I have stopped tipping in many (new) situations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m ok with the screen for a tip, whatever, it’s just part of the app. What irritates me is the constant asking for charitable donations when I check out at the grocery store, petsmart, other places as well.

Agreed. Just to be clear: it's not the donation, but the way it is handled. Two things bother me:

1. It could be a button to click to opt-in if you want to do a charitable donation, and then link to options. But instead it is almost unfailingly phrased in a guilt-inducing way -- "Do you want to prevent children from starving?" NO. No, I want them to starve?
2. My understanding is that this counts as a charitable donation for the *business.* Is that accurate? If I, the customer, use the platform to donate, then the business gets credit for this somewhere, whether in advertising or taxes, or both or something?

1 + 2 is really beyond the pale.

[Anonymous]

Compulsory tipping is dumb. I do it when I am being served by a tipped wage worker (but I'd like to end the tipped wage and will be voting yes on I-82 in DC to help make that happen) or when I get exceptional service that merits it.

But as a general matter, I think all industries should function based on the following model:

A. Business owner hires staff and pays them both (1) a livable wage, and (2) an amount that still allows for a profit. Finding the balance between those two motives is a classic employment issue and if you don't want to figure it out, my suggestion to you is: don't start a business! Because you will have to do this for everything from staff to rent to capital improvements, and it's one the basic features of owning a business.

B. Staff take those jobs knowing how much they'll get paid.

C. Business communicates to me how much service/products will cost with all overhead (including staff salaries) built in, and I decide whether I want to purchase their service/product based on whether that price is worth it.

D. Businesses that can offer service/products at a price that people are willing to pay survive, businesses that can't figure that at don't.

E. Government can set some basic parameters that prevent workers from being exploited or customers from being screwed, like a minimum wage or health and safety requirements.

At no point should I be negotiating a salary with an individual worker based on my after-the-fact impression of their service or the product I consumed, that's obviously not going to work. I repeat: compulsory tipping is dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, the tipping expectations have become insane. My list of where to tip looks like yours, OP. It's so uncomfortable to be put in that position at the ice cream shop. It makes me avoid places with the iPad asking for a tip where it's not appropriate.

Especially because they stand there and watch you while you deal with the iPad. Awkward.

Exactly! That's why I find myself avoiding places that do this.

[Anonymous]

Np. Me too, OP. it’s liberating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m ok with the screen for a tip, whatever, it’s just part of the app. What irritates me is the constant asking for charitable donations when I check out at the grocery store, petsmart, other places as well.

Agreed. Just to be clear: it's not the donation, but the way it is handled. Two things bother me:

1. It could be a button to click to opt-in if you want to do a charitable donation, and then link to options. But instead it is almost unfailingly phrased in a guilt-inducing way -- "Do you want to prevent children from starving?" NO. No, I want them to starve?
2. My understanding is that this counts as a charitable donation for the *business.* Is that accurate? If I, the customer, use the platform to donate, then the business gets credit for this somewhere, whether in advertising or taxes, or both or something?

1 + 2 is really beyond the pale.

It's both for me. I'm already supporting your business. Don't ask me for a donation. Don't make it seem like my choices are Good Person vs. Local Monster. Plus the customer pays for that donation but the business gets the tax break. That part always irritated me too.

[Anonymous]

Yes, not wanting to give your corporation yet more tax breaks during a time of record profit does not mean I want children to starve, or animals to fresh to death, or world hunger to continue.

Believe it or not, this terminal is not my only chance to put my money to a good cause. It's just my only place to put my money toward YOUR tax cause.

[Anonymous]

^^freeze to death, although freshing to death would be a novel way to go

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Compulsory tipping is dumb. I do it when I am being served by a tipped wage worker (but I'd like to end the tipped wage and will be voting yes on I-82 in DC to help make that happen) or when I get exceptional service that merits it.

But as a general matter, I think all industries should function based on the following model:

A. Business owner hires staff and pays them both (1) a livable wage, and (2) an amount that still allows for a profit. Finding the balance between those two motives is a classic employment issue and if you don't want to figure it out, my suggestion to you is: don't start a business! Because you will have to do this for everything from staff to rent to capital improvements, and it's one the basic features of owning a business.

B. Staff take those jobs knowing how much they'll get paid.

C. Business communicates to me how much service/products will cost with all overhead (including staff salaries) built in, and I decide whether I want to purchase their service/product based on whether that price is worth it.

