Indian YouTuber criticises American tipping culture. Here's what happened next...

An Indian influencer and YouTuber Ishan Sharma, during his recenttrip to the United States, slammed the country’s tipping culture. His post has been all over the internet, igniting an argument that broadly led to two opinions, some criticising and others agreeing.

Sharma,currently on his United States tour, in apost on X said a restaurant in New York denied returning his remaining balance as his total bill was $45 and he paid $50 in cash.

When Sharma asked for his $5 balance amount, the waitress replied, “You have to pay the tip,” and walked away, according to the YouTuber’s post on X.

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Stunned by this unfamiliar behaviour, he took to X and said, “Tipping is such a scam in New York! Why do I pay extra just because restaurants pay minimum hourly wages?”

Is tipping mandatory?

To understand the controversy behind Sharma’s post, let’s dive into why tipping is important in the US.

Tipping culture in the US is vastly different from India. The standard tip should be about 15 to 20 per cent of the total bill.

If the customer has not paid the tip, it is considered rude and ill-mannered. The reason behind this cultureis that the federal minimum wage in the USis estimated to be $7.25 per hour.

However, most of the staff in the service industry do not get paid up to their minimum wage, so the tips received from customers help them sustain themselves.

Employees who are seen to get the most tips are waitstaff and bartenders and their minimum wage is up to $2.3 per hour.

If we talk about the Indian tipping system, it is much more relaxed. As tips here are seen as a reward for good service.

Netizens opine

Giventhe proper context about the social situation in America, Sharma’s post was understandablyscrutinised. His post got 460,000 views.

While many supported the argument, others criticised it. One X user commented, “You are the reason why the globe is becoming racist against Indians. Stop being so cheap.”

Another user in support said, “I don’t know about America, but shouldn’t tips be given as a way of saying thank you, not as a compulsion?”

(With inputs from agencies)