-Isms: Views on life in rural America

Here’s a tip: Leave one.

Or, don’t feel pressured to leave one.

According to a recent Associated Press report, requests for tips are growing out of control.

With digital payments trumping cash, customers are asked the following multiple choice question after making a purchase: 10%, 15%, 25% or custom amount.

And the tipping prompt isn’t only at restaurants. Fast-food joints, convenience stores and clothing boutiques are urging customers to click to tip.

I’ve seen several social media posts that run the gamut of the tip or no tip debate. A photo circulating on one social platform shows a waitress holding a paycheck for less than one dollar. Her hourly wage: $3. After taxes and Social Security, she earned approximately 72 cents. The server explained the importance of tipping since many restaurant workers earn severely less than minimum wage.

Conversely, I’ve seen videos of someone ordering a simple cuppa Joe at a fast-food restaurant and when the register swivels for a signature, the first screen is a prompt to add a tip, with the amount starting at 20% and increasing as much as 40%.

If I’m purchasing a $5 Kona coffee at a convenience store, where I grabbed the cup, filled it and added the lid on my own, should I be expected to tip $2?

I see both sides. I spent two years of my college life bartending and waitressing at a local pub. Minimum wage, at the time, was $3.35, and luckily, my boss believed workers should receive that rate and keep all tips earned. Sure, there were slow evenings, but most shifts, I took home $50 or more, nightly, in tips. I’d keep a percentage and deposit the rest in a savings account. It came in handy when paying for books each semester. At the end of my one-year work anniversary, I married my high school sweetheart and used some of the tips to fund our honeymoon.

If you’ve worked in the service industry, you, too, have more than likely experienced the “to tip or not to tip” conundrum.

If you receive good service, leave a tip. Even if you receive less-than-desirable service, leave a tip. That’s my opinion. Since the pandemic, many eating establishments have experienced worker shortages and dealt with supply chain issues. I believe workers at these businesses are trying their hardest to make sure customers have a pleasant dining experience.

When I’ve experienced poor service, I still try to tip, although it may be a bit stingy.

Where is the tip line drawn? We accept point-of-sale payments at the sidebar. Should we have a digital tip jar for top-notch service? Do we tip every service-industry worker? The kid who lugs bags of groceries to the car? The mechanic who fixes a flat tire? The cashier who rings up an order at a self-serve business? The package deliveryman who visits our office weekly, if not daily?

What about journalists? Lately, the tips I earn come in the form of story ideas shared by faithful readers. Much appreciated, by the way. Those tidbits of knowledge are worth their weight in gold and end up being some of my favorite stories to write.

So, if you want to leave a tip, I’m grateful for the gratuity.