Conflate means to combine ideas into one (i.e. tipping and bribing). You seem to think that tipping is ‘bad’ because someone bribed a cable guy for another line or a waiter for a free steak. What you are missing is the difference between rewarding good, competent service and bribing someone (e.g. a politician) for that persons’s own benefit. I will admit that I don’t really have a problem with the worker getting some extra cash from the customer for getting an extra cable line, or a waiter for giving a customer a free steak. In both cases, that builds customer loyalty and return business. I’m still not sure what your angle is.