“Has Gratuity Culture Reached a Tipping Point?”

Zach Helfand, writing at The New Yorker:

English coffeehouses were said to set out urns inscribed with “To Insure Promptitude.” Customers tossed in coins. Eventually, the inscription was shortened to “tip.”

I didn’t know I needed a ~4,700 word article on the history and subtleties of tipping, but this was a good read. We’ve recently been having windows and doors installed in our house, so the vagaries of how much to tip have been freshly on my mind.

Has Gratuity Culture Reached a Tipping Point?

Paying extra for service has inspired rebellions, swivelling iPads, and irritation from Trotsky. Post-pandemic, the practice has entered a new stage.

www.newyorker.com