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When is tipping inappropriate? Canadians chime in.
During the pandemic, it's generally accepted that people tipped very generously as those who worked on the "front lines" of restaurants, coffee shops, etc., were possibly exposing themselves to illness. Customers thanked them by increasing their tips - and doing so without hesitation.
Unfortunately, things seem to have gone crazy since then, and we're being asked to tip for everyhing - even self-serve options and online bookings.
CTV looked at the issue in a recent report.
Article excerpt: "At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians tipped generously, eager to support front-line staff and local businesses. But the wave of gratitude has since receded. As inflation squeezes household budgets, many consumers began trimming non-essential spending, including tips.
This growing reluctance has collided with what critics are calling 'tipflation' - the steady increase in both the frequency and suggested amounts of tips.
Sue Moser, who lives in B.C.’s East Kootenay, says she’s grown wary of digital prompts that pressure people to tip.
'Servers standing expectantly beside you or in front of you,' she wrote. 'Tipping in this country has gotten way out of control.'
Moser says she’s started choosing 'custom' tip options or leaving cash instead. She says that she was asked for a $3 tip after booking a hotel room on a website.
'On top of that, they made it difficult to find the option to opt out of that ridiculous request,' she added.
In Vancouver Island’s Comox Valley, Ryan Speckeen was caught off guard when his local self-serve liquor store prompted him to leave a tip.
'I’m not being waited on, I’m not dining in. I simply walk in, grab what I want off the shelf, or from the cooler and bring it to the register - just like you would at any typical retail store,' he explained. 'This isn’t about quality of service; it’s about how tipping culture is creeping into places it never belonged.'"
I don't mind tipping up to a point - but there's a limit. I'll happily tip for restaurant service, but don't ask for a tip because you handed me something from behind a counter.
There's something to be said about employers paying over minimum wage and removing tipping from their business culture. I realize that tips are often an important "top up" to an employee's wages - but an employee's wages should be the responsibility of the employer, not the client.
Read: We asked Canadians where and when tipping feels out of place. Here’s what they told us.
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