Enough with the Tipping

Webster's Definition:

Tip: vb - to give a gratuity to. n- a gift or sum of money tendered for a service performed or anticipated; gratuity.

At what point did tipping transition from it's original intent of an extra amount in appreciation for good service to an obligation, an expected and entitled amount?

Tipping has gotten out of hand. Rather than giving a small amount of change to show appreciation for outstanding service, it's now an expectation in certain fields. And not only is the tip itself expected, but a certain amount is also expected regardless of the level of service provided. That's where I get irritated. Since when are we tipping people for doing their basic job?

The only job the curbside check in fellow has is to check you in and take your bag and the expected tip (posted on the sign in front of his desk) is $3 per bag. Is he doing anything particularly unique from his basic job duties that should require an added tip? If so, I don't know what that would be.

I have no problem giving a waiter/waitress a fair tip based on the service they provide. I can be a little demanding requesting sauces on the side, lemon but no ice in my water, eggs cooked very well done for example. However, 20% is a bit steep. Add that to your bill and a reasonably priced lunch sky rockets into dinner pricing. A friend just informed me that 15% is standard, 18% is above average and 20% is outstanding. Those three amounts are generally listed at the bottom of your bill, too, just to help you out when figuring your payment. Again, I tip according to service, not the price of the bill. In Seattle, the service is usually quite high, so I don't mind tipping accordingly.

Tipping the barista, on the other hand, is minimal if at all. She's making me a latte. There's nothing unique about my latte. I order off the menu. I don't ask for extra foam, or super hot. They don't even put the sleeve on the cup for me. The drink costs $3.56 as it is, I'm not giving an extra dollar because they are doing their job. I know most people do and I'm sure the baristas are spitting in my drink before shoving it over the counter at me.

On my recent trip to Vietnam, there was an exceptional amount of tipping involved. Besides the cost of the trip itself which wasn't necessarily cheap, we were informed that tipping certain providers was expected. The pre-travel information packet laid out who we were to tip and how much was standard. Besides the tour guide, who did his level best to go above and beyond to look after us and make sure our every need was met, we were also expected to tip the bus driver, the bus assistant, the maids, other guides, and anyone else who provided a service.

The bus driver drove us around. He is paid to drive. Is he expected to do anything else? No. Did he do anything else? No. Why are we tipping this person? The suggested tip was $3-4 per person per day. The bus assistant's job was to keep the bus clean inside and out, distribute waters and "cool and refreshing towelettes" to the passengers, assist everyone getting on and off the bus and handle the luggage. The suggested tip for this fellow was $1-2 per day. I had no problem tipping him that amount. I think he pretty much has a crap job and probably is a servant to the bus driver running his errands and getting him coffee. And I can bet his wages are nearly nothing.

There was one tipping incident in particular that left me with a sour taste in my mouth during the trip. My friend and I had a massage at our first hotel. The cost of the massage was $10 for an hour. I told my friend we should probably give an extra dollar for a tip. Based on what we had learned, this seemed adequate. The massage itself was not very satisfactory. The girl sat on my rump while she massaged my back. That alone did not allow me to relax and enjoy the massage. Her movements were quick and the entire massage felt rushed. She slathered baby oil on her hands once before the massage began and never reapplied it again. It felt like a dry massage. The room was stark with no music or candles and you could hear the other employees outside the door chatting and laughing loudly amongst themselves. There was nothing relaxing about the entire experience. At the end of the treatment the girl handed me a receipt book for me to write in my tip amount. I handed her a dollar. She made a face and threw it back at me insisting I give more. I requested to speak with the man at the front desk. I asked him if my dollar was out of line and he assured me that it was absolutely fine and took my money. My friend told me that her girl wouldn't take her dollar, but wasn't asking for more. She simply indicated a tip wasn't necessary. Completely inconsistent.

Here in America the list of professions that we are expected to tip is getting longer by the minute: bellboys, sky cab, taxi drivers, hair stylists, nail and spa services (you tip for a massage, but do you tip your physical therapists? No.), hotel maids, room service, concierge. I was even told that it was good practice to tip the flight attendant- not necessarily with cash, but a gift of chocolates or some other specialty item would be appropriate. Although the thought has crossed my mind, I have never done this. I wonder if the gesture would get me upgraded into a first class seat for free? I'll have to experiment with that in the future.

I would just like to see a day when everyone made a decent enough wage for providing exceptional customer service that it wasn't left up to the customer to contribute further to the provider's income. Ah, in an ideal world.