Resolutions and the Tipping Point

It's the only New Year's resolution that I've been able to keep but this year, I'm going to break it.

In the mid 1990s, I resolved to never declare another New Year's resolution. That didn't mean that I would stop giving myself goals, such as working out more, eating better, or promising myself that I would do something to improve my physical and mental health. But I would never say, in the days leading up to January 1st or on that day, that I would declare that I was going to do something for that year or going forward, indefinitely.

As 2023 was drawing to a close, I was starting to feel outside pressures on me to do something that I didn't really want to do. There was a trend that had been developing for the past few years, and I would give into that trend, even though I didn't feel comfortable doing it.

Then, just before Christmas, a CBC Radio phone-in show had this trend as its topic, and I decided that I would break my 30-odd-year streak of keeping the last New Year's resolution that I've ever made.

Photo: Wayan Vota  CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Starting this year, I'm going to stop tipping.

I don't mean that I will no longer leave a gratuity for a server at a restaurant. I've been tipping servers for as long as I've been paying to dine out. If someone greets me at my table, takes my order, brings my food, and clears the empty dishes away, I'm going to leave them something. They're working hard to make my dining experience a pleasant one and that should be rewarded.

I've always left 15 percent of the bill, including taxes, for my server. That percentage was ingrained on me when I was young and I've always stuck to that amount. If the bill was a small amount, I'd also round up to the nearest dollar.

If the server goes above and beyond the basic requirements that I've mentioned above—they've made recommendations, or offered wine or beer pairings, or done something that personalizes the dining experience—I'll give more, between 18 and 20 percent.

If the server doesn't meet the minimum requirements, such as getting the order wrong, arguing about a problem (I don't like to argue), or ignoring my table, I'll leave less but never less than 10 percent. I'll also let them know that I wasn't happy with the service, without making a big fuss over it (again, I don't like to argue).

I've also always tipped my barber, and again, 15 percent is the standard. If I've gotten to know the barber well, I might also give more around Christmas time, or I've even brought him or her a gift.

When I order food for delivery, the driver always gets 15 percent of the order. They should be compensated for my laziness, in not going to pick up the order myself.

But I can't think of other instances where I should be adding more of my hard-earned money for goods and services.

For example, I've been receiving massage therapy for decades. The price for the service is advertised when I make my booking. In all that time, when the massage session was over and I had to pay for the service, it was always the advertised price, plus sales tax.

When my RMT updated her point-of-sale equipment, she told me that the default setting came with adding a tip, and she hadn't figured out how to turn it off. She told me to ignore it, so I did. I never added more that the going amount.

When I switched RMTs, I started going to a larger company with several clinics around the city. When the massage was finished and I was with the receptionist, a tip screen came up. Not wanting to feel cheap, I added 18 percent.

On subsequent visits, I felt that 18 percent, on top of the more-expensive fee, was too much for me, so I dialed the tip down to 15 percent.

But here's the thing: I'm hiring one masseuse to treat me at an advertised rate. Why do I have to pay more to that person? At the time of booking, the RMT is essentially telling me that she'll work out my knots and aches for X dollars. Why do I have to give her more?

I know why. Because the company has to pay for the building and pay it's front-desk staff. But the cost of this massage is already much more than I was paying my previous RMT.

As good a job my new RMT does, starting this year, I'm not adding on a gratuity. To me, the base fee already covers her. She should be getting the lion's share of what I pay and if she isn't, she needs to bring that up to management.

If she asks me about it, I'll be honest.

The same goes for when I take my car for an oil change. The price of the change already includes the cost of the oil, the disposal fee, and the mechanic's intake. Why do I suddenly need to start tipping?

And still, the same goes for fast-food restaurants, take-out restaurants, and anything where I'm performing most of the work myself.

In my early 20s, I once got berated by a grumpy bartender when I went up to the bar to order a beer. He reached beneath the bar, without moving his feet, and produced the bottle from a refrigerator below him. He cracked the cap from the bottle and passed it to me.

The cost of the beer was something like $5 or an even dollar amount, and I gave him the exact amount with a "thanks."

"What, nothing for the service?" he growled.

"What service?" the young, cocky me replied. "You passed me a bottle that took no effort to produce. Do you tip the convenience-store clerk when you ask for a pack of smokes and he reaches for the pack from behind the counter?"

I got more grief from the bartender but I just went back to my table, where my friends were waiting. For the rest of that evening, I waited for a server to take my order and yes, I tipped them for going to the bar, getting the right drink, and bringing it to me.

That's service.

Are businesses getting out of hand in asking for gratuities? Are we, as consumers, supplementing a worker's pay, rather than the company appropriately paying their staff?

Where do you draw the line at tipping? Do you tip, regardless of the situation, when the PoS terminal prompts you? Leave a comment and let's start a conversation.

My New Year's resolution—the first in decades—is a tough one. How about you? Have you made a resolution to start off the year?

Happy New Year!