The Tipping Divide: Study Finds Differences in Tips by Black, White Restaurant Patrons

National Public Radio ^ | 7/11/2003 | National Public Radio

[07055]

July 11, 2003 -- A new study finds many waiters and waitresses feel that black Americans generally tip less than restaurant diners who are white. The study, by a researcher at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, found that blacks tip on average 20 percent less than whites. In addition, restaurant workers of all races dislike waiting on black people because they assume the tips will be less no matter how good the service. NPR's Juan Williams reports.

The study found that 63 percent of blacks and 30 percent of whites didn't understand that the standard restaurant tip in the United States is 15 to 20 percent. The difference between how blacks and whites view tipping has serious ramifications for restaurants, including lawsuits and lost profits, Williams reports.

"The average tip from a black customer is about 13 percent of the bill. The average tip from a white customer is about 16.5 percent of the bill," says Dr. Michael Lynn, the study's author.

In some cases the difference in tipping may be the result of poor service, but blacks interviewed in one of Lynn's studies rated the service slightly higher yet still tipped less than whites, he says.

Jerry Fernandez, president of the Multicultural Food Alliance, which represents food servers and restaurateurs, says the expectations of a lower tip from blacks can often lead to poor service.

"If a [waiter] says, 'I don't want to wait on that table because they're black or they're Hispanic, then they tend to give less service and it's a self-fulfilling prophecy," Fernandez explains.

He says cultural elements -- blacks have avoided sit-down restaurants in favor of take out or self-service eateries -- institutionalized racism that exists in the restaurant industry and education about tipping are all behind the discrepancy. "How do people learn about tipping? If you don't go, you don't know."

Lynn suggests that the American restaurant industry begin a campaign to inform people about the basics of leaving a tip. He urges the use of advertisements, educational pamphlets, and even putting tipping information on menus. And Lynn suggests that restaurants could introduce a game in which dining parties would have to tip at least 15 percent in order to be eligible to win a contest.

[takenoprisoner]

According to my daughters who were both servers during high school and college, it wasn't only the blacks who were high demanding and low tippers, so were the sunday after church crowd. They rated the groups about the same in high demand and low tips. Unofficial study of course. Just their life's experience as servers.

[singletrack]

Another take is that a waiter will earn more than a waitress. My theory is that people grow up with a woman (Mom) usually taking care of food prep and serving, so it is notibly different for a man to bring the food and drinks. Waiters and waitress's ARE the best tippers. In this area the best way to good service and a smile is to tell the waitress you served tables ( I did ) and to bad mouth Canadian tipping customs.

[HairOfTheDog]

That's the point..... I don't dangle it.... I am not going to make a big production out of a big tip or a small one.

[TontoKowalski]

I'm assuming that these places with the punk managers were chain-type places, where the manager probably gets down on his knees and thanks God if all his people actually show up to work on Friday night.

One was a Friendly's (I think I'm spelling that right), which I believe is a national chain, even though I'd never run across one before. The other was a local place... not a Mom and Pop... they had hired managers.

As I said before, our area is growing so rapidly, and the food industry is lagging. Aside from some pretty good family-style locally owned-and-operated places, all we have are chain-types, and most of them are the moderate price places... Lone Star, Ruby Tuesday's, Appleby's, etc. The menus are all about the same... blah.

There are some ethnic places opening up, but it's weird... we have an Indian restaurant, but not an Italian. Wouldn't you think Italian would be a better business bet? If I had the money and the knowhow, I'd open up an Olive Garden here. Or one of the Mexican chains even.

[Just another Joe]

Never been a waiter, have you?

Nope, been a bartender though. Works on the same principle.
I've had very few wait staff offended by this, and I will sincerely ask them to please let me know if they are.
The reason that I ask is so that if even a large minority are/have been offended by it I would stop doing it.
I really don't want to tick off the people that make and serve my food.

[LibWhacker]

The average tip from a black customer is about 13 percent of the bill.

Thirteen percent? How embarrassing! These guys ought to wait on my dad sometime.

[AppyPappy]

Preach brother

[HairOfTheDog]

I'm just embarrassed by people that get easily embarrassed. lol

Well wouldn't we be a 'falling all over ourselves embarassment' together. LOL!

[07055]

According to my daughters who were both servers during high school and college, it wasn't only the blacks who were high demanding and low tippers, so were the sunday after church crowd. They rated the groups about the same in high demand and low tips.

And I would venture to say that this life experience colored how they acted towards those two groups in the future. Only difference is that the after Church crowd couldn't file a Federal lawsuit about their poor service.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I've seen women snatch a fiver out of the tip while their man was in the restroom.

Wow. I'll bet they have a good marriage!

[Kush]

T.I.P.S. - To Insure Prompt Service.

[chiller]

Because they have more money to spend. Easier for a wealthy person to tip the standard 15-20 per cent, don't ya' think?

[Xenalyte]

Smokers are GREAT tippers.

[Xenalyte]

Group of ladies I used to work with would leave 10% as a rule. I always ended up making it up to 20% total, which usually meant around 35% of my meal. Blech.

[Just another Joe]

Well wouldn't we be a 'falling all over ourselves embarassment' together.

Now, now, if we were eating together I wouldn't do that, knowing that it would embarrass you for me.
I am, after all, a gentleman.

[HairOfTheDog]

Been there..... done that Xenalyte!

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[Paul Atreides]

I am about tipping like I am about where I take my business: if I am treated with courtesy and like my business is appreciated, I return and give them more business. If I have a waiter/waitress, who is courteous, attentive, and appreciates the fact that I am helping to pay his/her salary, I leave a tip. However, I don't appreciate going to a place of business, where I am paying for the product, and having to hunt down someone for a refill of drink or the only times I see the waiter/waitress is when I am brought the meal and then the check.

[PresbyRev]

#1 - Punctuation. #2 - Take a look at some of the language in Scripture. #3 - Based on the Biblical narrative, the Deity cares more about how you treat the working poor than what adjectives you use. #4 - The rapture idea is a silly 19th Century invention by a hysterical Scottish teenage girl promulgated by C.I. Scofield who deserted his wife and scammed U.S. fundies for decades. Now go tip someone.

[HairOfTheDog]

Now, now, if we were eating together I wouldn't do that, knowing that it would embarrass you for me. I am, after all, a gentleman.

Aren't you a gentleman indeed! - So we'd get along great till we started spilling drinks across the table, at which point we are hopefully beyond embarrassment anyway! ;~D