I go to the same coffee shop every morning. When I hand over my thermos, the barista asks, “Coffee with a little bit of milk?”<\/p>\n
I’m a regular and I have my usual. Being known like that helps me start the morning well.<\/p>\n
Except for one part of that morning routine that trips me up every single day \u2014 the tablet payment method that displays recommended, preset tipping amounts that stare at me almost as awkwardly as the barista behind the counter who\u2019s waiting to see just how generous I really am.<\/p>\n
I panic.<\/p>\n
My brain tries to do too many things at once. I wonder if handing a black coffee over the counter merits a tip in the first place. But I don\u2019t want to seem like a jerk, so I try to calculate 20 percent of $3, while evaluating the barista\u2019s level of charisma without actually making eye contact \u2014 because he or she is clearly waiting to see how well I tip. But I\u2019m rushing because I don\u2019t want to hold up the line. Finally, I just settle for the middle preset option: $2.<\/p>\n
So my $3 black coffee becomes $5, and I walk away with coffee in hand, head still spinning and two fewer dollars in my bank account.<\/p>\n
Now I frequent this coffee shop often, so thankfully I don\u2019t go through that entire panicked process each time anymore, but I\u2019m sure you can relate nonetheless.<\/p>\n
Steve Martin starred in a \u201990s film called \u201cMy Blue Heaven,\u201d a lighthearted, mafia-inspired comedy. In the movie, Martin tips everyone. One of my favorite quotes is what Martin says to co-star Rick Moranis: “It’s not tipping I believe in. It’s overtipping.”<\/p>\n
That quote reminds me of my family because tipping generously is in my blood. My grandfather, who had the biggest, most lovable personality, was a regular at every restaurant he visited. Waiters and waitresses would fight one another to serve his table because they knew he’d leave a ridiculous tip.<\/p>\n
But preset tipping amounts on tablets have created a new expectation, specifically at coffee shops. Previously, the art of tipping, though expected to some degree, was more discreet. Even a tip jar gave some privacy, allowing the customer to surprise the barista by putting a little something extra in the jar. The customer could give it at any time, before or after the transaction, and could even wait till the barista had left to make the coffee. Not to mention, you didn\u2019t have a line of people standing behind you, waiting to see which option you tapped on the tablet.<\/p>\n
The question remains: Do you tip someone who simply tosses a scone in a paper bag?<\/p>\n
I don’t know. But I do think Christians have more responsibility than unbelievers to tip generously.<\/p>\n
If you feel awkward tipping, or if you never tip more than the minimum, I encourage you to ask yourself why:<\/p>\n
Maybe your reason for not tipping or only tipping the minimum has valid points. May it doesn\u2019t. Think through them and have an action plan for the next time you\u2019ll be at the coffee shop.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t allow guilt or social pressure to dictate your actions when you stand in front of the tablet. But also don’t decide to be stingy just because the preset tipping amounts annoy you.<\/p>\n
My advice? When you’re faced with the tablet’s preset amounts, give when you can.<\/p>\n
I don’t tip every single time I get a bagel and coffee from my coffee shop. But I do tip regularly.<\/p>\n
My tips also aren\u2019t always dependent on behavior. Because it seems wrong if they are. Let me explain.<\/p>\n
As believers, we\u2019re told to love unconditionally. A generous tip isn\u2019t necessarily unconditional love. Yet measuring people\u2019s worth by their bubbly personalities or how efficient they are at whipping together your pumpkin spice latte seems pretty counter to what Jesus was all about: grace.<\/p>\n
Rather than tipping in response to how that person serves you or treats you, tip because you know it’s a small gesture that might make a big difference.<\/p>\n
Or better yet, carry cash \u2014 that way you won\u2019t have to worry about the tablet payment method at all. But you can still put a few extra dollars in the tip jar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When paying with a credit card through a tablet, those preset tipping amounts stare at me almost as awkwardly as the barista behind the counter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":24416,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24414","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-finances","category-personal-growth"],"yoast_head":"\n