Previously, tipping was reserved for waitresses, pizza delivery, and barbers, but that was only the tip of the iceberg compared to what happens today. (Get it?)
Now, tip-begging is everywhere anyone does anything. Ok, not everywhere, but most food service places are doing it when all the employee did was ring you out. Now, the little payment pad makes you select some amount to give to the employees. It happens even when you order online and you can’t see the person you’re working with.
To be honest, I don’t really mind giving an extra buck into the pot for the employees to have a little more pay. In principle, it’s rather annoying, but honestly, paying $14 for my lunch instead of $13 goes unnoticed and doesn’t really affect my budget in any discernible way. Furthermore, in Luke 6:30, Jesus said:
Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
So there’s that.
Anyway, there is one way to avoid it altogether, and that is to pay cash. They never ask if I want to jack up the price when paying cash. I consider this a reward to myself to pay cash. I get a self-imposed discount if I pay cash. If I pay with my card then I add 10% or more.
But my cooler idea is to beat them to the punch. That’s right, I swing my phone around and make them select a discount before they swing their tablet around and ask for a tip. Then, whatever discount they give me, I likewise give them as a tip.
0% discount? Alrighty then, 0% tip.
10% discount? Great! 10% tip for you!
50% discount? WOW! 50% tip!
See the pattern here? For those who are math whizzes, you may have realized that this comes out in my favor every time. When I give the tip that matches the discount, that is then based on a discounted amount. So, let’s say the starting price was $10 and they give a 50% discount, bringing it down to $5. Then, tipping 50% on $5 is only $2.50, making my new total $7.50.
Here is the screen that can be used:
Problem solved!