Service Attitude

Recently I read a post or comment on Face Book regarding “tipping” and it was kind of funny because it came with a little math exercise on how one must tip for services render, in this case in a restaurant. I guess it was meant to prove a point to a client. (20% tip by the way)

I put this topic under service attitude because I in my opinion “tipping” in this case have to do with service attitude. (I will get back to this)

Is there an industry standard for tipping? In the past I have heard of adding ten to fifteen percent of the total bill as a tip for the service staff. I myself have used this guideline for years as a basic measurement for service in hotels, restaurant and bars. But I also use another more personal approach to tipping.

In my opinion if there is an “industry standard” it’s just a guideline and not written in stone. I think that it’s a cultural thing and for lack of a better explanation I will call it a habit or custom.

I have visited and lived in many different countries and in each country I have seen the custom of tipping a little different. From personal experience I know that twenty five or thirty years ago, tipping in Europe was not “the norm” and in some countries it was actually frowned upon by the server when you left a tip. (Personal experience)

Again this varies from country to country. There are countries in Africa, South America, Asia and the Middle East where this wasn’t and still is not a common practice, which led me to “Google or Bookgle” the word tipping.

Yes you heard it here, “Bookgle”. “Bookgle” is what we used to do in the past when you had to look up information by means of opening a book and seek information. Don’t confuse this with research for all you geniuses out there.      

Looking up the word tipping on Google I found the following via Wiktionary. “Tipping may refer to: Gratuity, an overpayment made as recognition to those who provide service beyond the expectation”. 

Yes, I only looked up this one and decided to use it. This is NOT research for all you geniuses out there. 

Now several questions come to my mind. What is “provide service beyond the expectation”? What is my expectation of service? What is someone else’s expectation of service? Who is providing the service? Is this really “an over payment”? Who am I paying or “overpaying”?

First of all, the moment you walk into a bar or restaurant some staff members (not all) have made their calculation already on the potential tip. Others go to work expecting that they will make an X amount of tip that day while others live or cover their life expenses based on this expectancy or “what is due” to them and if this is not met that day, they had a “bad” day.

There are businesses in the hospitality or service industry that no matter what, the tips are almost always guaranteed and this creates an attitude of demand or expectancy on the side of the staff. There are also services like for instance “all inclusive” hotels that don’t allow tipping the staff.

I remember in 2000 in New York I was out with a friend and we had dinner with a “bad” attitude. The server was in my opinion rude and not well mannered. Maybe she didn’t get any the night before or she was having a bad day or her pet rock died. Whatever the reason, my friend also noticed it. When it came time to pay I told my friend that I think that the server was not professional and I am not going to tip her.

My friend sort of looked at me surprised “what do you mean you’re not going to tip” she asked me. 

This is what I said earlier that I will come back to. You see, regardless of how I feel the server is expecting to get a tip. My friend who is a New Yorker, she was surprised but despite noticing the attitude and rude service she also expected that I would leave a tip.

What is a good service? My opinion is this. If by the time I ordered my drinks or food and I consume it and want to leave and I feel overall “good” about the food or drinks, service and the place, I will tip. My tipping can sometimes reach up to fifty percent of the bill. Once I even tipped a server 100% of the bill because she treated my party and I very good. She was genuine and she liked her job.

Mind you, I wasn’t drunk and I knew full well that I wanted to give her the tip. There was nothing sexy or sexual attached to this tipping. It was one of those times that I felt really good about the service. (I returned a few more times) If I don’t feel happy or “good” about it I won’t tip. I will not tip or I will send a message in the tipping that I didn’t like the service, especially if the server was not up to my standards or likening. I left a quarter once after dinner.

I believe that tipping comes from the heart or gut. At least, that is how it works for me. I don’t see it as an obligation “per se” but I do it “as a recognition to those who provide service beyond” my expectation and this is where the team thing comes into play again.

In some places you are met by a maitre d’ or hostess and you are seated. Someone else will bring water to the table and a waiter will take the order or you have just your waiter or server. But a lot of people (including servers) forget that the food is ordered, prepared and there is the cleanup crew, hence The Team!

Now I have had my share of bad experiences with food services but I don’t consider myself neither cheap nor an extremely demanding client. However there’re things that I don’t accept nor will I tolerate.

Unless it’s meant to be served cold, don’t serve hot food cold or food that isn’t at the right temperature. (Too hot can also ruin someone’s appetite) Don’t take my order and come back later to tell me that you’re out. If it’s on the damn menu, you better have it.

You can notice if a server is having a bad day. People don’t feel the same every day. But don’t let it show in your service. Don’t argue with a co-worker in from of clients or get into a fight in the place of business. (Management or lack off)

There is a difference between genuinely being service minded, friendly, attentive or professional or trying to suck up to the client for a good tip.

Some will even come out and downright ask the patron “where is the tip”. I have personally seen this, which turned into a screaming match between the client and the server. 

I have worked in past in the hospitality and service industry and I have also had businesses in the hospitality and service industry so I know firsthand about service and tipping.

The service industry in general is a teamwork setting. This can be from a store selling shoes to a restaurant or bar where you can sit down and there is one bartender and he or she serves you your drink, you pay and leave. 

But unless he does the liquor ordering, including stocking, inventory and every other aspect of the bar by himself this requires more people, again a team.

If the owner, manager or supervisor didn’t order a product and after taking an order for a drink or food the server comes back after 10-15 minutes and says we are out of this or that, this affects the service. (And tips)

The team starts with the company, owner, manager or supervisor who doesn’t hire professional staff or doesn’t train the staff well. As a server you should know what you’re selling, you should know your product, you should know if you have it in stock and this is the responsibility of the server in this case to know all this at the beginning of their shift. If you don’t, you and your team are failing and affecting your service.

So before you want to “school someone” on how to do the math on tipping, please start with yourself. Know your product and know what you’re selling and not just the inventory. 

Your team is responsible for your success as a hospitality or service industry provider. So you do the math next time you have to tell the client that you ran out of eggs, mushrooms, pasta or liquor because “someone” forgot to order it.      

Doc.