People

The Psychological Act of Tipping

by Andrew Tuttle
05/01/21
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A new trend started sometime after the Great Recession that has taken on a new and expanding life in the reigning pandemic world.

Tipping.

Tipping it seems, seems to be everywhere now. (There is also a rampant attitude of entitlement happening in this country that doesn’t help either.) Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against tipping, especially for services that go above and beyond what is expected, however, on a recent trip to a small grocery store near me, the credit card receipt for my purchases had a Tip line. For groceries? This place was a simple meat market and grocery store in a strip mall.

That was the “tip” of the tipping iceberg for me. I have also noticed most coffee shops add a tip line (big congrats to Starbucks for NOT going this way…yet) as well as sub style sandwich delis and pizza joints. I walk to the counter, order, watch paid employees make my sandwich and then I pick it up at the counter and eat there or walk out. That deserves a tip? Apparently so. Once, a local deli added a $3 tip to my credit card receipt which I discovered on the next month’s bill.

This leads me to the psychological act of tipping. There certainly exists a psychological effect when a business includes a tip line. Many people, unfortunately myself included, will add a tip if you see prompting for the extra gratuity. Whether out of guilt, fear of reprisal, or just plain being overly generous, people generally add more money to their tab if given the option to tip.

Paternalistic Oregon refuses to allow people to pump their own gas. A silly law no one seems to like that wastes time and keeps gas prices high but it’s been this way for decades. After moving to the Beaver state years ago, I initially felt compelled to tip the gas attendants. It was a “service” after all but also one I could very well do myself and to tip would only add to the already high rate of gas. I never fell for the guilt conscience and after a few months I got used to the idea of having someone fill my tank up without feeling remorseful for not tipping.

Specialty sandwich shops abound in my area. No, not the run-of-the-mill chain sandwiches. Higher-end meat and better crafted sandwiches. However, you still walk up, order, sit down and then pick your sandwich from the counter when an employee calls your name. These sandwiches generally range around $9 or so and a whole often as big as the “other guy’s” half. Case in point, the price reflects the quality but still far from inexpensive. Of course, you can expect a tip line on the credit card slip. For what? I’m paying $9 for a sandwich. A sandwich!

Therefore, as I sometimes do, I leave the tip line blank as if I didn’t see it. I don't want to tip nor do I think the situation warrants a tip. However, psychologically “overlooking” the tip line feels easier than if I put a big fat ZERO in the tip line as if to reiterate how much I’m already paying on the “total” line. Will $3 be added after I am gone? It’s happened before.

Years ago, my wife (then girlfriend) and I went to an overly priced restaurant in Newport Beach, CA called Billy’s by the Beach. It wasn’t swanky by any means but it was certainly for the Ferrari driving Newporters. Anyway, I left my car with the “free” valet and we had a forgetful dinner. After several Coke refills, I mentioned to my wife that this may actually not be a “refill” place even though at this time the free refill craze had been in full swing for years. I hesitantly asked the waitress if the Coke refills were free, she looked at me like I was from another planet and was somewhat rude in her response.

I don’t remember the exact price or number of Cokes, but for a cocktail sized glass, filled with ice and the few ounces of Coke, I think we paid $10 or more for my wife’s four Cokes. (You can call me cheap but no one should ever have to pay $10 for what amounted to probably a can and a half of Coke. And, my wife [then girlfriend] was equally as shocked and annoyed.) Fine, I’ll take the extravagant price of the Coke out of your tip, at least partially. But, I ended up tipping normally because I had a credit card and didn’t want to leave a tip off. A youthful indiscretion, I am sure. Then on the way out I felt compelled to tip the valet who drove my car literally about 10 feet.

It was all psychologically motivated. I didn’t want to offend. I didn’t want to have my credit card number out there with a vendetta inspired waitress. I didn’t want to be “confronted” by an entitled waitress who felt I should have tipped. Whatever the reason, perhaps all three, I tipped and I didn’t want to. Decades later, that waitress probably wouldn't even remember had I not tipped.

But why has America become so tip obsessed? My (now) wife spends well over $100 to have her hair done. Tip. If you go to a day spa, tip. Coffee? Tip. Deli sandwiches? Tip. Grocery store? Apparently a tip. Tip, tip, tip, tip. I’m not here to argue completely against tipping especially at sit down restaurants. I understand how that got started years ago and for many waiters and waitresses it is their livelihood. But many restaurants pay their wait staff very well (thanks in part to government mandated laws) and if working at Applebee’s is your life goal please don’t expect me to hand over even more of my own hard-earned money on top of overpriced food and beverages. Additionally, it is now a common expectation to tip 20 to 25 percent for average service when the tip was designed to reward excellent service.

I read that the following could be tip worthy:

• Waste collector


• Mail person


• Newspaper delivery person


• Gardener


• House cleaner

How about street sweeper? I still don’t understand tipping a taxi driver. You can also tip the maid at your hotel. The bell hops too. How about the pilot of the plane that just landed safely?

Everything noted above you’ve already paid for through the cost of service. The people providing the service do not work for free. Why would you tip a hairdresser on top of a $100 bill? That’s already more than $50 an hour! If you want a tip then just build into the price.

Psychological motivation now days probably encourages most tipping. Society has worked into the mainstream a tip for just about everything. It won’t be long before Carl’s Jr. (a hamburger joint where you order at a counter and they call your number when it’s ready – kind of like those deli places), McDonald’s, Burger King, the furniture store, TJ Maxx, Home Depot and Nordstrom all print out a tip line on the receipt. Think I’m wrong? The Northwest fast food burger chain Burgerville now requests a tip. I’ve also been asked if I want to “add a tip” upon ordering at other independent walk-up counter fast food restaurants prior to getting my meal.

I’ve already cut back on my eating out adventures. I don’t really miss it and I definitely like how low my monthly credit card bill has dropped.

How’s that for a tip?