It was the last afternoon of the last day of the boy's summer session at the private day camp, nestled in a neighborhood of Brooklyn famed for its density of affluent, liberal parents. His father arrived, right on time, to pick the boy up and offer his family's goodbyes and gratitude to the staff. He discreetly handed the teenage girl who'd been one of the boy's counselors an envelope, which she in turn discreetly tucked into her bag. Inside was a note that read "Thank you" … and a single five dollar bill. Tipping — it's awkward.
How is it that a primary driving force of our economy can also be a custom so fraught with confusion and controversy? "We don't know exactly how much is tipped," said Michael Lynn, a professor of consumer behavior and marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and the author of over 70 research publications on tipping. "But reasonable estimates place it at about 40, maybe it's even 45, billion a year in food service in the United States alone. When you throw in all the other service providers in other countries, it's a lot of money."
