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Don’t forget to tip your robots.
A recent TikTok has exposed an airport store for prompting customers to select an 18% tip at a self-checkout kiosk.
Dr. Clay Moss, a longevity specialist, recently posted a TikTok where a self-service payment terminal automatically nudged him to tip. In an undisclosed airport, the doctor was stunned when he tried to purchase a bottle of water — which was already overpriced — and saw that he was automatically encouraged to tip — 18%.
Dr. Moss showed the store’s kiosk, which revealed the software — that seemingly uses a preset function — prompting customers to leave a 10%, 15% or 18% gratuity using an automatic tipping feature.
While he has seen the feature at other types of retailers, one major factor was missing — a worker. The airport store was completely self-service with not a single employee near.
Dr. Moss then asked two simple questions — has tipping culture gotten out of hand and who is the money going to?
“Who is this automatic 18% tip that I have to click out of for? Who am I tipping here? Is this what we’ve come to?” Dr. Moss said on TikTok.
He went on to say that in most cases, tips go to the staff associated with the store — like cashiers, attendants or shared tips for all the workers to split at the end of their shift. But what happens when the checkout machine is owned and operated by a third party?
“If a third-party payment processor or app is used, the tip is routed through that system to the vendor; policies about distribution vary by company and employer,” Dr. Moss said in the caption.
As tipping culture has become a major point of contention, TikTokers flooded the video with their takes. One user even suggested customers should be paid for their “work.”
“Wow, I believe if you are self-checking out, you should get a 20% discount. You are doing the work,” the user wrote.
Another simply wrote, “That’s shady AF.” A third added, ” I hate tipping culture in America.”
The medical specialist then offered some advice for folks who come across this sneaky tech — which has seemingly been added into more self-service kiosks. First, simply decline the gratuity and select the “no tip” feature.
If you need a bit of clarity on where the tip is going, Dr. Moss suggests just asking the employee behind the counter — if there is one.
And lastly, if you want to avoid any of the money madness, consider carrying cash.