Part of the problem is the attempts by Starbucks and others to appear “progressive”, make their employee positions into something they are not, and create a culture that benefits them. Did you know Starbucks was successfully sued for over $100 million in back tips for cutting managers in on tips? They would love to pay their coffee jerks half what they are now and expect you to pay the rest to your artisan “barista” that dumps a couple things in a cup and memorizes silly definitions like “skinny” and “tall” that are more trouble than they are worth. A “barista” will never be a bartender. A “barista” will never do tricks, discuss my girl problems for three hours, listen intently to monotonous droning about how his life sucks, fix my drink before everybody else’s, or memorize a thousand drink recipes and is not likely to even remember my preferred drink (if simply because one doesn’t order several in a row). Everyone is trying to get in on the benefits of tipping whether they deserve it or not. Why would they not do so?

Tipping is an artificial construction to prevent laziness and to motivate. I resent having to manage employee performance and pay for restaurants. Most of the time I wish they would pour water in my glass and stop badgering me and especially interrupting my conversation but I tip well anyway and especially if they catch me praying or talking about God.

If you’ve ever worked in a service industry you know that the employees are always trying to stereotype persons into groups to determine whom they should focus their energies on or whom to criticize even if a group can’t be found and has to be placed in to the catchall category of “cheapskate”. Our society loves to criticize Christians. If every Christian they had ever met practiced the utmost generosity with them they would still find fault with God and His people. Many non-Christians eat out Sunday afternoon and are unfairly grouped with Christians as “bad tippers”.

Secondly, when I was in seminary I did notice a tendency among fellow students to leave small tips or attempt to combine all of the tips in order to conceal their meager contribution.

If you’re going to take up a tip-producing table at a popular restaurant for a couple hours during crunch time, pray obviously, talk about theology, expect your drink to be refilled, leave a mess with your wicked awesome popped straws and toothpick balanced forks, you need to leave a substantial tip.

Thirdly, if you’re a Christian, you have no business being at any establishment other than a church on Sunday anyway.

It is hard nowadays to know who to tip and who not. I understand the frustrations of the gentleman at the coffee shop, but it seems like there is a great deal of increase in services not previously tipped for now having the expectation of a tip. Some people really just don’t know. For example, before seminary, I worked for a moving company and we expected that if we worked really hard and fast that we would get a tip. This was reasonable to us because if we did that and shaved an hour or two off the move we would save the folks $75 an hour. However, from their perspective, they didn’t know there was an expectation and they were already paying $75 an hour.

I read an interesting discussion on the issue of tipping recently at the Gather Little by Little blog.
http://www.gatherlittlebylittle.com/2008/11/tipping-getting-out-of-hand/

We should be generous and fair in our tips, for sure. We also should never leave a tract on a table unless it is accompanied by a very generous tip. A friend of mine who was a server said that sometimes on Sundays he would only be left tracts that looked like money. Not cool or Christlike. From what he and other server friends have said, there is a very hurting “server culture” where they need the gospel. We should do everything we can to see redemption brought to those folks and it starts with something as little as a few bucks and treating them with dignity, respect, and love.

JK

I think it is important that we be at least as generous as most people if not more so.

I understand the financial strain many seminary students are under, but the people we tip rely on these tips as a significant part of their earning power. In ministry, we need to be sensitive to the pressures those around us face.

I would hate to have someone characterize me negatively as a seminary student because of how I behave, whether it be tipping or any other interaction where my being a seminary is known or likely to come up.