Poll: Holiday tipping will be more generous this year
With COVID-19 restrictions eased this year, many have returned to a semblance of normalcy.
That means we’ve interacted more with people in general and service providers in particular. We’ve returned to restaurants and salons. Our kids are back in day care and school.
According to a new CreditCards.com poll of more than 2,000 people, adults plan to tip service providers at least $20 and up to $50 on average. Many said they would tip more than usual because it’s the holidays. Gen Zers were the largest group to say they’d tip more (51%), followed by millennials (48%), Gen Xers (43%) and baby boomers (42%).
“Holiday tipping is a really nice way to reward the hardworking people who make our lives easier throughout the year,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for CreditCards.com.
Our picks this week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is your No. 1 source for things to do, see, make, buy and eat through the holidays. Here are our recommendations:
LISTEN: What’s on Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ holiday playlist?
DRINK: Here’s the holiday spirit Atlanta’s sipping this Christmas
DO: Seven places to show off your ice skating moves in and around Atlanta
VISIT: Full AJC holiday guide for things to do, buy and enjoy
For our full coverage of holiday events around metro Atlanta, check out the AJC’s Things to Do page.
These are some other key results from the tipping poll:
Lots of providers will get extra: Of the 27% who said they would tip mail carriers more, the median amount reported was $20, while 19% said they’d tip trash collectors more ($20), 41% plan to tip teachers more ($25), 36% would give a landscaper more ($30), and 41% and 47% would give a childcare provider or housekeeper more ($50 for both), respectively.
Waitstaff for the win: Of the 45% of adults who said they would give bigger-than-usual tips during the holidays to at least one type of service provider, 27% said they’d tip waitstaff more, 19% said hairstylist or barber, 16% said food delivery person, 10% said bartender and 9% said coffee shop barista.
Shop locally: Almost 9 out of 10 U.S. adults surveyed (87%) said they believe it’s important to shop locally as a way to support small businesses, including 93% of boomers, 88% of Gen Xers, 82% of millennials and 80% of Gen Zers. Additionally, women (90%) were more likely than men (84%) to say shopping locally is important.
Even if you can’t afford to be this generous, Rossman said, it’s nice to show appreciation in other ways. Homemade treats or even a thank you card goes a long way this time of year.
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
