Current:Home > ScamsAre Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers. -Zenith Investment School
Are Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers.
View
Date:2025-04-11 13:41:00
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! (7458)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Bella Hadid Packs on the PDA With Cowboy Adan Banuelos After Marc Kalman Breakup
- Takeaways from AP’s reporting on who gets hurt by RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine work
- Lionel Messi earns $20.4 million under contract with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- Hospital systems Ascension and Henry Ford Health plan joint venture
- Burt Young, Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie in ‘Rocky’ films, dies at 83
- Former US officials ask Pakistan not to deport Afghans seeking relocation to the United States
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- What is hydrogen energy, and is it a key to fighting climate change?
Ranking
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Will Smith Speaks Out on Tumultuous Jada Pinkett Smith Relationship
- Czech government survives no-confidence vote in Parliament sought by populist ex-prime minister
- Small plane that crashed into New Hampshire lake had started to climb from descent, report says
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Man who killed 2 South Carolina officers and wounded 5 others in ambush prepares for sentencing
- Failed referendum on Indigenous rights sets back Australian government plans to become a republic
- Travis Kelce Reveals the Real Story Behind That Video of Him and Taylor Swift's Security
Recommendation
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Musician Mike Skinner turns actor and director with ‘The Darker the Shadow, the Brighter the Light’
Lawsuit dropped after school board changes course, adopts Youngkin’s transgender student policy
Why John Stamos Hated Ex Rebecca Romijn During Painful Divorce
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
Starbucks, Workers United union sue each other in standoff over pro-Palestinian social media post
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake in Northern California triggers ShakeAlert in Bay Area
North Carolina Republicans pitch Congress maps that could help them pick up 3 or 4 seats next year