Has US tipping culture "invaded" us? Canadians weigh in
Tipping continues to be a hot-button issue for many Canadians, and a recent post on Reddit sparked quite a discussion about how out-of-control it has become and whether the US has any influence on how we tip in Canada.
“Why do Canadians tip? I can understand why tipping is so big in America (that’s a whole other discussion, of course), but why is it so big in Canada as well?” reads the initial post.
“Please correct me if I’m wrong, but from my understanding, servers in Canada get paid at least the minimum wage without tips. If they already get paid the minimum wage, why do so many people expect and feel pressured to tip as if they’re ‘making up for part of their wage,’ like in the US?”
The post has since been flooded with responses, with people sharing their two cents about Canada’s controversial tipping practices.
“There’s no real good reason. We tip because we are often culturally influenced by the US and because people, in the past, liked to show off by tipping,” wrote one Redditor.
Another commenter said that tipping feels like a “guilt trip.”
“If you don’t tip, you look bad,” they said.
One Redditor said that Canadians should “just all stop” tipping in general.
“How did it get to a minimum of 18% on the machine from 15% for ‘good’ service?” they asked.
One person, who claimed to be a former server, said that tipping has “gotten weird.”
“My take is that 15-20% is a solid tip for solid service. I’ve received no tips and been like, ‘Yep, I did not provide good service, fair play,’ and you move on. Anything over 15% was appreciated, but I wasn’t angry if I got less or overjoyed if I got more.”
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A second former bartender and server also chimed in, saying tips were seen as a “bonus” for them.
“I guess I’m old school, but I would have refills of pop/coffee without being asked. I’d check in with the table and specifically ask each person how the item they ordered tasted.”
They added that if they don’t receive that type of service, it impacts how much they tip.
“…You’re not getting much from me,” they stated, adding that “employers need to pay better.”
Many others echoed that response, emphasizing that employers needed to be held responsible for offering better wages.
“Pay your damn workers,” wrote one person.
“A tip is a gesture to acknowledge service, not to compensate for shitty employers,” stated another.
Is American tipping culture spreading to Canada?
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Commenters also addressed whether American tipping culture was impacting the way Canadians tip.
One person said Canada has been impacted by “cultural pressure that has invaded us” over the border.
“American culture is bleeding over, and we’re very conflict-averse, so we just do it,” agreed another Redditor.
“American inertia is MASSIVE, and it’s dragging us along,” reads a comment.
One American also added to the chat, stating they have reached a point where they no longer tip.
“It’s not my responsibility to pay people what their management should actually be paying them.”
American tipping culture has gotten many folks talking beyond Reddit threads.
Earlier this year, UK journalist Emma Beddington published an article in The Guardian about how a recent visit to the US left her “mortified.”
“Is there a cringier social dance than tipping? It’s got everything: money, guilt, notions of generosity, discomfort around service, a tussle between our idealized and authentic (broke) selves,” she wrote.
“I need therapy after a week of agonizing over it daily in the US, fumbling with screens and prompts.”
Another study conducted earlier this year revealed that North America has the highest tipping rates in the world. The US took the top spot with an average rate of 20%, and Canada came in second with an average rate between 15 and 20%.
Canadians ready to scrap tipping
It seems that many Canadians also feel strongly about scrapping tipping for good.
Survey data released in June by Lightspeed Commerce Inc. found that Canada was tied with Belgium for countries feeling the strongest about eliminating the practice of tipping altogether. Compared to customers in other regions, over one-third (34%) of Canadian customers agreed with this sentiment.
Last year, a report from the Angus Reid Institute found that most Canadians preferred a “service included” model, which would scrap gratuity in exchange for higher base wages for service workers.
Do you think Canadian tipping has been influenced by the US? Let us know in the comments.