The Fine Art of Subtlety
It appears as if in every occupation today workers expect to be tipped for their service. One can almost count on seeing a "tip jar" in nearly every establishment that deals with customer service, whether it be restaurants, bars, coffee shops, or what have you. As it stands now, there are fewer places without "tip jars" than there are that have them prominently displayed for your extra change or bills. Which leads me to these questions: Are there too many places that expect tips on a regular basis? What do you do when people make the fact that they think they deserve tips overt and in your face?

I became interested in this topic simply due to the fact that the servers in my favorite coffee shop are stopping just short of demanding a tip with each and every transaction. It's a rather obvious plea for money that extends beyond the decorated "tip jar" which has featured sayings that, in varying degrees, make it known that tips are appreciated and, more overtly, necessary for the survival of the worker, who is paid a miniscule pittance by the overbearing and exploitive owners. To me, it seems like a desperate scam which tries to exploit the feelings of guilt people might have for workers who are slaving away for little pay and no recognizable benefit. But it also easy to see how such feelings grow and are nurtured by constant reinforcement. Just sitting there you can observe, or hear in most cases, the continuous stream of customers throwing their change in the jar, or telling the server to "keep the change" or "that's for you." For the most part, the givers are the numerous "regulars" who frequent this place. These people have an already established relationship with the servers that, in some cases, extends beyond that of the casual acquaintance. This is not an acceptable rationale for this type of behavior, but it's how it breeds.

Regardless, it appears as if the lost art of being subtle and friendly in customer service has been replaced with blatant hostility that tries, mightily, to create an equation that requires good tipping for good service rather than the other way around. Bars seem to be the biggest offenders of this trait. Bartenders are a dime a dozen, and bad ones are much more frequently encountered than competent ones. I take issue with this notion that I, the customer or consumer, am responsible for making you, the bartender or barista, like me, in other words being liberal with the green, in order to receive even the semblance of quality service.

I'm all for tipping when the service is good, competent, or outstanding, but to paraphrase a infamous quote "this automatic tipping is for the birds." I don't get tipped by providing information to patrons, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a "tip jar" on the desk of a librarian at some point in the future.