Given that culture, it is no surprise that we are overwhelmed with demands for tips at every turn, nor that technology is being employed to get ever deeper in our pockets. It is also completely not a surprise that coffee shops would lead the charge in making a tip up to 100% of the price of the product the norm. These are the places, after all, that take fifteen cents worth of ingredients, heat them up, and then increase the price twenty fold. The folks that run these places who are promoting Tip Creep clearly failed their Ethics class in high school, or more likely never had one in the first place.
As for Tippers, a bit of advice: If you walk up to a counter and stand in line, there is no need to tip, ever. Tipping a Barista makes as much sense as tipping the cashier at your local hardware store. If you sit down at a table and people actually serve you, it is OK, but not mandatory to tip, in whatever amount you want.
This is a war that must be won, and the only way we as consumers bring the Tip Creeps to their knees is by using the same tactics they use. If an establishment is rude enough to demand a tip or to insist on a certain rate, ask them to explain exactly what service was provided that deserves a tip? If the answer is not satisfactory, ask to speak to a manager and insist on an explanation.
Tip Creep is all about merchants lining their own pockets, period, so if the restaurant or establishment serving you doesn't like your tipping practices, take your business - and your money - to a place that does.
Pete Smith
Houston, TX
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http://www.chron.com/opinion/letters/article/Saturday-letters-Tip-creep-on-the-move-6067418.php
Gratuities
Regarding "As payment options rise, so does tip creep" (Page A18, Feb. 1), many thanks for this timely article. May it be the first of many to shine a much-needed spotlight on an entitlement culture that is so out of control that it is now fashionable to not only impose on the good will and generosity of the American people, but to be obnoxious about it, to boot.
Given that culture, it is no surprise that we are overwhelmed with demands for tips at every turn, nor that technology is being deployed to get ever deeper in our pockets. It is also completely not a surprise that coffee shops would lead the charge in making a tip up to 100 percent of the price of the product the norm. These are the places, after all, that take 15 cents' worth of ingredients, heat them up and then increase the price 20-fold.
As for tippers, a bit of advice: If you walk up to a counter and stand in line, there is no need to tip, ever. Tipping a barista makes as much sense as tipping the cashier at your local hardware store. If you sit down at a table and people actually serve you, it is OK, but not mandatory to tip, in whatever amount you want.
The only way we as consumers bring the Tip Creeps to their knees is by using the same tactics they use. If an establishment is rude enough to demand a tip or to insist on a certain rate, ask them to explain exactly what service was provided that deserves a tip. If the answer is not satisfactory, ask to speak to a manager and insist on an explanation.
Tip Creep is all about merchants lining their own pockets, period, so if the restaurant or establishment serving you doesn't like your tipping practices, take your business - and your money - to a place that does.
Pete Smith, Houston
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