The Wall Street Journal just did a big write-up on how we’re even being asked to leave tips at self checkouts now!
They talked to a few people who’ve recently encountered the prompts.
- Someone bought a $6 bottle of water at a self-checkout kiosk at the Newark airport, and it asked them if they wanted to leave a 10% or 20% tip. They said it felt like “emotional blackmail.”
- A baseball fan grabbed a beer from a self-service fridge at Petco Park in San Diego, and it asked him to leave a tip. He said he was confused, because he didn’t know who the money was going to . . . but he still left a 20% tip.
Both organizations said the money DOES go to employees. But it just feels weird to leave a tip when you didn’t actually interact with any employees.
