It is no longer limited to restaurants Tips surround Americans everywhere

Gratuities have become something that haunts and besieges American citizens everywhere. This led to a renewed discussion about the low salaries of waiters.

Tipping is a well-established tradition in restaurants in the United States that everyone complies with, and its value ranges between 15 and 20 percent of the total account bill, and the waiter then relies on what the “tipping” comes from, which constitutes the largest part of his income, but Americans are beginning to wonder if they have to They apply this rule to other cases, such as buying a sandwich or a bouquet of flowers, or when shopping at the grocery store.

With the phrase “whatever you do, you feel guilty,” 41-year-old Matt Schottland, carrying a box of salad and a glass of fruit juice in downtown Washington, answers a question that has become almost existential for Americans: Do I have to tip?

In Matt Schotland's opinion, tips are only necessary in restaurants, unless the staff is "super nice" or if the person wants to be "very generous".

But there is no perfect solution in reality. If he leaves a tip, he may feel "a little guilty or upset" for spending more than he should have. And if he doesn't, he may feel "guilt" too, but towards the employees.

Shortland sighs in bewilderment at this relatively new dilemma. The scope of tipping is expanding, and it includes what this tradition did not apply to. The tip became an additional burden that was not taken into account on the shopping bill, as it was not common previously to give a “tip” in stores.

A number of experts warn that this may lead to what they call "tip fatigue", as Americans who are now required to pay "tip" in many places will no longer know where they should give a "tip" or the value of the tip. which they should be given. This phenomenon entails a discussion regarding the reward system, which is subject to further criticism.

feeling guilty

University of South Florida marketing professor Depayan Biswas notes that this expansion is largely due to what is known as "digital kiosks", which are electronic boxes that have proliferated in recent years and are now ubiquitous.

On these screens, through which customers pay their bills, "companies can place many options, including tips," says Debian Biswas.

The university professor explains that a customer who does not wish to pay an additional amount must click on the "No tip" option. He adds, "This makes the customer feel embarrassed for not wanting to do that. He saw this as a way to create a feeling of guilt in the customer."

This strategy proves effective for Hana Cuban, 30, who admits that what she spends on tips is "much more" than before.

The blonde lawyer in a black coat notes that suggesting the tip option to the waiter "puts some extra pressure" on the customer.

Digital kiosks sometimes offer amounts of up to 30% of the total bill, which is well above the usual rate.

Hana Cuban comments, "I constantly search on Google to know when I should leave a tip, and what is the appropriate amount."

The young woman deals with the matter with a smile, but confirms that her friends are "very upset".

Professor Debian Biswas fears that this will discourage Americans from giving tips in restaurants and cafes, which is what the waiters working in them pay for, and they are the most in need of these additional sums that they are betting on. "If you tip everywhere, you might leave a little bit in restaurants," he says.

Improve the salaries of waiters

However, the head of the "One Fair Wage" association, which calls for a "fair" salary for waiters, Saru Jayaraman, believes that talk of "tips fatigue" is not the basis of the issue.

"If we are tired of giving tips all the time, let's join the movement against very low wages."

People’s commitment to their homes during the pandemic, and consequently their reduction in going to restaurants and cafes, contributed to revealing the negative aspects of the waiters’ wages system, whose employers pay them salaries below the legal minimum wage.

Although the movement has returned to restaurants and cafes, this sector, known for its difficult working conditions, still finds it difficult to hire.

Saru Jayaraman notes that the sector is experiencing a "revolution" because workers are "quitting a lot".

But she stresses that things are changing. Last November, Washington, DC, became one of the states that impose a minimum wage, even for employees who receive tips.

And Saru Jayaraman believes that, unless a minimum wage is imposed everywhere, more sectors will be willing to take advantage of "free labor", such as those occupied by restaurants.

Despite Biden's reassurance, the losses of the "American banker" weigh heavily on global markets

Despite US President Joe Biden's reassurance that the banking crisis that followed the recent collapse of Silicon Valley and Signature banks is receding, concerns about the US banking sector still persist, affecting dollar, oil and global stock prices.

Concerns about the banking sector in the United States of America are still at the forefront of the scene, which once again destabilized Wall Street and affected dollar, oil and stock prices, prompting US President Joe Biden to intervene and reassure investors.

CNN referred to a bailout plan estimated at $ 200 billion, to guarantee deposits of collapsing banks.

The network stated that the Federal Reserve agreed to lend record amounts to other banks this week, and the banks received about $ 153 billion in recent days, exceeding the previous total of $ 112 billion recorded during the 2008 crisis.

In turn, the Federal Reserve said, Thursday, that it has lent about $12 billion to banks since Sunday through a new program that allows these banks to avoid liquidity problems and respond to their customers’ requests to withdraw their deposits, according to Agence France-Presse.

As for regular loans for very short terms, they increased significantly within a week, from about five billion dollars to 152 billion dollars.

The Fed also lent $164.8 billion to the two entities set up by the controlling bodies to succeed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Biden reassures

In front of this, US President Joe Biden confirmed, on Friday, that the banking crisis that followed the recent collapse of Silicon Valley and Signature banks is receding.

Biden sought to reassure investors and depositors that the global banking system is safe, after financial stocks lost billions of dollars in value since the collapse of the two medium-sized US banks last week.

Biden pledged to the Americans that their deposits are safe, and according to Reuters, Biden said when asked whether the banking crisis had subsided: "Yes."

The banking sector is falling in stock markets

Despite the support measures pledged by the Swiss and American authorities, the banking sector in stock exchanges recorded losses again, on Friday, after the recovery achieved by stock markets earlier in the same day, according to Agence France-Presse.

As was the case throughout the past week, concerns centered especially on Credit Suisse in Europe, whose share fell by about 8%, and First Republic in the United States, whose share lost 26.5%.

The European Banks Index lost 2.85%, bringing its total losses to 11.47% during the week.

According to Agence France-Presse, this trend affected European indices, which nevertheless opened higher. The Paris stock exchanges fell by 1.43%, Frankfurt by 1.33%, Milan by 1.64%, and London by 1.01%.

As for Wall Street, it had other expectations, as it closed lower, Friday, at the end of a turbulent week that was dominated by an emerging crisis in the banking sector and signs of a possible economic recession.

The three main indices ended with significant losses, with the financial services sector incurring the largest losses among the main sectors on the Standard & Poor's 500 index, according to Reuters.

Falling dollar

The dollar fell on Friday, as shares of Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank continued to decline, which raised market concerns about contagion to other banks and increased fears of a recession due to tightening monetary policies.

European stocks recovered early, but the recovery lost momentum as investor sentiment remained weak after a week of turmoil following the March 10 collapse of Silicon Valley.

The dollar index, which measures the performance of the US currency against six major currencies, fell 0.604%, while traders await the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting, which is expected to result in an interest rate increase of a quarter of a percentage point on March 22, according to Reuters.

Oil ends trading lower

As for oil, it ended trading lower on Friday, giving up its early gains, which exceeded the dollar per barrel, as concerns about the banking sector pushed the two benchmarks to record their largest weekly losses in months, according to Reuters.

Brent crude futures fell $1.73, or 2.3%, to $72.97 a barrel at settlement, while US West Texas Intermediate crude lost $1.61, or 2.4%, to $66.74.

Both benchmarks fell more than $3, hitting their lowest levels during the session. Brent lost about 12% during the week, its biggest weekly loss since December. West Texas Intermediate crude futures have fallen 13% since last Friday's close, recording their biggest weekly loss since last April.