Digital tipping demands: excessive or fair service?

Digital tipping demands: excessive or fair service?

More and more people are using cashless payments in the catering industry, and questions about digital tipping are also increasing. The author Anny Norma Schmidt reports in her article on shz.de about the increasing popularity of tipping options on EC devices. These digital requests, which often appear when paying by card, raise a number of questions: Is it invasive if you are invited to give a voluntary tip when paying?

For many card payments, the selection of tip percentages now appears automatically. This is becoming increasingly trendy, especially in the catering industry. But not every guest feels comfortable being more or less forced to leave a tip. Schmidt raises the question of how the service culture is changing as a result. After all, one of the most important elements in service is friendliness, which often determines the success of a restaurant.

The change in payment transactions

Cashless payments have become enormously popular in recent years. Digital solutions offer the advantage of being simpler and faster for many customers. According to Schmidt, tipping in this new form appears to be part of this change. However, the question remains: Does this change the interaction between guests and service staff?

The importance of tipping is deeply rooted in many cultures, but the digital survey could set new standards. The ability to select a tip directly at the payment terminal could lead guests to make more conscious decisions, even if they only have a small amount of cash on them.

International perspectives

In times of globalization, the exact time also plays a major role. It's no secret that accurate timing is crucial for everything from events to flights. The website Timeis.net offers information in real time and shows the current times worldwide. This makes it clear that precise time is important not only in the catering industry, but also in other areas, such as planning international meetings.

The rise of this digital tipping movement could mean we need to adapt to new social norms. We here in Cologne are not immune to the fact that these changes will soon become part of our everyday experiences. Even if the trend seems rather trivial at first glance, it is a sign of how digitalization is changing our everyday lives.

In forums like City Data people discuss the effects of these digital changes and their perceptions of them. Is digital tipping a step in the right direction, or are we losing an important human connection?

How the tipping culture will develop in our city remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: we are required to keep the dialogue open in order to balance the needs of both the guests and the service employees.