Tipping at Self-Checkout Has Customers Crying 'Emotional Blackmail' (wsj.com) 293
Zero interaction with employees during a transaction no longer guarantees freedom from the moral quandary of how much to tip. From a report: Prompts to leave 20% at self-checkout machines at airports, stadiums, cookie shops and cafes across the country are rankling consumers already inundated by the proliferation of tip screens. Business owners say the automated cues can significantly increase gratuities and boost staff pay. But the unmanned prompts are leading more customers to question what, exactly, the tips are for. "They're cutting labor costs by doing self-checkout. So what's the point of asking for a tip? And where is it going?" says Ishita Jamar, a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., who has noticed more self-serve tip cues at restaurants she frequents.
Tipping researchers and labor advocates say so-called tip creep is a way for employers to put the onus for employee pay onto consumers, rather than raising wages themselves. Companies say tips are an optional thanks for a job well done. Businesses "are taking advantage of an opportunity," says William Michael Lynn, who studies consumer behavior and tip culture as a professor at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration. "Who wouldn't want to get extra money at very little cost if you could?" Square, whose technology powers many iPad point-of-sale machines, says tipped transactions were up 17% year-over-year at full-service restaurants and 16% at quick-service restaurants in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Tipping researchers and labor advocates say so-called tip creep is a way for employers to put the onus for employee pay onto consumers, rather than raising wages themselves. Companies say tips are an optional thanks for a job well done. Businesses "are taking advantage of an opportunity," says William Michael Lynn, who studies consumer behavior and tip culture as a professor at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration. "Who wouldn't want to get extra money at very little cost if you could?" Square, whose technology powers many iPad point-of-sale machines, says tipped transactions were up 17% year-over-year at full-service restaurants and 16% at quick-service restaurants in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Insightful)
This kind of thing is usually illegal. Where I used to live, there was a pretty big restaurant that had to pay more than $1M because they were pooling tips with managers (also illegal) among a few other illegal practices. That having been said, the people I know that work at restaurants usually have no idea what's legal and illegal and the managers/owners usually aren't much better. It's especially problematic at the mom-and-pops shops.
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This kind of thing is usually illegal. Where I used to live, there was a pretty big restaurant that had to pay more than $1M because they were pooling tips with managers
It's always illegal. (And it cost Starbucks over a hundred million.)
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Interesting)
This kind of thing is usually illegal. .
In the USA, it's not illegal. In fact, many places where you tip advertise that "all tips go directly to your server|driver|whoever" as if that's a feature.
What is illegal is paying the below-minimum-wage rate that waiters usually get in restaurants. They must legally get their tips. (However, the tips might be pooled with the other waiters, and they just their share. However that's divvvied up.) The waiters have to report their tip income to the tax man.
If the waiter winds up making less than minimum wage after tips, the management is required to make up the difference. (And probably fire the employee.) I never hear people mention this part of the federally required deal, and I wonder if even most waiters are aware of it.
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"If the waiter winds up making less than minimum wage after tips, the management is required to make up the difference. (And probably fire the employee.) I never hear people mention this part of the federally required deal, and I wonder if even most waiters are aware of it."
That's interesting.
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I suspect the owner pocketing the tips might be illegal in some states.
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It's illegal everywhere in the US, and has been for decades. The only deduction allowable is the actual transaction cost (on the tip only) if it's paid by credit card.
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I suspect the owner pocketing the tips might be illegal in some states.
Federal law. But that's only when they are paying the waiter the allowed below-minimum-wage hourly rate. Also, they can force the staff to pool the tips (on the theory that it takes a team to provide service; and in many restaurants it actually is a team who looks after you, not just "your" waiter.)
It's to pay for electricity for the AIs (Score:2)
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at one of these kinds of places? Is it split by all the hourly employees? There's no guarantee it doesn't go straight to the owner. There was a local restaurant owner in my town that took all tips from his waitstaff for himself. He paid younger kids the standard minimum wage (not server wages) to wait tables and pocketed all the tip money for himself.
Which has been illegal everywhere in the United States for decades (but still happens, but it gets enforced when someone complains, as Starbucks found out to the tune of $105 million [jacksonlewis.com].
Thankfully, he's no longer in business.
That does tend to happen when companies get caught breaking the law that egregiously. In some states, wage theft can easily be criminal.
But the tipping at a walk up payment screen just just angering in and of itself. Tip for what?
