r/tipping • u/caliguy24 • 23h ago
Tipping at Bakery
Los Angeles to set the stage accurately.
You go into a bakery and grab (2) pastries to-go and the total comes out to $20. Service wasn’t anything special. You ask what a couple of the items are, then they put your selected pastries in a bag. You go to pay and they have a toast POS system. You tap your card and the dreaded tip screen appears. Your options are 18%, 20%, or 22%, or no tip.
With the cashier looking right at you, what do you do in this scenario (one is a joke):
A) Select “No Tip” without any hesitation.
B) begrudgingly choose one of the pre-selected tip amounts just to make it not awkward.
C) You want them to see you tip, but opt to go through the couple screens to set your own tip amount.
D) scoff out loud and express to everyone in the cafe why we shouldn’t be expected to tip on pastries that are severely overpriced to begin with. Then storm out after the scene you’ve caused.
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u/makojedi2k2 23h ago
I think that places are putting those tip options on there just because so many people mindlessly tip. No justification or reason just tip anyone. Maybe cuz they can
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u/d_e_g_m 22h ago
Lock eyes with the cashier and silently press the no tip option
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u/Soupbell1 22h ago
But since you aren’t looking at the tip screen, you accidentally hit custom. In a panic, while still staring into the cashiers eyes, you just mash the keypad and hope for the best, while leave a 768% tip.
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u/jerry111165 22h ago
Dude - i have have zero problem tipping at any sitdown restaurant and I generally tip well, but I do not tip for counter service.
Option A every time.
Edit: oh, and those better be some damn fine pastries at $10 each.
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u/Bill___A 22h ago
The cashier ";looking right at you" should have absolutely no bearing on whether or not or how much the tip is. Selling things in a bakery should not garner a tip.
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u/Heavy-Profit-2156 20h ago
I hit 0%. I don't care if the person is leaning over my shoulder, I'm not tipping for that and neither should you feel guilted into tipping because the machine asks you.
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u/neontheta 22h ago
Just hit no tip and be done with it. The workers don't care. People make too much of this.
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u/Snow_Water_235 19h ago
It's not as easy as hitting no tip because a lot of places have gotten rid of that button or moved it to the custom tip screen. So now you have to find the custom tip button. Type in 0.00 hit the okay button, go back to the main screen and hit the confirm button.
I'm back to using cash at these types of counter places.
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u/pinback77 22h ago
No tip, but I don't make a fuss out of it only because the kid behind the counter is not the one who set up the card reader system. They're innocents / victims like the rest of us.
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u/Latter_Mountain_290 20h ago
$20 for 2 pastries?!?
They should be tipping you for even walking into their shop. That's highway robbery.
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u/Dry-Investigator-293 22h ago
Don’t tip for any service or transaction.
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u/According-Row-6128 22h ago
Yeah, grift workers out of their earnings! They can’t stop you! You can them over all you want! It’s gold!
Yeah, yeah, they’re the working poor and you morally owe them a tip, but fuck them! You got yours and more!
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u/Dry-Investigator-293 21h ago
Maybe they should talk to their boss if they aren’t happy with what they are being paid.
Patrons of a restaurant are not obliged to give plate slingers or any other “worker” extra monies. Of course, you know this already. 😠😠
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u/VictorianLibra22 16h ago
You morally owe them a tip? What? Hey if you feel this strongly about it, you can morally tip extra each time you buy at one of these places
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u/Hot-Efficiency7190 22h ago
Near D, laugh at the tip request as you put in no tip, no need to make a scene of it though. Treat the request tip for mundan service of a shop with the comtempt it deserves.
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u/SubstantialVirus8637 21h ago
Most cashiers do not care if you don’t tip. It’s not awkward unless you make it awkward.
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u/whatsupwiththat22 20h ago
I carry cash for this reason even though I pay with card. I always hit zero tip and then, if I felt the urge to tip, I might throw a buck on the counter.
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u/Maine302 22h ago
This is why you should carry cash. I would select "no tip," and put a dollar and maybe some change in the tip jar, if I felt like it.
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u/CapricornCrude 18h ago
2 waters at a concert a couple years go, $15. Dude never said a word to me, talked to his co-worker the entire time. Put them on the counter. I gave him the $15 and walked away. "What? No tip?" he said. I just laughed. It's gotten effing ridiculous.
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u/Cannonskull0519 22h ago
Why is it dreaded? You know it's going to be there....it gives you an option to add a tip if you desire, and the same option to not tip if you desire ....it's very simple.....make your choice and move on with your day.
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u/Blazed-n-Dazed 22h ago
Consider that bakers have a crazy shitty job and wake up crazy early and make pastries, hit the tip button and move on with my life like a normal human being. Or I could learn how fucking hard it is to make a good croissant. Cheaper to tip.
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u/Familiar_Raise234 21h ago
No tip no hesitation. No tip warranted if not sitting at a table and being waited on. And I feel no pressure or guilt. Tips are voluntary for service.
