Review: Keep The Change

Keep The Change by Steve Dublanica

A Clueless Tipper’s Quest to Become the Guru of the Gratuity

Genre: Non-Fiction, Social Science
Published: November 2010 by HarperCollins
Pages: 320
Rating: 4 of 5

Ever feel clueless about tipping? Who gets a tip and who doesn’t? How much should you leave? Lately it seems like tip jars are popping up everywhere, creating tipping anxiety for a large number of Americans. I include myself in that group. I know to give my hair stylist, waiter, tax driver and bartender a tip, but what about the barrista or the fast food worker? How about the guy at the car wash, or my auto mechanic? And how much do I give the delivery person? What do I do about the holidays? Whew.

Steve Dublanica has made a book about tipping interesting and entertaining. He traveled the county doing research observing, interviewing and even working with people in a multitude of industries where tipping is a significant part of the worker’s income. Written in a humorous, witty and engaging style, it’s as if he was chatting with me, telling me stories and at the same time explaining the ins and out of tipping.

He begins with a brief history and explains, for better or for worse, how it became such a large part of the American economy. He goes on to interview a wide assortment of workers including waiters, bartenders, hair stylists, spa workers, doormen, valets and casino dealers. Want to know who’s cheap and who’s generous? They will tell you. The valet doesn’t want to see the Lexus pull up, they tend to give bad tips, but the guys driving big trucks give big tips. Do you tip your auto mechanic? It might be a good idea to do so. A little money spent now will get your car in and out of the shop faster the next time it breaks down. There are different types of tipping as the book will explain. There are tips as rewards, tips as a gift and those to ensure better service.

There is a lot to learn from this book. Some of the suggestions I was already practicing. I don’t like to use valet parking because I’m fussy about my car. When I do use the valet I tend to tip up front so my car gets a safe parking space and not double parked somewhere. And you don’t even want to know what one valet did to a habitual cheapskate. I didn’t know to tip the pet groomer and while I tip delivery people such as the pizza guy I didn’t know to tip the furniture delivery men. The few times I’ve played blackjack I didn’t realize I should tip the dealer. Maybe that’s why I got separated from my money so quickly. There is also an entire chapter on tipping in strip clubs, phone sex workers and prostitutes. Interesting, but not something I’ll ever use!

The author is a former waiter and it shows in the way he presents the information. There is a darker side to the industries that make their workers earn their pay through tips and he does an excellent job of exposing that. Many of these people are paid so little by their employer that on a bad day when tips are scarce they will make less than minimum wage per hour.

Keep The Change is more than just a guide to tipping although it is very useful in that regard alone. It’s also a commentary on the tipping system in the US and why tipping won’t be going away any time soon. Once you understand how employees dependent on tips for their income are compensated or, in some cases not, by their employer you realize that the tip is their income and part of the cost of the service. In the end, if you can’t afford the tip you can’t afford the service.

I recommend this book for a good inside look at tipping in the service industry told by people who have experienced the work. Plus, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining read.
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Source: Review copy from the publisher.
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