Tip Culture and Guilt Tipping
Has tipping gotten out of control? The typical American spends about $600 a year on tips—and that’s just at restaurants. Tipping is often expected in hair salons and spas, as well as for hotel housekeeping and valet service.
This week on the rich & REGULAR podcast, hosts Kiersten and Julien Saunders dive into the messy conversation of tip culture. While tipping is a way of providing feedback and conveying appreciation for a person or business, it’s also an essential portion of income for those who work in service industries.
“We have to be critical of a culture that robs service industry providers of benefits that most of us have come to know as standard, simply because their income is highly dependent on tips,” Kiersten says.
The rise of mobile payment technology and quick-service and fast-casual restaurants have changed who we tip and how much. There’s also been a rise in tipping fatigue, and some restaurants in San Francisco are attempting to balance wages by starting to increase the price of food or set a flat service charge in order to accommodate for the price of service.
Kiersten and Julien outline AARP suggestions on what to tip for everything from buffet restaurants to postal carriers, as well as how tipping has become gamified with some restaurants and delivery services requesting gratuities up front.
Mentions:
- Tipped by Barbara Sloan
Learn more at richandregular.com, purchase Cashing Out: Win the Wealth Game by Walking Away by Kiersten and Julien Saunders and follow them on Instagram @richandregular.
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Julien and Kiersten Saunders, Money Editors for SUCCESS magazine, are the couple behind the award-winning blog and forthcoming book, rich & REGULAR. They are producers and hosts of the original series, Money on the Table, which blends their passion for food with thoughtful conversations about money
Julien and Kiersten Saunders, Money Editors for SUCCESS magazine, are the couple behind the award-winning blog and forthcoming book, rich & REGULAR. They are producers and hosts of the original series, Money on the Table, which blends their passion for food with thoughtful conversations about money