It’s no secret that for many people, tips comprise a significant part of their earnings. Unfortunately, knowing this doesn’t make all customers equally generous with their tip.

The latter was proven to be true by redditor u/kytulu, who discussed the time a HOA ordered a ton of pizza and left a measly amount as a tip for the delivery people. This outraged the manager of the establishment, who made sure the subdivision was never delivered their pizza again.

Tips can significantly increase an employee’s earnings

Image credits: Norma Mortenson (not the actual photo)

This person delivered hundreds of dollars worth of pizza and was tipped less than a dollar

Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)

Image credits: kytulu

Tipping practices differ from country to country

While tipping seems pretty straightforward—you leave a certain amount of money on top of what you owe the business for providing a service—it entails quite a few subtleties that require getting acquainted with. For instance, the fact that the tipping culture differs from country to country, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with what’s expected of you in different destinations.

Even when you know whether or not you’re expected to tip an employee, it’s important to be aware of how much to leave, too. According to Condé Nast Traveller, in London, for instance, you’re expected to leave roughly 10-15% of your bill in tips, while in Madrid and Rome you’re only expected to leave 5-10%.

In some countries, though, such as Japan, tipping is not customary. The Japan National Tourism Organization points out that, unlike in many countries around the world, in Japan it’s not common to leave tips in cafes, restaurants, hotels and similar settings where one would consider leaving money as a thank you.

Be that as it may, in some situations—typically involving a private guide, an interpreter, or someone else accustomed to overseas practices—tipping is considered appropriate, as long as it’s done discreetly. Other countries where you don’t necessarily have to tip, according to the Business Insider, include Switzerland, Denmark, and Iceland, just to name a few.

Image credits: Sam Dan Truong (not the actual photo)

The number of places where people are expected to leave a tip seems to be on the rise

While in some countries people are unsure whether or not to leave a tip, in the US there’s not much confusion regarding the matter; it is no secret that tipping there is expected, as it is one of the main ways for many employed individuals to make money. And while opinions on the practice differ, many people choose to tip nevertheless, even if they feel forced to do it.

Take the pop-ups encouraging you to leave a tip when paying in certain establishments, for instance. Surveys found that with technology nudging Americans to tip, roughly 60% of them feel or give in to the pressure to do it. As a matter of fact, even self-checkouts nowadays are asking for tips, arguably leaving customers in a justifiable state of confusion.

A 2023 survey on the tipping culture in America revealed that the majority of respondents believe the number of places in which they are expected to tip has increased over the last five years. It also revealed that while roughly one-fifth of Americans consider tipping a choice, nearly a third think it’s more of an obligation; the rest say it depends on each particular situation.

Unfortunately, in the OP’s situation, the tips he received from the HOA didn’t increase his hourly rate that much, which, to many people, highlighted another concern regarding tips and their correlation to an employee’s income. Quite a few people in the comments under the redditor’s post were perplexed at how much of an impact tips have when it comes to employees’ earnings.

Image credits: Allef Vinicius (not the actual photo)

The OP provided more details in the comments

People shared their reactions and discussed personal experiences with tipping

Some netizens found tipping culture bizarre at best

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