Digital tip jars... ugg...

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
30,160
3,300
126

Same article but with preview:

A new checkout trend is sweeping across America, making for an increasingly awkward experience: digital tip jars.

You order a coffee, an ice cream, a salad or a slice of pizza and pay with your credit card or phone.
Then, an employee standing behind the counter spins around a touch screen and slides it in front of you. The screen has a few suggested tip amounts – usually 10%, 15% or 20%. There’s also often an option to leave a custom tip or no tip at all.

The worker is directly across from you. Other customers are standing behind, waiting impatiently and looking over your shoulder to see how much you tip. And you must make a decision in seconds. Oh lord, the stress.


a few restaurants/bars near me have switched to tablets for payment instead of the credit card slip.
if it's a bar, yeah i'll tip the same.
if it's a restaurant and i'm paying at the counter, then it's a to go order so still 0%.

but at a bar, it gets awkward because the bartender is in front of me because the bar owner is afraid i might steal the tablet when i leave.
with a paper credit card slip, it's more relaxed
 
Last edited:

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,276
10,783
136
Funny .... doesn't "stress me out" the slightest bit. :rolleyes:

If you provide service that RATES a tip you'll get one BUT if you try to pressure me into tipping by pushing a screen into my face I MIGHT tell you to keep the item I came in to buy originally instead.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: dlerious and Pohemi

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
69,041
26,920
136
<shrug> The suggested tips are usually below my normal tipping rate anyway. If folks want smaller tips, well, okay.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
30,160
3,300
126
<shrug> The suggested tips are usually below my normal tipping rate anyway. If folks want smaller tips, well, okay.
i'm sticking with 15%.
screw this tip % creep.

one place i went to had the minimum suggested tip box starting at 20%.
i was like wtf?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Pohemi

snoopy7548

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2005
8,061
5,057
146
IMO it's much less "awkward" to just press "No Tip" than it is to write $0/- on the tip-line of a paper receipt, then the total (without tip), and then sign your name with them watching you.
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
69,041
26,920
136
i'm sticking with 15%.
screw this tip % creep.

one place i went to had the minimum suggested tip box starting at 20%.
i was like wtf?
I adjusted my tipping higher because most of the roach coaches I frequent haven’t raised their prices to match inflation yet and the workers still have rent to pay.
 

Pohemi

Diamond Member
Oct 2, 2004
8,834
11,312
146
I'll just leave this here as a reminder...
Pohemi said:
Stumble in clumsily and make a fool of yourself. That's JEDI !
Almost as predictable as Gizmo J :p
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Captante

positivedoppler

Golden Member
Apr 30, 2012
1,103
171
106
Tipping is out of control. What was originally for the service staff making below minimum wage is now expected for what seems to be everyone and the expectation keeps getting higher. No reason why the guy making $15+/hour at Starbucks or Sharetea needs a 20% tip for 20 seconds of cashier interaction. They're no different vs any the fast food worker at McDonalds.

Pizza hut in my area had an option for tip. I'm looking for a fast, easy, and "cheap" meal so I've stop going there. Little Caesar that allows for a 3 digit pin pickup with no human interaction guilt tripping you for not tipping. I love Little Caesar, my goto for pizza junk food now.

The digital credit card tipping options are the worse. If the owner wants to put that nonsense there at the cashier because they feel the employees should make more, then YOU pay them more. Don't try to guilt trip the customers.
 
Jul 27, 2020
16,307
10,333
106
Delivery charges for Burger King/McDonalds here in UAE used to be $1.25. Now it's more than $2. And just the burgers (no meal) are the same price as the meals were before. This delivery guy gave me the change in notes and wanted to keep the AED 1 coin. If he's still getting paid low after I pay so much money, he should take it up with his employer. Not try to keep my coins. Every single coin counts now. Inflation is no joke.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,542
9,923
136
Tipping is out of control. What was originally for the service staff making below minimum wage is now expected for what seems to be everyone and the expectation keeps getting higher. No reason why the guy making $15+/hour at Starbucks or Sharetea needs a 20% tip for 20 seconds of cashier interaction. They're no different vs any the fast food worker at McDonalds.

Pizza hut in my area had an option for tip. I'm looking for a fast, easy, and "cheap" meal so I've stop going there. Little Caesar that allows for a 3 digit pin pickup with no human interaction guilt tripping you for not tipping. I love Little Caesar, my goto for pizza junk food now.

The digital credit card tipping options are the worse. If the owner wants to put that nonsense there at the cashier because they feel the employees should make more, then YOU pay them more. Don't try to guilt trip the customers.
This is basically companies telling their employees "no we won't give you a raise, but we'll guilt our customers into tipping you."

Tipping should go away except for truly expectional service at the customer's choice. Likely I go to very few fast food type places so I don't have to deal with this very often and when I do it's almost always the 5 button clicks to get to zero tip. Tipping at counter restaurants is basically a bribe too, since it's given prior to the service being rendered.
 
  • Like
Reactions: igor_kavinski

AdamK47

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,222
2,843
126
As long as it works at getting people to part with more of their money they are going to continue with it.

People are already willing to overspend on goods. Companies continue to raise prices and yet no pushback.
 

