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Self-checkout machines asking customers to tip

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Self-checkout Machines - Level 0

Tipping is normal in many countries. Some people put tips in a special tip jar. There is now a new way to tip – self checkout machines. People are not happy about them because they are asking for a tip. There is no face-to-face contact, so people are unhappy about tipping a machine.

People in the USA are tired of tipping self-checkout machines. They have "tipping fatigue". People are leaving tips for things like bottles of water. A customer said self-checkout machines asking for tips was like "blackmail". The machines have increased the number of tips by 15 per cent.

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Self-checkout Machines - Level 1

Tipping in restaurants and hotels is normal in many countries. People put tips in a jar near a cash register. There is now a new way to tip – self checkout machines. People are not happy about them because they are asking for a tip. They are in bookstores and clothes shops in the USA. There is no face-to-face contact between people, so customers in stores are unhappy about tipping a machine.

A newspaper said people in the USA are becoming tired of tipping self-checkout machines. They are experiencing "tipping fatigue". Nearly 20 per cent of people now leave tips for things like bottles of water. A customer at one store said self-checkout machines asking for tips was like "emotional blackmail". A digital payments company said the machines have increased the number of tips by 15 per cent.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Self-checkout Machines - Level 2

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Leaving a tip in a restaurant is a part of life in many countries. We tip a waiter or someone in a hotel. We might put a tip in a jar next to a cash register. There is now a new way to tip – self checkout machines. People are not happy about them. Some of these machines are asking for a 20 per cent tip. They are in airports, cafes, bookstores and clothes shops in the USA. There is no face-to-face contact between people. Many customers in stores say they are not happy about leaving a tip and giving extra money to a machine.

The Wall Street Journal said people in the USA are becoming tired of tipping the self-checkout machines. Many people are experiencing "tipping fatigue". Nearly 20 per cent of people are now leaving tips for things they never used to leave tips for, like bottles of water. A customer at an airport store said self-checkout machines asking for a tip was like "emotional blackmail". A digital payments company said the machines are increasing the number of tips. It said Americans are leaving 15 per cent more tips than before.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Self-checkout Machines - Level 3

Leaving a tip in a restaurant or taxi is a part of life in many countries. Usually, we give a tip to a waiter or to a member of staff in a hotel. At other times, we put the tip in a jar next to the cash register. With modern technology, there is a new way to tip – self checkout machines. People are not so happy about them. The machines are asking for tips. They are in airports, stadiums, cookie shops, and cafes in the USA. Self-checkout machines mean there is no face-to-face contact between people. However, many of these machines are asking customers to leave a 20 per cent tip. Customers say they are not so happy about leaving a tip and giving extra money to a machine.

The Wall Street Journal reported that many people in the USA are becoming tired of tipping because of the self-checkout machines. Reporters wrote that many people are experiencing "tipping fatigue". Nearly 20 per cent of Americans are now leaving tips for things they never used to leave tips for. They are even tipping when buying a bottle of water. This was because there are more digital payment machines. A customer at an airport store said a prompt on a self-checkout machine was like "emotional blackmail". The payments company Square reported that the machines are increasing the number of tips. It said Americans are leaving 15 per cent more tips than before.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson

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