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I have worked a lot in the service industry and I know what it’s like to work your ass off and get a shitty tip. Whenever I go out, I always tip very well, because I know how good it can make someone feel to get a great tip after running around and serving you for the night. I just wanted to predicate that with what I’m about to say.
There’s a muffin place in my neighborhood that specializes in muffins. They have a few other things they make, but it seems like muffins are the go to item for most people. Occasionally I get the hankerin’ for a good, fresh muffin. So I go to this place because they do have really good muffins. They always have different kinds like, blackberry/strawberry, banana/fig/bran, blueberry/mango/cream cheese. Always interesting flavors, and always fresh so I dig it.
Here’s the thing. There’s a tip cup sitting right by the register. Now, when I go in, I only deal with the person at the counter, it’s not like I walk in the back and have the baker whip me up a fresh, made-to-order muffin, I just politely ask the counter person for the muffin of my choice.
Everytime though I have all this guilt about the tip cup. I mean, the person is just handing me a muffin, that’s it. Is that worthy of a tip? And what do you tip on a $1.50 muffin? If the glass case wasn’t there, I could easily just grab my own muffin, it’s not like it’s something I couldn’t handle. But a tip? For handing me a muffin? Is that really justified?
What do you think? Would you leave a tip for being handed a muffin? There’s usually a few bucks in the tip cup, but that could just be money they planted there to get the ball rolling. I’m sure it’s not the greatest pay in the world working behind the counter at a muffin store but, that’s not my fault. Am I a jerk, or is tipping for a muffin uncalled for?
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4 Comments
1. charlie
2. Chimpy McCokespoon
3. James
4. blondesense Liz
Want a neat little picture by your comments? Get one here.americans have a total tip-guilt complex. i have it too. when i was in ireland recently i kept wanting to tip people even though i knew they don’t do tipping of any kind over there.
in cases like this i only leave a tip if i’m feeling particularly good or if the service was really above the norm. otherwise fuck it.
Posted Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 1:29 pm | Permalink
I always throw change in, about 10 percent on stuff like that.
Unfortunately, this just allows the store owners to pay their workers shitily, but I always try to tip.
We have guilt over tips becase these people don’t make shit.
I used to be a waiter, I understand.
Posted Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 2:17 pm | Permalink
I agree with Chimpy, I feel like it’s abetting the store owners in paying the employees less. And like I said, I’ve been a waiter and a bartender for a long time so, I really do understand.
Posted Thursday, October 27, 2005 at 6:07 pm | Permalink
I leave a tip in the jar at the burrito place because they have to actually “manufacture” a burrito for me. I leave a tip at the bagel place only if they cut open a bagel and butter it. If they just hand me a bagel in a bag, then I don’t tip. I’m not cheap, it’s just that they don’t have tip jars at 7-11 or deli’s.
If someone isn’t going to slice my muffin, toast it and butter it, I don’t see the need to tip the muffin man. The owners of the shop ought to raise the price of the muffin 10 cents and give that to the employees rather than make the customers feel guilty. I wouldn’t be surprised if that tip jar keeps people away.
I go to this fab chinese restaurant for lunch sometimes and the whole bill for the 2 of us including beverages is $10.20. It’s ridiculous. It’s a nice restaurant with tuxedoed waiters who are very attentive. So we tip the waiter $4 for a $10 check only because I can’t imagine that they would make any money being tipped 20% there.
Posted Friday, October 28, 2005 at 8:42 am | Permalink
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