Tipping screens are everywhere. When should you tip?

It’s happened to all of us. We ordered a coffee or beer and suddenly the waiter turned the screen around.

It displays a few options, including “custom” and “no tip,” and my mind races: Is the restaurant standard of 20% appropriate here? But wait, they just poured my coffee and I already have it in my hand. Maybe 20% is too much for counter service? Will the employee think I’m stingy if I only tip $1? Do I even have to tip?

You quickly press the button, turn the screen back to the employee and run out of the store, I’m not sure if you were a prudent or stingy customer. This can be scary.

When it comes to tipping Uber drivers, food couriers for services like DoorDashMental calculus may be less public, but it can be just as confusing and anxiety-provoking.

At the beginning of the pandemic, when Customers’ bank accounts were brimming with stimulus money, and front-line workers were praised for their work, often thanked by customers with generous tips.

However, over the past three years, attitudes have changed. People have less money in the bank than in 2020.and some are fed up with tipping. The percentage of people who always tip at sit-down restaurants — where consumers tip most often — has fallen over the past three years, according to a recent Bankrate study, and Two-thirds of American consumers have an overall negative opinion of tipping, due to a combination of factors, including irritation with tip screens and confusion over best practices.

The Inquirer spoke with more than a dozen service industry insiders—workers and business owners at coffee shops, breweries and hair salons, as well as rideshare and food delivery drivers. Their insights helped us put together this handy guide on how to approach tipping.

Consider the level of service, what you are ordering, and how much work was involved in the order.

“If they just want cookies and don’t tip, that’s fine. I haven’t really done much,” said Lucy Lu, a barista at Greenstreet Coffee Roastery in Point Breeze. “If I just pour drip coffee and they don’t tip, that’s fine with me.”

But “if it’s a drink where it’s more complicated, like a flavored latte, even 10% is fine,” she added. “Most people tip $1 or $2.”

Kelly Claiborne, co-owner of Bold Coffee Bar in Francisville, says customers could treat tips for baristas the same way some people treat tips for bartenders: $1 per drink is more than enough.

If a customer is also ordering food or a few drinks made to order, an amount of $2 or $3 would be generous, she added.

Still, “I don’t think anyone should expect a tip,” Claiborne said, noting that her employees earn above minimum wage and, unlike many restaurant workers, don’t rely on tips. About half of Bold Coffee’s customers leave a tip, she estimated, with the average being 10% to 12%.

At The Monkey & The Elephant, a nonprofit coffee shop in Brewerytown that employs and supports youthful people transitioning out of foster care, CEO Kvon Harris-Robinson said 15% is considered a good tip for most orders. If someone orders a regular coffee or a single muffin, they added, 10% would be a good tip.

At Fat Lady Brewing in Manayunk, cash and credit card tips are split similarly among employees, but “the most significant tips are the cash tips,” said general manager Luis Aguirre.

For employees, “cash tips are like filling up your car on the way home from work,” said owner Jane Lipton, who said her employees earn above minimum wage before tips. Meanwhile, tips from credit cards entered on a screen at the bar won’t be added to employees’ paychecks for two weeks.

Considering a pint at Fat Lady costs about $8, it would be fair to tip $1 per drink for smaller orders, they said, and 20% would be a nice gesture if you’re sitting there for hours ordering a few drinks for a substantial party.

As with coffee shops, take the service into consideration, perhaps tipping more if the bartender was particularly helpful.

“I don’t always think it’s necessary to charge 20%, depending on the value of the service,” said Tori McCutcheon, owner of Wash~Day, a Northern Liberties hair salon specializing in curly hair.

For example, one of her services costs $370, McCutcheon said, and a $100 tip seems excessive. She would consider $50 a good tip for that procedure. For a $175 service, she said, $25 would be considered a good tip.

Ann Turner, CEO of Hair Du Jour at Overbook, said she would consider 10% a good tip for less steep services, such as silk pressing, which starts at $55. For coloring, most people tip closer to 20%, which she appreciates.

McCutcheon said that if someone other than a stylist washes your hair, a tip of $5 to $10 is nice, depending on the quality of the service (a long, thorough scalp massage may warrant a larger tip).

And yes, you should still tip if your stylist is also a salon owner.