Tipping — let’s get rid of it (Opinion)

After hearing about the social media shaming that happened when a State Senator got involved in a tipping issue at a local NJ restaurant, thought something has to change.

First of all, there is no context for shaming the guy who left a $0.74 tip. Now even if the service was bad, I would not do that. Most people wouldn’t. Maybe the guy was having a bad day. Maybe the service was rude and problematic. Either way, it seems to me that the whole tipping thing has run its course.

Spending a lot of time in London over the past four years with my daughter living there, I’ve come to love the no tipping system in the UK. You just don’t tip. Service charges are built into the cost of your meal and there’s nothing to pay, but the amount on the check at the end of the meal. No math, no emotion, just a simple bill.

With social media used as a weapon to hurt feelings and get attention, it seems to me that Americans should adopt the no-tip policy as soon as possible. Wait staff will get paid, restaurants won’t see an increase in cost and customers don’t have to make a decision after a few cocktails.

Agree?

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Bill Spadea.

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