Tried putting a tip jar on my food cart last Friday and got $0 in 6 hours

I run a hot dog cart downtown and figured a jar with a 'Thanks' sign would bring in a few bucks. People just stared at it and walked off, one guy said 'that's not how this works.' Did I miss some unwritten rule about when tip jars are okay at food carts?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_carter7023d ago

And actually I read something last week about how people are getting tired of being asked for tips everywhere they go. There was a survey that said most folks think tipping has gotten out of hand, especially at places where you order at a counter. I think a hot dog cart falls right into that category. You're not waiting on anyone, they come to you, you hand them a dog, and that's the whole transaction. The guy who said "that's not how this works" was probably just fed up with seeing jars at every register and counter in town. If you want to make extra money, maybe offer a combo deal or a punch card instead of relying on tips.

elizabethtaylor24d ago

Six hours and zero dollars, that's rough. But is it really that deep? I mean, a tip jar on a food cart kind of feels like asking for a handshake at a drive-thru window. People are already paying for the hot dog, so why would they toss in extra cash unless you're doing magic tricks with the mustard? The guy who said "that's not how this works" might have a point - tipping culture is already confusing enough without adding a jar to a cart that's basically a glorified grill on wheels. Maybe next time leave the jar at home and just focus on selling the dogs.