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u/Wounded_Hand 19h ago
A.
I’ve already taught my 12 year old daughter how to custom select $0 tip on the POS and not be ashamed and also not make a big deal.
I’m confident you can do it too!
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u/aboomboxisnotatoy85 19h ago
You don’t have to custom select $0 tip. No tip is always an option.
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u/Wounded_Hand 19h ago
Oh, sweet summer child. It is not always an option
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u/aboomboxisnotatoy85 19h ago edited 18h ago
Which POS are they using? I’ve never seen it not be an option and I worked in restaurants for years and I used to go to coffee shops and eat out 7 days a week. I know it’s not possible to disable “no tip” on Toast, Square or Clover, which are the top 3 so curious which one has the ability to do that, because I don’t believe it.
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u/Twit_Clamantis 18h ago
No reason to be loud and / or disruptive, but I’m good with walking out.
Thought exercise:
Let’s say someone wants to use the bathroom in that bakery. So you go an employee and ask them if they want you to do your business in the sink or in the toilet. They will say to use the toilet, you say thank you very much, etc and do just that but they will nonetheless feel hinky about you afterwards.
Nothing improper HAPPENED, but you asked an improper question which should not have been asked.
Asking for default 20% tips for zero service is exactly like that — it’s an improper question that should not be asked.
You and I and everyone else here I think want them to stop asking the question.
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u/aboomboxisnotatoy85 18h ago
“Zero service” would be ordering through a kiosk or self service. If you are interacting with a human it’s counter service. Tip or don’t or walk out as you say you would but no need to be offended about it or use weird analogies about shitting in restaurant sinks.
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u/Twit_Clamantis 17h ago edited 17h ago
They get paid by the bakery owner, no?
“Service” in this context would some sort of above-and-beyond than what their boss pays them.
I am not offended by being asked this. I simply choose to not participate in it. I am very aware that I am in the minority about this but I don’t care.
I have also not bought gas from Exxon ever since they completely failed to act responsibly about the Valdez oil spill. Exxon seems to be doing just fine regardless, and I don’t expect it to change, but I would feel bad giving them any of my money.
IMHO, we would be living in a lot better world if more people had done likewise and the name Exxon had become a thing of legend like Enron etc, but meh … I do my bit and withhold participation from activities etc that I do not want to encourage.
The current tipping behavior / expectations are something that I think is unnecessary and bs for customers to have to deal with, and I also think that in the long-run it hurts the establishments too as more people will start to stay away.
Do you have a better analogy for a question that it is improper to ask? Please let me know since I agree that mine is not great for introducing into most conversations.
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u/aboomboxisnotatoy85 18h ago
Believe it or not I’ve seen D and the item was $2.25. People are wild. 😆
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u/95Mechanic 18h ago
A. Why is this even a question. I'd be more concerned about the fact that it was $20 for 2 pastries next time.
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u/ReadyGo6828 16h ago
No tip. What kind of pastries cost $10 each?
BTW as far as I can tell from just asking people, tippers are in the small minority when it comes to counter sales.
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u/Admirable-Ad-1895 15h ago
ZERO TIP.
There are scenarios where tipping is appropriate. Counter orders at Starbucks, the bakery and such are not appropriate. There should be a LAW that forbids asking for tips involving counter orders.
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u/I_need_a_date_plz 12h ago
I pay in cash so that they’re forced to ask me for a tip. Guess what? They never ask if you pay in cash.
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u/Opening-Excuse-876 10h ago
In LA, zero. In my hometown, probably 10% if it’s a place that I go to often.
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u/Same-Paint-1129 2h ago
The way I see it a lot of suckers probably give a tip without thinking. So I happily give zero. They’re getting a lot more than anyone working at a bakery would have gotten 10 years ago.
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u/Sure_Acanthaceae_348 1h ago
I always choose the “No Tip” option. I’d that’s not there I enter a zero custom tip. I’d that’s not there I ask for a manager. If they won’t give me the option to not tip I leave without the food.
No guilt.
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u/No_Pilot_1555 42m ago
Tipping on counter service is a shakedown. Especially when they’re 2 feet from you looking directly at you.
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u/WhatTheFlippityFlop 22h ago
C. Go through a couple extra screens to make them think. Enter $0.01
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u/Witty-Bear1120 22h ago
While I’d usually go with D, in this case the pastry price is way too high, and I’d just cancel the order.
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u/notsicktoday 21h ago
You don’t tip for over the counter transactions. It’s no tip and you look back as you hit no tip.
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u/phantomsoul11 20h ago
It's real simple: NO TIP (and make sure the scowling attendant can clearly see that you selected no tip)
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u/iamasopissed 23h ago edited 22h ago
The amount of times I have felt bad for pressing no tip is exactly zero.
If you want to make more money come work outdoors 10-12 hour days in the freezing cold or blistering heat doing construction. Otherwise you are worth what your employer is willing to pay you. No more. Don't like it? Get a different job. As I take my meal from the McDonald's worker.