Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

apnews.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

531–540 of 1001 posts

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#531

Post by csomar »

andirk wrote: post #451
TylerE wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is the store charaties are always awful. I donate to local charities that actually do good work with it (Non-affiliated-beyond-being-donor plug: https://www.nuci.org/ ), not to bloated “awareness” charaties like Komen.

I assume the main point of asking for charities at the POS system is to, in no order, a) give to that charity, and/or b) to get the tax deduction as if the company gave that charity. Ex: $1 charity = some $0.35 discount on company taxes. And "awareness" is a big part of some cultures [0] as it allows for the distribution of the idea of caring without devoting some of one's life to the cause. [0] https://stuffwhitepeo…

> to get the tax deduction as if the company gave that charity

This should be illegal.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#532

Post by jamestimmins »

hidden80 wrote: post #498
jacktribe wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Will do. If anyone is in the LA area and wants to check it out, it's Awakening Coffee in Inglewood. I'm there most days since we've just opened and there are many things to be sorted out. Come say hi.

Holy shit, I just got here (El Segundo) from DC. I may forgo The Boy and the Bear tomorrow morning for Awakening Coffee.

Wow this takes me back. I went to the Boy and Bear in Culver all the time back when it opened. Eventually my tastes grew beyond their coffee quality, but still some good memories there.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#533

Post by shostack »

yafbum wrote: post #449

There has been a deplorable profusion of dark patterns in restaurant checkout UIs, such as offering preselected tip amounts set along a 18-20-25% scale (standard used to be 15%), making it quite difficult to leave a custom tip, etc. Add to this various "surcharges" and other mandatory fees added for this or that (my favorite: mandatory "resort fees" for hotels - seriously why is that not just rolled into the price of…

Don't forget:

- Asking for a tip for takeout orders

- Asking for the payment including tip before you've received service, often via one of those stupid QR menus that does who knows what with your order data that is now tied to your phone

- Not having 20% as a tip option, but something like 18%, 23%, 27%

- Looming over your shoulder while you enter the tip

I want servers to make a livable wage. I'm willing to pay more. I want my prices transparent, and I don't want the mountain of guilt and social pressure.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#534

Post by mikhael28 »

alwaysanon wrote: post #519

One thing I was surprised by recently as an American ex-pat (living in Australia for years) too was tipping housekeeping in hotels. I was told by an American colleague on a recent trip there that I was meant to leave $5 in the room every day for housekeeping. This was because it might be somebody different every day - and I was expected to directly recognise each one. I have gotten used to not having to carry/worry a…

I guess it's a thing. Happens in America too. Optional though.

Tipping is a societal defense mechanism to rationalize & justify gross inequality.

People will leave a 5 dollar tip, but they won't invest in helping change someones life by giving them knowledge and experience they don't have.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#535

Post by TylerE »

jerrybender wrote: post #516
TylerE wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s really complicated in the US because we charge about 4 different kinds of sales tax (federal, state, county, city), and differing rates depending on the type of good, or even the time of year. So like a chain store can’t include taxes in things like print ads because you could have two locations a few blocks apart that literally have different tax.

The US levies no federal sales tax.

Not on general sales, but things that are functionally sales tax exist for things such as fuel and tobacco products.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#536

Post by mikhael28 »

q845712 wrote: post #139
godelski wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tipping at best is a form of bribery and at worst a feudal practice of wealth transfer. I tip because it is the social norm (and bribery: don't want my food messed with), but I think we can also acknowledge that this practice is weird and has a shaky history.

I think tipping at its very best is an opportunity to give a stranger a small gift. I recognize your points -- sometimes it feels like an obligated payment and probably in nearly all cases the capital owning class could and/or should contribute more, but i think you're excluding some optional perspectives. Sometimes I just want to help someone have a nice day by giving them something they didn't expect, like a genero…

Cash is a terrible gift. It shows you don't care.

The best Christmas gifts were actual things - not an envelope with $60 in it.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#537

Post by [deleted] »

4gotunameagain wrote: post #524
dang wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should write a longer piece about your coffee shop! and the process behind it. If you do, you should submit it to HN - and if you do that you should email us (hn@ycombinator.com) because we might put it in the second-chance pool ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 ).

I love how one person opened a coffee shop which basically operates like every single coffee shop in the world apart from the US , and you guys need a detailed write up, charts, flow charts, tips for the secret sauce :)

[deleted]

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#538

Post by Dylan16807 »

tptacek wrote: post #90
Larrikin wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The existence of restaurants, barber shops, delivery services, all over the world in first world and developing countries indicates it's possible to run a business successfully without relying on charity or variable pricing models.

Cost sharing isn't charity.

It is when it's optional. Charity with a guilt trip.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#539

Post by pugworthy »

Symbiote wrote: post #60
pugworthy wrote: post #26

I most certainly get paid a lot more than the person behind the counter does. If it's a person who did something helpful and the person gets the $, then I'm happy to tip. If they can give me some attention (e.g., not chatting away with someone behind the counter while I just stand there), I'm happy to tip.

You also get paid more than the staff at Walmart. Do you tip there?

No. I don't go there, and I'm hard of hearing and usually use self checkout any time I can. And perhaps you're perceiving my post as being supportive of "tip culture", whatever that is.

I don't condone tips, but I realize it's more effective for me to "help" those who live partially on tips than to try and change that culture.

I go to a few select places I like, and I tip well there. I also put money to artist and others who's work I appreciate.

I don't want my name in their credits, I don't want a shout out, I just want them to keep doing what they do because they are good at it.

Re: Is tipping getting out of control? Many consumers say yes

#540

Post by jrmg »

gymbeaux wrote: post #467
Larrikin wrote: post #375

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cities are making it illegal, as they should. It's not always meant in bad faith, but it's also a form of gentrification that hurts the poor and unbanked by removing yet another service from them. https://www.nssh.com/2020/04/philadelphias-ban-on-cashless-s... I personally never use anything but cards since I have many of the high reward credit cards. But I've also had family members with tax liens or other problems…

I saw one of those “mind blown!” sorts of posts on Facebook the other day that I haven’t been able to really reconcile in my head because it both makes sense and doesn’t make sense. The gist was that if everybody is paying with credit cards, $50 will eventually whittle down to $0 because AmEx, et. Al. got $50 worth of fees after so many transactions (accountant pays grocer who pays dentist who pays hygienist who pays…

This feels plausible but I think it is really nonsense.

Processing fees are not unique to cash. Banks charge cash processing fees to businesses too, and have for ever. Most shops will deposit all the cash received at the end of the day - perhaps every few days - with a bank.

Post reply on HN