‘It’s absolutely criminal’: US tipping culture has reached the UK – and is causing chaos
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/24/us-tipping-culture-uk-service-chargesOpen linkView original on lemmy.worldSyndicated from the fediverse. Read and engage on the original instance.
View original on lemmy.worldhttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/24/us-tipping-culture-uk-service-chargesOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
28 replies
It didn't start with people tipping though did it? It started with businesses/systems asking for tips.
Several places I've been the staff have set the tip to zero before handing me the card reader or have told me to press "skip" in an apologetic voice. Nobody wants this.
u.s. "culture"
no thanks
Don't say that until you at least try the fentanyl 🧑🏻🍳
I like that's it's being called our culture rather than something that was foisted upon us that everyone universally hates.
If everyone apparently hates it, why does everyone keep doing it? Just don't tip.
If you're talking about these stupid screens, as far as I know no one does. But that doesn't make the screen go away. It costs basically nothing to have that screen pop-up, so it'll always pop-up.
If you're talking about it in general, that's not how you get rid of tipping and just punishes the people who are working for a living.
Going to a business where the worker assumes you will abide by the social contract they need to survive, then using their services and violating the contract after the fact, only hurts the worker, you're right. It's a fucked up thing to do and the people who do it are selfish pricks.
Not patronizing the restaurant at all is how to do it. Or as a lesser stand, getting your food to go.
These are a morally sound way to send the message. The workers is still temporarily harmed with less income, but you are the one "putting themselves out" for your protest. You are not forcing the worker, who has the least amount of power in the situation, to endure violence for your benefit. I don't see people doing that either.
In fact, America has actively moved to doing the opposite, paying extra to another corp (food delivery) for shittier service, shittier food, and still having to either tip or hurt the worker with even less power to change anything.
As with most things, this requires a lot of organization to pull off. Not impossible, of course, but does require a lot of focused will from the general public. I don't know if we have enough to spare right now, with so many people giving every minute to just barely surviving
On the contrary, not going to a restaurant requires far less energy than going and not tipping.
We don't need to organize in any way. I'm not suggesting that we don't go to a specific restaurant or all restaurants on a specific day. That would require organization. As would any form of "go but don't tip" protest done morally and effectively.
Just don't go, at your own pace, and anyone anywhere can also not go as they feel they can or want to participate. Let the business owners figure out what they need to do to get people back.
Force the one with the power to figure out and execute a plan.
Yeah, for people who agree with your assessment, are vocal enough with what they're doing (cause what restaurant is gonna guess that the increased traffic to their takeout is about tipping?), and with a substantial number of them in some focused place, that could absolutely work.
But you're going to face immense burnout unless people prefer pickup, making this not super likely to ever happen. Especially cause the plan relies heavily on luck.
Or, you get a group of people together, focus efforts on specific restaurants, document what you find and share it with the wider world, and that'd probably do it a whole lot quicker and it'd also be a hell of a lot more likely, too. But hey, you get to decide how you want cut that cake. I'm just a bystander.
I've seen people all over Europe hit 0 before giving the customer the card terminal. It's not just being British.
Maybe you just look like a cheapskate
I actually look like the Monopoly man
He's probably the stingiest bastard of all
Looking "poor" or like someone who will not spend their money on frivolous things saves you from so much stupid stuff in society.
I've had beggars try to give me their stuff instead of asking for anything
"before handing it to the customer"
It's the worker doing this
Yes but when they see me sat with my stained shirt and 10 year old phone, they know there's no hope for a tip so they hit the 0.
Could always thank them for "Filling in the tip for me ".
Sarcasm, just one of the many services I offer!
US tipping culture was originally influenced by wealthy British elites so this is basically coming back full circle.
I have started seeing if you want the gratuity from you bill removed just ask. With nothing up front saying they will do this. In all instances regardless of quality its the last time i enter the establishment
I have had the same experience and made the same future plans.
Even American restaurants aren't so bad that they automatically add gratuity (except for large parties it's typically 8+ people).
There was 2 of us
No, there's a lot of places that do.
Shame you're wasting your time and money then.