US tipping culture is being “shoved down our throats” with more and more businesses demanding tips for jobs that never required them before, Shane Coleman has said.

Guardian columnist Alexander Hurst this week wrote that tipping culture is ‘annoying, unfair and worst of all, American’.

The writer who currently lives in Paris, warns that US ‘tip-creep’ is now spreading across French bars and restaurants.

In his column, Mr Hurst notes that he wants all workers – especially those in the service industry- to be paid fairly but asks, is tipping really the best way to do that?

'Why would I tip?'

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, presenter Shane Coleman said tipping has been in Ireland for a long time – but there have been some annoying updates to the culture here in recent years.

“I have a couple of difficulties and I do agree with this writer because I think it is becoming more pervasive,” he said.

“I have a problem when I go to pay and I am buying a cup of coffee at the counter and [the machine] asks you to pay a tip.

“You actually have to say no tip and you feel mean doing it but at the same time I go, 'Why would I tip?'

“Literally, you're standing there, I'm standing here and I don’t think you need to tip there.”

10% is plenty

He said the rise in the level of tips the machines now expect is also hard to get your head around.

“I've been in places where the option comes up as 15%, 20% or more,” he said.

“Like, you actually have to pick ‘another amount’ and put in 10%, which I think is plenty - I think 10% is loads - and I have to say that does bug me as well.

“I do feel it is being shoved down our throats a little bit.”

Ciara Kelly in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk

Fellow presenter Ciara Kelly said she worked as a waitress for many years – and has no difficulty tipping in the right situation.

“Tipping in America is very different to tipping here,” she said

“You know, I tip taxis, I tip hairdressers, I tip waiters - all that kind of stuff - but I don't tip everywhere.

“You know, if I'm up paying at a counter service and I’m, you know, walking down to my own table, I tend not to tip. If I have change, I might throw loose change into a cup or something, but I don't tend to tip automatically there – that’s my rule of thumb.

“But in the States, they are tipping now, like suggested tips of 20% and 30% - it's way, way over that 10% or 15% that people tip here, that's for a start.”

Tipping the machine

She said US shops that never asked for a tip in the past are now also getting in on the deal.

“Even when you go into convenience stores or newsagents in the States, even ones with self-service checkouts, when you're paying, it suggests you tip,” she said.

“I'm not sure who you would be tipping in that case because you're tipping no-one at all.”

Ciara noted that the minimum wage in the US is $7.25 (€6.60) an hour – compared to the €13.50 Ireland’s minimum wage will rise to in January.

“It's so different,” she said. “We have a minimum wage here and we're tipping as well and I suppose that's the question.”

She agreed that the new card payment machines have “changed things” a lot in Ireland in recent years.