Tipping has become a worldwide debate. Some say it's necessary for the service to continue. Others say it's no longer an etiquette to force customers to pay more than they should.
For more than a century, tipping has become an American tradition, a necessity when dining in eateries. Typically, an extra percentage up to 15 percent is billed to customers as a way of appreciating waiters who served the foods.
As a gratuity system, tipping has created ideological argument that comes from both sides. Some think that under any circumstance, the practice is a must, unless you're a rude, awful, stingy diner. Considering that many of the servers don't earn minimum wages, customary tipping becomes the 'right thing to do' to give incentives. On the other hand, customers who seek a good service instead of just average food-serving, feel they have the right to decide how they would spend it. By far, they earned it.
A recent radical move made by Danny Meyer, the man behind Union Square Hospitality Group. He announced to end tipping in his restaurants and plans on raising the price of his menus. According to his philosophical thought, serving meal to a table requires a teamwork of cooks, servers, bartenders, runners, and many others.
Behind the scene, restaurant workers find it as a dilemma because a dining experience should not only be based on the waiters' efforts but let's not forget about all of the individuals in the entire group. This makes tipping an unequal reward.
On the guest's side, tipping can be confusing. Even for those who have no struggle with math, they're often left with question whether the percentage tip should be calculated from the total bill including the tax or not.
Jay Sagorzky explains that despite the historical purpose of tipping, which is to insure the promptitude, the incentive system is not suitable anymore since motivating a server needs to be done initially; not at the end of the meal. That way, they would know how much they're offered.
To tip or not to tip? It's your call.
