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.
Yes!
I might have been six years old, and I noticed Daddy had left some change on the table (this would be 1956)
So, I collected it, and told him that he had left some money on the table. He then explained the concept to me, that the waitresses (waiters were unknown) made very low wage, and one always leaves some money for them.
A six year old got it.
Back to black folks being substandard tippers; it's just too bad that some academe thought this worthy of investigation. I question it all.
It is mostly likely not scientific - i.e. having a sufficient number of cases, and proper control on the experiment.
IOW, this guy/gal had an idea that needing proving. So it was.
What really annoys me is seeing the giant tip jars with the signs at the fast-food walk up counter joints. I'm not tipping guys just for flipping a couple of burgers around the grill or making a sandwich.
I know what you mean..... I have a friend who is so cold and so picky and so cheap with a tip, I have overtipped when with her out of sheer embarrassment. I have not been afraid to work on her about it though, and she has actually gotten better.
Same thing was done on "Third Rock from the Sun". Dick put a huge stack of one's on the table, told the wait staff that this was their potential tip, any mistakes they would make, he was removing a dollar.
Agreed, and as the thread shows, it is not an angle very many people are interested in.
Don'e even get me started on that....every day at those places is a freakin' Q-tip convention (all the ladies hairdos)...but the dems would have you believe none of them have enough for prescription meds and they are choosing between their meds and eating canned dog food.
Yep. See 62. Absolute fact.
My personal advice has always been to leave a little more if it looks like you're going to return soon. Anyone who thinks that waitress A doesn't tell waiter B who is tipping heavy hasn't tried it.
Two exceptions to the rule I did find in my brief tenure in this little world were (1) restaurants directing all tips to be placed in a common kitty, and (2) restaurants wherein the bussers shared the tips with the wait staff. In the first case contributions to that kitty became a matter of pride among the wait staff; in the second it was kind of an incentive-killer. My first experience with crypto-socialism. It didn't work very well.
Well, it doesn't help when the manager on duty is a high-schooler, too.
Incidentally, two local restaurants have closed because of lack of business. This is in an area that is growing (but the food industry hasn't caught up yet), and you may have to wait 30 minutes or more for a table at most places.
I attribute both of those closings to poor service... primarily teen wait staff. People I knew just refused to go there.
As I said before, I like to go to places where adults are working. Things just work out better. My family has a nicer time, and the waiters get a healthy tip.
And they get paid for that job. It may not be what they, or we, think is enough but they do get paid.
A tip is for going above and beyond the job.
20% is a decent tip. If I do a good job I get a annual bonus. If I don't I don't get a bonus. It's called incentive.
I don't mind giving an incentive for someone to do a good job.
As for being embarrassed, I save that for when I really make a faux pa. Like spilling my vodka. ;^)
You are just too cool!
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