Do you tip your instructor?

[berndo]

Listen @berndo. I'm not going to write out my complete business plan. I'm not going to tell you about my NGO in Greece. I'm not going to explain all the things involved with running a dive center in Greece and all the various pitfalls I've learned. I am going to ask you to put me on your ignore list though. Τελος.

Hey man, I really wish you luck with your business. I didn't asked for you business plan. You already told us plenty about your plan. I don't want anyone to lose their retirement money.

If you're this thin skinned in person too, I wonder how you're going to deal with the customers every day.

 

[boulderjohn]

I hate when a waitress attempts to "do more" than required hoping in an higher tip.

What I hate is that two different waitresses at two different tables do exactly the same thing, but one gets twice the tip of the other because of the brand of wine ordered at her table.

 

[berndo]

What I hate is that two different waitresses at two different tables do exactly the same thing, but one gets twice the tip of the other because of the brand of wine ordered at her table.

On some tv show they made a test where they looked at how much tip one waitress made in one shift. Than she stuffed her bra for the next shift and they looked again how much she made. Guess what the outcome was.
They probably faked it but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't fake either.

 

[boulderjohn]

On some tv show they made test where they looked at how much tip one waitress made in one shift. Than she stuffed her bra for the next shift and they looked again how much she made. Guess what the outcome was.
They probably faked it but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't fake either.

I have two young relatives who worked summers at a golf club. They had places scattered around the course where players could go and get snacks. My beautiful grandniece made a fortune in tips. My hard working grandnephew had to fill in one day, and he didn't get a dime.

 

[boulderjohn]

I go to a local shop that specializes in coffee and tea and related supplies. I shop on my own and pick out what I want myself. No one helps me. I stand in line waiting to pay for it. When my turn arrives, I hand my purchase over to the clerk, who scans it into the computer and swings the screen around for me to see. That is where I am supposed to choose the amount of tip I give the clerk, with the minimum suggested for me to check being 18%. No one in that store did a thing to help me, and the clerk might not have even said a word to me. But I am supposed to tip them at least 18% for their lack of service.

 

[berndo]

I have two young relatives who worked summers at a golf club. They had places scattered around the course where players could go and get snacks. My beautiful grandniece made a fortune in tips. My hard working grandnephew had to fill in one day, and he didn't get a dime.

I never golfed but it sounds like the majority of golf players are men.

 

[boulderjohn]

I never golfed but it sounds like the majority of golf players are men.

Yep--the point is that your tip does not depend upon the quality of your work.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Yep--the point is that your tip does not depend upon the quality of your work.

Generally speaking, this is the general problem with meritocracy (which does not just involve tips).
Merit is evaluated with some metric, which almost always is biased.
So people being evaluated with an high metric are not really "better" than people getting a lower score.
And many people cheat, finding ways of getting an high score.
All this does not improve the real quality of work done.
Instead, on a general scale, it triggers opportunistic behaviour, unneeded competition where cooperation would be better, etc.
But the most annoying result, for me, is that those getting high scores in such distorted metric start thinking to be really better than their colleagues, and that the additional money they get is fully deserved.
I am currently rated very high in my work, but I am fully aware of NOT being better than my colleagues.
I am actually very lazy. I was much better and productive when I had half of my age.
But at the time my wage was 1/4 than now and I was considered not very good.
I adamantly admit that, when this terrible meritocracy was introduced, I worked towards getting an high score, dedicating time and effort to this task, which of course was subtracted to the real work.
It did take time to me for realizing how this game is wrong.
Apparently most people think it is fair to give a prize to the people performing above the average, and to punish people below the average.
This instead is profoundly wrong. It is an ethical trap.
But of course this is not really the place for explaining the hidden venom of meritocracy.
I am now fighting strongly against it.
But I feel that I am loosing the battle.
A few months ago our Ministry of Public Instruction was renamed "Ministry of Public Instruction and Merit".
So also our school system, traditionally very inclusive and "levelling", is now being converted in a meritocratic system, where resources will be concentrated on a small group of excellent students, condemning all others to subpar tuition.

 

[Marie13]

Generally speaking, this is the general problem with meritocracy (which does not just involve tips).
Merit is evaluated with some metric, which almost always is biased.
So people being evaluated with an high metric are not really "better" than people getting a lower score.
And many people cheat, finding ways of getting an high score.
All this does not improve the real quality of work done.
Instead, on a general scale, it triggers opportunistic behaviour, unneeded competition where cooperation would be better, etc.
But the most annoying result, for me, is that those getting high scores in such distorted metric start thinking to be really better than their colleagues, and that the additional money they get is fully deserved.
I am currently rated very high in my work, but I am fully aware of NOT being better than my colleagues.
I am actually very lazy. I was much better and productive when I had half of my age.
But at the time my wage was 1/4 than now and I was considered not very good.
I adamantly admit that, when this terrible meritocracy was introduced, I worked towards getting an high score, dedicating time and effort to this task, which of course was subtracted to the real work.
It did take time to me for realizing how this game is wrong.
Apparently most people think it is fair to give a prize to the people performing above the average, and to punish people below the average.
This instead is profoundly wrong. It is an ethical trap.
But of course this is not really the place for explaining the hidden venom of meritocracy.
I am now fighting strongly against it.
But I feel that I am loosing the battle.
A few months ago our Ministry of Public Instruction was renamed "Ministry of Public Instruction and Merit".
So also our school system, traditionally very inclusive and "levelling", is now being converted in a meritocratic system, where resources will be concentrated on a small group of excellent students, condemning all others to subpar tuition.

Two words: participation trophies. Just show up. No need to do any work.

You’re in favor of mediocrity. Why should anyone put forth ANY effort with your mindset?

 

[Blackcrusader]

Philosophically, I agree with the point you're making, Angelo. But when you're in the US or in my beloved Canada and you don't tip your waiter or bar keeper you are cutting their pay, essentially. If people don't tip them, they make (almost) no money. That's how their system works.

No, it is the employer cutting their pay. I am not responsible for an employees income. A tip is a gratuity. A gratuity is not something to be expected. I've never tipped an instructor for a course fee I paid for and never will. I've never had an instructor I know of mention of getting anything "extra" either.