A Robot Asked Me for Tip — Is The Tipping Culture in America Finally Out of Control?
Enough is enough, Mr. Roboto. Exploring the controversial state of tipping culture in our country. The issue is more than screen deep.
It was a damp and dreary day in Portland, Oregon. Desperate for a cup of joe, I googled the nearest coffee shop. I found a cafe located a few blocks away, and it was rated over four stars.
Wonderful, I thought to myself.
Desperate to erase my weather-induced exhaustion, I walked to the address and unexpectedly found the coffee shop inside a clothing store instead of a stand-alone cafe.
I thought it was…unique, but I was in Portland. The local mantra here is “Keep Portland Weird.”
But things would quickly get weirder.
My interaction with a Robot Barista
There were no servers or baristas in at the coffee counter. I was greeted by a robot barista aptly named “Jarvis,” like the AI assistant to Tony Stark in the Marvel Movie Iron Man.
I ordered a latte through Jarvis using a kiosk, which was easy enough.
