Running head: Tipping Position Essay.
Argument against Tipping
According to Merriam Webster dictionary, tipping is an act of bestowing a gratuity. In general, a tip is considered as an optional reward for good services. The average amount offered varies from location to location. Over the years, people have argued about the usefulness of tipping by listening its advantages and disadvantages. Overall, tipping can cause more harm than good in the long run.
Despite the argument made in the article by Michael Lewis in the textbook, some people support tipping. This opinion is more likely to be held by an employee who is on the receiving end. Tipping is believed to be a great incentive for rewarding and encouraging good customer service. It can also be a way for a customer to express gratitude for a service well done.
Giving out a tip reinforces the efforts and habits put in by employees to provide the best experience for their customers. While tipping can be a motivator for improved service, it can become counterproductive when the tips are expected. The “optional” nature of tips is the key to its purpose. According to Michael Lewis, once that is lost, a tip essentially becomes a tax. In other words, consistency in tipping can a problem since employees could take it for granted.
Besides that, tipping can put pressure on customers already spending money to pay even more than they can afford. This is because tipping could be the social norm even though it is defined as “optional”. In other words, some people may just tip to save face and could care less about the quality of service.
At the end of the day, it boils down to how the employee understands the tip and how random the tip is given out. In conclusion, as long as tipping becomes a habit rather than spontaneous, employees are likely to take it for granted or require it for good service. When that happens, tipping becomes a bad idea.