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NYT: $3 Tip on a $4 Cup of Coffee? Gratuities Grow, Automatically

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. I don't get the arbitrary line between "just making coffee" and "just delivering pizza". They're both just two jobs. Why does one deserve to get more money from you in gratuity, but not the other?

To clarify, I'm Norwegian. We don't tip our pizza delivery men or cab drivers. I have tipped cab drivers, and I get gratuity deals with service, so it feels arbitrary that someone that services you for the 30 second interaction with your pizza in their hands is more worthy of a tip, which I see as a "I feel you deserve something extra for your service", than someone making you coffee for 30 seconds. Feels equally much as a service profession. I'm trying to understand what feel very arbitrary to me.

In the US, delivery people use their own vehicle, not a company motorcycle or car.

Their gas, their maintenance, their insurance, their depreciation.

So in the US youre not tipping for the interaction, youre tipping for those costs.

And yes, its BS that the law doesnt require the company to cover them.

Meanwhile, the UPS or mailman are using a company vehicle.
 
People are shamed if do not tip. Even happens in GAF threads! It's not hard to believe people don't want to be shamed because they didn't give the waitress $2. There are lots of stories how people are given worse service because they don't tip, or heck ignored at bars because they don't believe the $1 rule. It's silliness all around.

It's decent because people expect you to be decent and if you're not then you may face ridicule.
You can only feel shame if you allow yourself to feel shame. I've opted out of tips because of bad service before. I'm not going to feel bad for it because a stranger thinks I should. If you go to a place and get worse service because the staff is shitty and you don't tip because of it, then you should just stop going to that establishment. If they have bad service I don't know why you'd want to go back in the first place. And if everyone just stopped going to places with bad service instead of being chickenshits about it and tipping when the terrible staff doesn't deserve it, then these shitty restaurants would get weeded out naturally.
 

E the Shaggy

Junior Member
Do I need to tip a place if someone isn't bringing me my food/doesn't have waiters? I feel like so many places that serve food all have a line for tips on the receipt now, barring fast food joints.
 

esms

Member
4r2QGpM.gif

My exact response to that passage.
 
Do I need to tip a place if someone isn't bringing me my food/doesn't have waiters? I feel like so many places that serve food all have a line for tips on the receipt now, barring fast food joints.

No. If i have to stand and pick up food / drinks, you're getting $0 explicitly written out in the tip line on the receipt.
 

Septimius

Junior Member
In the US, delivery people use their own vehicle, not a company motorcycle or car.

Their gas, their maintenance, their insurance, their depreciation.

So in the US youre not tipping for the interaction, youre tipping for those costs.

And yes, its BS that the law doesnt require the company to cover them.

Meanwhile, the UPS or mailman are using a company vehicle.

How can I be expected to cover that, not knowing those costs or even that fact? Well, that's upsetting to learn. It's very upsetting that things are like this, though. I thought tip was for the service, not implied covering some poor guy's cost.
 
I don't mind tipping, but i've noticed restaurants have shifted the 3 tipping tiers that show up on receipts from 15->18->20% to 18->20->22%. I often go for 18% and, seeing as that sits in the middle of the old scale, I've often accidentally given a 20% tip when meaning to only leave 18%. I think that shit's shady as fuck and taking advantage of folks who are groggy and have had a glass or two during their meal and not noticing the change.
 
So do you tip your UPS guy?
The whole point of UPS is to deliver you packages. They don't deserve a tip just because they do what their company is based around doing and nothing more. A tip is there for added service, and a UPS guy delivering your package gives you no extra services from their company. The whole point of a pizza place is to make pizza.

The delivery option is just that, an option. An added service for convenience that you can choose to take or not take. Choosing the option of delivery leads to an assumed tip because bringing the pizza to your house is an added service. If you don't want to take that option and don't want to pay a tip, you can still walk into the pizza place and pick it up yourself with no tip assumed.

It's not the same thing. It's like asking why people should pay more for first class on an airplane. It costs more because they provide you more services then in coach. If you don't want to pay the extra costs, don't buy a first class ticket. If you don't want to pay a tip for your pizza, stop complaining that people ask for extra money for bringing the food across town to you and get in your car and pick it up yourself.
 

styl3s

Member
I have no idea. Honestly.



Nope.



That's the point. The post I quoted said it was "just pouring coffee", but it seems equally mundane to deliver a pizza. I don't get the arbitrary line between "just making coffee" and "just delivering pizza". They're both just two jobs. Why does one deserve to get more money from you in gratuity, but not the other?

To clarify, I'm Norwegian. We don't tip our pizza delivery men or cab drivers. I have tipped cab drivers, and I get gratuity deals with service, so it feels arbitrary that someone that services you for the 30 second interaction with your pizza in their hands is more worthy of a tip, which I see as a "I feel you deserve something extra for your service", than someone making you coffee for 30 seconds. Feels equally much as a service profession. I'm trying to understand what feel very arbitrary to me.



