[lug] Tipping service workers (was: Credit)

[Maxwell Spangler]

> On 2/3/2010 9:56 AM, Davide Del Vento wrote:

> > About to tipping, even after years of living in Colorado, I still have
> > questions. How would you tip a fair (not excellent) restaurant server
> > in which the food bill is about $30? I'm often in such a range, and I
> > have mixed feelings on how to tip. The $6 doesn't feel enough, but
> > it's already 20%, and tipping more than 20% for not outstanding
> > service doesn't feel good either. What would you do? What about
> > servers that just put the meal in the tray which you then bring to the
> > table yourself? How would you tip the server of a coffee shop (not
> > bringing the stuff at your table either) for a beverage in the 1-3$
> > range? Wouldn't be 20% offensive, and more, well, too much for what
> > they're actually doing?

The beauty of tipping is that you get to pay what you feel each time you
have the opportunity.

There is unfortunately no guarantee for good food, drink, environment or
service.

But you should have the expectation that your satisfaction is important
to the restaurant (OR ANY BUSINESS).  So,

* Go into the experience expecting to be satisfied and hold them to it. 

If you don't like your food, tell them.  You'll learn whether this
restaurant cares about you.  If they do, they'll fix it and not only
will you be satisfied but you will be giving them very valuable
feedback.

When I ran my restaurant I would never ask customers "How is everything"
because too many people will just say "Oh, it's Good" because they don't
think the restaurant *really* cares.  So I asked questions like "Is the
chicken spicy enough?"  "Is the Mojito what you expected?"  This would
get them talking and I'd find out what they really thought.  I'd
remember regular customers whose attitudes I appreciated (constructive
feedback) and send them free food so they could beta test[1] specials we
were working on for the next week.  This kind of customer service is so
easy yet too few people seem to understand it.

* Desire to pay 20% gratuity and make the servers work for it.

You chose to go to the restaurant and you get to choose how little or
lot you order and spend.  The restaurant started working for your
business with their marketing, decor, menu, prices, etc.  Now make the
server work for it.

Give the server a chance to treat you as an individual and respect your
wishes.  Ask for things in different ways, ask for more of this and
extra that.  See how important you are to them.  Good servers will make
you feel like you are the only one in the restaurant that matters to
them and you should be satisfied enough to enjoy giving them 20%
gratuity.  Professional servers will provide you with things before you
even ask for it: like a special sauce that doesn't normally go with your
dish but they love it so they suggest you try it.  It might be the best
thing you've ever tried.

* Dine at independents

The chain restaurants are beating up independents because they're
professional and organized.  They can afford excellent locations, snazzy
decor and they professionally design their food so that you will enjoy
eating it.  (Nutrition and Health issues are not their concern.)

The independents compete with this by being genuine, personal and
sincere.  Like grandma's home made cookies, they never seem as perfect
and consistent as what you buy in a box at a supermarket from a big
company, but you still like her cookies better, right?

GOOD independent restaurants are the same way.  The one area in which
independents can compete and surpass chains is in service.  Like ANY
BUSINESS the level of service has to be set by management and flow
through to employees, but when this happens you get the highest quality
experience possible and from people that really appreciate your
business.

Independents think happy customer = healthy business.  Chains often
think happy customer is interrupting my high volume, high profit
production line, staying at his table too long and cutting into my
profits, what a pain in the ass this guy is.

* Become a regular

This goes such a long way, especially if you tip well from the start.
Being a regular means staff can learn what you like and don't like and
they can practice accommodating you.  They'll anticipate your needs and
avoid trying to sell you things they know you won't like.  If you tip
well from the start, every time you walk in, they expect it and it
reminds them that you're willing to tip *as long as they deliver on
service*.  Servers often bad mouth unknown customers who don't tip but
they recognize their own bad service when regular well-tipping customers
don't tip.

I actually stocked specific liquors at my bar at the request of regular
customers.  This, like many customer-centered business practices makes
the customer feel incredibly appreciated and special yet all it cost me
was $42 for a bottle of Bakers Bourbon -- which they will buy from me..


I hope these comments help.  In no way am I trying to defend anybody's
bad products or services but the above should help you focus on
opportunities to support good businesses more while the others die out.


[1] My career in restaurateuring was interesting because I bought a lot
of ideas from the tech world to it.  Some things worked, some things
didn't but I learned a lot that can be applied to any other business I
work for and that made the whole experience extremely valuable.  Only a
few people noticed my menus had version numbers printed on them. :)
 
-- 
Maxwell Spangler