tipped off

Yesterday for lunch we visited Noodles & Company for the first time. It was actually quite good, for a more reasonable price than I would have expected. When we walked through the doors I noticed some instructions posted on how to order. The last step included a comment that the restaurant is a no tipping zone.

There few things that confuse and frustrate me more than the process of tipping. To me, it is the ultimate in passive-aggressiveness in business. I'm expected to pay for something without being given a good description of what the parameters of the expectation are. This is the key. I am more than happy to tip for good service. I just don't like that it is not made clear when a tip is appropriate and how much is a good or bad tip. How much do you tip a barber or a taxi driver or a carhop at Sonic? Should I tip a higher percent if my meal costs less? What do I do if I don't have enough smaller bills?

In my life I have both over and under compensated on my tipping multiple times. The times that I know that I have underpaid have felt much worse than the times I have overpaid. It is worth paying a few extra dollars to not feel like I have shafted someone who needed the money. I have also heard that one of the worst shifts a waiter or waitress can have is Sunday lunch because Christians tend to expect more service and to tip less. I definitely don't want to be a part of that stereotype.

I believe that if a person's largest source of income is through tips, that the business hiring them has a moral obligation to make clear what level of tipping is expected for good service. That way, the people who rely on those tips and who provide good service can have the expectation that they will get the pay that they deserve. Sure, some people will eat out less, but we are talking about moral, not financial, obligations.

I know I would like a more up front system. At least then I won't spend half my meal, or haircut, or taxi ride wondering what type of tip, if any, is expected. I'd pay for that.