There was a time when tipping was supposed to be a sign of how well a service was performed. It was also reserved for the service industry, where people were paid very little. The tips were a way to reward those who went above and beyond. The amount that you gave was supposed to reflect your level of customer satisfaction. Over the past several years, tip jars have been appearing everywhere. Not only are they all around us, but there is a new societal pressure to tip for just about everything. Just because the payment processing gives you an option, however, you aren't beholden to give more than you should. These are services that you should never feel obligated to spend over the top!
Retail Help
Retail is probably not the easiest industry to work in, but retail agents are paid for what they do. The reason that tips began, to begin with, was because traditionally, waiters, waitresses, and valet parking attendants got little to nothing. Restaurants couldn’t survive or make a profit paying people to serve, so the consumer made up for it. Retail people are guided by a minimum wage; some even get a commission, so they aren’t starving for your tips.
Teachers
Teachers go to college to become a professional instructor. They are not in the “service sector,” per se. When you tip them, it is a degradation of their education and standing. It isn’t that they get paid a lot, but tipping them is almost like a payoff. You never want there to be a feeling of favoritism on their part for your student’s part of the hard work. A Starbucks card on Teacher Appreciation Day is enough to say, “Thanks for all of your hard work!”
Corporate Professionals
Consultants, lawyers, and accountants all do what they do because that is their job. Not only are they well compensated, they go through rigorous training to get to where they are. When you tip someone who is in corporate services, it can come across as a way to pay them off for swaying their professional duties. When you have an important title, you are usually guided by ethics and, in some instances, formal agreements. Anything that goes above and beyond can be seen as improper, if not illegal.
Museum Tour Guides
Museums are either publicly or privately funded and typically pay their employees well. Museum staff are guided by very strict rules of engagement. They have to be thoroughly knowledgeable about what the museum displays. It takes a lot of people to run a museum, not just those who walk visitors around. There is a built-in “no tipping” policy that most staff members are supposed to abide by. Offering them tips will put them in a bad spot with their position. Or, worse, it can make them uneasy if they have to say “No.”
Your Mail Person
The United States Post Office is a government-run agency, and as such, mail carriers are government employees. Offering tips to them is not only against the rules, it can get them into a lot of trouble. Tips are not seen as tips with waged employees; they are seen as having the potential to undermine impartiality. It is okay to leave a gift card during the holidays, but straight-up cash is a definite no-no.
Furniture Delivery
Built into your delivery service is the money needed to pay a delivery server's wages. When furniture delivery men have to move and assemble, many people feel as if they should tip them. Furniture stores understand that they are paying the employees by the hour. They build in the time needed for installation, so the employees are getting compensated fairly. If someone goes above and beyond, or you ask them to perform a special service like moving the existing furniture, then it is okay to tip if you feel like it. Just don’t be beholden to tipping for something that you already paid for.
Photographers
Photographers are also professionals who charge an hourly or package rate. They know how much time they have to put into a job and charge accordingly. When the package you paid for or time is up, they are out the door. Most photographers consider themselves professionals and not employees on a tip-by-customer appreciation scale. If you like what they do and think they are exceptional, a review is a much better form of payback.
Housekeeping
Many people are unsure about whether tipping housekeeping at hotels is something they should do. Although varying for different reasons, tipping at hotels is not an expected practice. Some hotels prohibit their housekeeping staff from taking tips. There are guidelines about what people can and can’t tip for. It is a good idea to make sure that you aren’t going to upset the applecart by getting the employee in trouble.
Caterers
Caterers work by getting paid according to the cost of food and the amount of money they have to pay their staff. It is all worked into the estimate of costs for an event. You aren’t required to leave the catering staff a tip for clearing the table or bringing you a drink or a plate. If there is a bartender, and they have a tip jar, then you can feel free to tip there, but only if you feel appropriate.
Library Staff
Library employees get paid a wage for the services they do. They aren’t commission or tip-based; they are full-time workers for the library institution. Staff members receive a fixed salary and are not expecting anything more than what they are getting paid. Again, if you develop a relationship with them and want to gift them during the holidays or on their birthday, then that is completely acceptable and kind.
Personal Trainers
Personal trainers are there to encourage you and make sure that you stay on track. They are not, however, service people, meaning they do not rely on tips to earn a good income. Personal trainers work per hour and charge an hourly wage, so they already know how much they are getting paid. When you tip them, it can make them feel less qualified than they are, and they certainly aren’t expecting it.
Fast Food Employees
Although having a waiter wait on you is someone bringing food, fast food employees differ. Fast food chains and restaurants are guided by the laws of minimum wage, so they have either a part-time or full-time salary and are compensated fairly for their time. Don’t confuse that will wait staff who are probably not getting full wages because there is an assumption of tips from customers.
