Americans outraged over latest pizza delivery tipping scheme: 'This is on a completely new level'
Just when Americans thought gratuity demands couldn't get any worse, a new tipping trend emerged. Consumers were already expressing annoyance at being asked to tip on food delivery orders at all, but now restaurants are taking their requests a step further. A customer was shocked when a pizza parlor asked for two separate tips on a to-go order - one for the delivery driver and another 'for those preparing your meal'.'Bro I just wanted dinner not a guilt-powered funding round for everyone in the supply chain,' the customer wrote on X. Others were equally outraged. 'This is on a completely new level that I’ve never seen before and I don’t know why but it immediately pissed me off,' a user posted on Reddit. 'This has gone off the rails,' another agreed. 'Cancel and never order from there,' a different user said. A customer was shocked when a pizza parlor asked for two separate tips on a to-go order - one for the delivery driver and another 'for those preparing your meal' 'Bro I just wanted dinner not a guilt-powered funding round for everyone in the supply chain,' the customer wrote on XSomeone else brought up that, if the customer were to tip the normalized 20 percent to both parties this would be a whopping 40 percent tip. 'This is exactly why I’ve been doing more meal prep and cooking at home. I used to order food at least twice a week, but now it’s down to once a month,' another user added.That sentiment is part of the reason why so many US restaurant chains and small businesses are disappearing. Consumers are already cutting back on spending - which has hit the restaurant industry especially hard. And as tipping culture grows more and more extreme, Americans are even less likely to eat out. Eateries such as Olive Garden's sister restaurant Bahama Breeze have announced plans to close all locations. Other popular American spots like Noodles & Company and Pizza Hut are rapidly shutting doors across the country. Tipflation - the expanding expectation to tip more often - is no doubt part of the reason sales are dropping. Another recent incidence of tipping outrage came when it was discovered that Texas Roadhouse is now asking customers to make a tip selection after paying tax, either on a screen or a paper check. One diner explained what happened after the tipping screen popped up, asking for 15, 18, 20, or 25 percent gratuity on their $80 meal. Just a decade ago, 15 percent was considered the standard tip for average service. Now, that number has spiked to 20 percent or often moreThe percentage amounts themselves were not shocking. Nowadays, customers are accustomed to restaurants, bars, and even coffee shops asking for a 20 percent tip — often more.The real shock came in the small print on the bill: 'Tip is calculated after tax and before discounts.'A cardinal rule of tipping culture is that gratuity should be a percentage of the pre-tax total, not on taxes they never paid for.'Texas Roadhouse suggestions are out of control,' the customer wrote on Reddit. Last month, an Italian restaurant in Las Vegas was slammed for adding a tip onto the receipt before handing it to customers, and then requesting another tip on top of that. Not long before that, customers at a casual seafood eatery in Maryland were outraged when they received their bill for a $260 meal with the 15 percent tip option scribbled out by the server. The diners had been eating at G&M Restaurant in Linthicum Heights, near Baltimore, and said their waitress was friendly and service was 'decent enough', though 'nothing excellent'. But when the check was returned, the 15 percent gratuity - amounting to $36.75 - had been scratched out. It made it appear, the diners said, as though it 'wouldn't be good enough for her'. It was discovered that Texas Roadhouse is now asking customers to make a tip selection after paying, either on a screen or a paper check Customers at a casual seafood eatery in Maryland were outraged when they received their bill for a $260 meal with the 15 percent tip option scribbled out by the serverThe waitress had also written 'Thank you' on the receipt in advance — a move the diners described as 'entitled' and 'infuriating'.In another recent example, a Reddit user said they were shocked to be effectively forced to tip when ordering a pizza for pickup.As they were paying, they were hit with a message saying 'Don't forget a tip!' and given options of 15, 20 or 35 percent. There was also a 'custom' box, but no option to leave nothing. A survey last year found that three-quarters of Americans believed tipping culture has gone too far. The research also found that two in three Americans often 'guilt tip' - where they feel forced to add gratuity by prompts at check-out machines.
