Imagine you’re in a restaurant, finishing dessert, when the server approaches with the check. But before setting it down, he gets out a pen and asks, “Do you want to add a tip for me? How about 20 percent?” Or a bellman delivers your bags and, with his hand extended, says, “The average tip is five dollars per bag. You can give me more or less if you want.” These situations feel uncomfortable, even though tipping is deeply ingrained in U.S. culture. While tipping is a social norm, directly asking for one feels aggressive and inappropriate.
This discomfort highlights a tension in tipping culture: there’s a clear distinction between expecting a tip and directly requesting one. Yet, with the rise of technology, particularly point-of-sale (POS) systems in restaurants and other service industries, that line has blurred. The shift is subtle but significant: the request for tips is now coming from the device, not the person. This change has implications not only for the customer/server relationship but also for the broader economic and social landscape of tipping in the U.S.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE BY WILLIAM WERNER THE SPRING 2025 EDITION OF GAMING & LEISURE MAGAZINE.