Tipping at an Indian resturant

[Whomp]

I saw a study once that said that waitresses that touch the customers (her hand on your arm breify for example) get consistently higher tips.

Here's the study RedWolf. Sounds like it's a really good idea to give each member of the dinner party a piece of candy and then another.
Cornell University's Center for Hospitality Research has conducted several studies revealing some interesting facts about server habits that can boost tip percentages. Here are a few of them:

Spoiler :

Touching - Waiters experienced a tip increase from 11.8% to 14.8% of the check total when they briefly touched the shoulder of the customer. Both men and women left higher tips when touched, and although younger customers increased their tip amount more, all ages increased the tip by some amount.

Squatting - Two studies showed that waiters who squatted next to the table when taking orders and talking with customers increased their tips from 14.9% of the bill to 17.5% of the bill in one study, and from 12% to 15% in another study. Apparently, the eye contact and closer interaction creates a more intimate connection and makes us want to give the server more money.

Giving candy - A study that involved giving customers a piece of candy with their bill showed an increase in tip percentage from 15.1% to 17.8%. Another study in which servers gave each customer two pieces of candy with the bill increased the tip from 19% to 21.6% of the bill. Still another study showed that the way the server gave the customer the candy had the largest impact on the increase of the tip: This study had the server initially give each member of the customer's party one piece of candy and then "spontaneously" offer a second piece of candy. This method increased the tip to 23% of the bill!

 

[WillJ]

That one I actually disagree with, as tip income is very variable, and very dependent on the amount of traffic through the restaurant. It'd be pretty hard to calibrate wages like that. Don't think anyone says tips should be abolished entirely, I just don't think tips should be expected, and they certainly shouldn't be part of the standard wage structure. You should know in advance that you're getting paid a reasonable amount for your work. If customers are very happy and want to reward you, that's a bonus. It shouldn't be an expectation on the part of either the customer or the staff.

But any manager who did that would be driven out of business, right?

About variability: That's hardly an excuse... it's the problem! Why can't managers just pay their waiters/waitresses a constant wage, like they do their chefs? There's no difference. How much food chefs have to cook depends completely on the volume of traffic, just like waiting, and if we decided to start letting chefs be paid through tips that'd be very variable too.

I'd rather tip $10-20 than pay an extra $10-20 for my meal.

Why? (As far as I can tell, paying the extra for the meal would really just be a "required tip": it'd still go to the server, and now everybody has to do it.)

The only reason I can think of is that it makes you feel good. But that's like saying you don't approve of laws against against littering because you'd rather refrain from littering on your own free will. Pretty crazy when you think about it at the macro level.

Oh, and @ the Cornell studies: Interesting stuff.

 

[ew0054]

If you go to a resturant and pick up your food are you obligated to tip? I never tip when I go to the pizza place.

And if I get delivery to my house I don't tip because I am already paying a delivery charge. I assume the driver gets compensated for it. I have heard that they get paid fair wage anyway.

 

[Whomp]

Why? (As far as I can tell, paying the extra for the meal would really just be a "required tip": it'd still go to the server, and now everybody has to do it.)

The only reason I can think of is that it makes you feel good.

Why? Because servers have memories. I get comped at certain places because they know who I am. The way I see it there's a symbiotic relationship between us. I'm not sure this happens under the "markup the food system" unless I add another 10% to the 20% it was marked up.

If you go to a resturant and pick up your food are you obligated to tip? I never tip when I go to the pizza place.

No not if you pickup.

And if I get delivery to my house I don't tip because I am already paying a delivery charge. I assume the driver gets compensated for it. I have heard that they get paid fair wage anyway.

I do but for you they may already have the charge built in.

 

[sanabas]

But any manager who did that would be driven out of business, right?

About variability: That's hardly an excuse... it's the problem! Why can't managers just pay their waiters/waitresses a constant wage, like they do their chefs? There's no difference. How much food chefs have to cook depends completely on the volume of traffic, just like waiting, and if we decided to start letting chefs be paid through tips that'd be very variable too.

Huh? I'm sort of confused. Trying to work out exactly how much people normally get tipped and building that into the wage would be very difficult. I don't think tips should be outlawed, I don't have a problem with the idea of someone choosing to reward someone else for good service. I have a problem with there being the expectation on the part of those providing the service that they'll get extra, and I have a problem with the expectation on the part of the customer that they pay extra. I have an even bigger problem with that expectation being used as a justification to pay someone substandard wages. I agree, the waiters should be paid a constant, decent wage, with the expectation of tips removed. Then if people want to tip in addition to that, good luck to them.