Letter writer doesn’t like how the tipping landscape has changed.
I was taught to tip generously, and I don’t mind tipping people who provide direct services: restaurant waitstaff, bellhops, spa workers, hairstylists, nail salon workers, hotel housekeepers, etc. However, I am confused about all the tipping requests I am presented with now.
For example, if I buy a hot chocolate or tea at the coffee shop, they’re just pouring a premixed substance into a cup and handing it to me. Is that really a service? When I picked up a takeout order recently, the credit card machine suggested a minimum 15 percent tip. I gave 10 percent. The cashier looked disgusted. Was I wrong? They filled a container from a soup pot and placed it in a bag. That is not the same as waiting tables.
So now there are tip jars and electronic prompts everywhere. The notion that people tip to reward those who have made a special effort on their behalf is absent. Miss Manners is disgusted by the whole scheme. At the same time, she recognizes that workers who are underpaid depend upon it. So, like you, she tips when she knows that to be the case. It is not always easy to judge; the coffee pourer may well be underpaid.
It happens that my dog, an English springer spaniel, is a particularly gorgeous example of the breed. When I am out and about with her, people will frequently say some version of, “You have a beautiful dog!” I had nothing to do with her breeding and her resulting appearance, and my saying “thank you” seems to imply that I am taking credit for her beauty.
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