Wheaton News

Writer quotes her on why consumers are experiencing ‘tip rage’

These days requests for tips are coming more frequently and in the most unexpected places—even when you are just zipping into your favorite cookie joint for a little treat.

In the USA Travel Today article “Angry about having to leave a gratuity? You might have tip rage,” consumer columnist Christopher Elliot explores why people are getting fed up with the continual ask. He also looks at the flip side of the coin—underpaid service workers, who rely on and expect tips.

Elliot quotes Wheaton College Professor of Psychology Gail Sahar to open the article, which also appeared in many syndicated media outlets, including Yahoo, Life!, Dallas Morning News, The Seattle Times, The Oregonian, The Elliot Report and the New York Post:

“There are now more situations than there used to be in which we’re expected to tip,” Sahar said in the article. “That feels unfair to many people. They’re frustrated—and angry.”

Sahar offered additional thoughts that weren’t included in the article and advice about what consumers can do if they are feeling “tip rage.”

“As in any situation in which anger arises, there are actions you can take to reduce negative feelings. Many psychologists recommend doing things like focusing on deep breathing, bringing positive images to mind, perhaps counting down from 10 or 20 before responding, and probably most important here, shifting the way you think about the situation,” she said.

“For example, you might remind yourself that although the tip request is annoying, it is hardly the end of the world or even a major inconvenience. We are, after all, fortunate to be able to buy the things we need. In addition, there are a few facts to consider as we think through our response. First, the person behind the counter is not responsible for the tipping prompts on the payment screen. The decision to add such prompts was made way above this individual’s pay grade. So, it is important to remember that lashing out at them is not really fair, and it certainly won’t change the circumstances.

“Beyond that, many people in the service industry are not earning a living wage. They rely on tips not because they want to, but because many companies prefer to pay them less and count on customers to make up the difference. We might want to consider that fact before expressing our anger to the person in front of us.”