The American Tipping System: The Good, Bad, and (Mostly) Ugly
The embodiment of all that’s wrong with America
I was only a student when I first set foot on American soil, back in 2011. That too an exchange student whose parents earned in Indian rupees, and were sponsoring their son’s USD expenses.
Little did I know that I didn’t just have to bear my expenses for living in America, but also pay staff salaries on behalf of every restaurant I eat at.
As per a study by the National Employment Law Project, tips form ~60% of a wait staff’s earnings and ~55% of a bartender’s earnings.
And these tips aren’t extra “cream” but essentially the missing large chunk of bread and butter for these people.
Why, then, is the customer paying for what the employer should pay for?
Shouldn’t “tips” by definition be an incentive for good service? Not in America. In America, tips are virtually a right.
And the fault doesn’t lie with the workers. The problem is far too deep.
Unfortunately, the tipping system is just a symptom.
