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At the Ferry Building in SF there is a grocery store that also has a cofee shop counter. They use the same POS system for checkout as for coffee/pastries.

The grocery side asks for tip on checkout. You bring the groceries, they ring you up, you have to bag them yourself. Then they ask for tip. Makes me furious.

“If you could just answer the quick question on screen …”

And of course the default options are 15, 20, 25. I’m even starting to see 17, 21, 30 in some places.



There is nothing more passive aggressive than the phrasing “if you could answer the question on the screen…”. You don’t even have the gall to ask for a tip directly, but you still expect one. If they will be bold enough to look me in the face and ask for a tip, I will give them one, But otherwise no.


Honestly, the clerk didn’t put that screen in, they may be just as abashed as we are furious. I don’t envy their position. I doubt point of sale tips even go to the clerk.


Tempting to bring out a calculator at checkout, especially if there is a long line, and start doing the math on the various tip percentage options, then ring for assistance.


I’m even starting to see 17, 21, 30 in some places

I’m hopeful this kind of naked greed will finally push it all over the edge.




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