‘Tip rage’ takes hold as Americans tire of constant prompts to pay more: ‘Frustrated and angry’
Enough with the gratuitous gratuities.
Increasingly common prompts to leave an extra something for the employees at a wide range of businesses across the country has patrons totally tipped off, according to reports.
Welcome to America’s “tip rage” era, according to USA Today’s Christopher Elliott.
“There are now more situations than there used to be in which we’re expected to tip,” Wheaton College psychology professor Gail Sahar told the consumer columnist.
“That feels unfair to many people. They’re frustrated – and angry.”
The ire has been a long time coming. The post-Covid world for years now has felt the burden of paying more than their fair share as tablet-style checkouts — and face-to-face guilt with them — became the norm.
“I was somewhere spending $23 on just coffee and pastries and the suggested tip was another $8 and I simply said no way,” Brooklynite Jared Goodman told The Post in 2022.
Fast forward to 2024, and so-called “tipflation” is nearly a new worldwide pandemic.
What was once only a cultural norm in America — servers often receive below minimum wage to qualify for tips stateside — is stretching over to Europe in Paris and London, where many laws already exist to ensure a fair wage.
Crafty types in the City of Lights has even been caught trying to con unwitting foreigners in town to pay more ahead of the Olympic games as well.
Things are so out of hand that a recent survey found many Americans have simply stopped tipping when they’re less than thrilled with the service.
“Getting hit up for tips all the time and in unreasonable circumstances is frustrating,” Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University told USA Today. “And the frustration leads to aggression.”
But this is no one-sided battle.
Kelly Anderson, a corporate chef from La Crescenta, California fumed to the outlet: “Most consumers are difficult, entitled, and have misguided rage.”
“I dare ask anyone who’s worked in the service-based industry to argue that our front-line service workers don’t deserve a tip,” she added.
Some businesses are so insistent on the subject, they’ve been caught red-handed trying to further pressure folks into tipping.
One place in a Vancouver suburb was harshly called out for placing a sticker over its payment reader’s “not tip” option.
Missy Walker, a retired teacher from Winter Garden, Florida, saw the same thing at her favorite coffee joint.
“I’m outraged,” she told USA Today. “And as for the business – shame on them!”
Another tactic, Philadelphian Ed Horenburger reported to the outlet, is restaurants adding suggested tips based on the meal’s cost — plus tax.
He is now “disgusted” with his favorite cafe. And, similar to Walker, Horenburger is joining the boycott.
“I’ve drifted more to making coffee at home to reduce the need for tipping,” he said.
