Has Tipping in Northern Colorado Gone Too Far?

Everything is expensive. Gas is expensive. Groceries are expensive. Childcare is expensive. I could go on and on, but what about when you scrape together enough spare pocket money for a coffee? And then the inevitable happens, and the barista looks you dead in the eye while handing you a card reader, asking for a tip. $1, $2, $5, it all adds up.

I totally get tipping at a restaurant. When I've occupied a table for more than an hour if the service is solid I totally tip. A restaurant is the only place I can ask someone to go and get me things and they don't complain...the way my kids do.

But according to a recent survey done by Popmenu, tipping has reached it's....tipping point.

Here are some tipping statistics according to this recent study

nearly 80 percent of consumers describe modern tipping practices as ridiculous
44 percent of people say they are tipping less than they did last year.
The decline is most visible in restaurants

But as you’ve probably seen, there’s been a change in the past decade. Tipping used to be part of the food industry, and now you’re expected to tip in lots of other places—grocery delivery (which is totally fair, in my opinion), hotel staff, and even auto repair shops. It’s called tipping fatigue, and it’s keeping more people at home. As you can imagine, this isn’t good news for the folks who rely on tips as part of their income. But where do you draw the line?

Percentages of tips going down based on the industry

Of course, as mentioned earlier, restaurants and food services have felt it the most, with a 35% decline in tipping.
Grocery delivery tipping has dropped by 25%
Hotel staff has dropped 19%
Hair Salons and barbers are seeing 18% less tipping

It’s a slippery slope, especially when many people are struggling just to pay for the essentials.