Justin Boggs
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LEARN MOREPosted: 8:53 a.m. EST Nov 21, 2023
It seems like customers are being asked more often if they would like to add a tip for service. A new report from Popmenu provides an answer on just how often Americans are being asked to tip.
According to a Popmenu survey, consumers are asked an average of five times a week whether they would like to add a tip for service. This added pressure on tipping has appeared to cause "tipping fatigue," Popmenu said.
Its survey found that the percentage of Americans who always tip restaurant workers at least 20% declined from 56% in 2021 to 42% in 2023. The survey also found the percentage of Americans who always tip restaurant delivery drivers 20% declined from 38% in 2021 to 26% this year.
The survey also indicated that most Americans feel pressure to tip and guilt if they don't. Nearly 61% say they feel pressure to tip, while 70% said they feel guilty if they don't add a tip to a bill.
Popmenu's data comes after Pew Research released a survey that found 72% of respondents said the expectation of tipping has spread to more places over the last five years.
Only 34% of those polled were confident about whether they should tip, and only 33% were confident about how much to give.
"While growth in restaurant gratuities has leveled off to a certain extent as guests contend with tighter budgets and tipping fatigue, around 30% of consumers say they still tip restaurant staff more than they did a few years ago," said Brendan Sweeney, CEO of Popmenu. "Great service will always prevail in terms of gratuity size, but the impact of digital tipping across industries is something to keep an eye on as operators evaluate compensation practices."
