Gratuity: Read This If You Are One Of The Many Who Are Clueless

I am writing this on behalf of every person that works in the food service industry.

Recently I was in a debate with a retired schoolteacher about gratuity. Her opinion was that there should not be any tipping whatsoever. And, having an "oldschool" mentality combined with her views, she tips on average 8-10%. Her argument was that the establishment should pay employees more money and tipping should be obsolete. Customers should not have to shell out more money on top of the cost of the bill. The words she was speaking and her body language told me that it actually irritated her that she felt obligated to leave a tip at all. Obviously, this woman has never in her life worked in the service industry, and therefore is completely ignorant to why tipping is important.

Let me explain from the view of someone that makes a living off of tips....why it is so important, and how it benefits everyone, including the tipper.

First let's focus on the establishment. A restaurant is a difficult business to always keep profitable for many reasons. Food costs, labor, supplies, utilities, - I know the rent alone on the establishment where I work is $20,000 per month! Raising pay would be very devastating, and, hypothetically speaking, what would happen if pay was higher, is less employees would be scheduled at a time to keep labor costs down. Now- who is suffering the most? The customer, of course. Have you ever went out to eat to a place where there is one person trying to run the whole show- all the while the place is packed with helpless guests that are frustrated from the lack of attention they are receiving? Not a pleasant experience, I can assure you.

Second, if a food server/bartender did not receive gratuities, and they just got paid by the restaurant, what is their incentive to give great service? The restaurant is paying them to do their part in running an efficient business- which already- for the workload, the pay is definitely not near enough.

Take for example your local Wal-Mart. (If you need proof, go visit one to get the full effect of this example).

Do the people that work there treat you like royalty? Do they fight at the chance to help you find something, or try to get you through the checkout as fast as possible? Are there employees always available in every department to assist customers with their every need? And the answer is, HELL NO! You are lucky if you can find anyone at all that is willing to help, and actually be nice about it. Oh don't get me wrong, Wal-Mart hires enough employees, but having to deal with the public for $8 per hour is not much of a motivator. In my experience, the nicest employee is the one standing at the door that says "Welcome to Wal-Mart" when you walk in. Now, let's say those same employees were offered an extra $5 for every customer they assisted. Do you think the service would improve? In my experience, money talks.

The Guidelines - 20%

Instead of looking at tipping as an 'extra' expense, include it into whatever your budget is for the meal. If you plan on spending no more that $40 for dinner, a 20% tip= $8, that leaves $32 for the bill.

If you are unable to calculate 20% when the bill arrives, just double the amount of the tax and add $1.00. So say the tax is $3.87, double it - ($7.74) add $1 = the tip amount is $8.74.

For some, it is a major stretch on the budget to eat out at all- which is completely understandable. But here again, let me elaborate. If you can afford to order alcohol, you can afford to tip properly. If guests come in, say for lunch, with a coupon and order water to drink, it's probably safe to say they are strapped for cash. Any gratuity at all is appreciated. But if I have customers that have appetizers, margaritas, salad, steak, and possibly even dessert, and then when the bill arrives they slip in a measly 10% gratuity, you better believe I will remember who you are, and next time my efforts will definitely be decreased. How can you expect anyone to take care of you when you are not willing to do the same? It goes back to the old scripture I have kept with me since a child, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you". When you treat other people with generosity and respect, it will come back to you. When you do not, expect others to be just as unhelpful and disrespectful to you as you are.

There is truth of this in my own life. All the people I work with know that I am one of the best tippers. If another employee helps me out a lot, I will buy them dinner. I tip the servers that take out my food more than anyone else tips them, and it comes around in a full circle = They always will take my food out first- before anyone Else's = which means my customers get hot fresh food that makes them happy = and I make more money. I always have coworkers happily willing to help me with anything that I need.

The cheapskate tippers have the opposite experience = When their food is ready, the food runners take their food out last(If they take it at all), the table tenders will ignore their dirty tables, and trying to find a coworker to lend a hand is like pulling teeth. Just like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. I actually end up making more money than everyone else, even though I tip out double or triple the amount that they do.

With that said, if the whole world lived by the simple rule of Treat Others As You Want To Be Treated, everything would flow a heck of a lot smoother.