(KERO) — The pandemic has influenced the way we spend and the way we tip. During the lockdown, service workers were seeing more tips as many of us ordered in. Now new reports show Americans are tipping worse than before the pandemic.
According to a survey from CreditCards.com the number of people who report always tipping at a "sit-down restaurant" dropped 4-percent from 2019. Food delivery and rideshare-driver tips both dropped 6-percent.
Although the survey didn't ask why experts have a pretty good idea. They're blaming inflation and nationwide staffing shortages which both can make people less likely to tip.
"Sometimes the fact that you waited a long time for a table or maybe the food wasn't quite right, I mean that's not the server's fault but to restaurants and other service industry businesses have had a hard time attracting workers now. This is a little bit self-fulfilling in a way. Maybe because a lot of people left the service industry during the pandemic because of the virus, but also because it doesn't pay that well typically," says Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst with CreditCards.com.
He says young adults who have worked in the service industry themselves are usually the best tippers. CreditCards.com also found hairstylists and barbers were the exceptions to the decrease in tips.
