Everyone today—from cashiers to robot kiosks—expects a big gratuity for ringing up an order. Olivia Reingold asks: Can you refuse without looking like a jerk?
Just give a dollar and if it’s that’s much of a problem for you maybe assess how much you spend on services you don’t necessarily need. You shouldn’t be asked to tip every day unless you’re going to a coffee shop, fast food restaurant and grocery store every day via Uber.
Thank you, Olivia, for addressing what most all of us face daily!
I live in Texas. Our local WallMart, Target & grocery stores only have self checkout now. In fact, if the machine stalls, you may have to holdup the line waiting on an employee to help. An employee, by the way, who acts pissed because you bothered them while they were sitting on a stool texting!
I’m thinking SURELY we should get an invitation to the companies Holiday Parties (don’t say Christmas, don’t want to offend!). I mean, if I am paying higher prices, + have to checkout and bag my groceries + take them to my car and return the buggy inside the store, I feel like the least these Billion dollar corporations can do is put out a few extra cookies for their loyal employees … uh, I mean customers!
Don’t misunderstand (Good Lord, always having to qualify our statements!), I do not mind doing these things for myself, as long as I am able. What I don’t like is elderly folks who aren’t able, yet get ignored by employees who get even more pissed having to help them to their cars!
Asking for a 100% tip is straight out of the Behavioral Finance playbook. There's such a thing as "anchoring" -- establishing what people think is a "benchmark" for something. If you suggest that you might want to tip 100%, then tipping only 20% seems like a bargain. On the other hand, if you present 10%, 15%, and 20%, then 20% is the maximum. It's just psychology.
I only tip waitstaff, cab drivers if they help with luggage, porters, and Ralph who cuts my hair and gives me a hot towel shave every two weeks. All other requests can go hang.
Totally agree. I got fed up with this about 4 yrs ago. That is when it really started.
Though, after years of going to coffee shops I could not for the life of me understand WHY I had to tip a kid for giving me a coffee with cream at the counter.
Here is my bottom line...
I will tip a waiter or a bartender because they actually can manage how good an experience you have. Waiters coordinate your service and can make a big difference. Bartenders? If you are eating or doing drinks and appetizers at the bar, they make a difference. Their skill and attitude matter to the experience.
I will NOT tip for just doing your job. You work at Jersey Mike's making sandwiches, you get an hourly wage. Now, if I put you through hell with a complicated order or you have to come help me carry boxes of food out to the car? Now I will toss you a few bucks. I tip when someone does something for me that is above and beyond what I could reasonably expect. The guy who worked at Home Depot and offered to use his personal truck to get my stuff home, a 5 minute drive, because the rental trucks were all out? I threw him a $20, gave him a coffee and called corporate to let them know he went above and beyond.
Anyone who pours coffee for a living is not getting a tip.
I am not donating money to every charity that pops up at the grocery store. Just not. All good causes I am sure, but I give about 10% of my earnings each year to different charities already.
I am fed up with it and I have simply gotten comfortable with saying no.
It was tough at first, but now I see the screen and the tip option, smile at the person presenting it, and touch the no tip option. The sky has not fallen and no words exchanged. These are ubiquitous and in my state of Washington, there is no reduced pay for tipped employees who receive a $20.00 "living wage" which is what it was called when it was approved.
This wage has led to a massive increase in dining costs, where I do tip, compared to many other places, to the bill itself is steep. I simply tip for normal service at 15%, which I calculate BEFORE our 10% or so tax. It is easy to calculate in my head. Just 10% of the pretax bill plus half of the 10%.
A conundrum is whether to pay cash or put it on the card. The former means that the tip is off the record and I would be likely abetting tax fraud by the server who would be highly unlikely to declare it. I pay my taxes and want others to. Plus a cash tip may mean less of the standard "tip out" that goes to back of house, bartender, host/hostess etc, who are every bit as deserving of a portion of the tip as the server.
No need to be guilt tripped. Be proud and out as a discerning tipper who makes their own decision when, where and how much to tip if at all.
Just give a dollar and if it’s that’s much of a problem for you maybe assess how much you spend on services you don’t necessarily need. You shouldn’t be asked to tip every day unless you’re going to a coffee shop, fast food restaurant and grocery store every day via Uber.
Thank you, Olivia, for addressing what most all of us face daily!
I live in Texas. Our local WallMart, Target & grocery stores only have self checkout now. In fact, if the machine stalls, you may have to holdup the line waiting on an employee to help. An employee, by the way, who acts pissed because you bothered them while they were sitting on a stool texting!