I recently stopped going to a bagel shop because they ask for tips at the drive through window. But if you really want to be pissed off, check out the landlords who want to be tipped [intheknow.com]
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Insightful)
I always tip people who make my food.
Even if you go to McDonalds?
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Funny)
Since when does McDonalds make food?
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And they're working as hard as anybody to eliminate the people part of making what they sell.
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"McDonalds! It's people!" - Charlton Heston
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"In the future, all restaurants are Taco Bell."
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Soylent McGreen didn't have Sandra Bullock in tight pants.
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Funny)
So, tip the cows.
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Waiters need tips too.
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Strangely, when teens go out tipping cows, they get police and angry farmers...
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:4, Informative)
You interact with the people who load your bags onto an airplane? Is that another weird US thing? I've been to airports around Europe, Asia, even New Zealand and 1 African country: never is there someone "to load your bags onto the plane." You drop it off at the baggage drop (which is more and more automated these days, anyway) or check-in, the suitcase goes bye bye and you'll see it back again at your destination when you take it off the belt.
When you drive up to the entrance of the airport and are dropped off, you can hand your bags to an attendant right there on the street. They take it inside and send it round back. (You don't have to lug it to the check-in counter. In fact, you never need to go to the check-in counter at all. You just stroll over to the automated check-in machine (it's kinda like an ATM) if you need a paper ticket or something. Or just proceed from your taxi directly to the gate, if you have an electronic ticket on your phone.)
So, yeah, you top the curbside baggage handler.
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Those curbside bagagge handlers are reported to make $100k / year, mainly through tips.
I don't see how that sort of work should commend that level of compensation. You are paying someone to do something you can do yourself, 20 yards away, through a set of doors.
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If you want to do it yourself, you can.
If you want them to do it, you tip. You *really* don't want your baggage to wind up on the wrong plane, after all.
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Those curbside bagagge handlers are reported to make $100k / year, mainly through tips.
I don't see how that sort of work should commend that level of compensation. You are paying someone to do something you can do yourself, 20 yards away, through a set of doors.
It is what the market is willing to pay, good on them for finding a way to exploit human laziness. There is indeed a lot of money to be had there.
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:4, Insightful)
I never really bother with the baggage handlers. Since I have to park at the airport, secure the vehicle (which means make sure the seats can't be folded down for trunk access, etc.), then grab my backpack and rolling suitcase, I don't really interact with the curbside people.
I don't understand why they need to be tipped. The people getting luggage on and off a plane have a tougher job than the people who get the luggage from the edge of the airport to the plane. Instead, perhaps pay them (as well as the other baggage handlers) a real wage, allowing them to pay for rent at the average rent prices for an apartment + other expenses, like civilized countries do?
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I don't understand why they need to be tipped.
I don't understand why they need to exist as a service. You somehow got your bags to your car, you're going to be getting the bags from the baggage carousel, you'll likely be loading them into the taxi yourself on the other end, why are people unable to walk 30m to the check-in desk?
Note: special needs people are the exception, but then they also get help in all places even where the concept of someone carrying your bags to the checkin for you is completely foreign.
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So, yeah, you top the curbside baggage handler.
Wow, that is still a thing there? Do you also still have people who pump gasoline for you?
Re:Who even gets the tips (Score:5, Insightful)
I always tip people who make my food. Always, even if they do a lousy job. I DO NOT want them putting something nasty in it because they know me as a cheep skate the next time I come in.
So you are OK with racketeering as a form of business.
WIth no one to judge you... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:WIth no one to judge you... (Score:5, Insightful)
This seems like one of the few cases where tipping is not emotional blackmail. There's no one watching you, and no identified recipient of the tip.
From the summary:
That sums it up rather nicely. The net recipient of the tip is the greedy asshole who owns whatever place of business that operates the self-checkout demanding a tip from you. That tip is sure as shit not going to whatever human staff they have left either since employers pocketing tips seems to have become a standard business practice these days and it's not like the self-checkout will be uprooting itself after closing, dragging its machine ass off to a droid bar and spending the tip money on a well earned oil bath. A tip is basically the business owner guilt-tripping you into subsidising his labour costs instead of his paying his workers a living wage. That is all the more offensive since that self-service machine enabled that business owner to fire the human who used to operate the till. If these businesses could automate completely and operate without any human staff they'd still be asking you for a tip.
As a European ... (Score:5, Interesting)
I find the tipping culture in the USA hard to understand. I will tip for good service but not for someone just doing a job, eg: serving a take away coffee in a shop. Here in the UK it is illegal to pay below the minimum wage due to the expectation of tips making up the difference; this does not mean that some employers do not take the piss - some do.
