If you’ve purchased anything at a food truck or even a small startup eatery, you’ve probably faced this scenario. You offer your credit card for payment, the worker swipes the card through a little dongle attached to an iPad, then swings the device around for your signature and approval. And there, for your convenience, are automated tipping suggestions. Really, really nice tips for the server. You can choose one of those suggestions, or take the time — under full scrutiny of the worker standing in front of you and possibly other customers standing behind — to find and select the “enter different amount” button and then calculate the tip in your head.

As this article from the New York Times finds, most of us choose the easy, and ultimately more costly, way out. 

The iPad devices have made life easier for customer and staff, and have allowed businesses to accept credit cards without the costly arrangements with processing companies. But sometimes a little automation is too much.

What do you do in these situations?