Tipping: A Token of Thanks or a Tool of Manipulation?

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The last time I tipped someone on a professional level aside from random ones was in April when I travelled to Ilorin to get my passport done. I have never been met with an officer who could leave his work to attend to me, and all through the process and making it a fast one, he helped me out.

I observed he was only doing it for God's sake and nothing attached or perhaps wanting something in return, but this act of service prompted me to give him some money as a tip to appreciate his effort in getting my passport process done without wasting my time standing in queue. The surprising part was that we never met before but it was as if he'd known me.

Then there is the one that happened recently in October. On my final day as a youth corper, my Local Government Inspector (LGI) made it a compulsory thing to tip him before we got our certificates, he even had his way of requesting higher pay because, to him, he had done his job being an LGI for a whole year.

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Tipping is an act of saying, "Thank you. I enjoyed your service or efforts" then followed by some amount, most times wrapped in the receiver's hand or pocket so they don't reveal what they are giving openly, and the one who receives would heartily collect with a smile written on his or her face.

"Today is a good day", they would mutter especially when the tips keep coming in that day and it would be as if they used a different lucky soap to bathe.

Tipping is optional and not something to be forced on a person or be made mandatory, but in our world today, most people see tipping as something they deserve because they assume they have done a great job to make the fellow get what he or she wants. They feel entitled to such tips and if you miss giving them, they become aggressive and stop helping you the next time you need help. That's so wrong.

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Just like the two personal experiences, one was given willingly and from the heart. It was boiled out of the effort the man made, and to the tipper which was me, I felt so grateful and no one pushed me to do what I did before I did it. But you see the other one, it feels like being forced to do it. If I didn't, I wouldn't be getting my certificate or maybe I might, whichever way but it wouldn't stop him from delaying me that day if I chose not to give anything with the excuse I didn't have enough.

But some people can be so mean and cruel. You don't want to see the other side of them, so, to avoid their crazy drama and for peace to reign and to get what you want, you must tip. I see tipping as something a giver can give freely or cannot give and no one should feel sad about it. It is your money and you choose to do whatever you want with it.

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Then there is the one where most people would want to take advantage of you because of the tip they give out. I have experienced such before and it was something I had to play a smart one too because I didn't like it. I for one person do not like taking tips especially when I see that you want to take advantage of me because I did help one time but want to make it a continual thing and be like, "If I could just give her this amount, she would do it". I bet you can never see me helping you when I find out about your intention.

Tipping is a good thing as it puts smiles on people's faces, especially when the fellow sees it as something that would go a long way in taking care of some responsibilities for that day. This kind of person deserves to be tipped but this shouldn't mean you'd be doing it continuously for the same person because there would be a time when they would see the tipping as an entitlement thing and they'd be expecting every time you come around. You should tip as a way to show appreciation but be wise when tipping.

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