I’m fine with the notion of tipping as a reward for extraordinary service, but it absolutely shouldn’t be part of a standard compensation package and especially not considered as part of a minimum wage requirement.
Really ... in what other circumstance would you ever reward an "extraordinary" accomplishment with a mere 15-20% bonus. What extraordinary thing costs just 15% more than the regular, run of the mill normal thing.
You might be right, and I think it makes for interesting introspection. For me, it’s not necessarily a policy grounded in rigorous economic philosophy. Rather, someone—a person with thoughts and feelings—just went the extra mile to serve me and give me a pleasant experience, and I want to give them a token of appreciation in return. It’s participation in humanity for me, rightly or wrongly. Maybe I would also tip the software engineer (who went above and beyond to ensure the product I bought was well-crafted) if only I had some direct contact with him or her?
