A study of taxi cab passengers and drivers finds that black drivers get tipped 1/3 less than other drivers …
… and that black passengers are 3.7 times more likely not to leave a tip.
Friends (including African-American friends) who’ve waited tables have told me stories about waiters (including African-American waiters) shying away from tables with black customers. Why? According to my friends: black customers are perceived as least likely to tip.
The study above suggests there’s more to this observation than mere racial prejudice … but doesn’t answer my most nagging question: why are black people less likely to tip?
(Side note: the study’s authors use this information to support a wrong-headed proposal: mandated tipping. Their reasoning? Mandated tipping would correct for the prejudice against black drivers and, at the same time, force black passengers to tip.
This, of course, flies in the face of the whole concept behind tipping. Tips, in theory, reward proper or enthusiastic service. Drivers (or waiters) who know they’re getting tipped regardless have no incentive to provide stellar service.
The best possible answer? Get rid of tipping entirely. Ban it. Make it illegal. Employers should pay their employees a fair wage; the price I pay for a cab ride or a meal should include the price of good service.
Along the same lines, performance should be monitored by managers and regulated by their feedback … not monitored by customers and regulated with tips.)
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