[ecb_penguin]

> Pay for your meal

Not sure you know what tipping is, but it's not paying for the meal. It's paying for the service.

1. I like being able to pay for better service

2. Despite what people like to think, everywhere in the world has appreciated tips. I've never had a waiter refuse extra money. Literally dozens of countries, you get better service if you tip.

[63stack]

Not sure you know, but in literally dozens of countries, waiters get a proper salary.

[ecb_penguin]

I have interns with higher salaries and more purchasing power than senior devs in Europe.

It's remarkable what little you consider "proper".

[63stack]

I doubt it comes out so much ahead if you factor in the vacation days, the sick leave, the healthcare, and the education costs.

[fragmede]

Enough money to pay for housing and food and save up for the future and a nice vacation every year, with no chance medical bankruptcy.

[charcircuit]

Having a proper salary doesn't mean they would not appreciate getting even more money.

[63stack]

Who wouldn't?

[alkonaut]

The cost of a ”meal” in a restaurant is: rent, wages (for chefs, managers, wait staff, etc) ingredients, profit margin, taxes and likely a dozen other things.

Taking one of these items out of the cost and trying to charge it separately is a strange practice.

[harshalizee]

Japanese waiters will literally refuse your money of your try to tip. It's literally insulting to them if you offer more than asked for

[ecb_penguin]

Nope: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1cyj0nu/ti...

[beAbU]

The tip is usually given at the end of the service. How does that ensure a better experience during?

[ecb_penguin]

They see I'm American and thus have more purchasing power than locals. They want some of that sweet sweet money, so they treat you better.

[quantummagic]

You're asking how a tip can influence a server, if they don't know it's coming. But in America they do know it's coming, at least, there is a cultural norm of tipping being expected. So it makes sense that a server would do what it takes, to make sure that it happens.

[kelnos]

So in other words, you'd still get good service without tipping at all in places like the US. Granted, it might be awkward when it comes time to leave, and if they'd recognize you, you may not want to go back.

[quantummagic]

Yes, there are antisocial people who disregard social norms. But there are enough people who play along to have a major impact on how service providers behave.

[MH15]

That's what the money is for!

[quantummagic]

Huh? The OP asked how a tip could influence the service, if it came after the service was delivered. It's pretty easy to understand, when a tip is the cultural norm.

[freehorse]

There are 3 types of countries x industries (because even within a country different cultures may apply)

1. Places where service workers are paid peanuts or nothing and tipping is considered mandatory

2. Places where workers get a basic actual salary and tipping is rather voluntary (and can be more or less expected)

3. Places where tipping is not an actual practice and can make things awkward even, depending the amount.

In reality, 2 is a spectrum between 1 and 3.

[kelnos]

Not sure where you have (or haven't been), but I've been to several countries where I've tried to tip, and it's confused or even embarrassed the staff. They insisted I take my change. Granted, this was 15-20 years ago, and unfortunately tipping has become more pervasive, not less, so maybe if I were to revisit those places, things would be different.

But I do know this is still the case in Japan. Some Japanese service workers or small business owners will even be insulted if you try to tip.

[ecb_penguin]

> But I do know this is still the case in Japan. Some Japanese service workers or small business owners will even be insulted if you try to tip.

It's absolutely not. Have you actually been there, or are you repeating things?

https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1cyj0nu/ti...