Re:As a European ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:As a European ... (Score:5, Insightful)
My wife almost treats it as a sport... haggles like hell with a combination of jokey banter and firm walk away tactics for some tourist souvenir to the point that I feel embarrassed she's crushing the price so low - eg. getting some wooden box with untold hours of detailed work for 1/4 of the $20 asking price.. We have compromised now - whatever she haggles down to, we actually give the guy double that, if he handles it gracefully.
The US has many fine things going for it. Tipping is not one of those. Where I live, people who continuously fail to do their job well and keep customers happy get fired, but on the other hand all employees, permanent or casual get a minimum wage of $21/ hour plus 10% super, and permanent employees also get super, and 4 weeks paid leave per year. Casual workers get a minimum of 4 hour shifts and have a right to convert to permanent employment after 1 year of work with the same company, if they want. Somehow, I still seem to get good service, hot coffee and my meals served to me when I eat out at restaurants and cafes, without the staff having to get paid tips. Oh - and I know exactly how much I will be paying for my meal before I order it because the whole price, including taxes, is right there on the menu, without me having to figure out whatever local taxes apply.
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Re:As a European ... (Score:5, Funny)
Australia. It's not perfect - the wildlife is out to get you and drop-bears are an ever present menace, but the weather is nice and the average age of our senators is 52, with our current prime minister being 60 and the leader of the opposition 52. They are both terrible of course, so that's pretty much the same.
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Heh heh heh. Got me!
Re:As a European ... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Where I'm from, it's not that customary to tip, but if you do, it's because you're properly happy with the service and you do maybe 10%. Or if the amount is 13 and you have a 5 and 10 (for those paying with cash, but who does these days with Google/Apple/Samsung/etc Pay?). Digital/card payments help fight this, as well. Oh what's th
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Like a couple of days ago, where it's Apple employees who are fighting for the right to get tipped. NO, fight for proper wages, instead!
Er, dude, they are. They're (they being the new union) demanding a 100% wage increase and adding a tipping option onto credit card transactions.
And people wonder why companies don't like unions.
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Apparently the Americans originally hated tipping because it was a thing the aristocracy did to establish their dominance over their underlings. Then they decided to love it. Meanwhile, Europe went the other way when they decided paying workers decently was a pretty neat idea.
We've got the "best" of both worlds here in Canada. The minimum wage is the minimum wage,* but servers still expect a tip and we're all so brainwashed by American culture we assume (or they'll tell you) that they're under paid.
* Quebec
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Many states in the US do not have a lower minimum wage for tipped workers. [wikipedia.org]
And even at the federal level, if tips don't bring wages up to the general minimum of $7.25 (which is a joke in and of itself), the employer has to make up the difference.
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Yes. I typically tip in the US because it's a workers' hell hole and staff that is conventionally tipped gets paid somewhere between nothing and lol.
As I said, in Canada that is not the case. Minimum wage ranges from $13 to $16.77, yet everybody still wants their 18% tip.
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It's illegal to pay below minimum wage in the US, too. But at the federal level, minimum wage for jobs that rely on tips is lower - but if tips don't bring the total wages up to the normal minimum wage, the employer must. In other words, with minimum wage at $2.13/hour for tipped employees, if tips don't add up to $7.25/hour, the employer has to make up the difference.
It's illegal for the employer (or any level of management) to take the tips, but effectively, the first $5.12/hour if tips goes to the owner.
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I agree I only tip in New Zealand when its exceptional service, not simply bringing me my food, but in the US when wages are adjusted so a tip is included I tip. Pay your employees a decent wage and it would not be needed, when I look a the price of an item I should know what it costs, not that plus random tax and tips. I think the no tip system is better but its not the employees fault.
Also why should a waiter get paid more for bringing expensive food as apposed to cheap food? It makes no sense.
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You're gobbling down the racist propaganda, which will surprise no one.
Tipping started as a classist thing - English nobles tipping peons as a way to demonstrate their superiority. They were all entirely Caucasian.
I'd suggest you learn how to do a Google search before posting stupid shit, but we both know that's beyond you.
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American's came from the English, along with customs. The fact that they don't have nobility has nothing to do with it.
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And facts have nothing to do with 'tard-boy's masturbatory delusions.
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American's came from the English, along with customs.
But not the grammar.
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Tipping predates the United State, retard. The custom came to the colonies from England, as described.
