2009 31 Jul

To tip or not to tip, that is the question

There are many articles on this subject, so I thought I would toss my 2-cents worth in the ring. You go out to a nice restaurant and leave your car with the valet. You tip the valet. As you enter the restaurant, the doorman opens the door for you. You tip the doorman. The Maitre d’ doesn’t quite know how to fit you in since you have no reservations. A little tip to him and suddenly a table opens up. A little larger tip and there’s a table with a view. The waiter/waitress serves you, keeps your drinks full and fulfills your every request. You tip the waiter/waitress. But, when should you tip and when should you not tip?

Now, that dinner has cost you a small fortune by the end of the evening. So, what are the reasons we spend so much more than we have to? Even at mid-range family restaurants, we feel the need to tip the staff for doing their jobs.

One of the arguments for tipping is that it is to insure proper service, or prompt service. The only way that can be an incentive is if the service person does a good job in anticipation of a good tip. Another argument is that, in most places, the restaurant staff are paid less than the minimum wage because their tips are included in their wage calculations. There are many, many other arguments for tipping service people. I mean, most don’t have a very glamorous job, most work long hours for little pay and take a lot of crap from a lot of people and are forced to remain polite.

So, as promised, here’s my opinion. First of all, I don’t believe it is my place to supplement the low wages paid by restaurants. I tip based upon service. I tip and I tip well when the service warrants it. I’m not demanding, I have only 1 major requirement – don’t let my glass go empty. That’s it. Do that one thing and I’m most likely happy. On the other hand, when the service does not warrant a good tip, I reduce it accordingly. If I think the service warrants no tip at all, I will make the manager aware of my reason for not tipping.

For other service persons, I tip based upon your service as well. If the person acts like I am putting them out by asking them to do their jobs, I will tip low or not at all. If they act like I’m the most important person they’ve dealt with that day, are helpful and friendly, then I have no problem tipping.

So, there it is. Make the customer feel special for great tips!

You can find other articles about tipping here.