I tip for tradition stuff too. Nothing else. No counter service tipping, nothing else really. I still adjust my tip to 15%. That was normal and customary the first half of my likely lifespan and they can call me a cheap old guy if they want.

The apps and preset percentages are generally seen as a greed signal. If they offer 25%/30%/35% as recommended options, I’m likely to just leave a $5, $10 or maybe $20 tip even if the bill is huge. But it’s usually a lower percentage than if they just allow me to click a 15% button.

These apps also regularly add tip to the post tax subtotal which is another reason I usually just use the $5/$10/$20 amounts commonly these days. No matter what I spend, I have a hard time ever rationalizing more than a $20 tip. A waitstaff serving my family at a nice restaurant doesn’t make sense to tip 25% of a $500 bill. Their service is never that valuable to me. I like the idea of living wages but I also think these jobs are sort of, or should be, some of the lowest paying in the economy. People working them like a career and raising a family on that income doesn’t make sense.

Also, probably an unpopular opinion, but if there’s any extra fees added it comes out of their tip. Like I commonly see a “mgmt fee” or “service fee” of 3-5%, it’s never known until you are seated and read fine print on menu. At that point I’m already pretty captive and probably already know what I want to order. It just feels sleezy and dishonest as a business practice so I leave bad tips and a note why on the bill.

Overall, I wish tipping would go away and just have menu prices.