So do you tip your UPS guy?
I gave my UPS guy a tip he will never forget and that's don't throw a $3000 tv onto someones porch unless you want to be jobless.

Also, comparing a postal like service to a pizza delivery is just insane to me, especially considering the pay and benefit differences.
 
How can I be expected to cover that, not knowing those costs or even that fact? Well, that's upsetting to learn. It's very upsetting that things are like this, though. I thought tip was for the service, not implied covering some poor guy's cost.

Yes if people dont tip on food delivery in the US, the delivery person actually ends up poorer at the end of the night than at the start, especially when gas prices are high.

And it is absolute bullshit. Its like expecting a waitress to stock her own napkins or something. But dont let any business owners in on that thought or theyll probably try it.

Whats worse is that the big pizza chains have added a delivery fee....but that also doesnt go to cover these costs! The chains pocket the money!
 
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That is Square's tip page. There is a big difference in the customer/cashier interaction when the store moves from a standard tip jar to this kind of prompt at a payment screen. In the first case it seems like an option where you can add a tip if you think they provided additional service. In the second case you have to explicitly state at each transaction that you don't want to tip.

And also notice that the tip is calculated post tax. Even websites like Grubhub seem to calculate the tip percentage on the total, which includes a sometimes large delivery fee already.
 
To be fair, making espresso drinks/pour overs isn't the same as pouring out a cup of drip coffee, but I do perceive the turning around of the iPad as an aggressive act.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
I have never tipped at a coffee shop and I never will, even though the Starbucks app now bugs you about it. Trying to guilt you into tipping. Even after you have left the store, there is a notification on your phone for at least 60 minutes to let you know you can tip -- even after you are long gone!
 
I have never tipped at a coffee shop and I never will, even though the Starbucks app now bugs you about it. Trying to guilt you into tipping. Even after you have left the store, there is a notification on your phone for at least 60 minutes to let you know you can tip -- even after you are long gone!
I seriously didn't know tipping at coffee shops was a thing until I downloaded the Starbucks app. Seems weird, but more power to people who do it. I certainly can't afford to do that every day.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
To be fair, making espresso drinks/pour overs isn't the same as pouring out a cup of drip coffee, but I do perceive the turning around of the iPad as an aggressive act.

I like your sentiment, and I agree.

There are TONS of places using those iPad registers now and every single one I've seen, sans retail stores, try to get you to tip. Doesn't matter what they are serving.
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
The upfront nature of paying for coffee makes this even worse. Now I'm show you gratitude before get my product and experience it?
 

Allforce

Member
Time to tip at the supermarket as well

When I was in high school in the 90's I was a bagboy at a grocery store where we would take each customer's cart out and put the bags in their car. I got a few tips offered for that but never accepted them.

I don't think any grocery stores do this anymore do they? This was like a defacto thing all my life growing up even at the huge grocery chains like Kroger but I don't think I've been to a store that does this in the last 15 years.
 

smuf

Member
As a European who visited NY for the first time last year I got used to tipping pretty quickly. Most of the personnel I encountered put in more of an effort because they know it improves their chances of getting a (higher) tip. That said, 75% is ridiculous.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
As a European who visited NY for the first time last year I got used to tipping pretty quickly. Most of the personnel I encountered put in more of an effort because they know it improves their chances of getting a (higher) tip. That said, 75% is ridiculous.

Except study after study has proven that is not how it works, despite expectations.

People tip on many factors and service is not even at the top of the list of reasons that dictate how much is tipped. Is it fair that the pretty waitress makes a lot more tips than the non pretty one that tries a lot harder? Too bad, that's tipping culture.
 
When I was in high school in the 90's I was a bagboy at a grocery store where we would take each customer's cart out and put the bags in their car. I got a few tips offered for that but never accepted them.

I don't think any grocery stores do this anymore do they? This was like a defacto thing all my life growing up even at the huge grocery chains like Kroger but I don't think I've been to a store that does this in the last 15 years.
I remember explicitly being told I was not allowed to accept tips when I was a bag boy. Bad times...
 
I like your sentiment, and I agree.

There are TONS of places using those iPad registers now and every single one I've seen, sans retail stores, try to get you to tip. Doesn't matter what they are serving.

A couple of weeks ago I tried to buy cupcakes at a store with an iPad register. The girl swiveled around the iPad so I can enter the tip, and before I could finish hitting "Other" and then "No tip," the cupcakes were already boxed and ready to go, lol
 
There is no fucking way I'm ever tipping someone who just pours me a coffee or a beer.

good luck with that and not being treated like shit by every bartender in the area once they know youre a stingy drinker. That next time you go for a drink, be prepared to wait a longggggggggggggggggggggggggg ass time.
 
