Current:Home > StocksAre Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers. -FutureFinance
Are Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers.
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:43:24
A new poll shows that when it comes to tipping, many Americans are shortchanging their servers.
The Pew Research Center poll of 12,000 people, which came out on Thursday, shows that 57 percent of American diners tip 15% or less for a typical sit-down meal, "including 2% who say they wouldn’t leave any tip," Pew researchers wrote.
Only about 22 percent of people said they would leave a tip of 20% or more," Pew found.
Are we at a 'tipping' point?You're not imagining it. How and why businesses get you to tip more
What factors into how Americans are tipping?
The amount that people tip varies depending on their age, income, and other factors, the poll found.
Younger adults are slightly more likely to be more generous with their tips than their older counterparts, who tend to be more conservative with their wallets, the poll found.
For some, the location makes a big difference. At fast-casual restaurants like Chipotle and Sweetgreen, or quick stops at coffee shops, only about 25% of Americans say they will usually or frequently tip, according to Pew.
Time is money:Customers who don't tip DoorDash drivers will wait longer for deliveries, company warns
Americans are upset growing expectations to leave tips
Among concerns of those surveyed was frustration over expectations to leave tips in increasingly more situations outside of restaurants.
According to Pew, 72% of people said that tipping is now expected in more places than five years ago. Only about a third of respondents said they find it easy to determine when and how much to tip for different types of services, like food deliveries and pet sitters.
In hopes of taking out some of the guesswork and ensuring their staff get adequate tips, many bars and nightclubs now include gratuity in the bill, typically ranging from 18 to 25%.
"I'll look at the bill and see a 20 percent gratuity charge," Lawrence Edgerton of New York City told USA TODAY about some of his experiences getting drinks with co-workers.
"Like, how they even know I like the service?" said Edgerton, a membership coordinator at a private club. "In cases like this I don't add an extra tip."
Kaia Grey, a 24-year-old flight attendant in Washington, D.C., says it seems like service fees are the norm at bars, restaurants and lounges in the country's capital.
"I literally can't go anywhere in D.C., and it will be a service fee," she said. "I have to be mindful when ordering because the more I order, the higher the surprise fee is."
Feds investigating:Elections officials in multiple states get fentanyl-laced letters
When to tip?
It's a common practice for most Americans to leave a gratuity when dining at a restaurant, but there seems to be some uncertainty around tipping in other situations. Many people are unclear about when and how much to tip in situations such as hotel stays, haircuts, or rideshares.
“Even as Americans say they’re being asked to tip more often, relatively few have a great deal of confidence about when and how to do so,” Pew researchers said.
veryGood! (6554)
Related
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- San Diego Padres back in MLB playoffs after 'selfishness' doomed last season's flop
- How bad is Tesla's full self driving feature, actually? Third-party testing bodes ill
- Drake Hogestyn, ‘Days of Our Lives’ star, dies at 70
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Startling video shows Russian fighter jet flying within feet of U.S. F-16 near Alaska
- NFL Week 4 winners, losers: Steelers, Eagles pay for stumbles
- Former Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn, who left dentistry to win as a first-time candidate, dies at 97
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- National Taco Day deals 2024: $1 tacos at Taco Bell, freebies at Taco John's, more
Ranking
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Oregon DMV waited weeks to tell elections officials about voter registration error
- NBA players, coaches, GMs react to Dikembe Mutombo's death: 'He made us who we are.'
- Wisconsin city replaces ballot drop box after mayor carted it away
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- How one preschool uses PAW Patrol to teach democracy
- Favre tries to expand his defamation lawsuit against Mississippi auditor over welfare spending
- Channing Tatum Admits He's Freaking Out Over Daughter Everly's Latest Milestone
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Sex Lives of College Girls' Pauline Chalamet Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby
Pete Rose, baseball’s banned hits leader, has died at age 83
Britney Spears Shares She Burned Off Hair, Eyelashes and Eyebrows in Really Bad Fire Accident
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Why break should be 'opportunity week' for Jim Harbaugh's Chargers to improve passing game
ACLU lawsuit challenges New Hampshire’s voter proof-of-citizenship law
Many small businesses teeter as costs stay high while sales drop