Background

USA has a tipping problem.

We have been slowly normalized into believing that giving a tip is an informal necessity when we sit down at a restaurant, take out or order home delivery; even after we have already paid for said service and all the applicable taxes, fees and any delivery charges.

It has got engrained into our social culture to tip everytime we are at a restaurant or order delivery. 15% is the norm. Not tipping is regularly frowned upon as being rude or inconsiderate, creating a social pressure on everyone to tip whether they voluntarily like to or not.

This has emboldened employers in the food industry to start packaging prospective tips into the salaries of employees who provide service, such as wait staff and delivery drivers. These employees get paid less than minimum wage, and rely on tips to earn a living wage. Effectively these food companies are putting responsibility on the customers to pay a part of their employee's salaries.

This is very wrong and an abuse of the original definition of tipping, which is a voluntary payment from the customer to appreciate excellent service. Tips are and never should be mandatory, but with time and slow cultural manipulation - we in the United States have come to see tipping as a necessary part of our culinary etiquette.

 

Solution (My Petition)

When we think of fixing a problem like this, there is no point in having this discussion with the food companies, as they have 0 incentive to change how things are. America has got comfortable with tipping and the food companies know that their customers have it culturally engrained in them to tip as second nature.

Hence, the solution has to be ground up. Like every business, the food business also has 3 parts - the business owner, the employees and the customers. The affected people are the employees, and the solution starts with us, the customers.

My petition is for everyone signing this to stop tipping everytime at restaurants for sit-down, deliveries or take out services. This is not to say that we should never tip, but we go by the original definition and tip only if we got excellent service and want to appreciate our waiter or delivery boy. My ask is let's not tip everytime. This is not about saving money on tips, but we as customers ensuring the money we pay is used for its rightful purpose. Remember that we have already paid for the food, and all applicable charges from the restaurant.

By doing this, we the customers are sending a message to the food industry that tips are not guaranteed. It cannot be taken for granted. It cannot be part of their employee's salaries. Pay the employees enough so that they don't have to rely on tips.

All we need to do as individuals is stick to this principle for the long term, and market forces will ensure that the tipping culture goes away from America. Sure it will take time to see real change, but given enough time, the food industry would have to pay a fair salary in order to attract its next employees, which does not include tips. The food prices will go up to compensate, but that will be money put to good use. The wait staff will still earn tips for good service, which will be their incentive to keep up the quality and service. We as customers get back our freedom and the voluntary nature of tipping.

Let's take this pledge to stop tipping everytime, and use tipping to genuinely appreciate good service we get.

If you are skeptical this will work or this is the right solution, look at all the other countries where tipping is not mandatory. They run their businesses just fine, and their employees get paid fairly. Customers are not pressured to tip.

Please share this petition with your friends, family and people from the food industry you know, especially the people who rely on tips to make a living wage. They deserve better. We can make it happen together.