Selecting no tip, or writing in no tip in front of someone feels awkward at first, but you grow to enjoy it after a while.

I still tip waitresses and waiters and delivery guys, but if someone just poured me some coffee, nope.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
You should only tip whenever you want to tip. Never let yourself be pressured into tipping.

I don't want to make this into a tipping horror story thread... but i've been guilted into tipping at stores before.

There is this cafe I really like, independent joint, and the lady at the register one time said to me "no tip?" and I didn't really know what to say, i just kind of looked at her blankly for a brief moment, then she said "maybe next time."

Maybe not!

I mean damn, all I had was a pastry.

As an american i just really wish we could do away with it. removes a lot of awkwardness from my already awkward life :p
 

Slayer-33

Liverpool-2
The ridiculous nature of it all is what gets to me. Tipping for fucking OVERPRICED cups of coffee. Are you shitting me?
 

Two Words

Member
good luck with that and not being treated like shit by every bartender in the area once they know youre a stingy drinker. That next time you go for a drink, be prepared to wait a longggggggggggggggggggggggggg ass time.
As if going out to bars and clubs to buy overpriced alcohol is such a critical part of our lives.
 

br3wnor

Member
It's just as bad when people tip $1 at a bar when the bartender spends 3 seconds pouring a beer.

That's more a self preservation tip for me. Leave fat tip on first few drinks and I get great prioritized service the rest of the night and "free" drinks as the night wears on. It's a lifesaver when you're at a busy bar.

It is interesting where the tip line is drawn now though. Am I supposed to tip for take out food? I never do since I'm just picking food up but there's always a "tip" option on the receipts so maybe it's expected? I'm on Long Island so I'm already spending like $25+ on the dinner anyway so i feel like I'm already paying a decent chunk, but then again what's another few bucks on top of it. I also never tip at coffee places but I also usually only go to Starbucks and they pay their employees well and give them good benefits so I don't feel as bad.

I'm usually on the other side of this "debate" in tip threads because I tip too much usually at restaurants but it is getting to the point of like where does this tipping creep end? What service is considered tip worthy, it sucks because in the end its really just saving owners of these establishments from having to pay their employees more.
 
When I was in high school in the 90's I was a bagboy at a grocery store where we would take each customer's cart out and put the bags in their car. I got a few tips offered for that but never accepted them.

I don't think any grocery stores do this anymore do they? This was like a defacto thing all my life growing up even at the huge grocery chains like Kroger but I don't think I've been to a store that does this in the last 15 years.

I think they do in rich areas.

I remember the Winn Dixie in a fancy area did this, and they also had giant signs saying not to tip.
 

Two Words

Member
I don't want to make this into a tipping horror story thread... but i've been guilted into tipping at stores before.

There is this cafe I really like, independent joint, and the lady at the register one time said to me "no tip?" and I didn't really know what to say, i just kind of looked at her blankly for a brief moment, then she said "maybe next time."

Maybe not!

I mean damn, all I had was a pastry.

As an american i just really wish we could do away with it. removes a lot of awkwardness from my already awkward life :p
I would have said "No extra free pastries?"
 
As if going out to bars and clubs to buy overpriced alcohol is such a critical part of our lives.

It's not if you don't enjoy going out at night with friends, maybe going on dates, or just having a drink to yourself and small talking with bar folks.

I mean, who likes dating and going out with friends?
 

malfcn

Member
Not only are more places giving preset options, but those options are typically based on after tax, which is BS too.

I thought tipping used to be a "good job, here's a little something." Now it's turned into "I have to tip or else I look bad, or they won't be able to eat" type of situation.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
good luck with that and not being treated like shit by every bartender in the area once they know youre a stingy drinker. That next time you go for a drink, be prepared to wait a longggggggggggggggggggggggggg ass time.

I'm in my mid 30s and never had a problem in my life. I tip servers who bring beer to my table, but I don't tip if I have to actually walk to the bar.
 

Two Words

Member
It's not if you don't enjoy going out at night with friends, maybe going on dates, or just having a drink to yourself and small talking with bar folks.

I mean, who likes dating and going out with friends?
Are you saying if going out to bars and clubs and overpaying for alcohol isn't a critical part of your life, then you don't like dates or going out with friends?
 
I always tip 25% because I used to be a waiter and know what it's like. If you don't want to pay tips, either vote to raise the minimum wage for service workers or advocate for the mincome. The struggle is real out here.
 

Chittagong

Gold Member
America is weird with all the tipping. I was skiing yesterday at Big Bear mountain and was wondering whether I should tip the guy handing us the ski lift.
 
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