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"Hey, I'll tip you an extra $40 if you can help get this iPhone slightly out of warranty fixed for free"
"Ok!" - Apple employee

There is a reason why tips are not allowed. A not so good Apple employee could use that in a negotiating tactic to get warranty serviced approved etc.
Can’t that same argument be used for nearly any job that involves selling things?

What you described is an easy way to get fired quickly. If an employee is willing to do that, a “no tipping” policy isn’t likely to stop them either.
 
LOL tipping at the Apple Store? Are these people insane? Like the top rated comment in this thread asks: Do you tip at Best Buy? Target?

5% on a 14” MacBook Pro is $100.

But that’s how these things go. You can see why Apple fights so hard to prevent unionization.

Edit - Going back and reading all the proposals, my mouth is on the floor. Absolute greed. If they don’t like where they work, they can go find another job elsewhere. Jobs are a two way street.

If you don’t like your place of employment and can’t come to an agreement with your employer, you vote with your feet and leave.
 
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Tipping system should not exist in modern society now. It is not an option. It is compulsory to customers. Look at the restaurants in the states.
They should develop commission system among geniuses (and then would lead to another problem, sales fighting for customers LOL)
 
3 things Americans need to get rid of immediately:

1) tipping system
2) imperial system
3) daylight saving time shift twice a year
 
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Employees at the unionized Towson, Maryland Apple Store are this week negotiating with Apple for new benefits, and have asked for higher pay, tips, and changes to leave policies, reports Bloomberg.

towson-maryland-apple-store.jpg

Employee representatives have requested raises of up to 10 percent and they want Apple to implement a tipping system that would provide customers with the option to offer 3%, 5%, or custom tips when checking out with an in-store credit card transaction. "This will allow thankful patrons the ability to express gratitude for a job well done without any obligations," the union said. Tip money would be split among employees based on hours worked.

The union is requesting double pay for employees who work more than eight hours per day or 40 hours a week, along with more pay for employees working overtime on weekends. Employees also want higher pay over a larger number of holidays, a $1 an hour increase for workers who become first-aid certified, up to 34 weeks of severance pay for layoffs, extended paid bereavement leave up to 45 days per year, with pets and close friends to be included under the allowed time off, and expanded vacation pay.

The union said that "these are initial proposals" and that it realizes that this "is a negotiation." Apple's Towson, Maryland store unionized last summer, and it is one of two unionized retail locations.

Article Link: Unionized Maryland Apple Store Workers Request 10% Raise and Option to Accept Customer Tips
The tipping thing is trying too hard to send a message. Apple is the richest company in the world so it's a black eye to them to have workers unionizing to get minimum wage or better but tipping? Apple Store workers aren't working well below minimum wage like some others who receive tips to make ends meet financially. This is an insult to waiters, waitresses, busboys, valets, etc. and just makes unions look foolish.
 
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The idea that they would ask Apple to allow tipping suggests they don’t really understand the company they work for. Apple is obsessed with customer experience, and retail tipping creates customer anxiety, and implies that Apple doesn’t take care of their employees. If somehow tipping slipped through, Steve Jobs would come back to life just to choke out the Gen Y/Z union lads destroying his brand.
 
3 things Americans need to get rid of immediately:

1) tipping system
2) imperial system
3) daylight saving time shift twice a year
The tipping culture here has gotten out of control on point-of-sale systems. I think it’s okay in sit down restaurants though.

I like our imperial system thank you very much! :p

I thought a lot of countries observe observe daylight savings time? I, for one loathe, it. Standard time is the way.
 
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Tipping at an Apple Store, which has become a tech luxury brand, seems odd.

I can understand tipping individuals when there is a strong personal touch involved and the jobs are not too secure or well paid, e.g. helpful cab drivers, hotel staff, waiters, hairdressers, personal trainers, etc. Tipping in retail just seems off.

In Apple’s case, however, their staff work for one of the richest corporations on Earth, so with all Apple’s ethos I kind of expect them to be taking good care of their own.
 
Tips are bad, tons of articles and videos on why. I feel guilty when someone asks for a tip. If I store starts asking for tips, I stop going to the store. It’s not as simple as just selecting 0 for tip, now I feel bad, the employee feels like I’m a jerk, or that they did something wrong. Just pay the employee more and abolish tips.
Leaving psychological implications aside why can't you just write it off as "politics" that you don't have to understand or participate in?
 
These people are not demanding all customer's tip them... nor for Apple to tip them. I suspect that in service to some customers, some of those customers offer them a tip in appreciation. Apparently, they can't accept any such tip right now. They are apparently wanting that policy to change. If a customer offers them a tip, they want to be able to take it.

This is not about seeking a tip for a simple transactional service like selling a phone. But maybe someone spends 30 minutes to teach someone how to solve some problem or how to use some app features, etc. And that 1+ person objectively wants to give them something for good service. I'm not sure "we" should be passionately against it. That's between customer seeking help and the person delivering the help they want/need. Some customers might want to tip. That's THEIR business.

Someone comes in with all of their (subjectively priceless) data apparently lost. An Apple representative is able to figure out that its not really lost and helps them recover it. It's not hard to see that panicked customer perhaps wanting to reward the help with more than just a "thank you."

No one would ever be forced to tip- just as it is in all transactions. But if some customers want to tip for good service, that's not exactly an unheard of, insane or greedy concept. Those in industries where tipping is "normal" would even argue that the potential of getting some tips motivates employees to try even harder to deliver outstanding service.

