One of America's favorite customs right now is complaining about an old custom with new wheels: tipping. Similar to the "what’s the deal with airplanes" Jerry Seinfeld bit, griping about how tipping has “become out of control” is somewhat of an easy crowd pleaser.
And you don’t need a Seinfeld type of tight five to understand that the post-pandemic landscape of tipping is a new reality that not many consumers are stoked about. During lockdown, many people left extra gratuity to support frontline workers and the restaurants that were shutting down. Aided by automated tablet screens, such heightened tipping—for everywhere from counter services like bakeries to self-checkout kiosks—has stuck three years later. Whatever the source of tipping’s ascent, one thing many Americans can agree on is that we’re dealing with a new tipping culture.