D. Businesses that can offer service/products at a price that people are willing to pay survive, businesses that can't figure that at don't.

E. Government can set some basic parameters that prevent workers from being exploited or customers from being screwed, like a minimum wage or health and safety requirements.

At no point should I be negotiating a salary with an individual worker based on my after-the-fact impression of their service or the product I consumed, that's obviously not going to work. I repeat: compulsory tipping is dumb.

I used to work in bars and restaurants. It's hard not knowing how much you'll earn. The two potential downsides are 1) the staff who earn a lot in tips at higher end places could end up earning less and 2) there's less incentive for wait staff to do an excellent job if they're not going to earn any more than the mediocre server.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np. Me too, OP. it’s liberating.

+1 I say ‘no’ to the Charitable donation questions at the grocery store cash registers also. I want to decide my own charitable donation places. I don’t care to round up my grocery bill every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np. Me too, OP. it’s liberating.

+1 I say ‘no’ to the Charitable donation questions at the grocery store cash registers also. I want to decide my own charitable donation places. I don’t care to round up my grocery bill every time.

I just went to Spirit Halloween. The cashier asked me twice if I wanted to donate to whatever non-profit they had picked. First question, do I want to donate? No. Second question, do I want to round up? No.

I'm just trying to get a piece for my Halloween costume. Stop it already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Compulsory tipping is dumb. I do it when I am being served by a tipped wage worker (but I'd like to end the tipped wage and will be voting yes on I-82 in DC to help make that happen) or when I get exceptional service that merits it.

But as a general matter, I think all industries should function based on the following model:

A. Business owner hires staff and pays them both (1) a livable wage, and (2) an amount that still allows for a profit. Finding the balance between those two motives is a classic employment issue and if you don't want to figure it out, my suggestion to you is: don't start a business! Because you will have to do this for everything from staff to rent to capital improvements, and it's one the basic features of owning a business.

B. Staff take those jobs knowing how much they'll get paid.

C. Business communicates to me how much service/products will cost with all overhead (including staff salaries) built in, and I decide whether I want to purchase their service/product based on whether that price is worth it.

D. Businesses that can offer service/products at a price that people are willing to pay survive, businesses that can't figure that at don't.

E. Government can set some basic parameters that prevent workers from being exploited or customers from being screwed, like a minimum wage or health and safety requirements.

At no point should I be negotiating a salary with an individual worker based on my after-the-fact impression of their service or the product I consumed, that's obviously not going to work. I repeat: compulsory tipping is dumb.

I used to work in bars and restaurants. It's hard not knowing how much you'll earn. The two potential downsides are 1) the staff who earn a lot in tips at higher end places could end up earning less and 2) there's less incentive for wait staff to do an excellent job if they're not going to earn any more than the mediocre server.

I think both of those things can be served with proper management. If you have a server or bartender with lots of experience who is great at their job, and who regularly makes a lot more than minimum wage via tips, you should be able to find a way to capitalize on their skill to get them that $30-40/hr they are currently making with tips. The customers obviously have the money and are willing to give it via tips, so find a way to harness that to pay excellent staff what they are worth.

As someone who has had a lot of service jobs, the number one biggest incentive for me to do my job well is how well I'm being treated and paid *by my employer*. It begins and ends with the employer because there will always be terrible customers. In a tipping system, workers are at the mercy of those customers, whose tips might not reflect how good my service is. Having a good employer who treats and pays me fairly makes it easier to deal with crap customers because my financial well being doesn't rely on them.

[Anonymous]

It's funny. I have two ice cream shops near me, both of which I frequent (perhaps too frequently!) during the summer. One is kind of corporate, the kind of place where you pay with a card. I never tip on the machine there. The other is a mom and pop place that appears to be run by teens. I don't think they even have a credit card machine, so I always pay cash, and stick a dollar in the tip jar. Somehow the old school nature of it makes me feel more generous. The credit card machine and touch screen technology is somehow alienating.

[Anonymous]

This is all just indicative of the cultural shift of people not working hard and expecting handouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Np. Me too, OP. it’s liberating.

+1 I say ‘no’ to the Charitable donation questions at the grocery store cash registers also. I want to decide my own charitable donation places. I don’t care to round up my grocery bill every time.

+1. I don't feel guilty saying "no" at the cash register. If I want to donate to a charity, I will decide on my own which one is a good cause.

[Anonymous]

Yeah i don't tip at those screens. It's ridiculous. And I don't feel bad.