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As I served the tables, the other waiters and I tried to get a sense of what types of groups would end up being good tipsters.
A matching businessman ordering for the whole party? Usually a good sign. Tables looking at their watches towards the end of happy hour and “thinking about maybe ordering some food”? Much luck.
As it turns out, maybe we should have kept an eye out for Brown’s gear.
Restaurant software company Toast studied 12 metropolitan areas to determine the top-tipping city. Cleveland ranked #1 on the list because guests there added an average of 20.6% tips to their checks. San Francisco brings up the rear with an average tip of 17%.
The Toast study was based on transactions where the tip was added via credit card or digital payment, which feels appropriate. Almost every transaction you make these days seems to involve a tablet being turned towards you with suggested tip amounts.
Having worked in the hospitality industry, I’ve always considered myself a good tipper, at least when it comes to table service. As long as the waiter doesn’t catch my eye for a fork, they get 20% – more if they’re particularly good.
When it comes to these pills, I’m a little more confused. I recently picked up a few items at a local grocery/convenience store/deli and when the touchscreen flipped over I was prompted to tip 20%, 22% or 25%. On a 12-pack of beers and some chips and dip, I would normally have tipped, well, nothing.
“It can feel like a pressure moment,” says Daniel Post Senning, co-author of Emily Post Etiquette: The Centennial Edition. “The rules about whether you tip and how much you leave haven’t changed just because we did [point-of-sale] touchscreen.”
So what are the rules?
When it comes to waiters, the good folks of Cleveland and I are right, says Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert and proprietor of the Protocol School of Texas. “The guideline is 15% to 20%, but err on the side of 20% and up. A lot of restaurant workers are struggling and the industry hasn’t quite come back yet.”
If any of these options suit you, select them. If not, you can always click Custom Tip.
Diane Gottsman
Owner, Texas Protocol School
Takeout and counter service are “like a tip jar — not necessary, but generous,” says Gottsman. When we get suggestions for digital tips, we tend to “fast-forward,” she adds, so take a deep breath and look at your options.
“If any of these options suit you, select them. If not, you can always click ‘custom tip’.”
You may not want to tip at all. That’s okay too, says Elaine Swann, an expert on etiquette and founder of the Swann School of Protocol. While certain service workers depend on tips to make a living, others, such as baristas, are paid an hourly wage. “It’s okay to click ‘no tip’ or ‘continue’ or even ask how not to add a tip,” she says. “And you can do so with confidence.”
At the end of the day, it’s best to take away a tip that makes you feel good, says Senning. “Don’t let technology interfere with the interaction between two real, live people,” he says. “Tipping works best when there’s one person you want to be thankful for. Keep that feeling centered.”
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