How much consideration goes into leaving a tip at a restaurant? Do customers automatically tip the socially accepted 18-20%, or do they reflect on the service they received during the meal and then make a reasonable decision? Some even forego the tip all together based on poor service or personal reasons. These were never questions that I considered, until two months ago. The meal had come and gone; my fiancé and I were finishing up our conversation when the server delivered the check to the table. I opened it, briefly reflected on our dining experience, and tipped the same fixed percentage as always. It was not until we left the restaurant that it occurred to me the tip was more expensive than my …show more content…
In his article “Should Restaurant Tipping Be Abolished?”, Richard McKenzie advocates for restaurants to keep the current tipping policies in place. McKenzie argues that the waitperson would receive an overall pay cut. He also believes the server would lose motivation throughout the day if they were not incentivized with tips, lowering the service standards at all restaurants. The restaurant management would be forced to raise menu prices in order to compensate for the money they would lose after paying their servers a higher hourly wage, which would nullify the attempt to do away with tips …show more content…
Some customers do not view tipping negatively. Some customers take pleasure from compensating their waitperson. It is their way of showing the server they truly care for the effort that was put forth through the duration of their meal. Loyal customers that frequent the same restaurant, and sit in the same section every time develop a bond with their server. The waitron knows their order and spends no time asking what they would like. Instead, the conversation is more personal. For this reason, the loyal customer enjoys compensating their server, who in most cases is also their friend. If a waitperson only had to serve these types of customers, there would be no need to eliminate tips. Consequently, they have to deal with the occasional customer who does not leave a tip. Also, a customer who does not feel like they should tip will often leave a small tip just to avoid the social