Tip Fatigue, Plain And Simple

The mood always changes when the bill hits—and this episode stops pretending it doesn’t. Styles breaks down why tip screens, auto-gratuity, delivery app fees, and so-called “convenience” charges have people fed up with modern tipping culture. What used to be a reward for good service now feels like a mandatory surcharge, and the math never quite adds up. We unpack how hidden fees, suggested tip percentages, and pre-tipping flip accountability on its head while service quality keeps getting murkier.

The conversation starts with the fundamentals: tipping was meant to reflect professionalism after the service shows up. When servers disappear, runners handle everything, and a 22% prompt still glares back at you; that social contract is broken. If restaurants want guaranteed pay, bake it into the menu price and let tips return to what they were meant to be—optional and earned. From there, we dive into delivery apps, where pre-tipping turns service into a gamble. Bad weather deserves grace. A basic sidewalk drop-off on a clear day? That should still be performance-based. Pre-tipping rewards speed over care and undercuts the workers who actually go the extra mile.

Then come the fees—service fees, app fees, processing fees—turning “BOGO deals” into full-price surprises before the tip even enters the chat. The solution isn’t complicated: transparent pricing, fair wages, and tips that mean something again. Along the way, Styles pours a summer-ready cocktail called Built Into the Price and shares practical ordering tips—from choosing drinks that survive delivery to spotting brands that package smart.

If you’re searching for real talk on tipping etiquette, delivery app incentives, restaurant fees, and the ethics of modern dining, this episode is for you. Tap in, subscribe for more Brunch Behavior breakdowns, share this with someone tired of mystery math, and leave a review with your own tipping rule—because gratitude should be earned, not guilt-tripped.

Chapters

• 0:00 When The Bill Changes The Vibe
• 0:27 What A Tip Should Actually Mean
• 1:16 Service Gaps And Forced Gratuity
• 1:56 Built Into The Price Cocktail Moment
• 2:49 Pre-Tipping And Accountability
• 3:54 Delivery App Fees And Skewed Incentives
• 5:23 The Bottom Line On Tipping And Plugs

Transcript

Styles: 0:00

There's a moment right before the bill hits the table where the vibe changes. Not because the food was bad and not because the company was off. But because now I'm doing math and morality at the same damn time. And that's when brunch turns into court. Welcome to Brunch Behavior, The Paul Report. I'm Stiles. Tip fatigue with a side of honesty. Let me break it down for you. The SIP sermon. First things first. The word tip literally comes from to ensure professionalism. Which means the tip is earned after the service, not pre-ordered like fries. When I sit down at a restaurant, I'm not asking for miracles. I'm asking for the basics. Check on the table, make sure everything is good, and don't interrupt the meal mid-chew just to ask me if everything's okay. But what happens a lot of times? You get the water, bread hits the table, and then the waiter disappears like it's a magic show on the two train or something. And then the food comes out. That's a runner. You need napkins? That's a runner. Condiments, another runner. Extra forks? Yeah, right. Now I'm coordinating staff like I'm managing a shift. So when a service isn't actually the service, but the tip is expected, that's where the disconnect lives. Mandatory tipping without mandatory service is wild behavior. And now you got restaurants forcing gratuity. Which means I'm officially on payroll. Let's keep it tall. I don't mind paying people for outstanding service. I do, however, mind being forced to reward effort I didn't experience. If tipping is mandatory, build it into the price. Tell me what the meal costs. Let the extra be optional because once you force it, I'm watching everything. Let me break this down in a glass for you. This drink is inspired by the Brunch Behavior Summer Pack. And since today we're talking about tipping, it's only right that we pour built into the price. That's the name of the drink. Here's what's going in the glass bourbon, honey syrup, fresh orange juice, a splash of ginger ale, and an orange pill for garnish. Now, before anybody asks about measurements, we're keeping this one intentional. If you want to see this drink made step by step, the afterpour is coming soon to a screen near you on YouTube. And if you want this specific drink featured, hit us up on Instagram as siphappens.series and it'll definitely be an installment. If I'm tipping before the surface, I'm basically gambling. Real shit. Brunch behavior breakdown. This is what it looks like in real life. Let's talk delivery apps. My favorite, right? If it's snowing, automatic tip. Rain, ice, nasty weather, respect is baked in. I'm tipping you. But regular weather, I'm sitting by the door, checking my app, waiting to see how this one plays out. I've had food dropped outside the building, not the lobby, outside, on the concrete. Picture taken, driver gone. I've even opened up my door before the food was gone. Like I was part of somebody's scavenger hunt. Nah, no tip. Here's another one. I ordered coffee before, received the order, empty cup, and my muffin, swimming in the coffee bath. And check this out if I tip before that, I'm actively paying for a service that's working against me. Pre-tipping, pause, removes accountability. And accountability is the whole point. Cool. Now that we got that out the way, let's talk numbers. The buy one, get one free.$15 each, that's$30, right? Why is my total$32-33? I know I had the public school education, but the math isn't mathing. That just means that I bought two. So there is no buy one, get one, right? Between service fees, app fees, convenience fees, and whatever mystery math is happening in the background, I'm not tipping on top of that. The app should pay their drivers better. Respectfully. That shouldn't be on the consumer to solve at checkout. And now on top of all of that, I gotta strategize my order. This is what I mean by that. I can't even order a regular drink anymore. Now I'm making sure it's bottled because I don't need my Wendy's cup and a plastic lid strapped to the back of somebody's scooter like it's a backpack. And that's how these dudes be out here doing exactly that. I'm not paying extra to play, will my beverage survive the ride, or disgruntled delivery guy contaminating my drink. And you can close your eyes and imagine that. Anyway, now for nothing, Dunkin' Donuts has the best packaging for this. Specifically. And one more thing, why aren't these apps charging the restaurants? Why is that cost passed directly to us? That's not convenience, that's confusion. The final pull. Tipping isn't the problem. Forced tipping is. Just pay people fairly, price things honestly, and let great service earn great tips again. Sip happens. Every sip tells a story. That's your pull for today. Shameless plug time again. Listen, if you like real life breakdowns like this, grab the free pour pack. Five drinks, five stories, zero fluff. Then tap into the brunch hour, not the brunch hour. Tap into brunch behavior, the summer pack where drinks and conversations hit deeper. You can find that on Amazon. To get the free pour pack, go to siphappens.info. And type in your free pour you know what? Go to siphappens.info. All right. Or even better, do this. Just DM me. DM me. I'll send it to you. I promise you I will. And you can find us on uh siphappens.series on a gram or the brunch hour pod on the gram. Tip when it's earned, question when it's forced from your guy styles. Catch you on the next poll.