With these payment processors making it a simple option, more and more businesses are thinking “why not?” and sticking tipping in places it used to never be expected. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if this backlash will actually cause any change because for businesses it’s a win as long as even one person decides to tip and it costs them nothing to have the option on.
It’s similar to paid DLC in video games. People laughed at paying for horse armor but as long as at least one person bought it, it was money that the company wasn’t getting before. Now games not being sold in pieces is the exception rather than the norm.
I’m not sure if this backlash will actually cause any change because for businesses it’s a win as long as even one person decides to tip and it costs them nothing to have the option on.
I’m a university lecturer, and this sounds a lot like students who will ask for extra credit/more points because “it can’t hurt”. And if one of their professors/lecturers gives them extra points one time, it’s worth it for those students. To them, it costs nothing to ask, they can only gain, and there are no downsides.
But there are, just not directly. My students think that the worst thing I can do is say no and their score stays the same. But I can also be less lenient in the future (which I definitely am with grade grubbers). I will also refuse to write letters of recommendation or supervise theses for students that do this shit, because I genuinely don’t want to deal with those students anymore.
You are right that it does not directly cost businesses money to have that option. But it can still cost them in the long run. I know I’m less likely to support businesses that pull this bullshit, especially if they try harder to guilt you. Also, it’s increasingly giving the appearance that needing to give tips means that workers are underpaid, so by turning on that option, the business is effectively announcing that they underpay their staff, which is a bad look for the business.
With these payment processors making it a simple option, more and more businesses are thinking “why not?” and sticking tipping in places it used to never be expected. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if this backlash will actually cause any change because for businesses it’s a win as long as even one person decides to tip and it costs them nothing to have the option on.
It’s similar to paid DLC in video games. People laughed at paying for horse armor but as long as at least one person bought it, it was money that the company wasn’t getting before. Now games not being sold in pieces is the exception rather than the norm.
I’m a university lecturer, and this sounds a lot like students who will ask for extra credit/more points because “it can’t hurt”. And if one of their professors/lecturers gives them extra points one time, it’s worth it for those students. To them, it costs nothing to ask, they can only gain, and there are no downsides.
But there are, just not directly. My students think that the worst thing I can do is say no and their score stays the same. But I can also be less lenient in the future (which I definitely am with grade grubbers). I will also refuse to write letters of recommendation or supervise theses for students that do this shit, because I genuinely don’t want to deal with those students anymore.
You are right that it does not directly cost businesses money to have that option. But it can still cost them in the long run. I know I’m less likely to support businesses that pull this bullshit, especially if they try harder to guilt you. Also, it’s increasingly giving the appearance that needing to give tips means that workers are underpaid, so by turning on that option, the business is effectively announcing that they underpay their staff, which is a bad look for the business.