Carryout Controversy: People debate over whether to tip for takeaway services
BALTIMORE -- The debate over who and when to tip is back in the spotlight and reigniting discussion on when to include gratuity, thanks to popular technology.
Electronic touch screens that flip around explicitly ask customers how much they'd like to tip the person who took their order.
This forces people to contemplate whether they should tip the suggested amount, tip an amount of their choosing, or perhaps not tip at all.
Some people have said they tipped when they ordered carryout food.
"We tip 20% every time," one person said.
Now, the question over whether or not gratuity should be included with carryout meals has a new urgency.
The practice, highlighting what some people refer to as "guilt tipping" is featured in a viral TikTok video.
Loyola University Maryland's Dr. Marie Yeh wants to put to rest the confusion tied to tipping for takeaway orders.
"Inflation is real, right? The prices have gone up, going out to dinner costs a lot more than it did pre-pandemic," she said. "People are looking for ways to save money."
The cost of goods may be pushing people towards choosing to pick up food rather than dine at a restaurant. Also, those rising costs may be preventing some people from leaving a tip.
"So, they might be thinking in that way," Yeh said. "So, they are feeling less generous because they have less disposable income."
Those people who don't support the practice of tipping for takeaway items argue that tipping is reserved for above-average service.
The amount of tip left may depend on the quality or type of service that is being provided. For example, the services provided by a hotel housekeeper or a delivery driver are often associated with a tip.
"When you are sitting down they are serving you, they are bringing you the drinks, the food," one man said.
Yeh says a lot is at play.
"The laws in Maryland say employers can pay tipped employees as little as $3.63 an hour," she said.
Some people say they are aware the food service industry is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic.
"Costs are rising. Wages are kind of staying the same. So, therefore, when it comes to actual workers, I can see why they're a little sensitive to being tipped," another man said.
