When and where people should leave tips and how much of a tip is a debate or a person’s own choice but what about when we are being asked to leave a tip at restaurants? As many of you are aware Interac Machines are programmed to ask the person if they would like to leave a tip. I myself find this wrong as tipping people at restaurants and other places is an act of giving and should never be asked or make the customer feel obligated to leave one. That is no different then soliciting, or begging for money.

What do you all think? Should tipping be really programmed in Interac Machines? That is literally asking people if they want to leave a tip when tipping is a gesture of appreciation and act of giving. I know what some will say is that we live in a debit card, and credit card world. We all use plastic in today’s world but if you think about it we all have some cash on them if we really look. Especially women, maybe not so much for the men but women have purses that carry everything in it. I’m sure people can find money for a tip to leave if they choose.

Another suggestion on that defence of why Interac Machines are programmed to ask if they want to leave a tip there should be a button on their cash register for tips that customers want to leave. If people truly want to leave a tip they will ask is there a place where I can leave a tip. Then they can punch it in manually and how much included with the bill when customers pay by debit card. I know it’s easier to have it programmed in the Interac Machines itself but tipping should never be asked and that’s what is being done by having it on their Interac Machines at Restaurants.

If you really want to get technical about it when we all pay at restaurants using a credit cards their is a spot on your slip saying tip and then you can write in what you want to leave for one. Yet again we are being asked to leave a tip by asking and bringing it to our attention in the form of writing making some people feel obligated to leave one. I am not saying at all don’t leave tips at restaurants as I do and its ethical to do so but I am just bringing aware that we are now being asked discreetly and a form of soliciting through writing and now through Interac Machines. Tipping should be left up to the customer and their should be no influence or reminder for us to leave a tip as yet again it’s an act of giving and it’s not required to do so. Myself I would leave a tip regardless if they removed it from their Interac Machines and their credit card slips. I always have some cash on me, and at least it would be my own gesture instead of it almost being implied that I need to leave a tip.

What do you think? Should they really be asking us if we really want to leave a tip on those Interac Machines? What about the credit card slips? Lets hear your thoughts?