As Google would tell you, if you weren't so fucking stupid and gullible.
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I wouldn't trust Politico to be correct on what day of the week it is on any even remotely political subject.
If you've done a simple Google search, you've seen the real history and ignored it. Making further discussion with you pointless, since all you're capable of accepting is the propaganda.
Emotional blackmail (Score:5, Interesting)
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Yeah I don't worry about offending robots.
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If you are getting blackmailed by a prompt on a checkout machine, that says more about your emotions than about anyone else. I would like to know where the tips are going, but if you don't like it, don't pay. Don't feel bad about that.
It's not just tips. Now cashiers at grocery and other stores ask for donations to a charity. I think they are hoping that some people will be too embarrassed to say no to giving money to the charity, e.g., "Think of the starving kids! You're not against starving kids, are you?"
Just select (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly (Score:2)
You cannot guilt me into tipping.
I tip waiters who are making a "tipping" wage.
I do not tip:
Uber drivers
barbers
fast food counter servers
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I don't tip at drive throughs unless it's Sonic and they skate to my car
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I don't tip at drive throughs unless it's Sonic and they skate to my car
Double your fun - tip using dollar coins and "accidentally" drop them.
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I do tip people who deserve a tip due to what they do for me. What exactly has anyone done for me at a self-checkout? Am I supposed to tip myself?
That's like sending myself a bouquet of flowers for a really good wank.
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Re: Exactly (Score:4, Insightful)
What you think of as a rip-off, I think of as a value-add. I'd much prefer to do it myself for pretty much anything but a large number of groceries. And if they had proper facilities for handling that much loot, I'd prefer it then too.
In every store I've been in for the last decade, the manned checkout is way slower than the self checkout. It's usually not even close.
Don't get me started on the inevitable ignorant SNAP customer or coupon clipper or drunk bum paying with change. Manned checkout is a minefield of delays.
Then you have typically a four-to-one ratio of how many simultaneous checkouts the guard at the self checkout can handle compared to the manned checkout. And then you add in the different queueing systems that protect you from unexpected delays at self checkout.
Self checkout is a significantly better quality of service. It's not even close.
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You cannot guilt me into tipping.
I tip waiters who are making a "tipping" wage.
I do not tip:
Uber drivers
barbers
fast food counter servers
Uber drivers are paid well below even the below-minimum-wage waiters. They get about $3.50/hour without tips.
Barbers are providing a highly personal custom service to you.
What's wrong with you?
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Barbers are providing a highly personal custom service to you.
They should include that in the price of cutting my hair, seriously tell me the price up front and I will decide if I want to pay or not.
as for uber drivers, I was told I was not allowed to tip (I am not from the US), I felt that what I paid was way too low for the time they spent.
Re: Exactly (Score:3)
He's obsessed with me, so his manic post frenzy scales with my posting. I wish he felt comfortable enough to just tell me the truth that he wants to gargle my balls instead of passively aggressively hoping he can catch my eye from across the forum.
ban tips, pay wages (Score:2)
Having your employees rely on tips is just a way to short them. Tipping, it rarely feels earned and always feels required. I'll show my gratitude when you've earned it, otherwise you can do you job like the rest of us.
IT is a service job, anyone reading slashdot ever get a tip for it? Why is walking a beer over to you worth a buck while resetting the password you forgot is not? Those are both entry-level service jobs. The difference is the pay and environment.
I received great restaurant service in Spain,
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Most servers I know (in my family and in life), would turn down a server job paying $15 an hour in favor of the 2.25 with tips.
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Most servers I know (in my family and in life), would turn down a server job paying $15 an hour in favor of the 2.25 with tips.
Only in places where the tipping culture has gone fully stupid like the USA. No one outside the USA would choose a $2.25 + tips over a $15/hr. What makes the USA different is the minimum "guaranteed" tip even with no effort on behalf of the server.
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No one outside the USA would choose a $2.25 + tips over a $15/hr.
No one outside the USA would reasonably expect the tips to add up to more than $12.75/hour.
Depending on where you work, you'd be fired because to get tips that low you'd have to stab someone in the throat or light the place on fire.
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I've had discussions with servers who were violently opposed to doing away with tips even if they were guaranteed a steady wage equal - or greater - to what they've been making with tips.
Stupidity comes in many flavors.
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They know what they make and your claims to the contrary are irrelevant noise for them. They just dont care when you are wrong and you were demonstrably wrong and got heated when people didnt just believe you.
