Many international fans visiting the US for the World Cup have become frustrated by the culture of tipping servers, telling the BBC that tipping fatigue has set in.
England supporter Geoff Pryor said he understood tipping for good service, but he found it “weird” when buying a bottle of water and “they try to get a tip for doing nothing”.
In the US, staff at some restaurants and bars are paid just over $2 (£1.50) an hour, and they expect customers to tip about 20% of the total cost of the bill so they can earn a living.
Frustrations have also been shared by hospitality staff, with one bar owner telling the BBC that many World Cup tourists have been bad tippers.
If you know that good service typically results in a good tip, you are more likely to provide good service even when the outcome is unknown.
Whn I served, I knew that people with shopping bags tipped lousy (after asking for like 19 refills on iced tea), but business people ate quick and tipped well. I adjusted my service accordingly. Not a sure thing, but it was close enough to true that it changed my behavior.
Good tippers subsidize the bad ones. This is the American way.