Paul Haddad 
I'm sorry, if I'm buying a $4k machine the last thing I want to see is a tip % option. I'm all for them to make more money and have better conditions but no way this crap.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-03/apple-s-unionized-store-workers-seek-tips-and-higher-holiday-pay
Apple’s Unionized Store Wants to Start Accepting Tips from Customers

Workers at Apple Inc.’s unionized store in Maryland are asking for higher pay and additional time off, along with changes that could affect the company’s tightly controlled retail experience, such as letting customers tip employees.

Bloomberg
May 3, 2023 at 11:15pmWeb
Show threadDaniel 🏳️‍🌈 Jilg May 3, 2023
@paul yeah I really hope the tipping thing was just added as bargaining fodder to be crossed off first
Show threadJonas WisserMay 3, 2023
@daniel @paul Not to be crossed off. It was added in the knowledge that Apple would never fucking allow that to be part of the Apple experience, and in the hope that Apple's negotiators will wind up adding extra dollars to base pay to avoid even having that conversation.
Show threadDaniel 🏳️‍🌈 Jilg May 3, 2023
@jwisser @paul that’s kinda what I mean, yes
Show threadsw0rdfishMay 4, 2023
@daniel @paul call their bluff and give it to them. No chance it lasts a month. Customers will be so insulted getting offered an opportunity to tip at a retail store, nevermind an Apple Store. Even if this is for the service side of things ( classes, training etc. ) it’s ridiculous.
Show threadConlan SpanglerMay 3, 2023
@paul That request seems very shortsighted to me.
Show threadTymMay 3, 2023
@paul Imagine less people go there after tipping is an option
Show threadEdgeMay 3, 2023

@paul @CStamp 1000% agree with this, for Apple and everything else.

We should not be individually subsidizing under-paying corporations

Show threadopkopkMay 3, 2023
@paul I feel the same about this as I do about ads in first party apps. I pay  plenty. It’s a package deal. They take care of everything past my paying and don’t bother me. They can pay employees whatever they need to. Charge me whatever they need to.
Just don’t bother me.
Show threadNeil BruderMay 3, 2023
@paul Tipping culture in the US is bonkers. It seems born out of the same ideological conditions that make gofundme a substitute for proper healthcare.
Show threadMiguel ArrozMay 3, 2023
@paul +1. On the market I get groceries from, one of the stores has the PoS configured to ask for tips. I always decline. I don't know if I'm missing something in North American tipping culture, but I don't see why that specific store is expecting me to tip when all the others next to them aren’t.
Show threadPaul Haddad May 3, 2023
@arroz what are you even tipping for, bagging your own groceries?
Show threadMiguel ArrozMay 3, 2023
@paul Not even that! What I buy there (gluten free brownies) already come shrink-wrapped. It's literally grabbing it from the shelf and giving it to me. Which is what most of the other stores do as well.
Show threadChuck O'Rourke:verified:May 3, 2023
@paul Do they ever even influence your purchase?
Show threadTyler LochMay 3, 2023
@paul When I worked at Apple in the pre-iPhone days, it was common for customers to try to tip us if we helped them to their cars with their new purchase (a big-honking CRT iMac or eMac, etc).
The rule was “no tips allowed” so we had to refuse.
MY rule was “only refuse once”. If the customer insisted…then thankyouverymuchhaveaniceday.
Show threadThomas BrandMay 4, 2023
@TylerLoch @paul I got tipped https://eggfreckles.net/notes/hammerhead
Abandoned PowerBook G4 | Egg Freckles

Show threadBrandonMay 3, 2023
@paul that’ll be one way to keep me out of the stores.
Show thread💐 🏖 🌺 𝕂𝕚𝕂𝕚May 3, 2023

@paul #Tipping culture is out of control in the 🇺🇸. We were all tipping generously during #Covid so that stores wouldn’t go out of business, and to compensate for no dining in at restaurants, but that’s over now, and it has to stop. ✋

Tipping is an excuse for employers to underpay their workers — which I highly doubt is the case at Apple. It should be the exception, rather than the rule, as it is in Europe (you only tip if service is truly excellent).

Show thread💐 🏖 🌺 𝕂𝕚𝕂𝕚May 4, 2023

@paul Just to follow up. Glassdoor estimates median Apple retail salaries at $46-60K. Pretty good by 🇺🇸 standards, especially since they will have good healthcare options and a 401(k) retirement plan with matching employer contributions.

The training alone would be worth a lot, setting employees up to move elsewhere when they’ve gained a few years of experience — if they can find somewhere willing to pay more.

https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/apple-store-salary-SRCH_KO0,11.htm

Salary: Apple Store (May, 2023)

The average salary for an Apple Store is $45,918 per year in US. Click here to see the total pay, recent salaries shared and more!

