The modern service industry in the United States and Europe includes a culture of tipping or a "staff bonus", the amount of which is determined by established norms. At the same time, there are a number of situations when customers pay more than the norm requires.
The online publication Financial Buzz has studied the habit of tipping and how Americans feel about it. It surveyed 1,000 respondents, 49% of whom admitted that they have recently tipped less than usual. The main reason for their "stinginess" was inflation, which reached a record high of 9.1% in the United States in 2022.
Another reason for the reduction in the amount of "extra payment" for services was the complete transition to cashless payments, which occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. More precisely, an inconvenient online tipping system, in which it is easier to pay nothing than to understand it.
And yet, there are at least 4 situations where customers pay with pleasure and more than they should.
The undisputed leader in this list is "excellent service," for which 73% of respondents are willing to pay extra. It is noteworthy that about the same number of respondents said they would not tip at all if the service was disgusting.
The payment system also affects the willingness to tip "over the top". More than 26% of Americans are willing to reward waiters for their work if a live person brings them a check rather than a robotic service.
In addition, statistics on the "turnover" of tips show that 25% of customers tip above average when paying in cash. However, 11% admit that they do the exact opposite in this situation.
Another interesting psychological point in the survey is that 16% of participants pay waiters more if they are nearby and watching them.
Note that the worst situation with tipping is in the self-service system, where more than a third of Americans tend to give the service staff less or not pay at all.
