Tipping has always been a way to show appreciation for good service, but recently it seems like everyone has their hand out, expecting extra cash no matter the service provided. From your morning coffee run to the quick chat with online support, gratuity prompts are popping up everywhere. This article takes a look at ten places where tipping requests might be pushing the limits of what’s reasonable. Are we tipping out of habit, generosity, or guilt? Let’s find out where consumers are drawing the line.
Oil Change Services
Even your car’s maintenance routine isn’t safe from the tipping trend. Oil change services have begun suggesting tips for their technicians, making customers ponder the extra out-of-pocket expense on top of their service bill.
Food Trucks
Food trucks have always been the go-to for quick, innovative eats, but recently, they’ve started passing the tip jar around. This new trend of asking for tips at what used to be a grab-and-go service is leaving some customers scratching their heads, wondering if they’re at a restaurant or a roadside stop.
Gas Station Convenience Stores
Remember when popping into a gas station convenience store for a quick snack or drink was a simple transaction? Those days are getting a makeover with tip prompts popping up at checkout, turning a straightforward purchase into a moment of tipping decision angst.
Fast Food
The fast-food industry is flipping the script by introducing tipping options on their digital ordering systems. This move towards tipping in a traditionally non-tipping environment has left many customers feeling the pressure to tip on top of their quick meal, blurring the lines between fast food and full-service dining experiences.
Trades Workers
Traditionally, trades workers like electricians and plumbers haven’t seen tips as part of their payment structure. However, with the increasing push towards tipping in nearly every service encounter, customers find themselves unsure whether to tip for services that already come with a hefty bill.
Owner Operated Personal Care Establishments
Salons and personal care spots run by their owners are joining the tipping bandwagon, making the personal care routine a bit more complicated for clients. While tipping stylists and beauticians isn’t new, the expectation to tip, even when the service is provided by the owner, is turning a relaxing day at the salon into an awkward situation at check out.
Retail Stores
The retail world is not immune to the tipping trend, with some stores introducing tipping options at checkout. This development is causing a bit of a stir among shoppers, who are used to straightforward pricing. The addition of a tip line on receipts is confusing to many.
Babysitting
Babysitting is a job traditionally compensated with a pre-agreed rate but tipping has recently entered this situation as well. If parents use a service with an app, many are now coming home to a tip prompt.
Home Cleaners
The realm of home cleaning is getting swept up in the tipping trend too, with more agencies suggesting tips for their cleaners. This move towards tipping, on top of a service fee, has some customers feeling the squeeze, especially when they’re already paying a premium for the convenience of a clean home.
Coffee Shops
The digital age has transformed the tip jar at coffee shops from a spare change drop-off to a digital prompt, asking for tips on card transactions. This evolution is brewing mixed feelings among customers, who now face the tipping question on even the simplest of coffee runs. Does pouring hot water into a cup with a tea bag really necessitate more than the already exorbitant price these days?
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Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
