What is the Karma in Giving Tips in restaurants, delivery boys, etc.?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Anna. You are doing such a marvelous service. Your posts give personalised touching advices according to the needs of every devotee. I too have a doubt. Will giving tips in restaurants, Cooking Gas and Kirana door delivery boys add karma for us? Please clarify.”
REPLY:
Giving tips in restaurents is an unofficial activity. No hotel approves that.
Many hotels reduce the salary of a bearer/ server asuming that he gets more tips from the customers.
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I am using Indane gas for my home. When the cost of gas cylinder was Rs.401 ten years back, he was getting Rs.420, adding Rs.19 as delivery charges that is not billed. Now, the gas Prices are increasing regularly. Do you know how much he charges now? Rs.40 for every cylinder that has no bill. But, in the gas bill, it has been printed that we should not give any tips to the delivery boys.
If we do not pay that amount, the delivery boys demand telling that their agency does not pay salary and the delivery boys earn through this tips only. If a boy delivers 30 cylinders a day, he gets more than Rs.1200 as tips every day as per the Indian Gas Price in the year 2023.
Thus, because we give unofficial tips to the delivery boys, the gas agencies escape from paying salaries for their employees. So, we encourage an unhealthy practice in the business of gas agencies.
Same applies for the hotels. In some hotels, they have printed boards requesting us not to give TIPS to the staff. But, we think that we will be considered as a miser if we do not offer tips, and hence we voluntarily offer tips.
We have corrupted the temples also. I was standing in queue for the darshan in a Vishnu temple. Every devotee offered Rs.1 or 2 as tips in the Karpoor plate shown by the Pujari. I offered Rs.10 because that temple was financially struggling temple and there will be some visitors only on ekadasis, saturdays, etc.
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As I offered more, that pujari went inside the Garba Graha and brought a piece of flower from the body of the Lord and gave to me. Though I was happy about it, I felt sorry because it was not offered to the devotees who offered Rs.1 or 2 as tips. Just because we have this system of tips, such inequalities in the treatments to the customers or devotees happen.
To avoid this, the temples themselves can officially charge something to manage the expenses of the temples.
This system of tips has corrupted the systems everywhere. However, this happens because the managements do not offer sufficient salaries and perks for the employees. And, in the temples, the collection in Hundis and counters go to the Government or temple trust.
Salary must be allocated sufficiently for the Pujaris. Because, the Pujaris too have families, children and their studies, marriage, etc.
If we like to stop the staff from accepting tips from customers, we should offer sufficient salaries for the staff. Without paying good salary, we can not stop them from accepting tips.
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In the spiritual angle, giving tips adds karma for us because we encourage unofficial earning that is equal to corruption. If he had offered his own food in his own hotel and he accepts money, it is allowed. He is getting official salary for his services, and he also accepts extra money. So, it is karmic to us.
We get karma of bribing a person to get his duties done and corrupting his mind and the system.
Some people argue that we offer tips as a token of gratitude just because they served us. That is why, they have been appointed and paid salaries. So, we encourage the hotel owners to pay less salary for them and encourage them to accept tips.
So, you need not give any unofficial tips to anyone, though it has become very prevailing nowadays. However, if anyone asks your help telling his family difficulties, you can help him. But, unofficial payments for his official service is not good as per dharma. Please do not get confused with the words such as mercy, gratitude, love, etc.
Hope you are clear about the the Karma in Giving Tips in restaurants, goods delivery boys, etc?
(If everything happens as per our karma, what is the use of prayers? READ HERE!)