I’m thinking SURELY we should get an invitation to the companies Holiday Parties (don’t say Christmas, don’t want to offend!). I mean, if I am paying higher prices, + have to checkout and bag my groceries + take them to my car and return the buggy inside the store, I feel like the least these Billion dollar corporations can do is put out a few extra cookies for their loyal employees … uh, I mean customers!
Don’t misunderstand (Good Lord, always having to qualify our statements!), I do not mind doing these things for myself, as long as I am able. What I don’t like is elderly folks who aren’t able, yet get ignored by employees who get even more pissed having to help them to their cars!
Asking for a 100% tip is straight out of the Behavioral Finance playbook. There's such a thing as "anchoring" -- establishing what people think is a "benchmark" for something. If you suggest that you might want to tip 100%, then tipping only 20% seems like a bargain. On the other hand, if you present 10%, 15%, and 20%, then 20% is the maximum. It's just psychology.
Tips now are not deserved they are imposed on us, and I hate any kind of pressure
I do not tip where there is no service. Period. When I get a reasonable service, I tip ~15%. Anything exuberant percentages are ignored.
I worked in the service industry for years. Sadly this is going to negatively impact those in restaurants and bars that live off of tips.
I only tip waitstaff, cab drivers if they help with luggage, porters, and Ralph who cuts my hair and gives me a hot towel shave every two weeks. All other requests can go hang.
And remember - if you’re going to put money in the tip jar make sure you’re seen and HEARD putting it in 😂 (Seinfeld).
So don’t pull it back out and put back in for them to make sure they see?? 😂 great reference
I'm with you. It has gotten absolutely ridiculous.
Totally agree. I got fed up with this about 4 yrs ago. That is when it really started.
Though, after years of going to coffee shops I could not for the life of me understand WHY I had to tip a kid for giving me a coffee with cream at the counter.
Here is my bottom line...
I will tip a waiter or a bartender because they actually can manage how good an experience you have. Waiters coordinate your service and can make a big difference. Bartenders? If you are eating or doing drinks and appetizers at the bar, they make a difference. Their skill and attitude matter to the experience.
I will NOT tip for just doing your job. You work at Jersey Mike's making sandwiches, you get an hourly wage. Now, if I put you through hell with a complicated order or you have to come help me carry boxes of food out to the car? Now I will toss you a few bucks. I tip when someone does something for me that is above and beyond what I could reasonably expect. The guy who worked at Home Depot and offered to use his personal truck to get my stuff home, a 5 minute drive, because the rental trucks were all out? I threw him a $20, gave him a coffee and called corporate to let them know he went above and beyond.
Anyone who pours coffee for a living is not getting a tip.
I am not donating money to every charity that pops up at the grocery store. Just not. All good causes I am sure, but I give about 10% of my earnings each year to different charities already.
I am fed up with it and I have simply gotten comfortable with saying no.
It was tough at first, but now I see the screen and the tip option, smile at the person presenting it, and touch the no tip option. The sky has not fallen and no words exchanged. These are ubiquitous and in my state of Washington, there is no reduced pay for tipped employees who receive a $20.00 "living wage" which is what it was called when it was approved.
This wage has led to a massive increase in dining costs, where I do tip, compared to many other places, to the bill itself is steep. I simply tip for normal service at 15%, which I calculate BEFORE our 10% or so tax. It is easy to calculate in my head. Just 10% of the pretax bill plus half of the 10%.
A conundrum is whether to pay cash or put it on the card. The former means that the tip is off the record and I would be likely abetting tax fraud by the server who would be highly unlikely to declare it. I pay my taxes and want others to. Plus a cash tip may mean less of the standard "tip out" that goes to back of house, bartender, host/hostess etc, who are every bit as deserving of a portion of the tip as the server.
No need to be guilt tripped. Be proud and out as a discerning tipper who makes their own decision when, where and how much to tip if at all.
I don't tip anymore except sit down restaurants with proper table service.
I will ask if prices will return to pre-Biden oil embargo sanity. I would love to celebrate good service and civility.
Not mentioned: This necessarily acts as a disincentive to spend.
With many other unintended consequences.
For a fine comic take on this very problem by the inestimable Madame Tippi Pointier. Enjoy!
https://www.adamnathan.com/p/ask-tip-daybreak-in-daytona
If you can order out, especially for delivery, you can tip. It is optional however. If they can ask you, you can say no.
It’s your money.