The Generational Divide On Restaurant Tipping

A new poll finds that new Millennials, the generation that loves to dine out, tip less frequently than the two previous generations.

Food writer Corby Kummer joined Boston Public Radio on Tuesday to explain the “confusing, messy” world of restaurant tipping.

The poll, published by YouGov, found that 63 percent of Millennials tip regularly, compared to 89 percent of Baby Boomers, and 81 percent of Generation Xers. But, according to the poll, Millennials feel guiltier about their habits.

“The only good thing about this is that they feel guilty,” said Kummer. “They think they should be doing more, and they’re not sure how to handle it.”

Waiters and waitresses in most states in America rely on tips to cover a substantial part of their income, as employers can pay servers about $2 an hour as long as tips cover the remainder of the minimum wage. If tips don’t get employees to minimum wage, employers are required to pay the difference, although Kummer said this system often leads to wage theft and isn’t often enforced.

Even so, attempted solutions didn’t end up changing consumer behavior.

“The solution was to incorporate tips right into the check … but restaurant customers don’t like it, they feel their control is being taken away from them, they have no autonomy, and they wish to be able to punish the people who didn’t come to the table or give them good enough service. What they’re not thinking in that moment of wanting to withhold tips is that signal will not be sent to the server, they’re almost always pooled.”

Kummer said there’s one surefire way to absolve any guilt you have of your counterparts who may not tip: “You need to personally make up for it.”

Kummer is executive director of the Food and Society policy program at the Aspen Institute, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a senior lecturer at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.