Tipping for Takeaways: A Counter-Intuitive Trend in a Customer-Focused Era
My Uber Eats Wake-Up Call
I recently had a jarring experience that highlighted a new and uncomfortable trend in the food service industry. I ordered breakfast via Uber Eats and, which is common in this case, I was prompted to add a tip at the time of ordering – before the food was even prepared or delivered. Wanting to be generous, I preemptively added a 15% tip to the order. Unfortunately, when my breakfast arrived, I discovered that during transit, half of my coffee had spilled so I was provided with a half-filled cup. The delivery itself was a flop, yet the driver had already pocketed a tip for service that turned out to be subpar.
Sure, I could theoretically go through the hassle of reversing or adjusting the tip after the fact, but the process to cancel it is cumbersome. In frustration, I found myself thinking: Did that delivery really deserve a tip? Probably not. The whole ordeal left such a bad taste that I swore off using that delivery service for a while.
This incident opened my eyes to a larger issue: Why are we being asked to tip before service is delivered? Traditionally, a tip is a reward for good service – a way to show gratitude after the service meets or exceeds expectations. Tipping used to be the final touch on a dining experience, not a down payment on one. But as I discovered, things are changing, and not necessarily for the better.
The New Norm of Upfront Tipping (and Why It Feels Wrong)
It’s not just delivery apps. Lately, I’ve noticed the same tipping expectation creeping into ordinary takeaway experiences. For example, when I phone in a takeout order or send a WhatsApp message to a local restaurant and then go to pick it up, I’m often confronted with an awkward moment at the register. As I’m about to pay for my takeout, the cashier will hand me the point-of-sale device and ask if I’d like to add a tip, usually with preset buttons for 10%, 15%, or more. This happens before I even receive my food, before I know if the order is correct, on time, or tasty. The only thing the establishment has accomplished so far is taking my money – yet I’m expected to reward them already?
Contrast this with the classic restaurant experience. When you dine in, you enjoy the ambiance, use the restaurant’s dishes, and receive attentive service throughout your meal. Only at the end, once you’ve gauged the quality of that experience, does the bill come with a subtle line inviting a gratuity. You have the freedom to tip after enjoying (or enduring) the service, calibrating the amount to match the experience. That’s how tipping is supposed to work – as a reflection of service quality, not a blind leap of faith. In fact, surveys show that for an overwhelming majority of people, the quality of service is the major factor in deciding whether and how much to tip (pewresearch.org), We tip more when service is great, and we tip less (or not at all) when it’s poor. It’s a simple, intuitive exchange.
Now, consider how counter-intuitive upfront tipping is in light of that. By asking for a tip in advance, the system ignores the very principle that tips are earned through good service. It puts customers in a bind: tip blindly or risk seeming stingy. And let’s be honest, the “ask” is hardly subtle. A device thrust in your face with pre-loaded tip percentages, while the staff looks on, can feel like a pressure tactic. I’ve even had cashiers stand there expectantly, virtually guilting me in real time as I decide whether to tap “No Tip” on the screen.
It’s an uncomfortable scene for a takeout transaction that used to be purely about paying for the food. From the customer’s perspective, this trend feels wrong. Takeout staff typically aren’t doing the kind of service a waitstaff does – they take your order, hand you your food, and you’re on your way. As one frustrated commenter aptly put it, “the front desk person does almost nothing in a take-away order… why do people think they deserve to be tipped for that?” They’re simply doing the job they’re already paid to do, with minimal interaction (reddit.com).
Historically, tipping for carry-out was not expected. In fact, a survey in 2014 found that only 14% of people said they tipped for takeout orders (pos.toasttab.com). The vast majority did not tip when picking up their own food – which makes sense, since there’s no table service involved. While things have evolved since then, it underlines that tipping in these contexts is a relatively new expectation, not some long-standing norm.
