First of all, let’s try to avoid American-bashing, and stay respectful to everyone.
I’ll start: for me it’s the tipping culture. Especially nowadays, with the recent post on !mildlyinfuriating@lemmy.world with the 40% tip, it just seems so weird to me to have to pay extra just so that menu prices can stay low.
Don’t get me wrong, the tipping system (among numerous other aspects) is a joke for customers, But it has massive benefits if you end up in the right job, in the right restaurant.
Absolutely no idea how many end up in the same situation, maybe the minority, but all the servers I met travelling (especially girls) would make many times more than anyone working the same job in Europe for less hours.
Plus, we have tipping in most European cities I’ve visited… Most waiters I know are on minimum wage and only survive via tips. Is it different for you?
I have never tipped in Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Italy, Austria , Hungary, Portugal. I guess our experiences are different
I’ve worked in 3 and lived in 1 (for 10+ years) of those countries as service and have always been tipped… Maybe it is just a local thing