WELCOME to the debut of “The Truth Is!”, a blog of reporting and commentary that aims to be informative, thoughtful and provocative. At least initially, the blog will have a strong heartland flavor by virtue of the connection of a number of us to Cowles family journalism. I am former editor of the Des Moines Register’s opinion pages. Another contributor, Michael Gartner, is former editor of the paper; he later served as president of NBC News. Another former Register editor who has agreed to contribute, Geneva Overholser, is director of the University of Southern California’s Annenberg school of journalism. Followers of the blog will have access also to the work of Herbert Strentz of Des Moines, a close Register and other newspaper watcher who once headed Drake University’s journalism school. Bill Leonard, a longtime Register editorial writer, will add insights.

“The Truth Is!” will be supervised by my daughter, Marcia Wolff, a communications lawyer for 20 years with Arnold and Porter (Washington, D.C.). Invaluable technical assistance in assembling and maintaining the blog is provided by my grandsons Julian Cranberg, a college first-year, and Daniel Wolff, a high school senior.

If you detect a whiff of nepotism in this operation, so be it. All of it is strictly a labor of love. —Gil Cranberg

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Gilbert Cranberg: COLLABORATIVE TIPPING—A NEW WRINKLE FOR AN OLD CUSTOM

My tipping skills are rusty inasmuch as I live in a retirement community that does not allow tips for individual services. Instead, we make lump-sum contributions to a fund that management allocates to employees. It seems to work.

The other evening, after dining at a restaurant, I was puzzling over the tip when I impulsively asked the waitress what I should leave her. She mentioned a sum that seemed reasonable and in line with what I was considering. I added it to the bill. The collaboration on the tip left me with a warm feeling.

Now, I wonder, why not make what I did standard practice? Among their other skills, servers are experts on tipping, and likely know more about it than most people. Certainly, they know better than anyone the customary tip where they work. All of this knowledge goes to waste because seldom does a customer venture to ask, as I did, “Miss, excuse me, but what do you suggest that I leave for a tip?”

In reflecting on how to refine my new-found approach to tipping, I’ve decided that next time, midway through the meal, I will inform the waiter that I intend to consult him about the tip and that he should think about it. That way, I will get a more considered judgment. I can hardly wait.

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