Over the last six months or so, I haven't tipped once in any establishment whatsoever. I decided it was a cancerous practice and people deserve to be paid what they're due.
If this became real, it wouldn't affect me and I'm introverted and near mute in public. I already do this with the "would you like to round up to donate" bullshit. I only have problems saying "no" if it will possibly hurt a person's feelings; idgaf about the feelings of a business.
POS systems including tip requests really piss me off. We recently discovered a great local restaurant and we order food from them (and pick it up, to take home) a few times a month. They have one of those POS systems and it really irritates me to have to tap 'No Tip' in plain view of the cashier every time. We're picking up food; I'm walking up to a counter, collecting a bag, swiping a credit card and leaving. Why the fuck would I tip for that? I don't tip at the grocery store and cashiers there do the same amount of work.
Tipping culture is weird and I only ever hear people mention it in the context of hating it. Yet they seem to have the mindset that there are no other options.
Bruh. Not EVERY interaction with a cash register or payment portal is meant to include a tip. The bill is for the goods or service for which I am doing business with you company, i.e. the only reason you are getting my money in the first place. The tip is for the individual that performed a service to me beyond simply providing the previously mentioned good or service. And ideally it is for service beyond the bare minimum (but due to shitty minimum wage laws for roles that expect tips making them dependent on them, there still exists an expectation to tip even for mid or bad service). I will happily tip a server, bartender, barista, barber (there are a weird number of service jobs that start with 'bar'...), or someone that is interacting with customers, providing an experience of service, and will adapt to my shitty needs and requests as a customer, particularly if they are dependent on tips as a portion of their wage. But I am not tipping a cook for making my food in a restaurant. I am not tipping my mechanic for doing an oil change. I am not tipping a cashier for taking my money. I am not tipping MY FUCKING LANDLORD! You are already charging me for the things you are doing. I am not going to voluntarily inflate the price you are charging me for no damn reason. Fuck, sometimes it isn't even clear who would be getting the tip. I'm surprised they don't already ask for tips at the grocery store self-checkout. This shit is dumb.
I've definitely noticed that my favorite takeout place's POS makes giving no tip as hard as possible (Other->No Tip->Yes). "Fortunately" that is also a place where the owner is a prick and doesn't share tips with the staff so they encourage you to leave no tip.
And the really funny thing? If it wasn't about the same number of presses to leave a custom tip, I would generally round up at most POSes. Which isn't a lot, but it does tend to cover credit card fees on the average and makes card statements easier to skim. Of course, I have also noticed a rise in "Regular" and "Cash" pricing where those fees are explicitly passed on to the customers to begin with so...
I'll tip quite generously for a sit down meal or something like a haircut. For calling me up to the counter when my takeout is ready? Fuck off.
Look them in the eye and say "no tip, thank you." Smile. Be nice. Let them be mad. It doesn't matter. They won't remember after a few other customers. Ask anyone working a register in food service, there's so many that it's easy to forget who we are.