If it's not mandatory to tip, I don't personally see anything wrong with this want at all. When my hot pizza is delivered on time in a little while by someone with only the skill of driving, I'll likely give them a few dollars. If my car won't start and someone pulls over to give me a jump to get me rolling again, I'm very likely inclined to give them something for their time & trouble too. If someone spends some service time at an Apple store teaching me how to do something I can't figure out, it's not like I would naturally NOT be moved to tip for good service either. Is pizza delivery or broken down car help and in-person tech help/services so different that only the former should be OPTIONALLY tip-able? I don't feel that way.
I was all against tipping at an Apple Store but you make some persuasive arguments. The only thing I dislike about tipping is the expectation that if I don't tip, I am somehow cheap or ripping off someone for their service. Tipping should be pressure-free and between a customer and an employee, but this also an Apple Store we are talking about. Apple has rules about behavior, appearance and attitude for all of their employees because they represent Apple. And Apple is free to run their store that way even if it disallows all forms of tipping. I cannot speak for Steve Jobs but I believe we can all agree that he would not allow tipping for the store experience he designed to be magical and wonderful for Apple customers. Genius Bar assistants and all Apple employees are supposed to be friendly and helpful without any hint at tipping. And if they truly would split the tips among all employees, then it cannot be cash. It would have to be implemented into some kind of electronic checkout situation probably involving Apple Pay. It might sound selfish but I don't even want to see that kind of thing in an Apple Store or know it's there. It makes me think less of Apple because it sends a message that Apple employees either don't get paid enough or don't think they get paid enough. I don't want to be reminded of that in any business I patronize.
 
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Instead of tipping how about they get Donuts, Cookies, Chocolates, or Food? That will make them appreciative of working there.

Nope, as then they will risk getting obese or diabetic and Apple is invested into health, remember? Carrot sticks or thinly chopped apples, on the other hand, could work! 😉

Jokes aside, Apple could just ensure all of their staff get good health coverage.
 
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I was all against tipping at an Apple Store but you make some persuasive arguments. The only thing I dislike about tipping is the expectation that if I don't tip, I am somehow cheap or ripping off someone for their service. Tipping should be pressure-free and between a customer and an employee, but this also an Apple Store we are talking about. Apple has rules about behavior, appearance and attitude for all of their employees because they represent Apple. And Apple is free to run their store that way even if it disallows all forms of tipping. I cannot speak for Steve Jobs but I believe we can all agree that he would not allow tipping for the store experience he designed to be magical and wonderful for Apple customers. Genius Bar assistants and all Apple employees are supposed to be friendly and helpful without any hint at tipping. And if they truly would split the tips among all employees, then it cannot be cash. It would have to be implemented into some kind of electronic checkout situation probably involving Apple Pay. It might sound selfish but I don't even want to see that kind of thing in an Apple Store or know it's there. It makes me think less of Apple because it sends a message that Apple employees either don't get paid enough or don't think they get paid enough. I don't want to be reminded of that in any business I patronize.
Steve is probably rolling in his grave at the suggestion that store staff needs tipping to incentivize them to provide better service. He would probably want to fire them all for not giving 100% as a default.

I understand the union asking for a better quarterly bonus system with emphasis based on ‘good service’ feedback from customers shopping at that store. But to use the Union to tell the company to implement tipping as a way to incentivize??

The lunatics are running the asylum!
 
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If I live near that MD store, I'll stick to having my Apple products delivered home, or buy from other non-tipping stores. You never tip UPS/FedEx drivers based on value of the package, and they shouldn't know it. So why would you start tipping for store checkout?
 
Those in industries where tipping is "normal" would even argue that the potential of getting some tips motivates employees to try even harder to deliver outstanding service.
I would argue that accurate performance reviews feeding raises and promotions based on quality of service would fill the same roll. It’s not like employees in traditionally non-tipping industries slack off and never go above and beyond because they aren’t tipped.

It seems to me the union would be better serving members by focusing on ensuring good service is rewarded by the employer in a tangible and fair way first.
 
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These people are not demanding all customer's tip them... nor for Apple to tip them. I suspect that in service to some customers, some of those customers offer them a tip in appreciation. Apparently, they can't accept any such tip right now. They are apparently wanting that policy to change. If a customer offers them a tip, they want to be able to take it.

This is not about seeking a tip for a simple transactional service like selling a phone. But maybe someone spends 30 minutes to teach someone how to solve some problem or how to use some app features, etc. And that 1+ person objectively wants to give them something for good service. I'm not sure "we" should be passionately against it. That's between customer seeking help and the person delivering the help they want/need. Some customers might want to tip. That's THEIR business.

Someone comes in with all of their (subjectively priceless) data apparently lost. An Apple representative is able to figure out that its not really lost and helps them recover it. It's not hard to see that panicked customer perhaps wanting to reward the help with more than just a "thank you."

No one would ever be forced to tip- just as it is in all transactions. But if some customers want to tip for good service, that's not exactly an unheard of, insane or greedy concept. Those in industries where tipping is "normal" would even argue that the potential of getting some tips motivates employees to try even harder to deliver outstanding service.

If it's not mandatory to tip, I don't personally see anything wrong with this want at all. When my hot pizza is delivered on time in a little while by someone with only the skill of driving, I'll likely give them a few dollars. If my car won't start and someone pulls over to give me a jump to get me rolling again, I'm very likely inclined to give them something for their time & trouble too. If someone spends some service time at an Apple store teaching me how to do something I can't figure out, it's not like I would naturally NOT be moved to tip for good service either. Is pizza delivery or broken down car help and in-person tech help/services so different that only the former should be OPTIONALLY tip-able? I don't feel that way.
They already get paid to do a job
 
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