Will tipping at restaurants become an automatic requirement?
For those who like to dine in via Uber Eats, automated tipping is nothing new. For those who like to dine out, tipping technology may be coming to a restaurant near you.
This could pose a problem for some diners, as Australia is not necessarily a nation of tippers.
During COVID, diners were quick to accept tap and order apps. These apps lessened the contact between restaurant staff and customers, minimising potential COVID transmission.
Apps like me & u became prolific, with customers using QR codes to order.
What you may not know is that app also has a built in “enhanced tipping” function which guides customers to leave a tip.
This has been great for Sydney venues which have seen a rise in tipping.
“Me & u enhanced tipping generated $2.2 million in tips for hospitality staff in 2021,” a me & u spokesman said.
“Given the landscape over the last two years, the consumer trend we’ve observed is that Australians have missed hospitality and are thrilled to see their favourite venues opening their doors again and are keen to support them in doing so.
“Tipping is consumers’ way of saying thanks to the industry.”
The counter argument is that restaurant staff are now doing less.
“There’s diminished service because they’re waiting for you to order through an app instead of seeing that your glass is empty,” owner of the Surrey Hills Dove and Olive pub Chris Deale said.
“We don’t use the QR code ordering system because it takes out that human element.
“It does feel like you’re being forced to tip with those QR code platform.”
Deale has warned against going down the US tipping path where staff feel entitled to a tip, rather than working for the tip.
The director of hospitality union Hosp Voice, Karma Lord agrees with Deale.
“We must not get to the point of a US-style system where tips replace wages. More than tips which are unreliable, hospitality workers need a reasonable pay rise to help keep up with the soaring cost of living,” she said.
“Tips are a welcome bonus for Australian hospitality workers who are among some of the lowest paid workers in the country, but they are no substitute for decent wages.”
Julie Lamberg-Burnet of the Sydney School of Protocol believes tips should be linked to service.
“Increasingly we value those experiences where we receive exceptional customer service at a restaurant,” she said.
As for the diners themselves, there are mixed feelings.
“What’s the point in it? I’m not going to tip a robot,” one diner said, while another was happy to tip saying, “I think it gives you more time to think about it if you want to tip or not and also helps not offend anyone while they are by the table.”
“I think the human element though makes you want to tip more.”
Irit Jackson, 19th April 2022
