip, you would add 1 to 0.20 to get 1.20. Multiply the bill by 1.20 to get the total amount you'd leave including tip.

Most Americans tip 15% or less at a restaurant — and some tip nothing, poll finds. Fifty-seven percent of people tip 15% or less for a sit-down meal at a restaurant, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Of those, 37% said 15% is their standard tip and 18% tip something less than 15%.

Tipping fatigue is this growing sense of frustration or exhaustion customers feel when they're constantly asked to tip in a bunch of different situations, especially in situations where tipping isn't typically expected.

The survey also found that 35% of Americans believe tipping culture has gone too far. Compared to last year's tipping survey, more respondents now believe tipping culture has gotten increasingly out of control. More than 1 in 3 (35%) of Americans surveyed in 2024 agreed, compared to 30% in 2023.

20% is the REAL standard for tips

Industry insider: common consensus says 15-20% is considered a normal tip, but honestly any amount less than 20% is considered a bad tip.

More people than last year believe tipping culture has gotten out of control. When compared to last year's tipping survey, one opinion stands out: tipping culture has gotten increasingly out of control. More than 1 in 3 (35 percent) Americans surveyed in 2024 agreed, compared to 30 percent in 2023.