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Re: ban tips, pay wages (Score:3)
I remember my mom telling me about restaurants in Vegas where the servers paid for the opportunity to wait tables. This was back in the 70s. Presumably this is no longer a thing, and perhaps even illegal at the time. But the market tends to find appropriate prices.
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Maybe that is why they have a server job.
Some servers, for example sexy girls at high-end bars, make more than you do. (I know some who make hundreds of dollars an hour.)
Most waiters, however, clear minimum wage with the tips.
Re:ban tips, pay wages (Score:5, Insightful)
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Why is walking a beer over to you worth a buck while resetting the password you forgot is not? Those are both entry-level service jobs. The difference is the pay and environment.
I received great restaurant service in Spain, never had to tip once.
Because you're being paid a living wage that is most likely 8-20 times higher than the person walking that beer over to you. They are not even paid close to minimum wage, and rely on tips.
By contrast, your water in Spain was getting paid a decent amount.
Lol. (Score:2)
These excuses for why its done are absurd. Anyone who gets "pressured" into tipping at a self-service kiosk is an idiot. Hell, I never tip when I go into a Starbucks or some other coffee place, and I don't feel even remotely bothered by it. What bothers me is going to a restaurant and the systems suggest a minimum of 20/22/24%. Uhm. I just spent $75 on a mediocre meal for two, you can pay your employees proper wages (Yes, this happened at some shit "Mexican" restaurant in the San Fernando Valley).
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These excuses for why its done are absurd. Anyone who gets "pressured" into tipping at a self-service kiosk is an idiot.
The place where I find it uncomfortable is where you walk up to a counter, place your order, go stand somewhere, and then go pick it up from the counter. Then you take it home, or seat yourself at one of the tables. There is no waiter.
But when you pick up your food at the counter, you pay for it then. And they shove a touchpad at you that asks how much you want to tip. The buttons are all high percentages. There's an awkward "No Tip" button your not supposed to push. The person is standing there, waiting fo
15% - 18% - 20% options (Score:2)
Re:15% - 18% - 20% options (Score:5, Funny)
Inflation is horrible all over the world. I used to pay 0% tips and even here that has nearly doubled, it's crazy.
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Became 20% - 25% - 30% in the last couple years. WTF ?!
Not only that, but these days it's calculated on top of the taxes and service fees (not on the actual food subtotal).
Where I live (near Washington, D.C.) the taxes and shit are as high as 20%. So with a 20% tip, I pay 40% on top of the advertised price.
A small hamburger is $18.
You wind up paying over $25.
This is for counter service (like at McDonalds), no waiter involved.
I tip very well for being waited on.
I don't like tipping for no service,
just someone handing me a burger
at a fast food counter.
A tip is a gift for a personal service (Score:2)
No personal service, no gift. Simple as that.
So...say no? (Score:2)
I don't get the problem; if you don't feel the service was worth it, don't tip. This doesn't change at all.
That needs to be a rebate (Score:2)
If a shop owner wants customers to give me a 20% tip for doing the cashier's job well, like managing to correctly scan all items without needing help from staff, they're welcome to do so.
The way they're doing it, I feel less emotional blackmail an more of an urge to burn the place down.
tipping has become a practice in corruption (Score:4, Interesting)
(I'm sorry this is a little long, I want to be very clear about what I have to say)
Tipping USED to be something you could do to show your appreciation for exemplary service provided by a server. And for that it was great.
If you received average service, you'd leave no tip. The managers wouldn't be involved.
If you received exemplary service, you could leave a tip, showing your gratitude. The server would receive a little bonus for their extra effort. Management would still be uninvolved.
If you received POOR service, the typical thing to do would be to complain to the manager. The customer's concerns would be discussed with the waiter as a management action.
In all three cases, the customer would pay the same amount, the server would receive the same base pay, AND the business would receive the same payment. The only difference is if they did a bad job, they'd get yelled at by their supervisor, and if they did outstanding they'd get a little bonus. This was fair to all involved, and a part of the service the customer received from the business was to "insure at least average service", and that was reflected in a small portion of the payment the customer made. The customer was paying the business to insure good service.
But then something changed. Laws were passed that allowed businesses to shift the burden of insuring good customer service to the customer. Yes, the CUSTOMER is now responsible for making sure the servers provide good service. Wasn't this the manager's job? Well now it's the customer's job. (and you're not likely to see a discount due to the reduced value) That's the first problem. But wait, there's more! Lets look at the three scenarios above under the new laws.
