Tipping Deconstructed

I am starting to think from a new perspective that Mr Pink, from Reservoir Dogs, is correct. Play the world's smallest violin for all the waitresses. We have inherited all this tipping business without any good reason. If it's not mandatory, does it not mean that the market cannot sustain the higher price? Tipping is social coersion by extra-market forces, paying tips is like buying indulgences. It only matters, quite frankly, when you are talking to other people about your tipping habits. In economic speak, tipping is *signaling*. How many of us actually talk to the person we might tip about the reasons for tipping, no we talk to each other about that. Every time I tip, I realize that I am either, being morally self-congratulatory or on an expense account. A tip sends a message to the tipee only if it is very large or very small as regards the quality of service. But a normal tip sends no message at all to the tipee, but it always signifies something to the tipper.

Here's an experiment. (I've been reading Ariely). I bet that the amount of a tablemate's tip is a bigger influencer on tip size than the quality of service. Or back to the Tarantino movie, if there were more people in agreement with Mr. Pink it wouldn't matter how good the waitress was, she'd get a smaller or no tip.

I'm meticulous about my tipping and always tip everybody. It's a habit I picked up as a traveling consultant road warrior on expense accounts. I tip 20% rounded down to the nearest buck. I never write that amount, I just put in the bottom line and let them figure it out. If you want the money, do the math, I say.

I do distinguish.. now that I'm signaling I may as well got the whole nine..between waitstaff, cabbies, bellmen and janitors. My wife always tips the lady who cleans the hotel room. I don't know where that came from and I never do it. I never tip for takeout food. I tip cabbies but don't mind if I don't. The person I would never stiff is a bellhop or a shoeshine boy, no matter what.  

Hmm. Now whom do I cheat on a regular basis?