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Since when did 20% become the “customary” starting point for tipping? 🤔💵This gratuity guide caught my attention when the...
09/06/2026

Since when did 20% become the “customary” starting point for tipping? 🤔💵

This gratuity guide caught my attention when the check arrived: 18% suggested, 20% customary, 22% suggested.

Yes, the card clearly says gratuity is voluntary and customers can choose a lower, higher, or custom amount. I appreciate that.

But calling 20% the restaurant’s “customary gratuity” still feels like a subtle way of telling customers what they’re *supposed* to leave.

I’ve always thought the tip should reflect the actual service—not whether a restaurant considers a certain percentage customary. Great service? Absolutely reward it. Average or disappointing service? The customer should be able to adjust accordingly without feeling like they’re breaking some unwritten rule.

Restaurant workers may see this completely differently, especially with how much servers depend on tips.

**So where do you stand: Is 20% a reasonable customary tip for table service today, or are restaurants pushing tipping expectations too high?

If 18% is mandatory, are we still supposed to call it a tip?I noticed this before ordering, and I’ll give the restaurant...
09/06/2026

If 18% is mandatory, are we still supposed to call it a tip?

I noticed this before ordering, and I’ll give the restaurant credit for one thing: at least they’re telling customers upfront instead of surprising them when the check arrives.

But I still have a problem with making an 18% minimum gratuity a condition of ordinary table service.

A tip has traditionally been something the customer decides based on the service they actually receive. Here, you’re agreeing to at least 18% before anyone has even taken your order.

I understand the other side. Restaurants want servers compensated fairly, and clearly disclosing the rule beforehand gives customers the choice to stay or leave.

Still, calling something “gratuity” while also saying you’re required to pay a minimum feels contradictory to me.

Fair policy because it’s disclosed upfront—or does mandatory tipping defeat the whole point of a tip?

I know tipping at a counter is already a debate, but I think this sign makes the conversation a little more complicated....
09/06/2026

I know tipping at a counter is already a debate, but I think this sign makes the conversation a little more complicated.

This restaurant says its tips are shared with the front-of-house team—not just a traditional server. The people preparing and packaging orders, delivering food to tables, refilling supplies, and keeping the dining area running are included too.

I actually think that's a fair point.

At the same time, I understand why some customers don't automatically connect counter service with tipping the way they do full table service. You're still making your own ordering and payment decisions at the register.

Personally, I think explaining where the tip goes is much more reasonable than simply putting a tip screen in front of customers and expecting them to figure it out.

Does knowing the tip is shared among the whole service team make you more likely to tip at a counter-service restaurant?

Okay, where would you draw the line on this one?The SUV itself is completely inside its parking space, and the parent is...
09/06/2026

Okay, where would you draw the line on this one?

The SUV itself is completely inside its parking space, and the parent is vacuuming it with the rear door open. But the stuff they pulled out—a kid’s backpack, folded stroller, shopping bags, floor mats, and a storage bin—is spread past the painted line and into part of the empty space next door.

Nothing looks wildly scattered, and it’s clearly connected to cleaning out the vehicle. But this is also a busy shopping-center lot, and that second marked space is normally there for another vehicle, not extra room for someone else’s belongings.

So forget what you think their intentions are and judge only what’s visible here: is temporarily using part of the neighboring parking space reasonable while cleaning out a family vehicle, or should everything stay within your own space?

09/04/2026

Some tip about title

09/04/2026

Some tip about title

09/04/2026

Some tip about title

09/04/2026

Some tip about title

09/04/2026

Some tip about title

A $15 jump on the SAME membership tier is where automatic renewal starts bothering me.The account screen still says Basi...
09/03/2026

A $15 jump on the SAME membership tier is where automatic renewal starts bothering me.

The account screen still says Basic Monthly Membership. Current rate: $39. Next renewal: October 3. Renewal amount: $54. And the notice at the desk clearly says the Basic rate becomes $54 on October 1.

So the new price isn't being hidden. It's right there before the next charge, and I don't expect a monthly membership price to stay frozen forever.

But $39 to $54 is almost a 40% increase. When billing is set to continue automatically, I think a change that large deserves something stronger than simply rolling the new amount into the next renewal.

Raise prices when the business needs to. Just don't treat a substantial increase on the same membership like an ordinary continuation of the old monthly charge. For that big a jump, I'd rather see customers actively acknowledge the new rate before automatic billing continues.

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