@pinchers81 wrote:
@SteveSoCal wrote:
So it's our responsibility as mystery shoppers (potentially some of the worst paid people out there) to supply tips for employees who chose to take a job they cannot make a living at, or have created a lifestyle beyond what they are capable of earning?
You've been doing this a LOT longer than me, and at a much higher level, so I know you're familiar with how tipping works. It's not your "responsibility" to tip. I choose to tip because I want to reward hard work--and like risinghorizon, I tip well, and in cash, and do not claim it for reimbursement.
To clarify; That statement was in response to OceanGirls's assertion that people behind tip jars were generally poorly paid and have trouble making ends meet....and within the context of a thread discussing unreimbursed tips when MSing.
When I'm on an assignment where tipping is required, I expect that there should be some guidelines regarding the tipping policy of the assignment. If a tip is required, I am generally instructed on an acceptable percentage. I have seen a few shops where tips are expected but not reimbursed, and I will not take those type of assignments. If tips are not required or reimbursed, then I am going to be under the impression that the client does not expect their employees to be tipped, and I am not going to tip.
When I am on an assignment, I am not in the business of rewarding employees for hard work. I am in the business of evaluating their performance within the context of what their employer deems an appropriate reimbursement. We are, in a sense, both working for the same entity, so me offering a tip from my meager pay is like a busser providing a few dollars to the server from his minimum wage because the server did a good job. However, it's typical that the server will tip out the busser, since the server earns tips and the busser helps the server earn those tips.
I am not complaining about the pay that I get as a shopper. I'm just saying that most of the employees I evaluate probably turn a larger profit than I do at the end of the day for the time doing each of our respective jobs. I adjust my lifestyle costs to be below the income that I am capable of producing and expect others to do the same.
When I'm out on my own, I will choose tip tip as I deem appropriate, but this discussion was in regards to tips being reimbursed while on assignment.