Yesterday I went to the drugstore, paid for my merchandise, but didn't tip the cashier. I went out to the car to drive down and pick my sister up. Along the way, I passed police officers (we don't tip them) and firefighters (we don't tip them, either) in their vehicles.
My sister and I went to the Mall for coffee in the foodcourt and neither of us tipped the Tim Horton's waitress. We shopped for a while and then went back to the foodcourt for our lunch...didn't tip the Tim Horton's waitress that time either.
It got me wondering why some service people like restaurant waitresses and bar waiters, taxi drivers and valets, hotel room maids, etc. expect tips while other people doing similar or even more skilled jobs neither expect nor get tips.
I'm a cheap tipper...10% on the total...and I give only because it's expected unless the service is awful and then it's tough luck for them. Rightly or wrongly, I don't believe anyone working for an hourly or weekly wage has any "right" to be tipped on top of it. The customer should not be made to feel guilty if they don't tip but somehow we've evolved to that point.
Years ago my husband and I were on vacation and he went out to rent a moped. As he paid the clerk and turned to leave, the clerk yelled after him, "Hey, where's my tip???". Dennis replied, "Don't bet on the horses", and continued on his way. I've always wondered exactly why that clerk expected a tip but then he did receive a good one from my husband.
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