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

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

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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.

[krb]

Oh well, 2 years from now I wont have to do it anymore

Why?

[gitmo]

How much do you tip in a buffet-style restaurant? I took my family to the local steak-house last night and tipped 15%, but really we fetched our own food. (Well, I had a steak, but the rest of the family grazed from the food bar.)

[Kieri]

I've found that my fellow Christians pretty much suck at leaving reasonable tips. 'After-Church' self-righteous pricks who demand, demand, demand, then leave a few pieces of change and of course a "Gospel Tract."

I've seen my holier-than-thou mother-in-law do that very same thing and end up with teeth marks in my tongue from holding back. My husband and I, "IF" we leave a tract, we put a huge tip in it to make up for all the stingy Frozen Chosen who don't.

[BADROTOFINGER]

Well, the plan is to get an AA degree from a local community college in civil engineering, and work with a friend of mine at a land surveying/engineering outfit. I start school in September. I failed as a rock star (had LOADS of fun), failed as an car salesman (miserably, I am too nice of a guy, I guess), and made a run at a small retail niche shop (comic books, sports cards, games, toys, movies, etc...), and ended up back in foodservice. Getting a little old for it, figured it was time to conform seeing as how my fallback occupational prospect (foodservice) seems to be becoming a lifetime career. Life doesnt always work the way you want it to, go figure...:-)...JFK

[The Coopster]

It is common knowledge.....

[BADROTOFINGER]

I have recieved those, but always with a real tip. If that is all I recieved as a tip, I would contact the local pastor of that church and question as to why members of his flock could be so thoughtless and rude...JFK

[krb]

You don't have to tip so much at a buffet place. Plus at a pool hall, you only should tip on the beer, not the table time.

[The Coopster]

15 percent is probably huge for a buffet, but I can't say that I could give you a fair assesment. If there was an attendent there tending to your refills, empty plates, etc, then you are to be commended for recognizing them.

But to me, buffets are hell on earth. I've only been to one in the last 10 years, and it simply reinforced my belief.

[Trace21230]

What I found amusing was that the black servers I worked with were the ones who bitched the most about having to wait on black tables.

They would pass them off if they could. I would take them, knowing I would probably get screwed with a 10% tip or something.

My point of view was that 10% is still better than nothing, and I needed the $ bigtime back then.

Trace

[Trace21230]

They make it sound like "common knowledge" in the restaurant industry.

It is common knowledge. Everyone knows it, not everyone talks about it. I suppose it's taboo to some extent because people are afraid of being labeled as racists.

Trace

[iconoclast]

Yawn.

311 people with too much time on their hands. ;o)

[sandydipper]

How about just going over to a table where blacks are eating and putting a couple bucks on their table. That way they could either leave it for a tip or use it to pay their bill.

[Reagan Renaissance]

The government has its hand in everything. Wage an hour laws take tips into consideration. Food service works out to fall between self-employed and minimum-wage-employee. Don't look for logic, government is the antithesis of logic. Government evolves contending that it is logical.

When I was young, an average tip was considered to be 10%. I am sure the tip lobby combined with liberals in the media were able to raise the average tip to 15% and are now trying to move it toward 20%. I am sure they base this argument on inflation, ignoring that the price of the meal will have almost certainly kept pace with inflation or possibly even out-paced inflation.

Call me a curmudgeon, or simply a cur if you like, but I don't tip at all in fast food places where I am expected to clean the table and dump the tray into the trash. I seldom leave more than a dollar or two in places that are mostly self-serve buffets and never more than 10% anywhere else. I don't eat in places that automatically add 15% or more for service. And I factor the 10% down in places that have higher priced menus. At the risk of being wrong, I suspect it takes the same amount of time and effort to serve a $10 lunch as $12.95 lunch. And if you are a waiter, don't blame me if you think you are under-paid.

[The Coopster]

Don't despair - you'll be able to shake it eventually. It took me 10 years or so to get there, by moving up in my industry far enough that I didn't have to worry about a winter job. Even with that, I'm just now at the point that I am making more at my day job than I did waiting tables. It's nothing to make 40-50k a year waiting tables, but it's also a quality of life issue. The restaurant biz is no place for a family guy, unless your wife is in the same line of work.

At least you've got it to fall back on....

[null and void]

It's a non-story because its so obvious if you accept the premise that minorities have less money to spend.

I've been unemployed for 10 months, on the rare occasions I eat out I tip well. My tight wallet is not the server's problem!

[Vaduz]

True but does your caddy have a set of $4,000 wheels on it?.

[The Coopster]

So you're holding the servers culpable for your problems with the government. 10 percent is a lousy tip. If that's your max, you're a lousy tipper. Period.

Stick to fast food. It's right up your alley. I suspect that you're not just a "curmudgeon", but a cheapskate as well.

[Trace21230]

It's a lazy Saturday, what can I say?

At least we're not arguing...

[vaudine]

We ate at the Vanderbilt Estate Rest. and the electronic cash register was down. My husband paid with a $50.00. The waitress, a college junior,finally came over and apologized. She didn't know how to count back the change.I showed her, but she still wasn't sure she "got it".

Some people think it is funny to "stiff" the server--i.e. college frat and sorority people who are driving new "daddy-bought" sports cars and wearing the latest duds.Everything is for them.

As for adding the gratuity on tothe bill, when they do, additiional is expected by most servers.

vaudine

[gitmo]

Well, my kids take some extra attention. So I take that into account.