Posted on 07/11/2003 3:48:00 PM PDT by 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.
I'd prefer to feed the hungry, say someplace like Haiti?
Took this photo down there. Most of the people working down there on the "Wells of Salvation" project are the "fundies" you were bad-mouthing. They reduced the infant mortality rate by 1/3 assisting the locals drill wells for clean drinking water. I'm nobody special, and a pretty bad Christian, but the "fundies" are the ones I find when I get to the places that ain't fun to be in, not the social crusaders who have abandoned the gospel.
You've got a bad handle. All Freepers are above average.
I signed on right after Rush posted a picture of the "average freeper" on his website. Not my best photo.
UNBELIEVABLE!
Maybe. I've heard it from people from Watertown, NY to Burlington, VT all the way down to Fort Lauderdale. They seem to think they know a Canadian when they see/hear one - especially when they pull the toast and hot water trick. They could be mistaken, I suppose.
Though it's sort of hard to mistake them when they pull up into (or out of) the lot with Quebec/Ontario plates on their vehicle.
I have never waited tables but recognize that it is very hard work. Which is why I always try to tip well. While I sometimes get bad service, most of the time, the servers do a great job.
If you would have heard Juan's piece on NPR this morning, as I did, the solutions to this "problem" were almost this bad.
The conclusion was that the restaurant industry needed to come up with an educational campaign to so that black restaurant patron could learn how to tip.
As a kid the only restaurants we ever went to were hamburger joints and yet somehow I learned how to tip as an adult.
Oooo I have an even better idea. How about restaurants paying their waiters and waitresses at least minimum wage instead of assuming that people will tip 15% and count that as part of their earnings? Of course, the food will be more expensive to those who don't tip, and cheaper for those who tip heavily. But that's one way to get rid of people who don't understand that tips are part of wages.
Men tip better and complain less. I went to lunch with some old classmates (they were women) a few months back. The waitress seemed fine to me, was glad to leave a tip. After I left one of the "girls" complained to the manager and claimed I was upset by the service etc.
If I leave a big tip, I have to make sure my wife doesn't swipe it back when I am not looking.
Anyway, I wanted to provide this simple service announcement for those folks who want an easy way to calculate 10%, 15% or 20%.
Just move the decimal.
$40.00 Bill
10% = 4.00
15% = 4.00 (10%) + 2.00 (1/2 of 10%)= $6.00
20% = 4.00 x 2 = $8.00
The same applies for any amount. Just move the decimal and multiply that amount times two.
20% is the amount someone should tip, IMHO. Add extra if they were out of sight!
haha! that is my favorite story to tell people when they go on about why the poor waiter should get a 20%+ tip. i hate tipping. i'd rather pay more for the food and have the waitstaff get a decent hourly than pay a tip. you don't like making $2.00 an hour, get another job.
having said that, i think i tip well for good service. my problem is, in a lot of mid-priced restaurants the waiter has only picked up the food from the kitchen,put it on my table, and handed me a glass of diet pepsi. i don't see them again until they drop the check. (this is really the only service required. i'm not talking about where you want service and can't find the waiter) i'm hard pressed to give you 15-20% for putting a plate in front of me.
what about in a buffet? i'm even getting my own food, for cryin' out loud. am i suppose to tip for being shown where to sit down?
I agree. It's the same patronizing liberal mindset that justifies affirmative action---"Those people are so much less evolved than we are so we have to make allowances. Maybe a government program would help."
I agree! - Very good tipping tip, Ruthy!
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