Tipping

A reader, friend and fellow retired lawyer sent me this message.  I agree with his thoughts.  We always tip at least 20% at restaurants, but think that some of this shifting of the cost of labor does not make sense.  On the other hand, as I get older and feel confident that I will have plenty to make it to the inevitable end with an above-average living style, I wonder more and more about the paycheck-to-paycheck workers who have nothing in the bank and must serve many ungrateful upper middle-class people.  I noticed this on my last trip to Vegas in August, where hard-working people were serving others with seemingly endless supplies of cash.

If I was still seeing clients, I would get the Square payment system. When clients wanted to pay a retainer, I would insist on a credit card and then turn the device around and ask them if they wanted to tip--25% minimum. The cafeteria at the Eagleton Courthouse uses it and when I self served a bottle water and checked out I was ask about leaving a tip. Go to Bread Company and buy a single bagel and charge it--leave a $5.00 tip for the person that put it in the bag. Lots of this in the news lately, but it has been my pet peeve for a long time.  My wife and I both worked in food service and as a result, are generous tippers, but this is a joke.

 My friend is right, but I think it’s better to err on the side of tipping.