Has Tipping Culture in Orange County Changed?
According to Harvard Applied Mathematics experts, there is a correlation between an increase in businesses adding a tipping option and technological advancements. For example, the app Square is a tablet-like device that is a “quick tap” option allowing customers to choose multiple percentages of tip to add to an order.
Forbes conducted a 2023 US Digital Tipping Culture Survey where they asked respondents how much on average they tip, and what kind of establishments they are and aren’t tipping. They found that most people tip between 11 and 20 percent when presented with a digital tipping program like Square.
I conducted a survey within Orange County and got similar results. I asked how much you would tip on average and this is the response I received:
According to Forbes, people feel as negative as they do positive about tipping culture. I spoke with a barista from Reborn about his take on tipping as a worker in the service industry and as a customer:
Phil spoke about how he often will leave the Ipad and start making the coffee when the tipping option comes up, so the customer feels comfortable. NPR analyzed a study done by the National Bureau of Economic research relating to anonymity and tipping. They found that with Uber and Lyft, 60 percent of customers will not tip at all when they’re prompted after leaving the vehicle and the ride is complete. When the driver is not present, there is a lack of social pressure. My next question is if more people would be inclined to tip if you were required to answer the tipping question before leaving the car.
According to Forbes, 58 percent of tipping goes to sit-down restaurants, 42 percent for fast-casual restaurants, and 35 percent for coffee shops. I spoke with Janeta Surila, a customer at Reborn Coffee, on her take on tipping. She just moved to Orange County a couple months ago from Moldova.
Some people have gone to social media to discuss this new digital tipping culture.
Finally, I spoke with Maya Cogan, a shift lead at Nekter Juice Bar. Maya is a student at Chapman University and has been working in the service industry for 7 years now.
The tipping culture is shifting, and people in Orange County have had negative and positive reactions to this change.