Glassdoor
Show thread(((Jann Gobble)))🏳️‍🌈May 3, 2023
@paul My comments: https://twit.social/@jann/110307260089032076
(((Jann Gobble)))🏳️‍🌈 (@[email protected])

@[email protected] I am absolutely NOT tipping a Apple retail employee! This is an affront to ALL sub-min wage employees!

TWiT.social
Show threadSteve Dinn 🇨🇦May 4, 2023
@paul You gotta tip well or they might spit in your airpods.
Show threadMoritz AngermannMay 4, 2023
@paul this tipping culture is so foreign.
Show threadMan BartlettMay 4, 2023
@paul it’s too bad tipping was included in this list/the headline because everything else seems super reasonable.
Show threadGadgetGavMay 4, 2023
@paul Tip for what? Are we supposed to tip in every retail encounter now? I know everywhere that uses Square, when they flip that iPad over they’re presenting a default tip, but I didn’t expect it at Apple.
If they want a tip they’ll have to be faster than the two hours it took to buy a new iPhone the other week.
Show threadGene Cowan 🏳️‍🌈May 4, 2023
@paul I fail to understand why making me loiter by a table waiting to be helped, then having someone send for something from the back room, then waiting some more, is worthy of a gratuity. Bring me a soda while I wait for my overpriced gadget at least.
Show thread🦣丁斯特DingsterMay 4, 2023
@paul Never even understand the tipping culture in the States to begin with. Why would you have to tip at a barber shop, for example? What was the money I paid for? And the hotel for making up bed and stuff? It’s not like I steal someone’s room and require a separate service. It is SERVICE INDUSTRY to begin with.
Show threadDrew PickardMay 4, 2023
@paul we should be on the path to getting rid of tips in lieu of retail jobs paying a living wage (and yes, this will involve raising prices, I’m sure)
Show threadCharlie TaylorMay 4, 2023
@paul this largely isn't about sales. I used to work at the Genius Bar and I cannot tell you how many times I was forced to turn down tips for helping people. $20 bills shoved into my hands, and I had to give them to a manager who just put them in the till and made a note. I don’t think it's unreasonable for the company to at least have it as an option for those who want to show appreciation for the free services and training that get offered at the stores.
Show threadShawn StrickerMay 4, 2023
@paul as a former Apple employee I know there were times that customers wanted to tip and we were forced to reject it. (As a Genius Bar employee)
So I get where some of those employees come from, they want to be able to accept the customer generosity, and not to force it to be an option.
Show threadPaul Haddad May 4, 2023
@kb1ibt “The workers’ negotiators also want Apple to adopt a tipping system, letting patrons offer gratuities in increments of 3%, 5% or a custom amount for in-store credit-card transactions.”
Show threadChrisMay 4, 2023
@paul if they’re unionized, why isn’t their union negotiating better pay for them? That’s literally one of the points of a union!
Show threadKid AbraMay 4, 2023
@astoicpoet They are negotiating better pay (both generally and holiday pay).
Show threadHeng-CheongMay 4, 2023
@paul The worse effect is that MacBook Air computers will often mysteriously go out of stock. Maybe you want to consider buying a MacBook Pro instead? And tap here for my tips.
Show threadJeffery BattersbyMay 4, 2023

@paul bogus. No thanks.

Plus, it’s pretty well documented that point of sale tips go to the company and not the employee.

Show threadRowe MorehouseMay 4, 2023
@paul Starbucks asks for tips on the credit card machine. Where do the tips even go? ... do employees split it at the end of the day? Now my $3 dollar coffee is $4? Why?
Show threadJeff ClatworthyMay 4, 2023
@paul If there’s ANY company that can afford to give their employees a pay raise without passing it on to the consumer, it’s Apple.
Show threadBobby De WaltMay 4, 2023
@paul When I worked at the Apple Store, and carried someone’s Mac Pro or iMac out to the car, they would almost always try to tip, and we would have to refuse because it was against policy to accept. I don’t think they should push it on people, but also not having to refuse would have been nice.
Show threadWacky BadgerMay 4, 2023
@paul well that is definitely one way to make me never step foot inside an Apple Store again.
Show threadMichael SteeberMay 4, 2023
@paul Totally bizarre to me. And I assume they'd have to build custom tipping infrastructure into the purchase flow. Wild stuff
Show threadpejacobyMay 4, 2023
@paul certainly free to “seek” tips but, no, just no.
Show threadMike Stanley ☁️ May 4, 2023

@paul Agree 100%. This tipping for non-service roles started before Covid but really took off then, and I participated mainly because I knew small local counter service shops were hurting. But I’m done tipping 20% on top of high prices because somebody tapped a couple buttons on an iPad and scooped ice cream into a cup.