People Who Work at the Grocery Store
People who work at grocery stores receive a fixed hourly salary. Since grocery stores typically have to pay at least a competitive wage to staff their essential goods markets, there is no need to tip either the people who point you to the aisle or wring your food.
Dentists
Dentists are highly skilled professionals who go through a great amount of school to get to the point they do. Tips in an environment where someone has been through a lot of education and has also earned the respect of those around them are not appropriate. Tipping your dentist is almost an insult, and it also degrades the doctor-patient relationship and boundaries.
HVAC Technicians
HVAC technicians are highly trained specialists who go through a lot of training to do what they do. They also get a good wage for their work. Although you might feel beholden because they usually have to come at the worst times, especially for repairs, they earn a good wage for a long day of work.
Janitors
At most commercial buildings and events, some people are responsible for disposing of trash and picking up after other people. It is not the most glamorous job around, and there is definitely a degree of having to serve others, but they are employed by whoever owns the building or runs the event. Therefore, they are not expecting a tip to do their job.
Public Transit Workers
When you ride a city bus or transit system, those people are employees, and they get paid fair wages for either part-time or full-time hours. Not only is it not necessary to tip, but when you do, it becomes a distraction. Public transit systems everywhere have done all that they can to eliminate people using money so that there is no need for the driver to manage it or deal with exact change. By tipping, you are putting more stress into the system.
Flight Attendants
People who ride the skies are employed by the airline that they work for. They are full-time employees and, as such, compensated well for their service in the air. Although they do bring you drinks when asked, they do not expect any additional tips. Their job is to make sure that the passengers are secure and that they provide customer care.
Seamstresses and Tailors
Tailors and seamstresses are specialty careers that take training and talent. They almost always work either by the project or by the hour, which usually ends up being the same. Although you might want to compliment on a job well done, their career is based on doing things right. If they don’t, they won’t have any more customers.
Mechanics
People who work on cars or mechanics go through a lot of training to perform at their jobs. As such, they receive fair compensation for their work. Whether they own the garage or they work for someone, they are not expecting a tip. Most car repairs already cost an arm and a leg, so save yourself a few dollars; they are doing just fine.
Tellers at the Bank
Tellers are trained to take money in and give money when needed. They are skilled professionals who earn a good salary. Although working around money all day, they are not expecting anyone to give them tips for what they do. If you did offer tips, it might be misconstrued to be asking for favors, which would be illegal in any sense at the bank.
Barbacks
Barbacks are those people who work behind the bar and aren’t allowed to serve alcohol, but make sure that the bar is stocked for the bartenders. Because they aren’t allowed to sell alcohol, typically because they are underage, when you hand them money, it can sometimes appear as if they are granting you special favors, especially if you look younger than your drinking age. Bartenders are supposed to tip out barbacks, or they are paid by the establishment a fair wage since they are not expected to be tipped directly by the customer.
DMV Workers
Department of Motor Vehicle workers are government employees and are held to a high degree of scrutiny when it comes to following the rules and not granting any special favors to customers. You should not ever exchange money with a government official because it can be misinterpreted, and you actually can end up in trouble.
Custom Agents
If there are people that you should never tip, it is security officials who work as security guards or as customs agents. Custom agents are responsible for keeping our borders solid and secure. If you exchange money with them, it can undermine the authority that they hold and leave everyone in trouble. They get a fair wage for what they do, so you needn’t worry if they are receiving enough money; they are.
Airport Security
Yes, it is customary to tip airport valets who help bring your bags into the airport from your car, but those are the only workers in an airport that you should attempt to give money to. Due to 9/11, airports are a place for the utmost security, and money exchanged from airport officials to the public is a big no-no. It actually goes against security protocols and guidelines.
Utility Workers
Utility workers risk their lives every day to keep the juice flowing to homes and offices around the nation. They are the first ones to get called out on a rainy night or after the damage of a storm to climb tall heights and help restore electricity for everyone. Although they do deserve your praise for what they do, they are not to be tipped. Electrician workers and utility workers get paid well for the job they do, and you never want it to look like money is exchanged for favors of any kind.
Busboys
Busboys usually work very hard and carry around heavy trays, so it is normal to want to tip them, but it isn’t necessary. They are considered support staff, and what that means is that they typically receive tips from the waitstaff or they are paid well by the establishment. No one is expecting people to tip the busboy, so they make sure to compensate them fairly.
Airline Staff
On top of security, pilots, and baggage attendees, the first people that you typically meet at the airport are those who check you in. Like flight attendants, they are paid fairly by the airline company that employs them and are not expecting to be tipped. If you begin tipping one place, then before you know it, going to the airport could put you into bankruptcy.
Tipping is an old practice once developed to commend those in the service sector who went above and beyond to enhance a customer's experience. Just because nearly all totals come with an option to tip, nowadays, that does not mean you have to. Although it is a nice thing to help those out when they do a good job, in some instances, it simply is not necessary; in others, it is not appropriate.
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