Everyone who dines out is familiar with the practice of tipping. Whether you are accustomed to leaving $2.00 on the table or adding 15% (or more) to your credit card transaction, most of us will leave some form of tip. It has become a habit for many. Moreover, many waiters, waitresses, hair stylists, barbers, and others actually depend on tips to pay their bills each month. In the U.S., it is estimated that over $26 billion changes hands in the form of tips each year. Tipping is so common that many people assume it has been around forever. However, in the U.S., it is primarily a 20th-century adaptation of a 17th-century European custom.
In 17th-century England, the hub of social life was the local pub. These establishments were often overcrowded, and service could be sporadic at best. To provide an incentive for better service, many pubs started placing urns on tables with signs that read “To Insure Promtitude.” Customers would put money in the urn to encourage faster service. The money was referred to as “TIPs” (To Insure Promptitude). This custom quickly spread throughout Europe. However, it didn’t make its way across the pond to the American colonies. Most colonists had fled Europe’s rigid class system, and anything that hinted at servitude was considered repugnant. (For some reason, slavery was considered differently, but that’s another story.) Tipping wasn’t just uncommon—it was even illegal in some parts of the country.
The Shift Toward Tipping in America
It’s easy to understand why this attitude prevailed in early America. Many of our ancestors arrived as indentured servants, meaning they were sentenced by a court to work for seven years, either as punishment or to repay a debt (often for passage to America). The idea of accepting or offering tips left a bad taste in their mouths due to their own experiences. As a result, tipping never caught on here.
After the (un)Civil War, European tourists were shocked that American coachmen, table servers, and others considered themselves employees rather than servants. The idea that they refused to accept tips baffled them. Nevertheless, modern transportation made the world much smaller, and many European customs, including tipping, began to take root in the U.S. By 1910, approximately 10% of the workforce had occupations that involved tipping.
In 1897, there was social bias against tipping. It was believed to undermine the country’s ideals by creating a servile class dependent on the upper class. By 1900, tipping was considered the “vilest of imported vices,” as it created an aristocratic class in a country that had fought to eliminate class distinctions. In 1916, William Scott wrote The Itching Palm, a book condemning the practice of tipping, calling it the “mortal enemy of democracy” and “servitude for a fee.” Around this time, legislators from Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, and South Carolina attempted to pass a federal law banning tipping in the U.S., but the bill failed to gain majority support. Eventually, restaurant owners realized the benefits of letting their wait staff accept tips, as it allowed them to pay out lower wages. The practice eventually became commonplace.
In 21st-century America, tipping is voluntary, but unofficially it is a social obligation. People who don’t tip are often considered cheap or rude. After all, servers don’t make much in wages, so shouldn’t they be entitled to a bonus, especially if the service was good? There are various perspectives on this, and I won’t share my personal views as a restaurant professional (there’s not enough space here for that). However, the reality is that tipping has become an essential part of the dining experience. In Europe and in some U.S. restaurants (including my own), a service fee is added to the bill to cover the server’s wages, making tipping automatic. However, most U.S. restaurants don’t add this fee, so the wait staff depends on your generosity to make a living. Keep this in mind the next time you dine out.
If you feel the service was bad, don’t withhold a tip. Doing so will only make the server feel bad or cause resentment, which could lead to a negative attitude that the next diner will have to deal with. Instead, address the issue with the manager. The manager is the one who can handle the situation properly. The server might be going through personal challenges, such as a recent death in the family, depression, or just having an off day. Everyone has those days. How would you like it if your wages were cut every time you had a rough day at work? The manager is the right person to address this issue, not you.
So, the next question is, “How much should you tip?” Restaurants generally base their wage structure on the assumption that you will tip 12-15% of your total bill. This is based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. Where they got those statistics from is unclear, but it has become the standard used by most restaurants. For example, for a $20.00 bill, you should leave at least $2.12, with $2.50 being a more generous tip. If you can’t afford to leave at least 12% for a tip, then you probably can’t afford to eat out. It’s that simple. Remember, the lives of your service staff are in your hands.
I personally believe the tipping system is flawed and have never liked it, but the reality is that, under current labor laws, servers are one of the few professions (and it is a profession) where employees are required to rely on customer tips for a substantial portion of their wages. Restaurant workers are highly trained individuals who, by law, are forced to live on sub-minimum wages and the goodwill of customers.
A lot of people wonder why restaurants charge an 18% service fee (or gratuity) for large groups, typically more than 10 people. If you think about it for a moment, the reason becomes clear. A large group requires more than just one server. The restaurant may need to pull servers from other tables (which is rare) or hire additional help (more likely). This ensures that the servers are compensated fairly if someone has to leave the table or work outside their normal shift. Large groups come with a unique set of challenges. For example, a normal table may require six orders to be ready at the same time. A large table may have 20-25 orders to coordinate, involving the entire kitchen and server staff to get everything ready simultaneously. It’s worth the extra money to cover these complications.
Lastly, I’ve been asked about tipping practices in different parts of Canada, such as British Columbia, where restaurant workers are often unionized and receive good wages and benefits. In those areas, tipping isn’t expected as much. In contrast, Alberta has low wages, and Quebec charges an 8% income tax on all servers’ sales, regardless of whether they receive a tip. I don’t know a lot about Canada, but I imagine it’s similar to the U.S., where each province can set its own rules, just like states in the U.S. We have 22 out of 50 states with Right to Work laws, meaning you cannot be forced to join or support a union. These states are mostly located in the South and Midwest, outside of traditional industrial areas.
When traveling, it’s a good idea to research local customs, including tipping. One of the best resources for this is www.tripadvisor.com, which provides invaluable information on local customs and can help you avoid embarrassing situations. My rule of thumb is, “If in doubt, leave a tip.” I’d rather be embarrassed for over-tipping than under-tipping.
So, the next time you’re out enjoying yourself—whether it’s just a burger and fries or a sumptuous banquet—don’t forget your servers. Tipping a waitress or waiter may be the best thing you’ve done for anyone all day.
