Ted Rossman | (TNS) Bankrate.com Would you tip a robot? That’s essentially what I was asked to do when a self-checkout machine at Newark Liberty International Airport prompted me for a tip. I picked a premade sandwich out of a refrigerator, scanned it at a self-service kiosk and was presented with an on-screen tip prompt.
I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt hitting the “no tip” button, but this is the sort of thing that’s giving tipping a bad name. Another outrageous example was when I was asked to tip while making a reservation at a pick-your-own strawberry farm. Situations like this are often considered part of “tip creep.
” Tip creep refers to being asked to tip in unconventional places. The most widespread example that has caught on in recent years is at coffee shops, but self-checkout machines and pick-your-own strawberry farms fit the bill as well. There’s a fun “ what’s the weirdest place you’ve been prompted to tip? ” forum on Reddit.
A dermatologist’s office, a car mechanic shop and a movie theater ticket counter are three of my favorites. Those all feel pretty excessive. Doctors, in particular, are highly paid professionals bound by strict regulations and ethical codes.
They should not be soliciting tips under any circumstances. The proliferation of tip prompts has hit counter-service transactions the hardest. In these settings, you used to have to go out of your way to tip (dropping bills or coins into an old-fashioned tip jar).
Now you have to.
