Shoppers have been left both angry and confused after being asked to tip at self-checkouts... because machines need to be rewarded too, apparently?
Tipping is forever a divisive subject as different countries and cultures have different expectations when it comes to parting with cash when someone has offered a service.
In the US, it is customary to offer a tip to anybody who offers a service, such as a waiter because usually their basic wages won't cover the cost of living.
In Europe, it is seen as a nice gesture to tip, but it usually happens after really good service and is around 10% of the final bill.
But one thing we can all agree on is that if there is nobody offering their services besides a machine which you have to operate, there is no need for a tip, right?
Well, people have started noticing self-checkout machines asking for a tip at places like airports, grocery stores, stadiums, and cafes.
A tweet read: "When did we as a society decide every store in the world needed a 'tipping screen' at checkout? Who the hell am I tipping at Home Depot self-checkout…"
It seems completely bizarre that people are being asked to hand over extra money even if they haven't interacted with another human, but this is where we are now.
One thing that would need to be determined is whether these tips would find their way to the pockets of employees as opposed to just being sucked back into the business.
Wall Street Journal reporter Rachel Wolfe told CBS News: "Machines don't have the same protections as tipping human employees, so while the law requires that something called a tip has to go to employees, when you're tipping a machine, you can't be quite so sure."
After the onset of Covid-19 three years ago, companies prompted customers to leave a more generous tip to aid with the struggling costs of navigating through a pandemic.
It is largely believed that a 20% tip is sufficient - but it is usually thought that this money would end up in the pockets of employees who rely on it to live.
Following the bizarre emergence of machines asking for tips, people struggled to get their heads around it.
One person penned: "I always just do it because they might need the extra money more than me, but if companies just paid their employees a decent wage instead of outsourcing it to customers this wouldn't be nearly as common."
A second wrote: "I was grabbing a burger with my brother yesterday and ordered on an iPad, didn’t speak to a single person and out of habit tipped just clicked the lowest %. My brother immediately goes 'damn hopefully the iPad spends that wisely'."
A third added: "I think it shouldn’t be forced on the customers to tip cause they don’t pay their employees enough. Tipping should be a thank you for good service, not mandatory. Side note. I still tip tho."
Has tipping culture gone too far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
