A Bankrate poll was released last month that found only 35% of Gen Zers (defined in the poll as being aged 18 to 26) say they always tip at a sit-down restaurant. Furthermore, only 24% of Gen Zers always tip hairdressers, hairstylists, or barbers, according to the survey. That’s compared with 40% of millennials and 67% of Gen Xers.
Gen Zers are also far less likely than baby boomers to tip when getting their food delivered (31% compared to 62%) or utilizing a taxi or ride-share service (22% versus 56%).
The only exception to this rule was home repairs and services, for which Gen Z was most likely to always tip (15%).
Across all demographics, Gen Z and men tipped the least, the poll found.
The survey also revealed that two-thirds of Americans hold a negative view of tipping, and 1 in 3 Americans think tipping culture is out of control. The main reason they give is that pay should be better. Tipping has declined overall in America, too; in 2019, 77% of adults said they always tipped at dine-in restaurants, but that number fell in 2021 to 75% and in 2022 to 73%.
As a Gen Zer, tipping has become easier, but also less personal. Whenever I order a sub, there’s a large option on the tablet I complete the transaction on that pretty much instructs me to tip 20%. Whenever I go out to eat, the bill does the tip calculations for me, typically starting at 15%. Something about tipping feels far more like an expectation than a courtesy, and at least for me, that turns me off to the idea. It seems many others feel the same way. Though to be fair, I make an effort to tip when the service is exceptional or when I am out with others, and we chip in.
