To Tip or Not To Tip, That is the Question.

It’s no secret that tipping options are everywhere now. Ten years ago, many would be dismayed at the option to tip at establishments like Subway that is commonplace today. Why are we being constantly faced with the social dilemma of turning down tips seemingly everywhere we look? Or more importantly, why are we offended by it?

The moment of pressure where the customer must decide if the barista was worthy of a tip, or not.

There is a genuine argument to be made for the necessity of tips in certain industries, like the restaurant industry. Restaurants are the poster child of tipping culture, as servers are often paid a lower wage with the assumption that their livable wage is made up of tips. Restaurant patrons often decide the amount of tip based on the quality of the interactions they have with their server over the course of their visit. But can we apply the same formula to the barista who spun around an iPad with a 20% tip option in bold lettering? One could say that it is to support the business, but then why isn’t it called a donation? A tip is traditionally something extra that you provide for good service, good conversation, and a friendly demeanor. For some, it’s no question that this doesn’t apply to our Barista, even before the conversation arrives at fast-food establishments like Subway.

Nevertheless, we’re forgetting something about tips: They’re optional. No one is forcing you to tip the barista. we only feel the pressure to because they are standing right in front of us and we feel bad about denying them money to their face. It is because of this pressure that we blame the institution of tipping for making us feel uncomfortable, when in fact, there is no such thing as a tipping institution. Whatever coercion one may feel when faced with a tip option is brought about by their own feelings of exaggerated guilt. Obviously, there could be repercussions for not tipping: a sarcastic comment or a look that pierces your soul. But this isn’t created by the addition of the option to tip, this is created by the reaction (or the anticipated reaction) that society has towards non-tippers at non-restaurant establishments like coffee shops, which is an entirely different conversation to have.

“Whatever coercion one may feel when faced with a tip option is brought about by their own feelings of exaggerated guilt”

Perhaps we are attributing the negative connotations for non-tippers at restaurants to non-tippers at coffee shops, without the consideration that the customer experience can be very different between the two. But if we are talking about the addition of tip options in coffee shops alone, we must remember to put ourselves in the birkenstocks of our baristas; wouldn't you go along with it if you worked there? After all, tip options do generate extra income for the employees working on the frontlines of customer service, however little that amount may be.

Janitors should arguably be entitled to tips, yet we don’t blink an eye at the lack of a structure to extraordinarily compensate these individuals. What is the issue with our barista setting up this structure for themselves? Tipping has become more prevalent, there is no question about that. But we must remember that this increase in prevalence has been borne out of our current economic climate, which has had an impact on the tipping culture of our society. After all, it is common knowledge that most young people face an almost insurmountable challenge to homeownership, especially in Vancouver. And the small businesses that survived Covid-19 are going to do everything they need to do to stay afloat. Therefore, what is the true harm of looking for income where more conventional economic channels (i.e. one’s paycheck compared to the average downpayment for a mortgage) fall short? Tips are undoubtedly not the solution to the problem, but we can’t blame customer service workers for trying to make a dent in the issue.

The small economic benefit that these tips add to entry level customer service positions outweighs any level of social annoyance that it causes the general public. But if people still have a problem with tip options, don’t forget that we can just say no.