Comments on: Gratuitous Design: Rounding http://blog.weareuproar.com/gratuitous-design-rounding Crafting convenient mobile apps for your life. Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:14:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: kevin http://blog.weareuproar.com/gratuitous-design-rounding/comment-page-1#comment-3 kevin Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:01:38 +0000 http://blog.weareuproar.com/?p=71#comment-3 Sorry, didn't realize comments were setup to sit in an approval pool. Fixed it so this won't happen again. If you were the only person giving that waiter a tip during their shift, and if they didn't have to split their tip with the other staff, then yes, making the tip a whole number would be convenient for them. However, this isn't ever the case so giving them a whole number for the tip isn't benefiting them as you suggest. You're right, stating that the only reason was because it looked good on your bank statement isn't very convincing. :) Obviously this is empirical, but I know quite a few people who like having a whole number for their total on their final bill. For those that prefer rounding, its just nice to write out $36.00 rather than $35.67. If you don't round, you'll be happy to know that this option is off by default and on the flip side of the paper so you'll never see it. One thing I find interesting from this discussion is the vocal opinions on the functionality of tip calculators. For apps that receive such a public lashing at times for their apparent straight forwardness, there appear to be camps on either side of the fence when it comes to certain features (rounding, pre-tax tipping, etc). Thanks for the comment and I'm glad you're enjoying following our progress. Sorry, didn’t realize comments were setup to sit in an approval pool. Fixed it so this won’t happen again.

If you were the only person giving that waiter a tip during their shift, and if they didn’t have to split their tip with the other staff, then yes, making the tip a whole number would be convenient for them. However, this isn’t ever the case so giving them a whole number for the tip isn’t benefiting them as you suggest.

You’re right, stating that the only reason was because it looked good on your bank statement isn’t very convincing. :) Obviously this is empirical, but I know quite a few people who like having a whole number for their total on their final bill. For those that prefer rounding, its just nice to write out $36.00 rather than $35.67. If you don’t round, you’ll be happy to know that this option is off by default and on the flip side of the paper so you’ll never see it.

One thing I find interesting from this discussion is the vocal opinions on the functionality of tip calculators. For apps that receive such a public lashing at times for their apparent straight forwardness, there appear to be camps on either side of the fence when it comes to certain features (rounding, pre-tax tipping, etc).

Thanks for the comment and I’m glad you’re enjoying following our progress.

]]> By: scrooks http://blog.weareuproar.com/gratuitous-design-rounding/comment-page-1#comment-2 scrooks Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:36:04 +0000 http://blog.weareuproar.com/?p=71#comment-2 I don't agree with your conclusion. Why does it make sense to round so it looks good on your statement? Who cares about that? I know I don't look at my statement and think, "Wow, those are some really nice round numbers." I think it makes more sense if you're going to round at all to round the tip given to the waiter because they frequently will be given this as direct cash. What makes more sense in that case, a tip of $4.72 where they get a bunch of change, or a tip of $5.00 where they get only cash and no change. I have yet to see a tip calculator that rounds the actual tip like that, but I admit I haven't looked very hard. (Sorry, I'm not part of the target audience since I don't find it hard to figure the tip out in my head. I still find it interesting to follow your progress.) I don’t agree with your conclusion. Why does it make sense to round so it looks good on your statement? Who cares about that? I know I don’t look at my statement and think, “Wow, those are some really nice round numbers.”

I think it makes more sense if you’re going to round at all to round the tip given to the waiter because they frequently will be given this as direct cash. What makes more sense in that case, a tip of $4.72 where they get a bunch of change, or a tip of $5.00 where they get only cash and no change.

I have yet to see a tip calculator that rounds the actual tip like that, but I admit I haven’t looked very hard. (Sorry, I’m not part of the target audience since I don’t find it hard to figure the tip out in my head. I still find it interesting to follow your progress.)

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