In my experience, tipping is something that is left to the discretion of the customer, and seems to be confined to restaurants.
I don't think everybody tips, and I certainly can't afford to. However, for particularly attentive service, where the staff have gone out of their way to be accommodating, and they certainly deserve one.
What I do find offputting, is in certain American coffee shops where one has to pay by card and accept or decline a gratuity.
In my experience of over 60 years working, I have found American businesses to be the most hard nosed x
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, tipping should be a choice, not something people feel forced to do. It makes sense to tip for great service, but those card machines that ask for tips at coffee shops can feel a bit pushy. It’s really interesting to hear your view after so many years of work.
The US has a big tipping culture. That's why it works to a certain extent on Substack. Australia doesn't really have a tipping culture at all. We have a minimum wage for over 18s of $24.10 per hour.
That makes a lot of sense. In the US, tipping often fills the gap where wages fall short, so it's more expected, even on platforms like Substack. But with a strong minimum wage like Australia’s, tipping isn’t really necessary. It’s interesting how different the norms can be depending on where you live!
In my experience, tipping is something that is left to the discretion of the customer, and seems to be confined to restaurants.
I don't think everybody tips, and I certainly can't afford to. However, for particularly attentive service, where the staff have gone out of their way to be accommodating, and they certainly deserve one.
What I do find offputting, is in certain American coffee shops where one has to pay by card and accept or decline a gratuity.
In my experience of over 60 years working, I have found American businesses to be the most hard nosed x
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, tipping should be a choice, not something people feel forced to do. It makes sense to tip for great service, but those card machines that ask for tips at coffee shops can feel a bit pushy. It’s really interesting to hear your view after so many years of work.
The US has a big tipping culture. That's why it works to a certain extent on Substack. Australia doesn't really have a tipping culture at all. We have a minimum wage for over 18s of $24.10 per hour.
That makes a lot of sense. In the US, tipping often fills the gap where wages fall short, so it's more expected, even on platforms like Substack. But with a strong minimum wage like Australia’s, tipping isn’t really necessary. It’s interesting how different the norms can be depending on where you live!