Welcome to the era of ‘tip creep’

In today’s Big Story podcast, traditionally, we think of a tip as an acknowledgement of a job well done, usually by someone who performs a service for us. It’s become impolite not to tip, of course, but until recently the standards were mostly understood. Then society went cashless.

Now businesses don’t need to rely on tradition, they can simply add a tip prompt to their transaction machines. This sometimes creates confusion, and often resentment, when being asked to tip for handing over some goods across a counter, or ringing up groceries. And it’s not the workers’ fault — but they’re caught in the middle.

Corey Mintz is a food reporter and the author of The Next Supper. He joins us to share some of the more egregious examples of “tip creep” he’s seen, and alternatives to tipping culture that would create a more equitable service industry for workers and patrons alike.

“As this creeps outwards, it introduces this dangerous idea … which is that individual private charity should do what businesses and government really have a responsibility to, which is to pay people properly,” he said.

So where did tip creep come from? How much and when should you tip now, and what are the forces at work behind this dynamic?

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You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.

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