Northwest Restaurant-Goers Say They’re Average or Generous Tippers
SEATTLE, January 19, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–How much do you tip when you dine out or order delivery? PEMCO Mutual insurance has released a new poll that shows most Northwest restaurant-goers consider themselves to be “average” or “generous tippers. However, the amount they tip depends on many factors such as how much they paid for their meal, whether they order delivery or dine-in.
According to PEMCO’s poll of Seattle and Portland residents, 84% of respondents claim they tip service workers generously or in accordance with generally accepted practices, with one in three of these patrons (37%) rating themselves as “generous” with gratuities.
While it seems the type of services for which people leave tips has increased in recent years, PEMCO’s poll explored residents’ attitudes about tipping in restaurants and for food delivery services, in particular.
About half (53%) of Northwest restaurant-goers agree that diners should tip no less than 15% if they enjoy a meal at a restaurant. Surprisingly, only 37% believe gratuities should be lower than 15% if they enjoyed the service.
While most people agree about the tip amount, the poll showed that the vast majority of diners who dine at restaurants prefer to determine their gratuity. A majority of diners (77%) prefer to determine how much tip they should add, rather than having the restaurant add a standard tip to the check. This is especially true with individuals over 55 years old – just 6% say they prefer it when the restaurant adds an automatic tip.
The way the transaction is conducted on a tablet/handheld device has an impact on how much people tip. Nearly 25% of respondents who used the technology said they tip more when they use electronic devices to pay.
There is general agreement on how much tipping should be for sit-down restaurants. However, there are less consensus among respondents about the amount they should tip when picking their food up or when using a delivery company. Almost half (46%) think it’s appropriate to tip something, but not more than 15% and another 21% said that people shouldn’t be expected to tip anything when they pick their order up or even have it delivered.
Northwesterners agree that tipping is important when ordering delivery apps such as Door Dash or Grub Hub, UberEats, Post Mates, and Grub Hub. In fact, 94% of Seattleites believe it is important to tip the driver when ordering food delivery services. Portland respondents surveyed say that tipping your driver for using a delivery application is an important practice.
Allison Leep, spokesperson at PEMCO said that leaving tips for service providers can often be a very personal decision. The amount you should tip will depend on your situation. “Especially as the number of services where it’s appropriate to leave a tip has seemed to increase lately, we’ll be interested to track these attitudes over time to see how tipping practices may change or continue to evolve.”
A poll found that people who have used tips in the past are more likely to leave a bigger tip than those who don’t. 33 percent of Seattleites (33%) and 36% respectively of Portlanders who have used tips in their past agree that the minimum tip should not exceed 20%. In Seattle, 76% of those who have relied on tips say it’s very important to tip when using an App to order food, and 81% of Portlanders who have relied on tips believe the same.
For a complete summary of PEMCO’s proprietary poll results visit www.pemco.com/blog/nw-polls, where you’ll find responses collected by FBK Research of Seattle in February 2022.
About the PEMCO Insurance NW Poll
PEMCO Mutual Insurance commissioned FBK Research of Seattle to conduct an independent survey that asked Washington and Oregon residents about their driving habits and attitudes towards current Northwest issues. With 481 respondents from the Seattle Metro (King and Snohomish, Pierce Counties) area and 399 respondents from the Portland Metro(Multnomah Marion, Clackamas Washington Counties), region, the sample yields an accuracy of +/– 5.0% at the 95% confidence level. This means that even if the study was repeated 100 times, the data will not differ by more than the associated error interval.
About PEMCO Mutual Insurance
PEMCO Mutual Insurance, the Defender of Your Northwest, provides auto, home, renters, and boat coverage. Our reputation for exceptional service, employee knowledge and social impact is unwavering. Our Mutual Good programs increase the achievement of youth in education, create stronger, more sustainable environments, and increase safety at home and on the roads. Our mission: To empower communities to be less concerned and live more. Visit www.freedomtolivemore.org to learn more www.pemco.com.
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Contacts
John Burgess
PEMCO Mutual insurance
206.628.4203
[email protected]
Kristi Herriott
Firmani + Associates Inc.
206.466.2702
[email protected]