RE: "I've got a tip for you" [July 26, 2007]

In regards to an editorial about tip jars written by Debbie Ramsey a few weeks back:

I run a shop [deli] and am asked frequently if we have a tip jar. My response is as always, “We don’t have a tip jar, but if you would like to tip the person who made you such a good sandwich you may give the tip to them directly.”

I never want to guilt trip a customer into paying more than my normal price. A tip jar seems to do just that. “Please fill our jar, we don’t get paid enough.” That is what a tip jar says to me.

So do we put money in any jar we see that is decorated cute? One would think Starbucks has their price high enough to pay their employees. Why the jar?

If you think the person who takes care of you was excellent, polite, cute, or very fast and efficient, feel free to tip them. But please don’t feel like you have to put a dollar in a jar to get a good sandwich; we do that already.

You will never see a tip jar in my shop. We are a ‘guilt-free’ deli.

Dominick Grossi Jr.

Dominick’s Sandwiches

P.S. How do you feel about paying a fifteen percent gratuity when you are a party of six or more? Is it fifteen percent harder to serve those two more people? Is promptness guaranteed?