Of all the slack that Millennials take, this one might be the most merited. According to a new study, young people in this age range are terrible tippers.
Credit cards.com surveyed 1,000 people and found that 10 percent of adults 18-37 routinely don’t leave any tip on their restaurant checks. And when Millennials do tip, it’s not nearly on the same level as other groups.
At restaurants, nearly a third of tipping Millennials chose to leave less than a 15 percent. When presented with preselected options on a tablet (usually at a coffee shop or after taking an Uber), one in six Millennials choose the lowest amount, while one in five choose to leave nothing. Older age groups gave more generous tips in every situation.
The study also found that across all age groups women are better tippers than men — going against the outdated thinking that men, as a whole, leave better tips. The median tip left by women was 20 percent, but the median tip for men was only 16 percent.
The best tips came from those over the age of 65, who surveyed they leave at least 20 percent in tips when they dine out at a restaurant.
But before any restaurant servers out there start battling over who gets to serve silver-haired set, the study contends that it’s income — and not age — that is the better predictor of tipping habits. Since Millennials make less money, they tip less.
Other findings show:
- More than a quarter of Millennials want to do away with tipping entirely in favor of higher menu prices.
- Married couples tip more than singles (again, those with more income).
- Customers in the Northeast and Midwest tend to leave better tips than diners in the South and West. And Southern customers are most likely of all (7 percent) to stiff the wait staff entirely.
The takeaway: Regardless of how you feel about the custom, tipping is standard in the U.S., and your server is relying on it as part of his or her income. Don’t be cheap.
ALSO TRY: Diner to add new teen-tax to young patron’s bills.
