Do you know what I find super annoying and quite frankly ridiculous these days? How aggressively we are being pressured to tip. It’s really getting out of control. Everyone wants a tip these days! It seems what once was a nice way of saying thank you for good service has slowly weaseled its way into becoming not just an expectation but also a cultural obligation, especially here in the US.
On any given day it’s very likely to find me gliding through an airport terminal. Recently while at the Miami International Airport I walked up to a retail kiosk to buy a pack of gum. I grabbed it from the counter and handed it over to the cashier to scan. All she said to me was “$4.57.” But before I could complete the transaction the credit card reader screen had already displayed the phrase “add tip.” What exactly am I tipping for? So like any person with good sense, I selected the “no tip” option and happily went about my day. It was at that moment that I made the decision to start pushing back on tipping pressure.
It has always been clear to me that the real point of tipping is for service rendered. How much to tip however is at the discretion of the consumer. And if the service is exceptional, I believe the bigger the tip should be. I consider myself to be a generous tipper and I always tip well when it’s earned. Even when the service is subpar, I still leave the suggested minimum tip. I am also willing to add a small tip when paying at the counter whether it’s for a cup of tea, a bottle of water or a pack of gum. But the cashier must earn it by at least trying to make eye contact, greeting me, and being extra friendly — emphasis on the word extra because simply standing behind a register does not mean you deserve a tip. Besides, you’re already getting paid for being there. Tipping is nothing but a kind gesture, a token of appreciation based on performance and great customer service. It should never be guaranteed or expected, and certainly not forced on anyone.
Traditionally giving a tip used to be found mainly in the service industry such as restaurants, bars, hotels, hairstylists, massage therapists, and the likes. Whenever there’s a service being provided, it’s more than appropriate to leave a tip. But lately tipping has been extended to so many other non-service areas that we are bewildered about whether we should tip or not. At this point if you have to question it, the answer is no. You should never have to second guess yourself. My rule of thumb is this: if tipping doesn’t feel right, then it’s not deserved.
I hope the next time you feel pressured to add a 15%, 20% or 25% tip to your bill and find yourself wondering if you should, just remember that tipping is not an obligation. Clearly I cannot tell anyone when to tip or how much to tip because it’s a personal choice. But since tipping has been getting so out of hand lately — and by the look of things it’s gonna be here for a while — I have decided to reserve it mostly for the service industry. I will tip outside of that only when I feel it’s truly deserved. With prices going up everywhere on pretty much everything, companies should consider paying their employees better wages and stop putting pressure on the consumers to help pay their salary by means of tipping. From now on if I don’t have a good enough reason to give away my hard earned money because some digital payment system or a jar sitting on a counter suggests I do, I just won’t. It’s as simple as that!
Your barefoot gal,
Carli
Live Your Most Vibrant Life!
4 Responses
What a great read. Bravo. You hit the nail on its head with this one. Thank you for expressing my frustration about this topic much better than I could. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
That’s a touchy subject, I am glad how you concluded on your observation because that I agree with you. Someone like me that worked many years in the hospitality industry, although none of my position were tip-based, I can relate to anyone that works in the customer service industry field.
The hard labor and the enduring long hours standing and doing vigorous activities. To me that deserves a tip. But that’s my opinion. On another note in this era companies are forcing and putting their workers at the mercy of customers or Good Samaritan to cover their gap. Employees are forced to beg or put themselves in a position were they need that extra change to complete their wages.
It’s up to each individual to know if that affect sthem or not. To be honest sometimes I don’t have that extra 20% or 25%, but will leave a tip behind anyway, and if I have it and loved the service I go above and beyond and put a smile on that employees face. But there’s also time I know they are expecting a tip and I feel the pressure because I may not have it. When I said I agree with what you said is everything has gone up and certain companies are still paying their employees minimum wage. how do they expect their employees not to be 👀 for additional income.
This is a great topic I am glad you’re putting that up for debate. I would love to read other opinions on this matter. The job I am doing now people want to tip but I cannot accept it. See how things are!
Carli I am with you on this one 100%. I too feel that sudden jolt of pressure when that “tipping” option pops up unexpectedly 😩😩😩. I mostly opt out, however, sometimes I succumb to the pressure. Thank you for this! We should never feel pressure when it comes to tipping.
Keep on writing!
Oh my God, Carli you said it all, honestly at the beginning of the reading I said, where is she coming from?
In fact, I have to admit, you made me laugh so hard I almost lost my teeth. It was really interesting, you spoke so well, that’s exactly the case and the feeling they give us when that tip looks like an obligation. I’m not going to add anything to it.
Frankly it was pleasant but very important your observation.
Excellent point Carli, congratulations my friend, you made me laugh.
Translated with DeepL https://www.deepl.com/app/?utm_source=android&utm_medium=app&utm_campaign=share-translation