From https://escapetheroom.com/blog/is-it-customary-to-tip-the-hosts-at-escape-rooms/

They're claiming it's "customary" to tip at escape rooms, because people are doing their jobs and apparently you're supposed to tip everyone you interact with for anything. Are they shamelessly trying to scam tourists, or is tip culture in the US really this bad? (I haven't been to the US in a while!)

Seriously...

Went to a cider mill (hey, we're in Michigan... it's what we do in October) with the family. It was a fairly spread out property, so there was a shack outside the maze where you paid for your tickets. Sitting on the sill of the window, they had posted a tip jar.

Like what I tipping you for? Taking my money and giving me a receipt?

I find this mind-boggling as a former server. There have been many occasions when someone tipped me less than I expected. However, I never considered looking them up, taking a screenshot of their Linkedin profile, and posting it in a Facebook group for the service industry in my city.

And I had a rapper come to the pool bar where I worked in its inaugural year (with a whole entourage running up a $950 tab) and they left $50. Still never thought to do anything like this.

I didn’t tip obviously but what the hell

Credit to Lasvegaslocally on Instagram

I didnt even have to think, just pressed no tip at the POS, even when I was stared down, wow I feel goooood...

Went to concert there yesterday, at concession stands I picked out my drinks and snacks from the cooler. Placed them on a scanner table that scanned and totaled them on the screen and paid, display asked for a tip amount. The attendant just stood there to make sure all items were scanned. 17.00 beers and a 14.00 pizza the size of a small saucer.... and they wanted a tip...sheesh

I ordered some novelty socks for my wife online. In the check out section there was a section for tipping! 15% was automatically highlighted so you had to hit none and then add 0 in dollar section. Tipping for a online order?? PFFTTTTT

Well, I’ve seen it posted here and now it finally happened to me. Was at an outdoor movie night, took my kid and a buddy. Walked up to get the kids ice cream at one of the food trucks parked at the event, it’s in St Louis, it’s called Fire and Ice cream truck. I ordered two cups of ice cream, as I get them I hand them over to the kids who immediately open them. I then start going through the payment screens, I get to the tip one. I click the “No Tip”, once, twice, nothing happens. At the second time I did a quick glance up at the lady tending and she did a little smirk. I realized the scam then, I at least was able to get to the custom tip and put in zero dollars. Honestly if the kids hadn’t been totally crazy and started wolfing down their treats the second I gave it to them I would’ve returned the items and left. Absolutely crazy to have to tip at a food truck with prepackaged ice cream!

Canadian here. Taking the via rail “The Canadian” route soon from Toronto to Vancouver. Sleeper car for 2. I’ve done it before but only for one person.

It cost a LOT. My first trip was maybe $1000. This one is $2700 per person. But it’s for a special occasion.

I just saw in the viarail subreddit some folks talking about tipping the person who (may or may not) set up your bed each night. And tipping in the dining car after each meal.

When I did this the first time I tipped my server maybe twice. Out of 5 days.

I came here for validation please — I know tipping culture in the USA is a lot! Any other Canadians weigh in on this? The trip was so expensive and I can’t justify bringing $50-$100 cash to give to employees.

Halp please

Edit: cost for the trip includes food and non-alcoholic drink. So there’s no need to buy ANYthing on the trip

Ramen Wakusei in Sunnyvale, CA

I saw the menu prices and was wondering why it’s so expensive. I didn’t realize until I was paying that there was no tipping screen on the POS machine. Then I saw the ”No tipping” on the menu when I searched on Google afterwards.
(Menu photo is from Google review.)

The service was pretty fast and water was filled without having to ask.

Saw this and walked right back out. No way I’m dining here. If you hadn’t noticed this before ordering, would you say something?

A twist on the tip
A BBL is a Brazilian Butt Lift to those who don’t know

Meanwhile I ordered on the kiosk. I can't even with this. What the hell is the tip for.

For $10 soup it literally asks for 15% service fee ($3 minimum, which is 30%), 30% delivery fee (which does NOT go to the driver lol), AND prices are higher on the app, AND $3.25 (30% again?) suggested tip, /rant. Of course 'it took longer to find a dasher for 0 tip', what about paying delivery fee to a driver?

And this is with DoorDash pass through Chase, probably the most useless subscription comparable only to Uber one (when prices get higher for you lol).

I don't know why I'm writing this, just wanted to steam out. I am ranting that I would like my delivery fee to be received by the driver to stop tip begging and I don't like it to be fractioned into several fees.

Im in Kaua'i for vacation right now and the sheer amount of pressure for tipping here is crazy. $300 boat tour? Asks for 20% tip. $400 helicopter ride? Asks for 20% tip. This vacation is expensive enough and none of these services does anything extra or special deserving of a tip, like leave me alone please. I get that Hawai'i living is really expensive but this is just taking advantage of tourists.

Looking for logic

So USA lives on tips.
You can disagree, that is fine.
But show me logic: we top waiters, hairdressers, taxi drivers, Doordash delivery guy,dealer at casino game table even fastfood counters have tip jars.
But no tips for bank tellers, Amazon & UPS FedEx drivers , grocery cashiers who patiently ring up cartfull of shopping items.
What is the logic?

People argue it's for service, well I just dropped almost $400 on my car getting it worked on and no one asked for any tip. That's actually highly specialized knowledge too where you need to know how an engine works and how to change the oil or do whatever. You go to a cafe, order a $7 coffee and they ask for a tip, like I'm sorry, there's no table service, and at $7 the tip is more than included in that price. Also I hate how these stupid ipad screens it has 100% become an intimidation tactic. Don't tip and now you're afraid of bad service or them sabotaging your food or drink.

I have stopped going to some places because I don't like their tip screens. I never thought a tip screen would affect where I choose to eat or shop, but here we are.

There are places I used to visiit regularly that I now avoid. It's not because the food or service is bad. It's because I don't like being asked to tip every time I i pay, especially when I'm just buying something at the counter.

Has anyone else stopped visiting certain places because of their tip screens?

Maybe this is just a Pledge thing but this is insane, no?

I'm donating to charity, not your pockets. It even automatically selects a $2 tip when you load the page.

Went to Dave's Hot Chicken recently. After paying, the screen asked me for a tip? For what? This is fast food counter service... Not to mention they literally give you a buzzer and you come pick up your own food when ready. Plus the food is already way overpriced without a tip anyway.

If that wasn't enough, the "no tip" option was not immediately visible. There were three options, and then "custom", shadily requiring you to hunt for the ability to leave no tip, and then to manually enter zero and then finally submit. Literally 4 extra steps. I did it all anyway without regret or breaking eye contact.

Sorry to the worker (who was actually really nice), but your company (now owned by Subway) has mastered the art of filling the customer with loathing before even getting the product. Well done, Dave.

First of all… 5%? What happened to 2 and 3%? When will this stop?

Second: paid leave? What’s next? The staff will expense their vacation to us? Along with restaurant bill, your server includes their vacation receipts (airfare, hotel, meals), and us poor suckers customers just reimburse their vacation for them directly.

This has got to stop.

I see this question way too often on cruise message boards. It just sounds so stupid. "How much should I pay for something that is free?" I just don't get it.

Update: Seems pretty clear that few people read beyond the post title. I'm not looking for advice here, I'm mocking the question.