r/facepalm • u/flyingcatwithhorns 'MURICA • Aug 28 '24

🇲​🇮​🇸​🇨​ i'm speechless

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u/kazisukisuk Aug 28 '24

Living in Europe I can sympathize this American tipping culture is insane and gets worse all the time.

Put the tip in the price. Pay workers a fair wage. It's not hard.

That said you just have to suck it up when you travel to the US it's not the fault of the poor waitress who is just trynna pay her bills

14

u/SowingSalt Aug 28 '24

Put the tip in the price. Pay workers a fair wage. It's not hard.

I would say that, but there is serious push-back from some servers who make serious money on busy shifts.

Unfortunately, that's only some workers, and they don't want to give up what they see as a good thing.

1

u/AlfredoPaniagua Aug 28 '24

They're a small vocal minority with no meaningful lobbying voice. It's mostly the restaurant owners (and their orgs) fighting to keep the tip credit system so they can keep labor costs lower. 

1

u/SowingSalt Aug 28 '24

It's easy to push back against pro worker initiatives, if you can trot out workers of that same industry to speak against the initiative.

What we have is perverse incentives, where some people have it good, and don't want change.

1

u/AlfredoPaniagua Aug 28 '24

The people who have it the best are the restaurant owners who are allowed to shift the wage burden directly onto consumers. A handful of servers who make strong income because of the top credit system is not why it stays in place. It's because almost every restaurant owner supports it, and lobbies to have it protected.

1

u/SowingSalt Aug 28 '24

The burden is already on the consumers. Restaurants already don't magically make money without customers.

Under the current system, part of the price is obscured behind the expected tips.

1

u/DeCyantist Aug 28 '24

Tips on price = taxed. Tips in cash = no tax. Everyone is in it, but pretend they are not.