Tipping has become a real point of contention for many people in the United States. In my humble opinion, tipping is frankly out of control and I’ve written numerous posts on the subject, like this one that asks: Should You Tip on Takeout? or yesterday’s story on Frontier Flight Attendants Now Requesting Tips: Is This the Future of Air Travel?
There also seems to be a rise in the number of tipping scams as well as strategies that waitstaff have tried on diners, like what happened at Boston’s Logan International Airport when the server crossed out the lowest suggested tip and circled the highest (20%). I’m a regular tipper when both the situation and service warrants it but tricks like this makes me want to leave zero tip, even if the service was good.
Even businesses pull stunts like this, either by trying to pressure diners into tipping more or flat out tricking them and hoping they’re either drunk or not paying enough attention to notice. The first time I noticed this was in a Las Vegas taxi about a decade ago where the suggested tip started at 20% and went up to 30%. Are you serious?
Restaurants and hotel room service are notorious for tricking customers by automatically adding a tip and then suggesting more. A professional photographer recently posted on social media, “the check seems to show a 20% service charge added. But then when the credit card comes back it says gratuity not included and suggests gratuities.”
The latest scam that I just learned about, thanks again to an Instagram post, will really make your blood boil and is the inspiration for this post because I want to make sure you don’t fall for it, too.
Mark Obrien, who goes by @big_beau7 on Instagram, posted a video (embedded below) that has gone viral and for good reason. His caption: “EVERYONE needs to watch this video and share this! This is a pay at the table kiosk. The screen autogenerates the tip percentage options for you in hopes that you won’t look at the dollar amount it’s factoring! Every single choice was way off! Total bill was $27.00. 15% should be $4.05 it autogenerated $6.22! At 18% it should be $4.86 it autogenerated $7.47! At 20% it should be $5.40 it autogenerated $8.30! And at 25% it should be $6.75 and it autogenerated $10.37! So whenever you choose to use kiosk CHECK YOUR MATH!”
View this post on Instagram
In his video, he shows that the math doesn’t add up and if you’re like me and struggled with math class through school, then you might not notice either. I admit I would not have noticed and would have probably just chosen the lowest option. However, if the bill was an even number like $10 or $100 and the 20% suggested tip was more than $2 or $20, I would have caught on. One thing is for sure, thanks to Mark, I will definitely now be on the lookout for this type of scam.
As you can imagine, plenty of Mark’s followers had some choice words:
@Woodsnathan: The tipping culture in the US is crazy!!! Employers need to pay their staff more, not the customers
@liike23: Tipping is such a scam. Employers need to do better.
@Errolwebberus: Just for that, they would get $0. I heard someone say this a few days ago, “I don’t tip if I order standing up.” And it makes so much sense.
@steve.nobile: Funny how every other country in the world has zero to little tipping and the food prices are more affordable that here in the US??!!!!!!!!! Yall need to see the world!
@brendasue_muller: I always select “custom”, do my own calculation, subtract discounts and taxes, and base my tip on the food and service quality. DON’T let these places PRESSURE or SHAME you into when to tip or how much to tip! (Some places should not be requesting tips, like fast food or coffee drive-throughs!) The employer should pay better wages and stop counting on consumers to pick up their slack. Also, you could select $0.00 tip and just give cash directly to your server if they’ve provided excellent service and made your dining experience a pleasant, relaxing one!
KEEP READING:
–Your guide to tipping in the 25 most popular countries around the world
-How much do you tip housekeeping when you stay at a hotel in the United States?
–How much to tip housekeeping and make sure they get it
–Pay it forward: The trick to ensuring the next guest gets clean sheets at a hotel or vacation rental
–Has tipping in the United States gotten out of control?
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What about this one. We are on vacation at a resort in Hawaii. We booked a luau for 220.00 each for two 440.00 with the concierge at the property there was a tip of either 20%or 25% and so on. We assumed ( but failed to ask) that it went to the show and waiters it goes to the concierge who worked all of 5 min so they got 88.00. That is pure fraud