Suggested Tip at Earl of Sandwich?

[whiteness]

WeI just visited Earl of Sandwich at Disney Springs for the first time. I was surprised that not only is a Tip requested, but it almost seems to be required.

I'm curious: has that always been the case? I must sound really old, but I seem to recall a time when quick service restaurants didn't expect customers to pay anything above the posted price aside from tax.

If Earl of Sandwich cannot afford to pay their workers a fair salary for their service behind the counter, they should totally raise prices. But requesting an additional Tip just for taking my order and nothing else seems hard to justify.

 

[mom2rtk]

How was it "almost required"?

 

[MinnieMSue]

Lots of quick service type restaurants pay minimum wage and also give employees tips (usually pooled and divided up tip total). I usually tip a couple of dollars give or take depending on how big my order is at them. I have not eaten at Earl in years. Most Disney quick service do not have a tip option. I do not do the 20% tip for quick service places like that.

 

[Pens Fan]

We had lunch today at a Jersey Mikes. There was an option to add a tip when I swiped my credit card, which I did. Heck, our local Subway has had a tip jar sitting by the register for years, as has our favorite independent sandwich shop in our town. I don't really find it that unusual that Earl of Sandwich would have a tipping option.

If I have some cash on me, I'll throw a couple of bucks into a tip jar, but as I rarely use cash for anything these days I prefer the option to add the tip when I swipe my card.

 

[whiteness]

We had lunch today at a Jersey Mikes. There was an option to add a tip when I swiped my credit card, which I did. Heck, our local Subway has had a tip jar sitting by the register for years, as has our favorite independent sandwich shop in our town.

Was the option "opt-in" or "opt-out?"

I've seen a few places where there are suggested various tip amounts, one of which being "No Tip." Those are basically "Opt-In", because giving a tip or not giving a tip are all equally visible and easy to do in just one finger jab.

In some places, there is no "No Tip" button. Only suggested Tip Amounts, plus a "Custom Tip" button. If one doesn't want to give a Tip, one may be initially unsure how to avoid giving one, as there is no specific button for that. Instead, you need to choose "Custom Tip" and enter "$0.0" as the Tip amount. Hence, it is cognitively harder to avoid giving a Tip than to give one, because the option is not explicate and requires additional steps. I consider that to be an "Opt-Out" tipping method.

I get that Earl of Sandwich employees are underpaid and have poor benefits. But that's not my fault: that's Earl of Sandwich's fault. They decide how much they will pay their workers. Then, they try get their customers to compensate for their stinginess by making it harder for them to avoid paying extra for service.

I think it is laudable that so many people voluntarily choose to give all the underpaid people they come in contact with extra money for service. But, by doing that, aren't you basically enabling their actual employers to be stingy and greedy? To avoid paying them a living wage while they pocket increased profits?

Because, let's be honest here: Earl of Sandwich wouldn't design their point of sales registers to work that way if they didn't benefit from it. It enables them to shortchange their workers while still claiming to be trying to help them. But, what they aren't willing to do is transparently raise prices and pass the additional income directly on to their employees.

 

[Pens Fan]

It was opt-in, but I honestly don't see this as being a big deal either way. Obviously you do, and that is certainly your right.

 

[georgina]

It is everywhere these days. I have been going to a local professional tennis tournament, where the overpriced food is sitting in warmers and the people working just take it out and hand it to you. No, I do not tip for that. If someone makes me a sandwich, probably I tip some. If a bar tender makes me a drink, yes, I tip. If S/he just hands me a bottle or can, no I don't!

 

[whiteness]

It was opt-in, but I honestly don't see this as being a big deal either way. Obviously you do, and that is certainly your right.

Don't blame the messenger. I didn't design Earl of Sandwich's point of sale software to work differently than the norm. Earl of Sandwich did. Earl of Sandwich must have thought it was a "big deal", or they wouldn't have done it.

 

[RivShore]

I have noticed some systems make it really hard to find the "skip" button and will just hit one to get the heck out of there. There was a recent article on this...

https://nypost.com/2022/08/01/fast-food-worker-embarrassed-by-ipad-asking-customers-for-tips/

 

[PalmettoPath]

How was it "almost required"?

I was wondering this as well based on that comment.

 

[whiteness]

I have noticed some systems make it really hard to find the "skip" button and will just hit one to get the heck out of there. There was a recent article on this...

https://nypost.com/2022/08/01/fast-food-worker-embarrassed-by-ipad-asking-customers-for-tips/

Exactly! And Earl of Sandwich has even removed the "Skip" button! It's funny, but sad and irritating at the same time.

I mean, what's next: will we be required to solve a Captcha if we want to decline tipping when we purchase a bag of potato chips?

 

[Pumbaa_]

Personal tipping habits is not a topic allowed for discussion. The mechanics are listed in a sticky thread above.