Charity

“Tip or Die”

Garth Beyer

An ongoing argument, making its presence with the New York Times, is one worth riffing on real quick. Should restaurants do away with tipping?

I’ve written posts about tipping. The reason there are so few is because tipping is very cut and dry with me. Why go on arguing it? Oh, because

you can argue that tipping is not capitalism, or that a greedy goal ruins the process, or that it’s withering good character. But the truth of it all is that tipping is just like giving someone a tip.

I can give you writing tips, or tips on battling fear, or tips on relationships, but I only give them because I care, because I want to, because I know it makes you happy or benefits you in some way. It has nothing to do with any service you have provided me.

(The people who get talked about, give others something worth talking about. The people who get tipped, give others a reason to tip them. It’s not rocket science.)

Sure, we could simplify this and cut tipping in restaurants and other services, but let’s keep all the good and bad of tipping and simplify the why and how people tip. Businesses don’t need a lesson on whether they should keep tipping or not, people need a lesson on tipping.

Lesson one: Did you connect with those who served you? Was it personal? Did they help you? Did they go the extra mile? Were they happy, fun, energetic people who read you like a book? Did they bring a drink before you were finished? Did they memorize what you desired? Were they perfect?

Lesson two: Forget lesson one and tip big.

Either they were exceptional or they need a sign to show them that they are exceptional.

 

Stay Positive & Will You Be There For Them?*

Garth E. Beyer

Worth mentioning is that I view tipping as my charity. While I freely give my time and resources to those in need (sort of my passion), I rarely donate money to charities. I decided early on to focus my charitable giving on something that means a lot to me. Just so happens, that it means as much to the baristas, servers, and caretakers of the world as it does the recipients of your giving through other organizations, non-profits, or charities. Keep an open mind to who you will give an open heart.

Dressing Casual But Getting Looked At Like The Top 1%

Garth Beyer

With the recent news about the Waitress Tip of 1% on a $133.54 bill, I thought I would shed some further light on the fake and the real aspects of it, involving some insight on a new form of charitable giving.

The Bill Was Fake: The bill was photoshopped and a 20% tip was given on the real bill which was $33.54 dollars

The Tip Was Real: but the rest of the situation was fake. It wasn’t a wealthy banker who tipped 1%, it was a conventional person. It wasn’t just one person, it happened in a million restaurants and it happened yesterday too, and today as well. It will most likely occur again tomorrow.

The wealthy are still tipping reasonably well. It’s the middle class (if you can even call it that anymore) that are tipping terribly low amounts.

A Big Tip To Erasing The Class Monetary Gap

Occasionally, I toss spare change into the fireman boot, or a jar for the homeless or in a donation box at an art museum. However, a lot of people simply give to give. They give because they know the power of giving, the benefits of it, what it attracts back and know, without needing to be shown, that they are making a difference in one to one billion people’s lives with a single contribution.

But have you ever thought about where/who you are giving to? Did you ever think that spare change you are dropping into the donation jar for the homeless could have a much more powerful impact on either

1. Something you are more passionate about or

2. Something that gives a greater impact to a current issue?

Let’s cover our tracks before you walk with me with this idea by understanding what I am NOT saying. I am not suggesting that there are charities that don’t deserve to receive contributions. I am not saying the homeless do not deserve to be given compensation and direction. Know now, that I am one of the most optimistic people you will meet and I pride myself with my talent for finding how to make positive out-of-the-box improvements to all areas of life. Well, are you ready to walk an idea with me?

When I ask someone what the current biggest problem in the world is they either say something that we can’t change or grumble a disheartened “this damn economy”.

And I agree. But I am one of the few middle/lower class people who are doing something about it. I find my actions to be an oxymoron of the saying “the little things matter” or “it’s the little things that add up to the big things”. Why? Let me tell you what I do first.

Whenever I go out to eat I plan to tip between 8-20 dollars. Sometimes more if they are really great (I have once tipped $47  on a $47.00 meal). When I go out to dinner with this mindset, the universe almost naturally sends me incredible waiters and waitress’. But that is beside the point, the fact is that I feel that these people have a tough job with the current economic situation, far too many people tip them less and less.

Instead of making small money donations to every box, jar, jug and open hand I see, I save them to make huge donations to middle class workers in restaurants. On top of that, the middle class workers at restaurants are typically 16-24 years old doing their best to pay through college and have fun. With the mindset of humanity, here is a question for your character and integrity, would you rather donate $100,000 dollars over a span of three years to students working to pay for college or the same amount and time span to the elderly in a retirement home?

The question stated more simply, would you rather add to the current flow of economics that directly affects you, your way of life and everyone around you? Or add to the (pardon the pun) dying economic flow of those nearing death? Which will make a more positive and immediate impact on the growth of society and the economy as a whole? Which will close this class gap (money gap) quicker?

The 1% Reason To Tip Big

  • You get viewed like you are in the top 1% class. No really, there is no better vision then picturing how happy you just made your server as you leave.

Stay Positive and Tip BIG

Garth E. Beyer

Both similar and unlike the wealthy banker who also left the “tip” to ‘get a real job’, I too leave a note. After all, you can’t expect everyone to make the right choices with the extra money they did not expect, so I always give them a reminder of what they can achieve (their dreams) and to go after them.