Posted On: Friday - April 28th 2023 4:25PM MST
In Topics: Humor Economics Big-Biz Stupidity Customer Care
(Continued, to some degree, from 2 previous posts, Tipping for services - Part 1: Tipping Inflation and Cash is King, continued: Tipping in cash.)
Regarding tipping for services, to add another point to the discussion, in the comments under this post Mr. Hail added:
There is something that feels dishonest about some of the expansionist tipping regime (Tipping Inflation), that makes me think of the Third World Bribery phenomenon where getting anything done tends to require greasing the wheels with cash here and there.Just a first quick note: There was no IRS at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries - that's no small thing! I, and apparently many like-thinking Americans, see avoiding juicing the Feral Gov't with more crack cash is a moral thing. It's possibly as much as a Moral Crusade to Peak Stupidity.
Actually, I think that is the core of the classic criticism of Tipping when the phenomenon first emerged around the turn of the 19th/20th centuries (?), with its critics saying it was basically immoral --- which tends to be the opposite of how we like to think of it.
I see the idea of massive "tipping" by big-money corrupt Businessmen and Bullshitters in countries like China and (as mentioned with an example) Malaysia as being simply blatant corruption. Tipping can be just a slightly more legal, or at least less obvious, form of bribery. That's not the subject of this post though.
In three posts on Cash being King (airport terminal version) - see here, here,, and here - I noted that I first felt that it was corrupt to pay cash for items at the big hub terminal. This was after most of the places nixed cash transactions with the Kung Flu as the excuse. I knew absolutely that the cashier was pocketing the whole price when they'd relent and let me pay cash. (It's pretty obvious when stuff costs a nice round number!*)
Nah, but I had a thought a few seconds later that, if this Big Biz corp that runs lots of the stores/restaurants there doesn't want to take cash, screw 'em! I'm happy to give the not-so-well-off cashier my money for that food. The company loses out, as they deserve to.
I think there's a parallel here involving tipping. The charges for the meal, the furniture moving, or the tour guide, go to the restaurant, the moving company, and the tour company, respectively. Yet, the waitress, the moving van driver/loader, and the tour guide don't get that money directly, but they sure do the tips. I'm not saying none of them care much, as the business must stay in the black for anyone to get anything, but there is a certain contingent who don't get the big picture or figure they aren't getting their due for the hard work, or both.
It's sometimes pretty harmless. The waitress has seen you before, likes you, and knows that you're not a cheapskate. "Here's an extra chocolate croissant. We'd have had to throw them out soon anyway." "Sure, I can drop the remaining stuff at your storage unit. The company doesn't need to know. I still got done today." "Hey, let me show you this beautiful artwork that the other tourists don't get to see. It's at my place ..." (Yeah, I wish!) By tipping heavily, you are giving this employee what she/he deserves, yet one can see that the employer is cut out of this extra business. It was their croissant, their gas and truck milage, and their wear and tear on that hot tourist guide ... wait.... respectively.
It can go a lot farther than that pretty easily. In these type of situations, tipping could become be an avenue for corruption, most especially in a low-trust society. We are still in the middle ground on this here in America. The way Big Biz acts these days, I have less and less compunction to worry about stealing its resources in this way. If they're gonna treat us like peons, we gotta act like peons.
Here is HR rep Holly Flax from the New York corporate office of Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.** attempting to give a seminar on business ethics and not stealing company time to the good folks at the Scranton branch.
* The funny thing is that these young people likely don't have any change in their pockets and purses to give to me, even if they wanted to be more cunning. "Hey, look at the old 737!" - I look away and he pulls out some change and makes a "Ker-ching!" sound with his phone? Nah, these people aren't clever like that. It's 2023.
** She beat Toby Flenderson by a long shot!
Comments:
Moderator
Saturday - April 29th 2023 10:51AM MST
PS: Yes this kowtowing by Governor DeSantis is getting pretty annoying, Adam. I lose some confidence in the guy every tme i read something like this. Even if this was his only flaw, somehow beholden to Israel without being of the Deep State, I guess the warmongering would continue.
Thanks for this news.
Thanks for this news.
Adam Smith
Saturday - April 29th 2023 9:15AM MST
PS: Good afternoon, Mr. Moderator, and Friends,
A little off topic, except for the corruption...
https://www.unz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/us-cuck.png
https://flgov.com/2023/04/28/governor-ron-desantis-signs-enhanced-anti-antisemitism-and-anti-bds-legislation-in-israel/
Why on earth would any governor fly to Jerusalem to sign an anti-free speech bill?
I'm tired of all these critters being so beholden to the merchant.
☮
A little off topic, except for the corruption...
https://www.unz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/us-cuck.png
https://flgov.com/2023/04/28/governor-ron-desantis-signs-enhanced-anti-antisemitism-and-anti-bds-legislation-in-israel/
Why on earth would any governor fly to Jerusalem to sign an anti-free speech bill?
I'm tired of all these critters being so beholden to the merchant.
☮
What is interesting is that Biden deviated from the established Demonrat practice of deferring greed until you leave office, which the Clintons and Obamas have used to make themselves centimillionaires, though Hillary did try to jump the gun early in the day. But the Dems are not alone.
US politicians have mastered the art of accepting tips ... gratuities for their servitude while in office ... in the form of corporate directorships, book deals, speaker fees, etc. Sure, you live on chump change for a few years while in office, but insider trading will get you by until you can really cash out.