Business owners should pay their employees a living wage and charge me a price that supports that. My role is to buy the product - not subsidize employee pay.

Show threadNeal OnionsMay 4, 2023
@paul I agree. I find Apple’s anti-union position about as unacceptable as their recent conversion to shoving adverts down my throat. However this misguided lack of appreciation of Apple’s retail ethos (high quality service, well educated staff, no pushy sales pitches), shows a depressing lack of understanding and empathy.
Show threadtravis ballstadtMay 4, 2023
@paul as a former store employee I was offered tips all the time. Not on purchases. On the hours of free support we gave out. It wasn’t something we asked for but when you spend ten minutes helping someone solve their problems, oftentimes they want to pay you. Weird huh?
Show threadtravis ballstadtMay 4, 2023

@paul 90% of our days we’re generally spent answering questions and showing people how to use the tools they’d already purchased. Most brands charge for that. We did it for free. I would say if the questions I answered I was offered a tip about 40% of the time. $5. $10. $20.

The Apple Store model is extremely generous with time and support. Some folks appreciate that.

Show threadVincent 🌻🇪🇺 en 🌹☘️May 4, 2023
@paul Glad to see that even among Americans tipping meets with this much pushback. Get unionized, get proper pay - don‘t push it to the customers to outbid each other on who gets the best service (if loitering around in the shop waiting for help is called that) for an already overpriced product.
Show threadMorgan Schönberger May 4, 2023
@paul As a former Apple Store employee I mostly agree. We weren’t allowed to accept tips which was mostly a good thing. The only exception I would see is during a Genius Bar appointment, where we provided value at low/no cost. Some customers wanted to tip, but we weren’t allowed to accept, which led to sometimes awkward interactions.
But: On those interactions normally were no credit cards involved, so this system would fail as well.
Show threadJanMay 4, 2023
@paul do you want people to very much hate unions or do you want to look like a bunch of idiots? Yes
Show threadQiuMay 4, 2023
@meaningful_jan @paul 🤣
Show threadInterpipes 💙May 4, 2023
@paul I imagine this is - and should be implemented as - more about being allowed to accept cash tips from customers happy with the service/genius bar/help carrying stuff rather than being prompted by the card machine to tip % on sales
Show threadThom HolwerdaMay 4, 2023

@paul Apple just oozes sleaziness.

More money than god, yet still relies on child labour, concentration camp labour, and underpaid store employees.

I hope @pschiller is happy with his new Porsche.

Show threadAbbie 🇵🇷🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈May 4, 2023

@thomholwerda @paul

Working in retail, you may find many cases where customers want to tip employees but policies are that you can be fired for accepting a tip.

So no, I don’t think having a tip process is a bad idea.

Show threadDmitry MazinMay 4, 2023
@paul I'm guessing it's tips for services. As in, they fixed your computer and you can tip. This is totally reasonable.
Show threadDavid W. KeithMay 4, 2023
@paul as a former retail worker, the tips usually where offered for helping solve problems. So usually for repair or educational services offered in the store. Not for merely selling a product. But that was 20 years ago.
Show threadDanMay 4, 2023
@paul Tipping has really gotten out of control lately. Don’t get me wrong I am a very strong believer if someone goes above and beyond that I will absolutely tip. But to set an expectation of a tip or to add the tip “guilt line” is crazy.
Show threadPenguinMay 4, 2023
@paul If a genius can now use discretion to replace a phone instead of repairing it without tips, will they lose that option if the manager thinks they’re doing it for tips? 🤔
Show threadSylvain G.May 4, 2023
@paul how can union consider an tip as a social progress ? A yearly salary évolution would be. Tips are such a strange practice seen from France. We do tips, but even when we don’t we know that worker will be paid anyway
Show threadaeberbachMay 4, 2023
@paul tips in a retail store? Stupid. Would not visit. Pay them properly to begin with!
Show threadBrandonMay 5, 2023
@paul I’m still stewing on the idea of a company sitting on a pile of cash the size of Australia contemplating asking us to tip the employees.
Show threadSteven BarnhartMay 5, 2023
@paul the tipping virus needs killed, not allowed to continue growing.
Show threadChristian del ValleMay 5, 2023
@paul tipping What??? They are not waiters in a restaurant..
Show threadMieszko ŚlusarczykMay 5, 2023
@paul https://youtu.be/10PV25ybG7U
Being forced to tip in retail - The Tip

YouTube