Tipping Norms Varied in the University Area

To tip or not to tip, for many, that is never the question. In the United States, a 15-20% gratuity for food services is commonplace, but worldwide, the act of tipping is varied. According to the University's Center for International Services, Syracuse University currently represents all 50 states and over 115 countries. This blend of different cultures and norms varies the way people tip. To those who work in the service industry and rely on tips, this is at times harrowing.

For Allen Terry, a graduate student in the E. A. Link School of Engineering at Syracuse University and delivery driver for Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches, he definitely notices the differences between people, though he's quick to say it's not necessarily a cultural issue, but perhaps a socio-economic issue. He argues that with people, especially freshman out on their own for the first time, it comes down to whether the person has ever worked a day in their life.

"Sometimes you can just tell if they have money or not, but most freshman don't tip unless they've already had a job. The kids who are on their parents money don't usually tip, and you can tell who they are," he says. But he laments, and admits that all he's really doing is delivering sandwiches. "If we were delivering something complicated I would expect the tips to be more frequent and better, but we're just selling subs. I know we try to get there in less than ten minutes, but regulars come to expect that and so it becomes less impressive to them, I guess, unless they've worked in a similar job before in which case they're more understanding." But does the service itself actually matter in tipping?

According to a study by Cornell University's Michael Lynn, a professor of economics who did his Master's thesis on the behavior of consumers and tipping, argues that service very rarely affects the tip. His study found that "tip percentages are only weakly related to customers' ratings of service quality in restaurant settings." Interestingly, it appears that restaurant tips are not a good measure of customer satisfaction.

Lynn's study also suggests that tipping is more expected in countries whose populations are based on the possibility of bettering oneself. If a metaphorical ladder exists, people seem to tip, and servers and deliverers seem to work harder to get them.

Terry agrees. "From what I've seen, some Asian students are awful with tipping. They seem to be under this impression that its supposed to be handed to them, like they won't even come down to the lobby in an apartment complex to meet us, we have to go to them. European people tip pretty well, but it depends on who it is," he says.

Josh 'Flower' Sharp, a bartender and manager at Chuck's, says that he has a guy who comes in often and runs up very high tabs, in the area of $100-150, and he never leaves a tip. Obviously he works, and he has money, but he doesn't tip. Flower serves him all of the drinks that can run up a tab that high, but the man never leaves a tip. "It's always like, 'Thanks, but those drinks don't pay my bills,'" he says. Flower says that a dollar per drink or a 10-20% tip on a tab is totally acceptable. "But not everyone does it."

Still the question remains - what earns a tip? Terry and Lynn agree that tips depend on the quality of service, and that 15-20% is a fair gratuity. "If the service is great," Terry says, "I'll even go higher, like 30% for a waiter who was really attentive."

And, just for fun, here is Quentin Tarrantino's take on this (warning, it's explicit):