More on NYC's tips-only baggers

shopping carts, originally uploaded by gari.baldi.

Andrew Friedman of DMIblog has more details about tips-only grocery baggers in New York City.

Comments

[Uncle Kvetch]

Lindsay, on a related note, would you (or anyone else from NYC here) know what the skinny is on Fresh Direct? We've been customers for over a year now and we love it, but I have no idea where they stand on pay, working conditions & the like. And given that they're growing by leaps & bounds, it would be good to know.

(We always tip our delivery guy $3 or $4, but FD goes out of its way to tell you that you're not "obligated" to tip, and imply that you should only tip for "exceptional" service.)

[gordo]

This is one of the big problems with tipping in general. It's too easy to assume that someone who's working for tips is being adequately compensated, even when there's no evidence of this.

Apart from that, the system is demeaning and it does nothing to improve customer service. When I'm in Australia, I get better service than I do here. Why? Because the restaurants are adequately staffed. The only thing our system of tipping does is mask the stinginess of some restaurant and store owners.

[gordo]

This is one of the big problems with tipping in general. It's too easy to assume that someone who's working for tips is being adequately compensated, even when there's no evidence of this.

Apart from that, the system is demeaning and it does nothing to improve customer service. When I'm in Australia, I get better service than I do here. Why? Because the restaurants are adequately staffed. The only thing our system of tipping does is mask the stinginess of some restaurant and store owners.

[freelunch]

Attention employers:

Pay your workers.

Don't demean them by telling them that they aren't worth paying.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Well said. And don't further demean them by making them wear your company uniform so that the average shopper doesn't realize that you're too cheap to pay them.

And it takes real chutzpah to "fire" someone after they complain to the State AG's office because you're making them work for no pay. That actually happened according to the first NYT article on the baggers that I linked to over the weekend.
Huuuubris.

[Elana]

Thanks "Freelunch". Thats an announcement I wish I heard over the loud speakers at the grocery store and a lot of other places.

Lindsay- the NYT story is insane isn't it! The guy actually admits that he was paying them below min wage.

[drydock]

Wal Mart does this practice in Mexico.

This scam is also pulled on strippers as calling them "independent contractors"

[drydock]

Wal Mart does this practice in Mexico.

This scam is also pulled on strippers as calling them "independent contractors"