4 ms·

I agree with the tenor of your post but there has been tipping creep. A line must be drawn! It wasn't too long ago that coffee shops did not have tips. I'm o

by skh 8y ago

I agree with the tenor of your post but there has been tipping creep. A line must be drawn! It wasn't too long ago that coffee shops did not have tips. I'm old enough that it's been ingrained into me that I don't need to tip if I'm placing the order and waiting for it to be fulfilled. I don't tip in fast food places and I certainly never tip in coffee shops.

tptacek 8y ago
You might be older than I am (I'm in my early 40s) but there has never been a time when I went to coffee shops where tipping was unusual. Is it possible you just didn't notice? The cue was "a glass jar full of cash" by the checkout". There might be tip creep (I doubt it), but coffee shops aren't, I don't think, part of it.
- skh 8y ago
  Your response is condescending. Especially the “the cue was a....” part.
  - tptacek 8y ago
    I sincerely didn't intend for it to be, and really thought you might have been someone who missed the tip jar.
    - forgottenpass 8y ago
      Your posts are often condescending, and I take it on faith that you do it unintentionally because friends tell me you're very nice in person.
- hrktb 8y ago
  I’m not a US resident but that’s been an interesting read. About the expectations, the good thing is they change fast. France had the same path, where tipping was strongly expected in cafes. In particular, as it was smallish amounts, people usually paid cash (or the cafe would just refuse credit cards below some fair amount) and it was easier to leave something on the table. In a few years contactless became widely available, laws on obligation to take payments also became pervasive, and people paying a 2E coffee by card is not unusual anymore. Numbers of tips have crashed [0] and the cafe owners are coming to terms with it. Anecdotaly amost places I saw baked the tip into final ticket as a “service fee”. I think the same kind of mechanics will come at play most places. Why ask the customer for some random amount on a screen when everyone will be less awkward to just have it as a fixed line item in the receipt ? [0] https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2017/08/30/et-le-pourboire-alors_5178589_4497186.html https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2017/08/30/et-le-pourb...
smhenderson 8y ago
I believe the tip jar at the coffee shop started when coffee shops, like Starbucks, started making more and fancier drinks. When I get a simple cup of plain black coffee I don't tip but when my wife and I are together, I get my black coffee and she usually gets a latte or whatever they call some of their more complicated drinks. I'll tip then because they actually put some effort into making it and I want them to remember us and make nice drinks for my wife the next time we're there.

by skh 8y ago

tptacek 8y ago

You might be older than I am (I'm in my early 40s) but there has never been a time when I went to coffee shops where tipping was unusual. Is it possible you just didn't notice? The cue was "a glass jar full of cash" by the checkout". There might be tip creep (I doubt it), but coffee shops aren't, I don't think, part of it.

skh 8y ago
Your response is condescending. Especially the “the cue was a....” part.
- tptacek 8y ago
  I sincerely didn't intend for it to be, and really thought you might have been someone who missed the tip jar.
  - forgottenpass 8y ago
    Your posts are often condescending, and I take it on faith that you do it unintentionally because friends tell me you're very nice in person.
hrktb 8y ago
I’m not a US resident but that’s been an interesting read. About the expectations, the good thing is they change fast. France had the same path, where tipping was strongly expected in cafes. In particular, as it was smallish amounts, people usually paid cash (or the cafe would just refuse credit cards below some fair amount) and it was easier to leave something on the table. In a few years contactless became widely available, laws on obligation to take payments also became pervasive, and people paying a 2E coffee by card is not unusual anymore. Numbers of tips have crashed [0] and the cafe owners are coming to terms with it. Anecdotaly amost places I saw baked the tip into final ticket as a “service fee”. I think the same kind of mechanics will come at play most places. Why ask the customer for some random amount on a screen when everyone will be less awkward to just have it as a fixed line item in the receipt ? [0] https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2017/08/30/et-le-pourboire-alors_5178589_4497186.html https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2017/08/30/et-le-pourb...

smhenderson 8y ago

I believe the tip jar at the coffee shop started when coffee shops, like Starbucks, started making more and fancier drinks. When I get a simple cup of plain black coffee I don't tip but when my wife and I are together, I get my black coffee and she usually gets a latte or whatever they call some of their more complicated drinks. I'll tip then because they actually put some effort into making it and I want them to remember us and make nice drinks for my wife the next time we're there.