Nope.
It does exist in most cultures, often without the mandatory part but, it is heavily frowned upon in other cultures.
Nope.
This happens only in third world countries and in first world countries that believes that lower social status should be a third world country inside a first world country.
And tips are a very good tool towards this goal.
You are right.
When you put it this way is more like a ransom.
So, you agree. Gotcha. Yes indeed, gratuities for service exist in most cultures.
Do I need to amend “…in America, the country we’re talking about in the original post”? I guess I do, since you’re being bizarrely pedantic. In America, the country we’re speaking about, service people are massively underpaid, across the board. Would you disagree? And do you think that, as long as they are underpaid, we should not reward good service?
Most is not all, and the way this happens is wildly different between countries.
Here (Italy) i usually don’t tip unless i feel to and nobody gives a damn about it.
That is how it should work.
Yes that is what i was talking about when i said “first world countries that believe that lower social status should be a third world country inside a first world country”.
Sorry for the terrible english, i am not a native speaker, obviously.
This is a though one.
On one side you have the objective reality of those people that struggle earning a living, on the other hand the easy solution that is offered (tipping) only helps keeping things as they are.
In theory i’d support businesses that pay their staff a living wage making the tip optional, on the other hand i realize that is easier said than done.
What i would not do is going along with the system and tell myself that everything is normal.
It sure tells you a lot about a person and their core values, albeit inadvertently.
I’m working poor and I still tip on the occasions when I can afford to go out to eat or stay at a hotel - I factor minimal tipping in as part of my overall expenses.
Q: what class of workers are the most reliable and generous tippers?
A: service industry workers.
For all you non-tipping would-be-revolutionists: you aren’t helping. Institutionalization occurs above your head. If you’re truly keen on seeing things change, get out in the streets and do something about it. If you aren’t doing that, then you’re just a cheap bastard with a well-worn excuse.
Sincerely,
Guy Who Cleans Up the Piss that Missed the Toilet.
Seriously?
I used a service. I realize said service workers are underpaid. I, therefore, choose to augment their income because I used the service knowing the situation and do not wish to be an asshat.
Short of a decision not to use those services or find an alternative if it exists, citing “perpetuation of poor societal choices” as a reason to further exploit the workers providing such services (and calling the need to support them “ransom”) is indeed pretty classist.
You don’t like the system, don’t participate in it. More power to you if you do so. If you do participate in it, don’t try and claim a moral authority to choose not to assist those subjected to the shitty situation in the first place.
Yes.
Is also a bit like handing money to beggars.
It’s almost always a bad idea, you want to help? Do stuff.
Handing money and forgetting is not going to really help.
I don’t.
For more specifics you can check my answer to nungesser.
I don’t agree.
How that would be classist?
Anyway, tipping and keeping the system as is certainly asshat-ish in the long run.
I worked food service jobs and retail/customer service for quite some time. I tip as often as i can, which is generally always, and i’ve made sure my parents tip well because in the past they did not tip well or at all since they’re from Venezuela where tipping is not normal.
I still firmly believe the issue needs to be framed under paying workers a living wage rather than shaming people for not tipping. That smacks me as purposeful misdirection to create a flawed expectation, and sure i will continue to tip but i’m not satisfied with the idea that companies can make profits hand over fist but its my social responsibility to provide for under paid workers. Especially if you consider that there’s a big percentage of workers that do shit jobs that aren’t eligible to receive tips or are not allowed to take any from customers.
That’s quite wrong, and based on capitalist common-(non)sense. Most research on charitable giving shows the opposite- direct cash transfers are the most impactful method of aid delivery. Do you really believe you know what a struggling person needs more than they themselves?
I agree, and I’m 
in favor of building an economy that exploits neither workers nor people in need of services.
But not tipping is not the means to achieve those goals (hence, “get out in the streets,) and if that is someone’s motivation for not tipping, they’re really only achieving the goal of feeling better about themselves.
The people that can afford to spend more money that i’ve seen tip poorly more often than not, this might not be the same everywhere but the places that i did work that tended to be the rule of thumb.
I can’t ways afford to tip well, but i make sure to tip. I totally know what its like to not be able to make ends meet.
Do you fight the coperto in restaurants?
Oh my…
Wanna see something impactful? In Japan, where direct begging is frowned upon and government is DOING SOMETHING about it, has less than 10k homeless in the entire nation. That’s 0.005%, compared to charitable american population of 0.17% (source). Are we really impactful by our direct generosity of cash infusion? Nope, we are a fucking failure of a nation in so called “charity” even to our own.
You and other people here are strangely confusing panhandling and homelessness with the common worldwide practice of thanking people who’ve helped you out with a few dollars in tip. The guy who helps you with your bags, the people who clean your room, the driver who gets you to the airport… they aren’t “begging”. They’re doing you a personal service that most people, everywhere, thank with a tip. It’s true that Japan is one of the countries where it is very much not customary.
On behalf of all service workers everywhere who bust their asses for every dime that they EARN:
No, I’m questioning individuals paying something as sign of “generosity”, while the whole practice assumes that there is someone in some form of servile role. If I am to pay for a service, I will do business with a single party. Giving tip to only certain segment of society reinforces the notion of social status (do you tip your CEO?), and inherently encourages inequality.
In 1998, nearly 60 percent of welfare spending was on cash benefits, categorized as “basic assistance.” By 2014, it was only about one-quarter of TANF spending. That shift has happened despite a burgeoning economics literature suggesting that direct cash transfers are in many cases the most efficient tool to fight poverty.
As long as we practice capitalism, direct cash transfer will be the most effective form of poverty reduction. Any other methods don’t come close.
That wasn’t clear enough. The fact that the payment of the service is optional is the issue - as with panhandling, we are giving money motivated by some misguided generosity, perhaps fueled by religious or cultural ideals thinking that it is helping, and only helping that person.
But why are we ok that some people can barely sustain themselves (hence the connection with homelessness, which is an extreme form of poverty)? Is it ok that we see people on the streets? Is it ok that waiters need the tip to make a living?
Is it ok that only SOME of the waiters can make a tip because the customers like them more, perhaps unwittingly discriminating someone on basis of the skin color? No, I’d rather this stupid tradition to be eradicated.
As I said, we completely failed in governance to help the poor. It’s so bad that direct cash transfer is actually more effective. I’d take it this way. Why not fix the government?
