Overheard a cashier say tipping culture is broken and it hit me differently

I was at a coffee shop in Portland last Tuesday getting a plain black coffee, and the cashier told the guy in front of me that the tip screen was 'just there for show' because most people hit no tip anyway. She sounded tired and said she made $11 an hour plus tips, which barely covers rent in that neighborhood. It got me thinking about how many places guilt you into tipping before you even get service, but the workers still can't make a living. Has anyone else noticed this shift where tipping is expected for stuff like pouring a drink?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark3611mo ago

My buddy works at a taco cart in Denver and he says people will hit the 25% tip button on the tablet for a single taco then complain the whole place is too expensive. He barely makes minimum wage after the tips get split between like eight back of house people.

iris57410d ago

I started just tipping a flat dollar or two cash on small orders like that, way easier than dealing with the tablet guilt. Makes the whole thing feel less weird when the food is already cheap.

kelly_nelson951mo ago

Is the tip pool really getting split eight ways from a taco cart? That seems like a lot of people for that kind of setup, usually you'd see maybe a cook and a cashier. Does his cart even have that many back of house workers, or is the owner just padding the payroll with people who barely do anything? I'd want to know exactly who's getting a cut of those tips.

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