WTH Examines Tipping
In a time when every dollar counts, what’s going on with the excessive demands for tips and service fees? I have always been an over tipper, but certain requests even have me in a quandary. Does the consumer have any recourse with either of these charges? If power is knowledge, then you decide after reading this article how these charges affect your pocketbook.
When we look into the increased demands for tips, undoubtedly this occurred during the Covid 19 lockdown. We then realized that some workers were essential, (meaning they couldn’t work from their home). So, this could be a firefighter or a grocery store clerk. The grocery store clerk would most likely be paid minimum wage and was then exposed to a possible deadly disease. Somehow, tipping made this alright. Although some businesses struggled during the lockdown, others thrived. Rather than paying employees a livable wage, the shops armed with a keypad or iPad encourage consumers to give a tip to make up for an industry shortfall in salary.
Tipping is very much a U.S. cultural phenomenon. I was in Argentina and tipping in a restaurant is not required. Being the over tipper I am, I felt uncomfortable with this. Argentina has been in an inflationary environment for decades. I never changed my money to Argentine pesos because the people I dealt with preferred American dollars, but not $1.00 or $5.00 bills. Apparently, the banks don’t want these smaller bills. Argentine shops also discouraged the use of credit cards because they charged the businesses up to 25% in fees.
What annoys me is when I buy food to pick up and then ask for a tip. Yes, someone cooked my food and handed me a bag, but does this warrant a tip? Then the cashier can see as you’re contemplating the tipping choices on the iPad. If you leave no tip, then you could feel either guilty or embarrassed. I order food to make things easier. If I wanted to feel guilt, my mother could come back to life. I have also been asked to leave a tip on an online site where I purchased merchandise. Talk about tipping fatigue, my response is a hard no.
Starbucks has implemented iPad tipping. Baristas think if you can pay $7.00 for a coffee, then what’s another $1.00 tip? Not all their drinks are $7.00. What about a plain coffee? You have to put the milk in yourself, does this demand a tip? Admittedly, if you order a complicated coffee, then yes, the barista should get tipped. Twenty percent of $7.00 is $1.40. If you buy a specialty coffee during the workweek, then the tipping can equal the amount of another $7.00 coffee. If you tip five days a week for a year, this is an additional $260. Spent.
Restaurant Tipping
Other countries may not encourage tipping, but may include a gratuity fee on the bill. I watched an old episode of the TV show Mom. The daughter Christy has a job as a server. When she comes home, she complains to her mom, Allison Janey, “I had a table of foreigners and they stiffed me. When I get some money, I want to go to their countries and stiff them back.” What Christy may not have known is that the foreigners she served, may assume that they included the tip in the bill. When I travel internationally, I am now aware to check the bill for a gratuity charge. My recent trip to Argentina, where there was no gratuity fee or line for a tip, had me in wonderment as to what to do. I left tips in U.S. dollars, (not small bills as earlier stated), the employees seemed satisfied.
Some restaurants in the U.S. have experimented with either adding a gratuity charge to the bill, or up–charging on menu items and paying their workers a living wage and health insurance. Unfortunately, neither of these options has been welcomed by patrons. As a result, restaurants have abandoned these models. Some restaurants will charge an automatic gratuity for a larger party and for a special event. This is seemingly acceptable and expected by most people.
Where and What should we tip?
Emily Post Etiquette has guidelines on tipping. If there is a tip jar, consider the service you are receiving. A random purchase of a bottle of water, soda, simple coffee or tea, does not require a tip. If you are getting breakfast to go with that, you could consider throwing some change or a dollar in the jar. According to Post, an iPad should be treated the same way as a jar. A sit – down restaurant where you are being served should not be tipped less than 15%. If you can’t afford 15% for the tip, then Post says you should not eat out. Salons and spas should be tipped between 15 and 20%. Again, consider the service you are receiving. Other services that require tipping are food delivery and car services. For both these services, the provider uses their transportation, so they are using gas and experiencing wear and tear on their vehicle. If you give 20%, that is generous if it is a meal from a regular restaurant, but if it’s from McDonald’s or one of my personal favorites, Carvel, this might not be enough.
To sum up, what you need to know about tipping. Consider what service you are asked to tip on. A tip jar is no different from an iPad. If you would not throw money in a jar, then no tip on the iPad should be chosen. Restaurants, food delivery, salons, spas, and car services all require a tip. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Traveling internationally, check to see if you have a gratuity charge on your restaurant bill. Always be fair when tipping, but never feel pressured to give a tip that is not earned or deserved, and think to yourself WTH.
