One thing that blew my mind about the U.S. is that there is a federal minimum wage, but employers in professions where where workers receive tips are exempt for as long as the combined income from tips and wages meet the minimum wage threshold. They aren't actually tips, but a subsidy for the employer, who then only has to cover the difference.
Of course, under such circumstances, the employers have every reason to incentivize a "tipping" culture in every industry. It's no surprise to me you see evidence of an increasingly generalized idea of what a tip is. One of my favorite examples is that of asking for tips before a service has even been rendered. That's reasonably called a bribe, not a tip.
It's worth pointing out that individual states, counties, and cities also have their own minimum wages, and some eliminate the so-called "tipped" minimum wage entirely. The federal minimum wage is just there to stop the South from rebranding slavery again.
Of course, under such circumstances, the employers have every reason to incentivize a "tipping" culture in every industry. It's no surprise to me you see evidence of an increasingly generalized idea of what a tip is. One of my favorite examples is that of asking for tips before a service has even been rendered. That's reasonably called a bribe, not a tip.