[EC1]

It's complicated because its so ingrained in our society yet its completely unenforced except only by at most intense personal judgement.

Do we tip because the food service industry cannot meet demands to pay all staff at least minimum wage?

Is it because minimum wage nationally is too low and people feel the need to fill in that missing %?

Why would I tip a waiter and not a customer service representative?

What about a cashier?

What criteria do you use to determine who you tip?

One guy above mentioned he tips all sorts of people and it seems like the underlying reason is because they provide a service. Everybody provides a service, do you tip everybody?

If the bottom line for tipping is that you provide a service, it seems to be a binary situation doesn't it? You either tip everybody or you tip nobody.

It's such a completely arbitrary social contract. Maybe I'm reaching too much into this. Maybe I'm just autistic, who knows.

[UrMomReadsHN]

> You either tip everybody or you tip nobody.

If i go to McDonalds and order a coke I don't tip. If i go to a pub and order a coke I do. Explain that one to me.

[maxerickson]

In the specific instance of sit down restaurants, we tip because that is how the transaction is structured.

Do you think if restaurants had to pay their staff 4 times as much (minimum wage for servers is often ~$3 per hour but they probably take home closer to $10 or more) that the prices on the menu would stay the same? Do you see how that makes Do we tip because the food service industry cannot meet demands to pay all staff at least minimum wage? the wrong question to be asking?

[user58909]

I don't have to guess, I know the prices won't be that different. Not everyone knows it, but in WA state everyone including tipped employees must get the same minimum wage of over $9 an hour (to be increased to $15 in Seattle over the next several years). So the argument about underpayed workers doesn't hold any ground here, but people are still expected to tip.

[EC1]

I'd rather the burden of staff being paid be shifted to the employer and made up in the difference in cost of food. I'm from Canada where our minimum wage is quite decent, $10.50.

[maxerickson]

Yes, that's fine. My argument was quite clear, that you should not abuse the existing situation. I was even geographically specific.