Here is the Tip: A Look Into the American Tipping Service
As someone in the customer service industry, questions arise concerning the industry itself. One of the topics I have thought of is how the tipping services in America begun. There are unofficial rules concerning who and how much to tip a customer service worker in the United States that it can leave anyone stressed and confused at the end of dinner or taking a ride in public transportation.
I remember the first I got a tip from a customer. I was working at a retail store and it was a busy day, which is a normal work day for me. I took the time to help a customer who was searching for a certain pair of jeans for daughter. I did not find what they were looking for, but the mother seems the need to tip me anyway. She walked away to do something, leaving her daughter to give me a crisp five dollar bill. I just stood there, not sure if I could take it. I confided in haste with a passing coworker to see if it was ethical. After a confirmed “yes” from my coworker, I thanked the girl and told her to have a wonderful day. It gave me a warm feeling in my heart and a nervous mind. I did not know at that time if I could even receive a tip from customers.
How did tipping in America start? The idea of tipping began in the 17th century in taverns of England. It was popular to tip waiters “to insure promptitude.” This means that you are showing your wealth by how much you are spending on around of drinks and the waiter’s excellent service was a need in this situation. The tipping service did not start in America until after the American Civil War, when people traveling abroad to Europe brought tipping into the American taverns and dining halls, according to Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
Around the late 1890s, there was a divided for and against the tipping service in America. A group of Americans did not agree with what tipping brought to the equalization of classes in a country that had fought to eliminate a class-driven society. In 1915, six state legislators tried to and failed at passing an anti-tipping bill that would make tipping illegal. There has not been another legislative concerning the tipping service since then.
So tipping has become part of social outings and travel plans. There are many different answers to who and what to tip someone in the service industry. The general response that I have found in my research is to tip 15-20% of the bill or give a couple of bucks to show your appreciation. Here is a chart of some of the services that can receive a tip in the American service industry.
For more information, check out these articles.
In my defense, I do not think tipping someone is a bad thing, but there should be a change in certain services to not keep pressuring people to tip. For example, a waiter or waitress will make only two dollars an hour, so they heavily depend on the tips made during the shift. My mother worked at many restaurants and she had to make sure she made enough to feed and clothe her family. I grew up seeing her work with the determination to make plenty for everything that came her way, either it was back-to-school shopping or the car acting up. Tipping someone gives the knowledge that you appreciate all the hard work they do, but it is not the same as when it first started up in America.
I remember the first I got a tip from a customer. I was working at a retail store and it was a busy day, which is a normal work day for me. I took the time to help a customer who was searching for a certain pair of jeans for daughter. I did not find what they were looking for, but the mother seems the need to tip me anyway. She walked away to do something, leaving her daughter to give me a crisp five dollar bill. I just stood there, not sure if I could take it. I confided in haste with a passing coworker to see if it was ethical. After a confirmed “yes” from my coworker, I thanked the girl and told her to have a wonderful day. It gave me a warm feeling in my heart and a nervous mind. I did not know at that time if I could even receive a tip from customers.
History
How did tipping in America start? The idea of tipping began in the 17th century in taverns of England. It was popular to tip waiters “to insure promptitude.” This means that you are showing your wealth by how much you are spending on around of drinks and the waiter’s excellent service was a need in this situation. The tipping service did not start in America until after the American Civil War, when people traveling abroad to Europe brought tipping into the American taverns and dining halls, according to Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
The Movement
Around the late 1890s, there was a divided for and against the tipping service in America. A group of Americans did not agree with what tipping brought to the equalization of classes in a country that had fought to eliminate a class-driven society. In 1915, six state legislators tried to and failed at passing an anti-tipping bill that would make tipping illegal. There has not been another legislative concerning the tipping service since then.
Who and What
So tipping has become part of social outings and travel plans. There are many different answers to who and what to tip someone in the service industry. The general response that I have found in my research is to tip 15-20% of the bill or give a couple of bucks to show your appreciation. Here is a chart of some of the services that can receive a tip in the American service industry.
For more information, check out these articles.
- Dave Ramsey: How to Tip in All Situations.
- J.D. Roth, Business Insider: This is How Much You Should Tip for Every Service.
- Hillary Hoffower, Business Insider: How Much to Tip in Every Situation, from Uber Drivers to Your Hairstylist.
Conclusion
In my defense, I do not think tipping someone is a bad thing, but there should be a change in certain services to not keep pressuring people to tip. For example, a waiter or waitress will make only two dollars an hour, so they heavily depend on the tips made during the shift. My mother worked at many restaurants and she had to make sure she made enough to feed and clothe her family. I grew up seeing her work with the determination to make plenty for everything that came her way, either it was back-to-school shopping or the car acting up. Tipping someone gives the knowledge that you appreciate all the hard work they do, but it is not the same as when it first started up in America.
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