I’m sure that was a programming atavism. I would have asked “can I write a check” if there was no way to skip the button for tip. 
2 Likes
Actually, this has happened before. Maybe earlier in this thread, or another tipping thread, a parent was asked to tip on a prom dress.
I would not tip in a retail clothing store. Sorry. We didn’t tip the wonderful person who worked with us on DDs wedding dress.
6 Likes
I typically tip housekeeping service $3-$5 per day in a hotel. I’ll leave the money on top of a written note saying it’s for the housekeepers, so that they don’t assume I inadvertently left the money. A couple of weeks ago I was staying at a hotel, and there was an envelope with a printed message from hotel management on it saying it was for tipping the housekeepers if we wished to do so. For some reason I was annoyed by that, because it’s management openly acknowledging that they decided to not pay their housekeepers a decent wage, and asking customers to make up the difference. I guess it’s OK when you don’t openly admit you’re underpaying your staff, but when you do…Sheesh. I still stuck $5 in the envelope, but it sure left a bad taste in my mouth.
2 Likes
And THEN they make your drink, right? I would either bring cash next time or just not go back.
We were just at a hotel for a week and every day there was a handwritten note with two names on it - letting us know who was going to clean the room the next day. First, two names was odd to me because do two people really clean the room? But then I saw the people cleaning and it was always one person per room. I don’t know - I just left $5-6 a day on the note.
I would have bypassed that screen without hesitation.
5 Likes
People can dispute this but in a time some people are whining about Amazon getting everyone’s buying business it is not going to help retail if they regular retail stores start asking for tipping!
7 Likes
The last place we bought a prom dress was at a large wedding/prom dress store where you had to make an appointment, you got your own dress finder, only one other family member, men had to stay outside in a viewing area. You were given a dressing room and the person asked about color style and price, and brought dresses to the room. It was probably a 2 hour process all in, I tipped but I don’t recall an option when I purchased (this was 2019, dress was reworn in 2021 at a faux mom prom (school didn’t organize a prom), so got our $ worth.
Exactly and there is this odd guilt that comes along with it and I all of a sudden feel pressured. I’ve decided I’m paying cash whenever I can now just to not deal with it.
5 Likes
This is pretty much what we experienced. And the girl was so helpful. She even brought my daughter in dresses she liked in order to show her options. Again, she was great and very helpful. I just never seen a card machine in a mall store that asked you if you wanted to leave a tip. In hind site what I should have done is not selected a tip and then hand her $20 bucks.
5 Likes
The whole wedding planning process plays on one’s emotions. We looked at a venue whose wedding package (champagne toast, appetizers, meal, cake) was significantly more expensive than doing it a la carte. I asked why and they said that most people like the convenience of having it pre-selected. Yes, I will select it before the wedding but I don’t need to pay a premium to have you pre-select my options before I even make a deposit.
Regarding housekeeping, I kind of understand where the envelope is coming from. We’ve left money on the nightstand and not have it taken. We usually leave it on the pillow/bed. The majority of time it gets taken but sometimes it isn’t. Maybe the envelope makes it clear to the staff.
5 Likes
I see envelopes in hotel rooms more often than not.
I treat unwanted requests for tips like I do solicitation calls. I ignore them. If I pick up the phone and it’s a solicitation, I don’t even say, “No thanks,” I just hang up the phone. If people are going to be presumptuous, I feel no obligation to be polite. I will continue to pay with credit cards, but not tip if I don’t want to.
8 Likes
I am not interested in tipping retail stores, especially not on a big purchase. We just bought an expensive suit at Nordstrom’s—H received great service but was not expected to tip anyone. Expecting tips at retail stores will speed the exodus from retail stores in favor of mail order, imho.
7 Likes
In other words, you paid a premium and with that premium Nordstrom delivers an experience.
And that person is compensated via commission.
Tipping at retail boggles the mind.
4 Likes
I don’t tip at Nordstrom, and I would not tip at my downtown boutique (selling the same dresses with the same MSRP) - or any retail store. I have yet to see one such reader with a tip option at a purely retail store, but if I do see one, I will ask them to call IT to reprogram the device.
I skip tip line at winery retail stores where I buy wine. I will leave $5-10 for the person who poured our tasting, but not a percentage of my wine or prepackaged (by some other business) cheese platter purchase.
1 Like
I have bought more online in the past year than my whole life combined prior to this! If people are expecting tips for serving me at stores, I will go to stores even less.
3 Likes
Don’t get me started on weddings. On You Tube my D found a video of a market place investigation about how the whole wedding industry plays on your emotions and how places ramp up the prices for weddings. It was a Canadian market place investigation, but of course it would be the same in the US. They had one lady planning a wedding and one lady planning a 50th birthday party at the same venue and it was amazing how much more expensive it was to plan a wedding at the same venue for the same amount of people.
In regards to tipping, I’ve never tipped or thought to tip at a clothing store…
3 Likes
I thought of this thread yesterday because I made an online donation and there was a prompt to tip the staff processing the donation!
That’s a little much!
2 Likes