Is Emotional Blackmail At Play? Customers Being Asked To Tip At Self-Checkout

Listen to this article Is Emotional Blackmail At Play? Customers Being Asked To Tip At Self-Checkout

Introduction

Self-checkout kiosks at airports, sports stadiums, and cafés have started asking for tips, which has led to confusion and frustration among customers. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, many customers are uncomfortable with the idea of tipping a machine, especially when they have had no interaction with human workers.

Customer Reactions

Several customers interviewed by The Wall Street Journal expressed their frustration with the new trend. Some were willing to add on the extra fees, but many found the tip prompts confusing and were unsure where the money was going.

A self-service beer fridge at San Diego’s Petco Park prompted a customer to include a tip on his order. Even though he was unsure of who he was tipping, the customer added a 20% tip.

Employee Distribution

Customers are also concerned about whether the tips they give are actually going to the employees. At the OTG gift shop in Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, a traveler was prompted to include a 10% to 20% tip on a $6 bottle of water. However, the customer felt that the request was a “bit of emotional blackmail” and chose not to tip. A spokesperson for OTG stated that all tip money collected is pooled and then paid out to the staff members working that particular shift. Similarly, a spokesperson for Petco Park told the Journal that all tips went to the employees.

Controversy Surrounding Tipping

The trend of tipping machines has increased the controversy surrounding tipping in general. Many Americans have started experiencing “tipping fatigue” as they are being asked to tip in more and more places. Additionally, the effects of inflation are making it harder for customers to tip as generously as they once did. This has led to landlords on TikTok making a case for gratuity to be added onto rent and the first unionized Apple store in Maryland fighting for the introduction of a tipping system.

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