If you received average service, you'd leave an average tip. This first raises the question, "does this mean the cost of the meal goes down?" Simple studies have already shown that significantly raising employee wages has only a very minor impact on meal prices, particularly in Europe where they've been forced to do exactly that. So the customer is probably going to end up paying a little MORE for their meal. If they gave the "recommended tip" of 15%, and the price of the meal even went down 10%, they'd still be paying an additional 5%. Now in addition to the business making an extra 5% on the sale, they're no longer providing the service of insuring good service, so they're doing less, and making a little more by lowering waves in leu of tips. Ideally, the servers wouldn't see a change. (more on that later)
If you receive exemplary service, you could leave a larger tip. But this will significantly increase the cost of the meal. You as a customer are being expected to pay for better service. I suppose this may be fair to the server, but you didn't ask for better service, you got it anyway, and now you're having to pay for it. In that regard it doesn't look quite fair to the customer, who may not leave any additional tip. I'm sure management told them "better service, better tips!" but that's just not going to be the case a lot of the time. Some may say that the average quality of service has gone down over the years, and now what was considered "good service" would not be considered incredible service. Just think of pulling into the gas station's full service bay and having a squad of kids descend on your vehicle, cleaning the windows, checking the tires, filling the coolant, etc. THAT was NORMAL service, and you probably weren't even tipping them.
And lastly, if you received POOR service, you probably wouldn't leave any tip, or maybe a very small tip. So again, you're taking over the duties of policing the servers, but you're getting a discount for doing it, so I suppose that's fair. But now that shorts the server, which you might consider somewhat justified - less pay for worse service.
Besides "under-tipping", customers have NO obligation to tip at all in many restaurants, so some just won't. This loss is borne entirely on the servers, and serves as
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Tipping USED to be something you could do to show your appreciation for exemplary service provided by a server. And for that it was great.
If you received average service, you'd leave no tip.
Depends how and where you were raised, I guess. Here in the USA, I remember learning about tipping when I was first taken out to a real restaurant. You know, with a waitress. (Not fancy, but not McDonalds). I was 10 years old. I was taught: Always leave at least $1/person at the table. That's a 1960 dollar, which today would be $10.25). If the service was excellent, you tip more.
By the time I was a teenager working in a real (not fancy) restaurant, a 15% tip (on the subtotal before taxes) for decent service
Jesus tap dancing Christ People (Score:3, Insightful)
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Outrage monkeys gonna outrage. It's what they do. It's all they do. Most will actually actively resist actually solving a problem, because then they have to find something new to outrage over.
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that pathetic flimps try to cry "fart rape" about someone passing gas in an elevator.
I learned a new term from a flight attendant on Youtube the other day. Referring to people walking up and down the cabin aisle trying to pretend they're not farting.
"Crop dusting"
Ban tips? (Score:2)
Regulation and transparency (Score:2)
Iâ(TM)ll probably get modded down for mentioning the âoeregulationâ word, but I do feel business need to be regulated when it comes to tips and be transparent when it comes to where the tip money is going.
Though tipping machines is a step too far.
Re: (Score:2)
I was just thinking that if I'm doing my own checkout and bagging the store should be paying ME. I'm certainly not getting any savings from their automation passed along to me.
The bigger issue (Score:2)
Re: The bigger issue (Score:3)
Movers (or really anyone who handles your stuff) are traditionally tipped in the U.S. But anyone who asks for a tip shouldn't get one.
The default tip options are a problem, as well (Score:2)
I recently paid $7 plus tax for a 32-oz iced tea at a stadium, and was offered the options of 10%, 15%, 20%, or "other." I hate that the default option is to leave a tip on an already very overpriced drink which took the person working the register a few seconds to make. I did not try to opt out, so I'm not sure what that would have entailed, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The tea was okay.
Seen on a tip jar ... (Score:2)
"Just put the tip in and see how it feels."
Probably gets more than the guilt messages.
It's a tragedy of the commons (Score:2)
The problem with this isn't the ludicrous 'emotional blackmail' theory. It's wasting everyone's time by default.
Simple solution (Score:3)
I routinely tip 0% on credit or cash and hand the server the tip in cash.
No server, nobody to hand the cash to. So sad.
AITA? Yes. I will be. (Score:3)
Enough. I'm going to start putting 0%. Legally the employers have to make up for anything less than minimum wage and I'm tired of freeing them to screw over an employee having an off day or dealing with more tables than they should have to. It's going to hurt the servers, but someone has to fire the first shot.