Hey Folks!
I’ve been living abroad for over half my life in a country where tipping is not the norm. At most you would round up. 19€ bill? Here’s a 20, keep this change.
Going to the US soon to visit family and the whole idea of tipping makes me nervous. It seems there’s a lot of discussion about getting rid of tipping, but I don’t know how much has changed in this regard.
The system seems ridiculously unfair, and that extra expense in a country where everything is already so expensive really makes a difference.
So will AITA if I don’t tip? Is it really my personal responsibility to make sure my server is paid enough?
I think of tipping waitstaff as just being part of the actual cost of the meal (which is why it is based on the bill, everything on the menu is actually priced lower than it would be without tipping). Optimally, that and the tax would both be part of the listed price, but alas that’s not the case.
Why is this done? I figure it’s because it lowers the perceived cost at the time of ordering, which makes people spend more.