You swing into your favorite coffee shop on your way to work.
The young kid at the counter is beaming with enthusiasm, working the espresso machine with one hand and smoothie blender with the other. He never loses eye contact with the next person in line and never misses a greeting to the ones walking in the door.
Impressive.
“We need more of this in America,” you think to yourself.
You step up to the counter, and he remembers your name;
“How are you doing this morning, Mr. Welch?”
And your order!
“Americano with an extra shot, two inches of room?”
Bingo. This kid is on fire.
“That’ll be $3.42,” he says.
You tap to pay, and the tip screen pops up. $1, $2, $3, or “other?”
Feeling inspired by his contagious energy, you click “other” and unleash a 300% gratuity. It’s your personal way of getting his attention, giving him a high five, and telling him to keep up the hard work.
Except he NEVER gets the message. Because technology sucks.
The tip screen disappears, and the money hops from your debit card into the cafe payroll account to be evenly divided among all the other average people working that day.
He’ll never see or feel that high five. He’ll never know you are cheering him on. And everyone involved missed a huge opportunity for joy.
We’ve long forgotten the difference between tipping and gratuity.
Gratuity, as its name suggests, is an expression of gratitude. It breeds kindness, appreciation, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Tipping, on the other hand, has become nothing more than a transaction. It breeds entitlement, indifference, and apathy.
Does that bother you as much as it does me?
Do you want to do something about it?
Carry cash, my friend.
Leave a crisp twenty behind to let that high schooler know that her dreams matter.
Tell the old man at the car wash to keep the change and do something fun with his grandkids.
Find the single mom working the gas station counter, look her in the eyes, tell her she’s doing a great job as you hand her a Benjamin Franklin.
The size of the bill doesn’t matter. But returning the lost gesture of gratitude to someone stuck in a thankless world can quite literally change their life.
Stop tipping.
Start giving gratuity.
Do it in a way they will feel and know that they are important.
Opportunities are everywhere.
Will you take them?
Cheers,
BW
