People Who Always Tip 20% Usually Have These 11 Traits
Tipping culture can feel overwhelming, but being a kind human should be pretty simple.
frantic00 / Shutterstock Tipping culture is relatively vague and uncertain. The majority of Americans not only find it difficult to know how much to tip service workers in restaurants, but they are generally opposed to tipping suggested amounts. But people who always tip 20% usually possess traits that make them more empathetic and generous than other people.
These people not only have the means to tip the average suggested amount, but they do so with enthusiasm. Their willingness to pay up may be due to their own past working experiences, or it may just come from their inherent sense of empathy and optimism. Even in sometimes anxiety-inducing tipping culture, these people know it's possible to make intentional decisions that not only align with service worker’s expectations, but make for a better experience for everyone.
People who always tip 20% usually have these 11 traits
1. They’re empathetic
Inside Creative House | Shutterstock.com
Empathy isn’t only important for improving personal relationships, it also plays a fundamental role in our social interactions, according to a study published in the Journal of Patient Experience. When we’re empathetic toward strangers, service workers, or co-workers, we’re building an emotional bridge toward connection that's rooted in the conversations, shared experiences, and kindness that bonds us together.
Even if you don’t know your server at a restaurant or the service provider fixing something in your home, empathy is key. We’re all human. People who always tip 20% usually understand that everyone is just trying to make a living. It’s not their fault they aren’t paid a livable wage without their tips, so even if they’re having a bad day, that doesn’t make them any less worthy or deserving of a tip from their customers.
2. They’re sensitive
insta_photos | Shutterstock.com
Especially in situations where a server was disrespected by another table or a service worker has expressed some kind of difficulty, people who always tip 20% are more sensitive than the average person. They’re not ignorant to the fact that money can oftentimes make someone’s day and general situation that much easier to navigate, so they don’t fight about paying the suggested amount.
If they have the means to tip more, they will, but for the most part, their sensitivity encourages them to empathize with workers’ situations and make their lives a little bit easier.
3. They respect service workers
Dejan Dundjerski | Shutterstock.com
Many of the people who always tip 20%, regardless of their service, expectations, or experience, generally recognize that the service industry is drastically under-appreciated. Whether they’ve worked a service job themselves or not, they respect the hard work it takes to thrive and make money in the industry.
Of course, it’s not uncommon for workers in any industry to feel unappreciated at work, which is why empathetic people make an effort to always tip 20% or more when they’re being helped or waited on by a service worker.
4. They’re financially literate
Mix and Match Studio | Shutterstock.com
Many people consider budgeting to be cutting costs in irresponsible ways, like going out to eat without enough money to tip. However, people who always tip 20% usually are financially literate enough to only indulge in restaurant meals and other experiences in the service industry when they have the means to tip.
They’re intentional with their generosity when it comes to tipping. Even if they’re saving money, cutting costs, or budgeting intensely, they’ll never make it someone else’s problem.
5. They’re well-traveled
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A | Shutterstock.com
Tipping culture looks different all around the world, which is why people who are well-traveled tend to understand why tipping in the United States is less of a suggestion and more of a demand. While service workers in other countries may have the luxury of a living wage to sustain them, many in the U.S. are completely reliant on tips to make a living.
Well-traveled people have probably experienced higher prices or a more comfortable tipping culture in other countries because of this disparity, making it seem like second-nature for them to always tip 20% or more when they go out.
6. They’re emotionally intelligent
JLco Julia Amaral | Shutterstock.com
Instead of lashing out at their server for having a bad day by weaponizing their tip, people who always tip 20% usually have emotional intelligence to regulate themselves, gain perspective, and move on without letting a bad experience ruin their day. They don’t use their money to control people simply trying to do their jobs, but instead try to uplift and empower them by recognizing their humanity and giving them the benefit for the doubt if they’re having a bad day.
If you were dealing with a loss or overwhelmed by stress at work, your boss wouldn’t take your salary away for the day, even if it’s your job to be productive or present, so why would you do the same to a service worker?
7. They have integrity
Jose Calsina | Shutterstock.com
Even when they know nobody is watching them fill out a receipt or award them for clicking the 20% button at a coffee shop, people who always tip 20% do it anyway. They have integrity and don’t sacrifice their morals for the sake of saving a couple dollars.
This moral integrity and strong sense of character doesn’t just fuel their tipping habits and demeanor with service workers either, it has a range of personal and social benefits. From safeguarding their physical health to improving their general well-being and building better intimate relationships, this integrity is a strong part of any empathetic and kindhearted person’s identity, according to a study published in the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology journal.
8. They’ve been a service worker
Dragana Gordic | Shutterstock.com
If you’ve ever worked in a service industry, chances are you’re more likely to empathize with these workers when you go out into the world today.
From cleaning up dishes at a restaurant to always topping 20%, people who’ve done the work, experienced the adversity, and figured out first-hand how to make money in the industry know how much a little extra kindness can mean.
9. They’re calm
Ekateryna Zubal | Shutterstock.com
Whether you’re dealing with conflict or simply figuring out how much of a tip to leave a service worker, calmness and being present is the key to success. When you’re battling internal turmoil, social anxiety, or complex emotions like anger, you’re much more likely to lash out, make excuses, or treat people with disrespect in the wake of your misguided manner of coping.
People who always tip 20% are calm. They don’t have to use weaponizing a tip or being disrespectful to a server as a means to heal and comfort themselves.
10. They’re consistent
ViDI Studio | Shutterstock.com
Rather than weaponizing their money, using tips as rewards and punishments depending on the kind of service they receive, people who always tip 20% do so because they are consistent. They don’t view tipping as a charitable service or even a choice, but an obligation that customers adopt when they make the choice to go out.
Of course, not everyone has the ability to tip more than 20% when they do experience good service, which is why consistency and clarity on tipping expectations make everyone’s lives easier.
11. They’re optimistic
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A | Shutterstock.com
Optimistic people tend to engage in small acts of kindness, like consistently tipping 20% or more to service workers, as a means to spread positivity on a larger scale. They know that being kind and leading with empathy not only protects and promotes a better internal wellbeing for them, but also for the people in their lives and within their communities.
It may seem like a subtle choice to tip appropriately, but it truly has ripple effects on everyone from the person you gave the money to to the business you chose to support and even the entire community you’ve contributed to.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
