I will not participate in this offloading of employee salary onto consumers. I will tip generally 20 percent at restaurants, occasionally the leftover change if I order coffee at a counter (I usually pay cash for that). Food delivery is a dollar amount, usually like $7, not a percentage, NEVER at self-checkout. Any counter service, at most, for an order that requires more than grabbing and handing to me, I throw in a dollar or so in the jar.
And assuming I had had $6.50 for a knish, NO, I wouldn't tip for that. Period.
It's inherently privileged and elitist as often folks retort, "If you can't afford an additional 25% on top of the cost of anything you purchase, then make it yourself." This tipping for everything is a very new thing. No one tipped for everything before say, 10-15 years ago. This "sharing economy" is exploitative--tipping in general is a remnant from slavery and Jim Crow days.
I was a waitress for five years while in college and I know how important tips can be, but I've wondered the same. It doesn't seem fair that the customer (me) should be the means that those who work at the deli or at a store (not a restaurant or delivery) receive a decent wage.
Another wonderful article as always. One of the most iconic scenes in moviedom occurs at the very beginning of "Reservoir Dogs", where Steve Buscemi's character, Mr. Pink, tries not to contribute to a group tip at the end of the lunch all the henchmen are having together before the big "job". He goes on and on explaining how he does not believe in tipping.
I, on the other hand, try to overtip as waiters/waitresses as much as possible!!!
Get the substack! Get the substack! Where do I tip?
tip jar coming soon with bonus content!!
I will not participate in this offloading of employee salary onto consumers. I will tip generally 20 percent at restaurants, occasionally the leftover change if I order coffee at a counter (I usually pay cash for that). Food delivery is a dollar amount, usually like $7, not a percentage, NEVER at self-checkout. Any counter service, at most, for an order that requires more than grabbing and handing to me, I throw in a dollar or so in the jar.
And assuming I had had $6.50 for a knish, NO, I wouldn't tip for that. Period.
It's inherently privileged and elitist as often folks retort, "If you can't afford an additional 25% on top of the cost of anything you purchase, then make it yourself." This tipping for everything is a very new thing. No one tipped for everything before say, 10-15 years ago. This "sharing economy" is exploitative--tipping in general is a remnant from slavery and Jim Crow days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/opinion/minimum-wage-racism.html#:~:text=After%20the%20Civil%20War%2C%20white,to%20show%20favor%20to%20servants.
I was a waitress for five years while in college and I know how important tips can be, but I've wondered the same. It doesn't seem fair that the customer (me) should be the means that those who work at the deli or at a store (not a restaurant or delivery) receive a decent wage.
Mark,
Another wonderful article as always. One of the most iconic scenes in moviedom occurs at the very beginning of "Reservoir Dogs", where Steve Buscemi's character, Mr. Pink, tries not to contribute to a group tip at the end of the lunch all the henchmen are having together before the big "job". He goes on and on explaining how he does not believe in tipping.
I, on the other hand, try to overtip as waiters/waitresses as much as possible!!!
Glenn