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The major problem here is hidden costs. Airlines, for example, are rife with "junk fees". My favoritre is "fuel surchages". That shouldn't be a thing. The serv
by jmyeet 3y ago
The major problem here is hidden costs.
Airlines, for example, are rife with "junk fees". My favoritre is "fuel surchages". That shouldn't be a thing. The service is just more expensive to provide and thus you need to charge more. Then there are checked baggage fees, choosing seat fees, wifi fees, etc.
Tipping is externalizing labor costs while underpaying staff. If you're at a restaurant that food and service simply costs more than the ticket price. You can say "you don't have to tip" but in a lot of cases that's not really true. More to the point, if you object to tipping, you're not hurting the owners. You're hurting the employees. Personally, I have a problem with that.
If you really object to tipping, the correct choice is not to partake in whatever that service is. Don't go to that restaurant. If you do go and cheap out on a tip to someone who is otherwise earning $7/hour, I'm sorry but you're just a POS.
Now some states mandate a (more) livable minimum wage (eg $15/hour). You can reasonably argue that tipping shouldn't be necessary but I guarantee you that you may well get yelled at for not leaving a tip. And I have a problem with that.
Oh, another favorite "junk fee": Uber introduced a "safety" fee. They simply pocketed it and did nothing [1].
I really object to the tip screens on touchscreen checkouts. These are even worse because typically the staff doesn't get any of it. Ask them. They'll tell you. It's just a pure money grab. You should never leave a tip like that. If you want to tip staff, give them cash.
There needs to be more government regulation on hidden fees and that includes tipping. We need to force employers to pay a minimum wage. If that means your business is no longer viable, then that's a "you" problem. Businesses that rely on exploitation and paying substandard wages should go out of business.
[1]: https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-safe-rides-fee-500-million-profit-super-pumped-book-2019-8 https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-safe-rides-fee-500-mill...