Tipping Culture and how people feel about it
Change pictured on a counter, photo by Timothy Hole
There are different opinions on tipping, and they become more and more divided in the opinions of citizens on when or when it is not appropriate to tip.
More and more vendors, stores and services are now asking for tips or giving the option to tip.
According to an informal poll conducted by the MediaPlex that received 159 responses, 54.7 per cent of people do not find it acceptable to tip outside of restaurants, despite many different types of services such as taxis, hair salons, hotels and mechanics. These services have started to ask for tips.
Graph showing how many people find it acceptable to tip outside of restaurants, by Timothy Hole
One poll respondant, Bianca Foradori, said that no services deserve a tip.
“Tipping was created as a way for employers to get away with not paying their workers liveable wages,” said Foradori. “I always tip, but I hate it. I do it because I am also working class and respect that the workers need it to survive. But it should not exist, especially if it’s a chain or the CEO is making significantly more than the people at the lowest level.”
This is a different opinion than some other respondants, such as Melcar John Tolentino, a St. Clair College student.
“I tip for good services, no matter what it is,” said Tolentino. “If you’re nice and friendly, I will be more inclined to tip you better based on these services.”
According to the poll results, the average person tips between 12-17 per cent, with the second most common answer being 18-22 per cent and some outliers in the 23 per cent or higher category as well as the 0-5 per cent category.
Graph showing information about how much people tip, by Timothy Hole
The vast majority of business owners answered between 12-17 per cent with 10 out of 16 answering within this category.
Some responded they found it surprising when places like Subway and other fast-food places asked for tips.
In total, 70.3 per cent of respondents said they have been asked to tip at places other than restaurants. This may be concerning for people who rely on tips to make a living, considering less than 50 per cent of people believe it is acceptable to tip at places other than restaurants. However, only five per cent of poll takers replied that they make their living off of tips.
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