Homerboy

Lifer
Mar 1, 2000
30,856
4,974
126
I ordered some food from Noodles and Company via their website the other day for my kid. I was driving to pick it up.
When I went to the checkout online, there was an option to tip 10/15/20%

I honestly don't understand why I am tipping in that situation.
When I eat at a restaurant and have a waiter, I default tip to 20% (unless the service is bad, but I can not remember the last time that occurred). If they are good, I give them more. A tip is warranted in that situation.

Tipping for online ordering, that I pick up? I literally can not understand it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: igor_kavinski

positivedoppler

Golden Member
Apr 30, 2012
1,103
171
106
I ordered some food from Noodles and Company via their website the other day for my kid. I was driving to pick it up.
When I went to the checkout online, there was an option to tip 10/15/20%

I honestly don't understand why I am tipping in that situation.
When I eat at a restaurant and have a waiter, I default tip to 20% (unless the service is bad, but I can not remember the last time that occurred). If they are good, I give them more. A tip is warranted in that situation.

Tipping for online ordering, that I pick up? I literally can not understand it.

Me either...but this is the bazaar direction our country is heading towards. Everyone and everything is expected to be tipped. Expecting a Tip at Noodles and Company is like expecting a tip at McDonald's or Burger King. Big franchise knows if they start adding on a guilt TIP option they'll drive away customers looking for a cheap meal.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,276
10,783
136
I tip my friends @ the local "mom & pop" Chinese place I get food every time I go there. :) (so yummy!)

OTOH I will NEVER tip at a "corporate" fast-food place to save the greedy corporation from paying a living-wage.

As an aside, I PURPOSELY shop 99% at Stop & Shop despite prices being on the high side, because they're a union shop and they take decent care of their employees. (it shows in the quality/friendliness of service!)

And NO I do NOT feel obliged to tip the cashiers! ;)
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,542
9,923
136
I tip my friends @ the local "mom & pop" Chinese place I get food every time I go there. :) (so yummy!)

OTOH I will NEVER tip at a "corporate" fast-food place to save the greedy corporation from paying a living-wage.

As an aside, I PURPOSELY shop 99% at Stop & Shop despite prices being on the high side, because they're a union shop and they take decent care of their employees. (it shows in the quality/friendliness of service!)

And NO I do NOT feel obliged to tip the cashiers! ;)
I used to tip at the take out Chinese place by my office because they always remembered me and they were working hard and the food was way too cheap. I very rarely go there any more, though, due to WFH.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captante

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,157
624
126
Minimum wage is $17.00 an hour and tips are on top of that. I dont see the digital tip jar at McDonalds but I do at the mom & pop burger shop, so stop with the big corporate hate. Your faux outrage is laughable.

This "digital tip" is what sets employers apart, low skilled folks find it more attractive to work at a place where they can make extra through tips. It's not the employers putting their wages on us the customers but sweetening the pot for the employees.

It's up to us to say "no tip for you". I have no issue with clicking custom, selecting 0, and smiling.
 

WilliamM2

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2012
2,371
479
136
Minimum wage is $17.00 an hour and tips are on top of that. I dont see the digital tip jar at McDonalds but I do at the mom & pop burger shop, so stop with the big corporate hate. Your faux outrage is laughable.

This "digital tip" is what sets employers apart, low skilled folks find it more attractive to work at a place where they can make extra through tips. It's not the employers putting their wages on us the customers but sweetening the pot for the employees.

It's up to us to say "no tip for you". I have no issue with clicking custom, selecting 0, and smiling.
Where is minimum wage $17.00? In Michigan it's $10.10 Dr. Detroit.

There are over a dozen states where it's $7.25.

 

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,157
624
126
Where is minimum wage $17.00? In Michigan it's $10.10 Dr. Detroit.

There are over a dozen states where it's $7.25.


California statewide minimum is $15.50 - but cities are allowed to set their own.
  • San Diego, CA - $16.30
  • San Jose, CA - $17.00
  • San Francisco, CA- $18.07 as of July 1
  • Oakland, CA - $15.97
  • Los Angeles, CA - $16.78 as of July 1
 

WilliamM2

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2012
2,371
479
136
California statewide minimum is $15.50 - but cities are allowed to set their own.
  • San Diego, CA - $16.30
  • San Jose, CA - $17.00
  • San Francisco, CA- $18.07 as of July 1
  • Oakland, CA - $15.97
  • Los Angeles, CA - $16.78 as of July 1
So it's one City in one state. And in July it will be 2. I guess that's relevent...
 

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,157
624
126
So it's one City in one state. And in July it will be 2. I guess that's relevent...

Here's two more very large cities with >$17/hr minimum wage. Do you need me to list out every >100K population town with >$17/hr or can I trust you to use the Google?

Denver, CO - $17.29
Seattle, WA - $18.29
 

WilliamM2

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2012
2,371
479
136
Here's two more very large cities with >$17/hr minimum wage. Do you need me to list out every >100K population town with >$17/hr or can I trust you to use the Google?

Denver, CO - $17.29
Seattle, WA - $18.29
I did, there are 6 in the country that are $17 and over. Your original post made it sound like the norm, or commom. It's not.

 
Last edited: