Current:Home > InvestAre Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers. -InvestTomorrow
Are Americans tipping enough? New poll shows that many are short-changing servers.
View
Date:2025-04-13 20:03:10
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! (614)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- NFL cut candidates: Russell Wilson, Jamal Adams among veterans on shaky ground
- Biden calls Alabama IVF ruling outrageous and unacceptable
- Meet the cast of Netflix's 'Avatar The Last Airbender' live action series
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Pregnant teen found dead in a ditch days after she was to be induced
- Utah man sues Maduro over trauma caused by nearly two years of imprisonment in Venezuela
- Clues to a better understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome emerge from major study
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Dashiell Soren: Pioneering AI-driven Finance Education and Investment
Ranking
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- This Is Your Last Chance To Save an Extra 30% off Michael Kors’ Sale Section, Full of Dreamy Bags & More
- Alabama justice invoked 'the wrath of a holy God' in IVF opinion. Is that allowed?
- A look at Nvidia’s climb to prominence in the AI world, by the numbers
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- First U.S. moon landing since 1972 set to happen today as spacecraft closes in on lunar surface
- Federal Reserve officials caution against cutting US interest rates too soon or too much
- Dolly Parton Proves She’ll Always Love Beyoncé With Message on Her Milestone
Recommendation
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Katy Perry and Taylor Swift Shake Off Bad Blood Rumors Once and For All at Eras Tour in Sydney
Jeff Bezos completes 50 million Amazon share sale, nets $8.5 billion
Atlanta is the only place in US to see pandas for now. But dozens of spots abroad have them
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
A Kansas county shredded old ballots as the law required, but the sheriff wanted to save them
Native American tribes gain new authority to stop unwanted hydopower projects
Phone companies want to eliminate traditional landlines. What's at stake and who loses?