Tip cups are a common feature found in cafes. In recent years, the word “tip” has changed to “karma”. By calling it a karma cup, the baristas of the cafe are likely increasing their chances of getting more tips. After all, if the patron believes (even subconsciously) that they will have “good karma” by leaving a tip, they will be more likely to do leave the tip.
Karma cups are a real puzzle to me. If one believes in karma at all, it sounds as though the basic premise of karma is that by doing something good for someone else’s sake, one will be rewarded for their good deeds. However, it seems that labelling the tip cup as a “karma cup” isn’t going to increase the likelihood of people giving tips for the sake of giving someone their just reward: instead, it seems more likely that patrons will be taking into consideration how they can bring back positive energy to themselves. And that contradicts the point of doing something for the sake of someone else, because in essence one is then giving the tip in the hope that it will return positively on them in the future.
When a cafe has a cup labelled “tip cup”, the point of the cup is very clear. If you like the service, you drop a few coins in the cup. If you don’t like the service, then you probably aren’t going to open up your wallet. A tip cup is honest in its wording; the point of the cup is made clear and obvious.
“Karma cups”, on the other hand, are a more subtle way to entice patrons to give money in the hopes that the world will return the “good deed” back to them. Even people who do not believe in karma or who are not superstitious are still liable to pause and think that it’s worth it to leave a coin or two – just in case it promotes positive return in the future.
It would be interesting to do a study to find out if more customers leave money in a cup labelled “karma” over a cup labelled “tips”. Personally I prefer the straight-up bluntness of giving a tip, rather than the notion of giving money in the event that it will benefit me. Gratuities should be for the people behind the counter who have done work that we appreciate; it shouldn’t be something that we grudgingly hand over because we want “good karma” to come back to us. If it does, then so much the better – but that shouldn’t be the main reason for why we tip.
What are your thoughts on the rhetoric of the karma/tip cup? Do you find yourself giving more when the label reminds you that you will benefit from your tip rather than if you just think about giving the money for the sake of the work that the person behind the counter has done? Do you think that a person who pours coffee and then hands it to you over the counter deserves a tip, or should a tip only be left for someone who has to wait on your table? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Or it being a karma cup is just cute 🙂
What? We can’t rhetor-esthize everything? Huh. I missed that memo.
🙂
To be perfectly honest, it kind of bothers me that tipping has become such a big thing beyond the realm of waitresses/waiters. Why are we supposed to tip our barista/bagboy/hair-dresser/hotel staff? Yeah, okay, it feels nice to be a big tipper but those of us who can’t afford it feel bad, when really, these people are being paid by the hour to do a job – a job which is available due to the business of the customer. Seems to me we’re getting a bit too comfortable with expecting something that should be out of goodwill, not because of social norms – whether it’s karma or tip.
It does become a tricky thing to judge, and you’re right – the goodwill, social norms, and business aspects get rather convoluted.