Tipflation: Tipping Creeps Into More Places
Most Americans (72%) report that tipping is expected in more places today than five years ago. (pewreaearch.org)
It’s not just you – the feeling that “everyone is asking for a tip now” is very real. The phenomenon has even earned a nickname: “tipflation”, referring to the explosion of tipping requests in situations where we never encountered them before.
Digital payment technology has accelerated this shift. Coffee shops, takeout counters, food trucks – you name it – many have added touchscreen payment systems that automatically prompt for a gratuity, even for a simple muffin or a bottled water.
When Tipping Hurts the Customer Experience
For businesses, this rise of pre-service tipping prompts presents a serious question: Is that extra 10–15% being squeezed out of customers worth the damage it may be doing to customer goodwill? We live in an era when companies preach about being “customer-centric” and delivering the best experience possible. Every little detail of the customer journey is scrutinized to maximize satisfaction. And yet, here we are introducing a practice that many customers find off-putting. It’s a baffling contradiction – almost a self-inflicted wound in the realm of customer experience.
So much of customer experience comes down to how you make your customers feel. If you make customers feel valued, respected, and comfortable, they’re likely to come back. But if your checkout process leaves them feeling awkward or pressured, you’ve ended the interaction on a sour note, even if everything prior went well. It puts the customer on the spot and can make them feel “super-uncomfortable” pressing “No Tip” with the staff’s eyes on them. In essence, it’s a “buzzkill” way to conclude an otherwise pleasant transaction.
We’ve all been in that position: perhaps the coffee was good and the cashier was friendly, but the moment of being guilted at the payment screen sticks with you more than the taste of the latte. That discomfort isn’t just a fleeting annoyance – it can shape our future choices. If a customer leaves feeling nickel-and-dimed or judged, they may think twice about coming back. In my case, the frustrating pre-tip on a botched delivery led me to stop using that app, at least for a while. I’m not alone. There are countless anecdotes of people actively avoiding certain cafés or choosing not to order takeout as often, simply to escape the constant tip pressure. As one observer quipped, being "peppered to give more for less (e.g. 20% for takeout or counter service) is annoying and detracts from the customer experience. It can also make your customers opt to spend less with you in the future.” (linkedin.com) In other words, pushy tipping policies might earn a few extra Rands today but could cost you many Rands down the line when the customer decides not to return.
From a customer-centric perspective, this trend feels like a misstep. Businesses might think they are helping their employees earn a little more, but if the customer walks away feeling worse for having interacted with you, was it really a win? A fundamental of hospitality is that the customer should leave happier than when they arrived. If the last impression you give is essentially “Pay more now (and don’t disappoint us)”, you’re not exactly sending people off with warm, fuzzy feelings. Over time, that can erode your brand reputation. No detail is too small in shaping customer loyalty, and that includes how (and when) you ask for tips.
Putting Service Before Tips: How to Fix It
- Make Tipping Truly Optional and After-Service: The timing of the tip matters. Restaurants and apps could allow tips after the service is rendered – once the food is delivered or the takeout meal is in the customer’s hands and verified correct. Some food delivery platforms already offer the option to tip after delivery (or to adjust the tip within a short window). This should be the norm. If I had the chance to tip after my Uber Eats driver handed me a coffee-drenched bag, you can bet I would have adjusted my 15% accordingly. By letting the tip occur post-service, you ensure it’s a reward for quality, not a blind bet. And if something goes wrong, customers don’t feel cheated because they haven’t prepaid a gratuity.
- Remove the Social Pressure: If you do present a tip prompt, do it in a way that minimizes social pressure. For example, some businesses turn the payment screen around to face the customer privately, and train staff to look away or busy themselves while the customer chooses a tip option. No hovering, no expectant stares. The message should be: “Tip if you wish – we won’t think less of you if you don’t.” it’s wise for businesses to tone down how they prompt for tips. A discreet approach can preserve the customer’s dignity and comfort.
