Americans Love Tipping, Study Finds

According to a recent poll of 3000 Americans conducted by Horizon Media, 81 percent of restaurant-going adults support tipping. The study comes on the heels of a debate about the potential drawbacks of American tipping culture. While several restaurateurs have banned tips in favor of raising employee wages or adding service fees, others are reluctant to abandon the tradition.

According to Eater, the anti-gratuity movement aims to raise wages for service industry employees, increasing job stability and minimizing employee turnover. But others are more skeptical. “It’s a controversial trend, with some in the industry championing the move as the wave of the future and others preferring to stick with the status quo,” writes Eater. “The vast majority of American diners fall in the latter camp.”

The study also found that opinions on tipping differed significantly by age. While a full 29 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds believed that tipping was an “outdated” practice, only 13 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds felt the same way. According to Horizon, those in favor of tipping want to be able to reward positive service experiences, and are concerned that the eradication of tipping might negatively affect customer service. Whatever side of the debate you fall on, it’s clear that Americans as a whole are pretty attached to the tradition of tipping. And while there are certainly convincing arguments to be made on both sides, it seems like, for now at least, tipping is here to stay.

[h/t Eater]