Every place I go now asks for tips. Everywhere. Restaurants. Massage Envy. The bakery. The coffee shop. Even hotels. The only place I don’t seem to be guilted into tipping someone at this point is a retail store. And it would not surprise me if that’s the next onslaught.
The idea of tipping for services (I would say outside of food) is not great in the U.S. It’s always nebulous as to how much you’re supposed to tip. Sure, we are taught that restaurants are supposed to be around 20%. But what about the coffee shop? What about hotels?
And in some industries, tips are literally what makes up for the difference between what they’re paid and minimum wage. Here’s a thought: Charge me what you need to charge me, up front, so that you can pay your employees properly.
And stop begging me to pay you more on top of what you’re already charging me. It’s much easier to swallow when I know what it is right up front.
Birdies tell me that Japan has this down to an art. Let’s learn from them.