- Use Subtle Reminders or Delayed Options: One creative solution I’d love to see gain traction is shifting the tip request away from the immediate payment moment. For instance, a restaurant could print a QR code on the receipt or takeaway bag that customers can scan to leave a tip later if they feel inclined. In some regions (like here in South Africa), apps like SnapScan is popular enough and allows exactly this – you scan a code and tip whenever you want, without a person watching your every move. This way, the tip becomes a separate act of gratitude, not an automatic expectation. It also gives the customer time to experience the food and service quality. If their meal was great or the staff went above and beyond, they’re free to show appreciation after the fact. If not, no harm done. Similarly, digital delivery platforms could send a push notification after delivery: “How was your order? Tip your driver here if you’d like.” The key is giving control back to the customer and decoupling the tip from the heat of the payment moment.
- Focus on Service, Not Guilt: This one’s more cultural. Businesses should double down on training employees to deliver excellent service – friendly interactions, accurate orders, timeliness – without making the tip the centerpiece of the encounter. If a customer has a pleasant pickup experience, they’re naturally more likely to leave a little something in the tip jar or come back next week. But if the first thing an employee does is shove a card machine asking for 15% before even saying “Here’s your order, hope you have a great day,” the priorities feel skewed. Encourage staff to earn the tip through great service, not to assume it. This mindset shift can go a long way. – so concentrate on delivering quality, and trust that tips (and customer loyalty) will follow.
- Consider Transparent Pricing or Fair Wages: Stepping back, there’s a broader industry discussion here. One reason tipping has spiraled is because workers often depend on tips due to low wages, especially in food service. Many customers now feel like they’re subsidizing wages via tips. Perhaps it’s time for some restaurants to experiment with service-inclusive pricing – pay staff a living wage and bake the true cost of service into menu prices. This can remove the awkward tip dance entirely. A few places have tried “no tipping, higher prices” models. While it’s not an overnight fix (and it has its own challenges), it’s worth considering in the long run. The goal should be to ensure employees are taken care of without making every customer feel like they’re being shaken down for extra cash at every turn. When employees are paid decently, any tip truly becomes a token of appreciation – which is what it was meant to be in the first place. And as a bonus, well-paid, happy employees tend to provide better service, creating a virtuous cycle of genuinely good customer experiences that people want to reward.
Conclusion: Let Gratitude Follow Service
Tipping is ultimately about gratitude – a “thank you” from a customer for a job well done. By putting the thank you before the job, we’ve managed to make the whole practice feel forced and transactional, undermining the goodwill it’s supposed to foster. This new trend of tipping for takeaways (especially tipping before the service is delivered) is, in my view, a step in the wrong direction for customer experience. It’s counter-intuitive to the customer-focused values that businesses claim to uphold.
As both a professional in the customer service field and a consumer, my plea is simple: let’s restore some sanity to tipping culture. Reserve the tip for when it makes sense – after the service – and present it as an option, not a demand. If we truly value our customers, we won’t put them in the uncomfortable position of paying extra before we’ve delivered on our promise. Instead, we’ll focus on delivering great food, on time, with a smile. We’ll let the service speak for itself. If it’s good, many of us will happily tip – and do so with a smile of our own. If not, that feedback is valuable too. Either way, the customer leaves feeling like they were in control and respected, not shaken down.
In the long run, putting customers first will pay off far more than a few guilt-induced rands at the register. A satisfied customer is likely to return, tip in the future, or recommend the business to others – outcomes far more valuable than a coerced 10% on one transaction. By fixing how and when we ask for tips, we can ensure that gratitude flows naturally again, as a genuine exchange between customer and service provider. Let’s not mess this up by letting a short-sighted trend tarnish the very relationships we’re trying to build. In an age where customer experience is king, it’s time to remember the simple truth: earn the tip, don’t impose it. The loyalty and goodwill we gain will be the real tip we earn for treating customers right.
Let’s not mess this up by letting a short-sighted trend tarnish the very relationships we’re trying to build. In an age where customer experience is king, it’s time to remember the simple truth: earn the tip, don’t impose it.
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