[maccard]

> I try to treat service employees well, not because of some patronizing sense of responsibility, but because I empathize with their position.

That sounds like a patronizing sense of responsibility. I treat service employees the same as I treat everyone else I meet - like a person. Not because they're serving me food/coffee, or because I have some sort of empathy for their situation (I do, I worked retail for a long time), but because they're human beings just like me.

[learc83]

It's much easier to treat a service worker like they are beneath you specifically because they are serving you.

Understanding that they are people like you is the definition of empathy.

But I guarantee that you don't treat all people exactly equally.

How often do you leave a tip for a service person (beyond what is expected). How often do you tip your dentist, or your lawyer?

[maccard]

> But I guarantee that you don't treat all people exactly equally.

No, I don't, and it would be incorrect to do so. I don't treat my solicitor the same as my barista, I have different relationships with those people. But for someone I don't know, I treat everyone equally, be they rich, poor, serving me, being served by me, saying hello on the street, etc.

> How often do you leave a tip for a service person (beyond what is expected). How often do you tip your dentist, or your lawyer?

There's an enormous difference between tipping people and treating them respectfully. When I order a coffee, I don't ever shout or abuse the people that are serving me. If there's a mistake, I'll be polite and point it out. If there's still an issue at that point, I'll be a little less polite and probably not return.

When I phone my solicitor, I'm always polite. I don't shout at them, or abuse them, and if there's a mistake, I point it out. I treat everyone the way I would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

[poikniok]

Maybe I am missing something, but why would you tip your dentist or lawyer?

[maccard]

I think the parent comment was implying that I don't treat everyone equally, e.g. I don't tip everyone that I interact with, when really that has nothing to do with it.

[scurvy]

People do. A lot. My father was an ophthalmologist,and people really dig being able to see. It was just an endless parade of gifts and people stopping by to say thank you at our household.

[enraged_camel]

>>That sounds like a patronizing sense of responsibility. I treat service employees the same as I treat everyone else I meet - like a person.

I think it's totally OK to treat some people more nicely than you treat others, based on what you know about their position or what they are going through.