Holiday tipping: teachers/childcare providers fare best.
NEW YORK – Although proper etiquette suggests tipping for certain services, some people are more generous than others and many aren’t giving tips at all. A new study from CreditCards.com finds that men and Millennials (ages 23-38) are the most reluctant tippers, overall; women and Baby Boomers (ages 55-73) are most likely to tip.
CreditCards.com asked U.S. adults who use these common services about their tipping habits: coffee shop baristas, food delivery people, hair dressers/hair stylists/barbers, hotel housekeepers, servers or waitstaff at a sit-down restaurant and taxi/rideshare drivers. The results show a noted discrepancy in behaviors based on both age and gender.
Although men and Millennials do tip, and sometimes well, their tipping is far more inconsistent. Women are more likely than men to always tip their hair stylists (66% vs. 60%), waitstaff (80% vs. 74%) and food delivery people (66% vs. 59%).
Generationally speaking, Baby Boomers are 23 percentage points more likely than Millennials to always tip restaurant servers (89% vs. 66%) and taxi/rideshare drivers (63% vs. 40%), 20 percentage points more likely to always tip hair stylists (73% vs. 53%), 16 percentage points more likely to always tip for food delivery (72% vs. 56%) and 10 percentage points more likely to always tip hotel housekeepers (33% vs. 23%).
“When in doubt, I think you should tip, particularly if this is a service provider you interact with regularly. You may get better service as a result, and you’ll definitely make a difference to a hardworking member of your community,” said Ted Rossman, industry analyst at CreditCards.com.
When they do tip, Millennials and men do leave a little extra at restaurants. Millennials tip an average of 22% vs. 17% for Baby Boomers, while men tip 19% and women tip 18%. Among all diners who leave tips, the average is 19%.
Empathy can factor into tipping habits, as well. Twenty-eight percent of U.S. adults have held a job (at some point) in which they routinely received tips/gratuities. Consequently, they’re better tippers – leaving on average 22% at restaurants versus 17% among people who never received tips. Also, they’re significantly more likely to tip housekeepers, baristas, mail carriers, trash collectors, teachers and childcare providers.
U.S. adults’ tipping habits, amongst people who use the service:
Often, there’s an expectation of providing a tip or token of appreciation to service providers during the winter holiday season. More than half of U.S. adults who have teachers or childcare providers give them holiday tips at least on occasion (53% for both). Whereas, most respondents say they never give their trash/recycling collectors (70%) or mail carriers (60%) holiday gratuities.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.