Self-checkout machines asking customers to tip
Leaving a tip in a restaurant or taxi is a part of life in many countries. Usually, we give a tip to a waiter or to a member of staff in a hotel. At other times, we put the tip in a jar next to the cash register. With modern technology, there is a new way to tip – self checkout machines. People are not so happy about them. The machines are asking for tips. They are in airports, stadiums, cookie shops, and cafes in the USA. Self-checkout machines mean there is no face-to-face contact between people. However, many of these machines are asking customers to leave a 20 per cent tip. Customers say they are not so happy about leaving a tip and giving extra money to a machine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that many people in the USA are becoming tired of tipping because of the self-checkout machines. Reporters wrote that many people are experiencing "tipping fatigue". Nearly 20 per cent of Americans are now leaving tips for things they never used to leave tips for. They are even tipping when buying a bottle of water. This was because there are more digital payment machines. A customer at an airport store said a prompt on a self-checkout machine was like "emotional blackmail". The payments company Square reported that the machines are increasing the number of tips. It said Americans are leaving 15 per cent more tips than before.
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Chat
Talk about these words from the article.
tipping / restaurants / taxis / waiters / hotels / self-checkout machines / customers / tired / fatigue / bottle of water / digital payments / airports / blackmail / machines
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True / False
1) The article says people in all countries leave tips. T / F
2) Some people leave a tip in a tip jar next to a cash register. T / F
3) People in the USA like self-checkout machines asking for tips. T / F
4) Some machines are asking customers for a 20% tip. T / F
5) People are experiencing tipping fatigue because of the machines. T / F
6) Some people are leaving tips when they buy bottles of water. T / F
7) A customer said the machines were using "emotional blackmail". T / F
8) The machines are decreasing the number of tips people leave in the US. T / F
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Discussion
1) What do you think of tipping?
2) Do you like the idea of self-checkout machines?
3) Who should we give a tip to?
4) How much of a tip should we give?
5) Would you prefer a human or a machine when paying for things?
6) How important is face-to-face contact in life?
7) Should tipping only be for restaurants, taxis and hotels?
8) Is there a custom of tipping in your country?
