Suggestions on tipping from the experts
Some of us have been there before; taking time out of your precious work schedule to make sure that people such as myself, the ones who slurp down their Diet Coke like it’s the nectar of life, have a full glass. Some of us have been the ones who take time out of that six-to-close shift to make sure that table 33 gets their soup before table 28 gets their entrées, time that could be spent on the various tedious tasks that your manager has set aside. It’s time that you could be spending prepping for a defrost, or sweeping up the mess in the bar area, but instead, it’s spent waiting on some cheap old bastard hand and foot only to find out that he gets some sick pleasure out of leaving a three percent tip.
For those of you who haven’t been there—the people who got to sit at the pool all day basking in the hot summer sun making sure that three year olds didn’t poop or drown on your watch, the kids who worked at Blockbuster, and the ones who’ve never worked at all: you are a lucky, lucky group of people.
For the last six years of my life I’ve had the… pleasure of working with the general public. Although my jobs were in food service-type places, I’ve thankfully never been dependent on tips. Don’t let that fool you. I’ve had my dealings with a fair share of people, like the ones you know are going to test your patience as soon as you see them and their eight children enter the door. It’s not that I don’t like children. What I don’t like is not being able to say no to their demands for a fourth Mountain Dew or, heaven forbid, those damn crayons!
I’ve met people who shouldn’t even be allowed in public, let alone a fine dining establishment. The drunkards, the creepy, typically older men and every once in a while, everyone’s favorite: “Yeah, I have NO CLUE what I could possibly want, I’m going to need forty-five minutes or longer to decide” kind-of people.
But for every idiot, there are the customers that you love. The customers you get pumped-up for when they arrive. The ones that can ask you for a refill every five minutes and will be getting it, since they treat me like I have a brain. And a soul. Those are the customers who make every bad day totally worth it.
I wanted to take a gander into what other people have experienced, knowing that I wasn’t alone. I sent out a few messages to a couple of friends and let’s just say that the responses that I received were…colorful. I even was contacted by some of their friends simply so that those individuals could share their encounters with me.
I got stories that made me cringe. Stories that make me laugh. A few that made me lose hope for mankind. There were, no doubt, some “Oh yeah, been there” moments and some jaw-dropping stories that won’t ever make it to print.
Soon, it turned into more than just compiling horror stories and misfortunes. I started to wonder: “Is there a way to ensure that you’ll receive a good tip?” So we investigated, and it turns out, a vast majority of the people we talked to agreed: There is a way to ensure that you’ll rake in the dough—so to speak. As it turns out, it’s all about how far you’re willing to go.
“It’s about the quality of the over-all experience,” said Matthew Swiger, an Atlanta-based country club food and beverage director said in an interview. “If you work in a fine dining restaurant your tip is a direct reflection of your service.”
He would go on to say that service extends further than just taking someone’s order and bringing them their plated food. “Your service as a waiter or waitress is about reading your table, being able to know what kind of needs they are going to have,” Swinger said.
Kelly Lehrer, a junior nursing major and five-year wait-staff vet, has some insight on the topic.
“In my experience, the tips you receive also have a lot to do with the type of environment you work in.” Lehrer, who has worked at a few different dining establishments during her five-year run, says that attractiveness can totally be played to your advantage when waiting tables. And why wouldn’t you?
“I’ve had guys tip me and tell me it’s specifically because I was ‘easy to look at’,” said Lehrer. It might be creepy to hear that some old fogie thinks you’re the bee’s knees, but it’s worth the extra five bucks. Maybe.
In email correspondence with the Chimes, Dr. Beckett Broh, assistant professor of sociology and criminology, noted that the “notion of tipping has increased exponentially” over the last few years.
She would go on to say that, “Consumers are feeling the stress of the “tipping culture” and not tipping or tipping less. In some ways this is less of a reflection on the service or worker, and more on the employer. For example, many people refuse to tip at Starbucks, not because the workers aren’t terrific, but because Starbucks should reward their employees for good service and not pass that cost on to consumers.”
Anyone who has had to work with the general public, especially in food service, knows that times can be rough. That table of nice people out after their church service can always end up stiffing you and no matter what, there will always be plenty of rude people.
But, if you strive your best to provide the best service that you can, the greater your odds are at being able to swim in pools of twenty dollar bills and bathe in diamonds…or at least make it so you don’t have to order off the dollar menu EVERY time you go out.
-UPDATE-
This weeks print edition featured some information on tipping, however, in the process of gathering the information used within the article, the Chimes staff was gracious enough to hear back from a boat-load of people. Some of them made us laugh, some of them made us cringe and there were even a couple that can’t be released due to…various things.
We wanted the general public to get a glimpse of what the servants that you encounter throughout your day have to go through. Here are their stories—enjoy:
Janeen Bonnay
Cleveland, Ohio
Server
“Anyone who has ever served knows that having “regulars” is your bread and butter. These are the people that come in only for you. They don’t care if their service is perfect, and they always tip you over 20%. These are the people who actually see you as a person and not just their idiot server. I am incredibly lucky to have “The Grappa Guys” as my regulars.
These men are highly regarded around the globe for their work in the academic work. We’re talking upper echelon type stuff. Tom, a perfect clone to Colonel Sanders, and Bo, his much younger…counterpart, have become the providers of my rent, have taken me out to extravagant dinners, and have truly become my friends.
Upon their first visit to the restaurant, Tom wanted Grappa, a jet fuel-esque liquor made from the remnants of the wine making process. We don’t sell Grappa because it’s disgusting and will burn hols in your throat. So, on their second visit, they brought me a 100 year-old bottle of Grappa. And tipped me nearly 40% of their $300 bill.
I see these men at least once a week. They bring their colleagues, friends, and students. They drink awesome, expensive wine and are always quick with a story and a good laugh. And for just a little while, I get treated like a human being that matters.”
Kristen Foss
Senior, Public Relations/Communications Major
Food Service
“During the winter seasons in Northeast Ohio, the residents are lucky enough to experience “white death,” otherwise known as lake-effect snow.
There were many lovely evenings where the weather was so bad that the only reasonable thing to do was curl up in a ball in your house and never leave. However, if you’re extra lucky, you get to work during “white death.” And that was always me.
During one of the evenings that I was working, we were EXTREMELY understaffed. There were three people attempting to do everything. Just about every other food place around us had closed, even McDonalds. The weather was outrageous. However, there I was, answering four phone calls at once and then running back to make a pizza. I had people on hold who didn’t understand why their delivery pizza was taking so long.
…Those days just weren’t fun.”
Tiffanie Arnott
Junior, Public Relations Major
Food Service
“When I worked for the Cleveland Indians food and beverage department, I was able to see a lot. One summer, we hosted the H2O Brad Paisley Concert at the stadium and we had a lot of drunk people in the stadium. For some reason, they all had a strong liking for bouncing beach volleyballs. One guy tried to grab a ball on the mezzanine from the main level and fell over the edge. He barely held on and had to be rescued. It was crazy.”
Jordan Canada
Senior, BM Music Technology
Food Service
“Any server who goes out of their way to show any ounce of personality seems to get higher tips and customers who aren’t huge idiots like that – it comes off as a more “personal experience.” At the same time, you can’t predict how some people tip, so you can go out of your way only to get shit on with a $.13 tip. You can milk some people for some money, but you can’t milk them all.”
