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Comment by baby | Hacker News Reader

Always tip a fixed 5$ if you get a good service, why tipping if you don't get a good service though?

$5 on a $100 bill? In the US? That's awful.

I usually tip % but I don't go to eat at places with such high bills.

I can understand the logic though of a fixed tip. There are all kinds of situations where a server spends the same amount of time/effort for each table and get different tips based on what the person ate?

Why does that make sense that I would tip more because I got a steak instead of a burger and the server had to just bring it to me in either case?

That is a logical argument and I guess I understand why one would choose that line of thinking.

I guess I tend to eat at the same 3 restaurants around my house. They all know me and are also my neighbors. The social pressure to not be "that guy" has pushed me to tip generously I guess.

Then that should be apart of the price of the meal.

Cultural norms in the US are different from those where you grew up. Service employees earn a much greater percentage of their income from tips here than they do there.

This mentality is most likely why I usually never tip.

There are people out there that honestly think this is normal behavior. Hey your experience was terrible, but have this $5 your don't deserve.

I live in the US and only tip when service is good.

You are, for all intents and purposes, stealing from people poorer than you.

The default assumption is that customers will tip at least a reasonable amount for all service. If you aren't going to do that you need to announce your intentions in advance. Whenever you go to a restaurant just let the hostess know your plans. That way you won't be deceiving people who are serving you.

You have a unique perspective on this situation. I don't have to do shit. I want food, I get food. Not my fault you create a barrier between me and food.

Regardless, I don't go to restaurants because of this.

Also, if I have to state my intentions, then a server should have to say, "we ask for money because I chose to work for a company that doesn't pay well. Sometimes we deserve it. Most of the time we don't"

Or realize how stupid that sounds

There is an important difference between the servers intentions and your intentions. The servers intentions are well inline with cultural norms and hence the default assumption in a restaurant. There's no need to bother restating them. This is what cultural norms are.

Your intentions, on the other hand, are very unusual and not standard. That's why it's important for you to tell people what is going on so that they are not caught by surprise.

If no one tipped it would fuck up the ridiculous system and help the workers.

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