this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2024
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I disagree with introducing tipping here. It feels like the public is being asked to prop up the hospitality industry and cover for low wages. If workers aren't being paid enough, that's an issue employers and the government need to fix, not something customers should take on.

What do you think? Should tipping become the norm in New Zealand?

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[–] alexc@lemmy.world 41 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Nope. Because once you normalize tipping, you then start having conversations about how much. Before you know it, you the tipper are paying for peoples wage increases.

I’d rather pay more at the register and see people make a better working wage.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 month ago

This here exactly.

I'm in Australia and the fuckers in every bar and restaurant are trying to enforce tipping through the payment systems.

We have overtime, holiday leave loading (paid more to go on holidays), personal leave. We don't need any of that eroded, and pass it onto tips.

[–] walter_wiggles@lemmy.nz 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The unspoken next step is to reduce minimum wage for hospo workers since they're getting tips.

In the end this will benefit businesses not workers.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.nz 5 points 1 month ago

Yeah, I suspect any hospitality worker push tipping will shut up very fast if you point this out.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.nz 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I will boycott any business that encourages tipping, fuck that.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A while back I remember a trend starting of having EFTPOS terminals ask for tips. It was kind of stated it was to try to capitalise on tourists, but the trend seems to have died.

I haven't seen any in a while.

[–] rho50@lemmy.nz 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It’s still extremely common over here in Australia, and I often get dirty looks for tapping “No Tip”.

The pressure is definitely mounting.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 8 points 1 month ago

You should make comments to the server about how the owner must not pay their staff enough if they need tips (bonus points if the server is also the owner). Could make comments about how companies are trying to turn Australia into the US because the companies must hate Australia. Lots of opportunity to make them feel bad for asking instead of you feeling bad for saying no.

Especially if it's not even table service!

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)

"Minimum wage is $24 or I think it's roughly around that at the moment, and a waitress or waiter could easily make $10 in an hour, that's about $44 in an hour, that's pretty good - I reckon that's pretty good money."

I don't trust this guy running a business... $24+$10 isn't $44. Plus, they only make good tips during the time lots of people are there. Outside of rush hour it will be slow.

Plus his idea of cheaper prices = more people in the door is undone if he thinks they will tip high and his staff will make more than they do now. If you are attracting people with low prices rather than quality, then you will not get high tippers.

All in all, I'm gonna say that encouraging tipping in NZ is a step in the wrong direction.

[–] nobody158@sh.itjust.works 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

As an American don't do it it's not worth it.

[–] alquicksilver@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Seconded. It's a practice that really only exists to pit employees against customers for wages, rather than taking it to their employers who are actually responsible for paying them.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

For a while we had many hospitality places with POS units that would ask for tips. The trend seems to have died off so hopefully that shows customers won't accept it.

Also pretty sure no one here is pushing for tipping, OP even said they were against it in the body of the post. Just that Lemmy users don't get to decide much 😆

[–] billbennett@piefed.social 2 points 1 month ago

Not entirely sure what POS is supposed to mean in that comment. It could go one of two ways. ;)

[–] RegalPotoo@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

If you can't afford to pay your staff enough for them to want to work for you, then your business has failed - you just haven't run out of cash yet.

Pay them properly, or admit that you don't have a viable business model.

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 10 points 1 month ago
[–] Smrki@mastodon.nz 9 points 1 month ago

@GGNZ No, it is insulting and degrading for everyone involved.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 7 points 1 month ago

Disgusting habit. Stop pushing this nonsense on us.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Tip them with handouts on federal labor laws, award rates, union info, and anonymous workplace ombudsman report line.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I have no idea why this is getting downvoted - seems like a nice relevant post for the community and a good conversation starter...

Edit: Looking better now. Possibly people thought OP actually wanted to introduce tipping.