A few days ago, one Ntambara was unable to get a hold of his salon attendant. He had called several times to book an appointment but the coiffeur wasn’t picking, so he tried a few times more, and this time the phone was switched off.

He went ahead to get his cut from another salon. However, when he asked around to understand what could have possibly happened, he discovered that the man had cut him off because he hadn’t tipped him for his services previously.

That was very unusual and rather shocking. Much as tipping has become common practice, should it be mandatory? 

It’s not rare to see people stressing and feeling shy because they aren’t able to tip their attendants, be it in a salon, bar or restaurant. They in fact reach the extent of shaming those who are comfortable with only settling their bills and not tip.

Is this etiquette or entitlement? Society and its ever changing standards can never cease to be amusing. Has generosity now become compulsory?

Amir Mukotanyi, a woodworker, thinks it uncouth when an attendant expects to be tipped for the services they are paid to offer.

It is not forbidden to tip, in fact it is good to be grateful for the good services given to you, he says.

"However, I see it as a bad habit of begging because in the first place, you took up that job well-knowing that you have to do it well and offer the best.  So, it shouldn’t be mandatory for a customer to tip you just because you did your responsibilities well or tasks you were supposed to do.” 

For Barbara Burabyo, a photo and videographer, tipping is like rewarding the person who served her wholeheartedly. 

"Not because they just served me, because that’s what they are paid for. But if I feel well taken care of and my orders came right, I won’t even mind tipping them the same amount I spent. Because I want that person to know that I have appreciated their service,” she says.

Bertin Ganza agrees, saying that tipping is a good practice—it’s a sign of acknowledging the services you have been offered.  It’s also a better way to gift someone who has offered you good services.

"We all know that most of these people don’t earn enough. So, if they get something from clients, it helps and means a lot to them. The only problem is that some people take it as an obligation yet they are paid a salary to do their job,” he explains.

Samuel Byiringiro, a businessman, says tipping is a good culture and that he fully supports it.

He is, however, against those who offer bad services to a client in the name of ‘not having received a tip.’

"When you get good service with amazing customer care, I think there is no problem with tipping an attendant. But the problem could be with the ones who are serving you, some already set it in their minds that it is a must. And sometimes, when you forget to tip them or choose not to tip them, even when it’s just that once, you can be attended to poorly as if you did something wrong,” he adds.   

Aside from the holdups, tipping as a culture comes with benefits, in fact, it has potential to boost the hospitality industry. However, this can only be achievable when done the right way, not as a cost of service.

Moxxy Rogers, in the article ‘Five reasons you should at least consider tipping’ writes, "Apart from it just being a kind thing to do, tipping is essentially lending a helping hand to your fellow working class members. The feeling of being generous should be a good thing. Of course, you are not required to tip (unless eating at restaurants that includes gratuity), but the gratitude your server will feel toward your contribution will live on past your meal. It will be reflected in the bills they pay to keep a roof over their heads. It will taste like the dinner they set at the table that night.”

Rogers adds that it might perhaps help to apply the ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ concept. "Sometimes, it all comes down to putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine you’ve been working 40 hours a week in a diner that’s busier than traffic in L.A. You bus tables, sit patrons down at that table only to have to bus it again. You’re on your feet for eight hours at a time. You’ve been whistled over, snapped at and degraded three times in the first hour of your double shift. You collect your tips at the end of the day, only to find that you’ve made barely enough to buy yourself a coffee for tomorrow’s shift. You’d wish someone had tipped you too.”