DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a layover at the airport, so I sat down at a bar. Nobody greeted me. There was a touchscreen terminal at the counter for customers to place orders, so I did. In about 10 minutes, someone plopped my drink down in front of me (the same person who was mopping up a spilled drink). Still no greeting. I have worked in the service industry before, and usually have no problem leaving the now-traditional 18% tip — sometimes more for stellar service. I figured I did two-thirds of this particular transaction, so I gave a 6% tip for the one-third of the transaction they provided. Please tell me where my actions were flawed.
GENTLE READER: It has always been Miss Manners’ position that staff should be paid decent wages for their work — and that tipping is an unholy system whereby employers evade this basic responsibility. The fascination with how the tip is calculated is a distraction — a way for the customer to get in on the unpleasant activity of punishing workers. Is the system you describe poor service? Of course. But was the system set up by the employee asked to do double duty cleaning and serving? Unlikely.
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, [email protected]; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
