Why Is Tipping So Big Now?

Every store you go to when it comes time to pay the question arises,‘would you like to add a tip?’ When buying clothes at the mall , online services and restaurants this question almost always pops up. But why has the practice of giving out tips become so common  and how do Colorado students feel about it? I went out and asked a few students from Rangeview how they felt about places asking for tips. 

Firstly, we should start on how tipping started and why it became so popular in the US. It was firstly started in the US, when wealthy Americans discovered it in the 1850s and 1860’s when traveling in Europe. It finally became normal in the 1900s. From there it has just slowly risen in the places that ask and the normality of tipping. 

I asked D’Hani Fleming(Junior) for his opinion on the matter and he stated, “I believe that it’s good, but also bad at the same time. It’s good for certain employees. But it’s also bad since many of the companies are going to start paying employees less hourly because since they are making tips more the companies will believe they won’t have to pay minimum wage. 

I am overall okay with companies asking for tips, but I would prefer if they just paid their employees regular and livable wages, but also add tips so they don’t have to just depend on tips to pay their bills and basic needs and it’s instead a nice bonus.”     

While other students don’t necessarily believe every place should be asking for tips. Marissa Schumacher (Sophomore) stated, “I feel if they are providing a service that is beneficial and if they are actually doing something or if it’s a small restaurant where they are cooking food and serving you, then the tip makes sense. But if they are just handing you one thing and not doing much for you there shouldn’t be a tip.”

I then asked what kind of services would people be okay tipping for and what services would they not. Oneta Nitcznski (Junior) stated,  “ I would be okay tipping for a waiter at a restaurant. I would tip services also at a store. Like I would tip them still even if they are just scanning my items mostly because a lot of employees sadly rely on tips to get by. So overall, I would tip either way to help, but it would be a lot better if employers just started paying their employees enough where tips are more like you did really good and thank you instead of having to live off of it.” 

For example, in other locations such as Japan and Nepal they strictly believe that tips should only be given to good services and only seen as a reward. In Japan some of those servers might even politely reject your tip overall. Then in other places such as Australia and New Zealand, servers and drivers also don’t expect tips at all, but appreciate it if you round up the bill.

To get more opinions, I asked other students about their opinions. 

Taylor Jr. Merur (Junior) stated, “I would tip for fast food services because they have to deal with disrespectful customers as well and when it comes to not tipping I wouldn’t really know.”

I also asked D’Hani Fleming (Junior) who stated “Food services I am always okay with tipping, I believe that those are completely justified but retail at times is kinda iffy or weird. It’s just weird because it’s not necessarily a service you’re giving but more or so just scanning and moving onto the next person. So it’s just hard to say really.”

Overall, the students of Rangeview don’t mind having to tip employers and would rather help. However, the students would also just rather if employees wouldn’t have to live off of tips and would just get paid better so instead tips become more of a bonus rather than a paycheck. 

Some students would rather pay for services that require an employer providing a service rather than just selling things or scanning items. Tipping has become a bigger trend lately but for the most part, it doesn’t seem to affect many students, it causes more of a worry for the wages of those employees.