please erect your tent if you intend to camp

Two ladies sit together in a booth, dinner has been ordered, served and cleared; coffee and dessert are long reduced to crumbs and rings on the table.  The bill has sat untouched for almost an hour and the conversation rages on...

It's been so long since you've seen each other, I know, you just want to relax and catch up and enjoy each other's company, I get it.  But what you are not considering is that you are reducing my income significantly by taking up a table long after you have eaten.

You see, in most restaurants each server has a section which is comprised of a specific number of tables.  Those tables represent the potential income, not only for the establishment in which you find yourselves, but more directly for the server in that section.  When you forge your way past lingering into the realm of camping we begin to get upset.

As with any industry there is an assumed amount of time it takes to process an order or deal with a client, the same goes for the restaurant biz, there is an average amount of time that it normally takes to 'turn the table'. Some other occupations charge by the hour so that they do not have to concern themselves with potential campers, we don't have that luxury.  Restaurants do not rent you a table for a specific fee but they do expect that once you have finished dining and enjoying the offereings of said restaurant that you will pay your bill and be on your way so that the next table may be given the same opportunity.

If you are planning to stay for the duration of an afternoon or evening it would be courteous to inform your server and perhaps include a little extra when it comes to paying the bill so that he/she does not lose out on a significant amount of income from that table.

Stratford is filled with lovely independent coffee shops that provide an atmosphere to linger in, have a few lattes and catch up on the last 20 years of your life there perhaps?

customer profile: the regular-non-tipper

"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name..."

Being a regular is nice.  A cheerful hello awaits your arrival.  Smiles from staff members, handshakes from management, you are an important part of a successful restaurant make-up.

I love regular guests.  They get to know you, they seem to care about the establishment as they continuously come to spend their hard earned money.  But, something I will never understand is a regular who doesn't tip.  

I am forever feeling like I have to clarify my points as they are so often taken out of context.  I too have locations I go on a fairly regular basis and my tip varies based on the service.  Bad experience = bad tip.  Good experience = good tip.  I'm not saying just because you go often to a particular restaurant that you should have to become a philanthropist.

What I am referring to are the certain people who return again and again to the same venue and just don't tip. Period.  I don't get it, they can have the greatest meal of their life and service to match and still no tip.  I personally would have trouble being a repeat customer knowing that some poor server is paying to serve me.  Yes, it's true, we pay out whether you tip or not (to better understand this concept read my previous post on tipping out).

Perhaps I'm so bothered, not by the lack of tip, but by my lack of understanding.  I've often wanted to approach this type of guest and ask, genuinely ask, why?

Suddenly your entrance turns into a twilight version of 'Cheers', smiles become frowns, handshakes become accusatory looks and the servers are doing rock, paper, scissors to figure out who gets stuck with you.

The last thing you want is being pegged as a non-tipper, your quality of service will be greatly decreased.  And trust me, we peg you, as soon as a regular-non-tipper walks through the door every server who knows alerts every server who doesn't know and we all scowl inwardly.

If anyone out there can enlighten me on the thought process of this type of customer, it would be greatly appreciated.

Canadian servers have it best

Servers are whiners.  It's true, we complain when we don't get tipped, when it's too hot, that our wage is too low...etc.

But in the grand scheme of servers in various other parts of the world, Canadian servers have it pretty darned good.

We model our tipping expectations against the US.  Our generous neighbour to the south whose service staff get paid an average of $3/hr.  After taxes there are a large number of servers in the States that receive a paycheque that totals less than $10.  They truly survive on the generosity of their guests, and I for one feel that this makes them appreciate their customers more sincerely than we Canadian counterparts.

Travel a little farther abroad to somewhere like Australia and you find that servers get a more standard wage and the concept of tipping is basically discarded.  An Aussie server can expect to bring home a wage of $16-17 flat.

In destinations around Europe things vary, but it is more consistent to find truly professional service staff making professional wages than to find poorly paid servers clamboring for tips.  This is why people with European accents are so scary for Canadian servers.

Back at home, we find that yes, servers are paid below minimum wage but, 'alcohol and beverage server' minimum is currently pushing $9.  If you consider that we are actually taking home a moderately sized paycheque more like the Australians, yet still raking in a high tip percentage like the Americans, well you can see how we are a little spoiled.  Not that I am complaining ;)

i'm afraid of Americans...and their cash

We all know the American dollar is in trouble.  For quite a number of years now it has bounced around par with our dollar, spending a good deal of time uncomfortably below ours - quite the turnaround for what the American's were used to! (We wont even talk about the trouble they are in currently that could tank their dollar completely and permanently and the effects that would have on the Stratford economy!)

This poses a problem for servers - and restaurants - often the American doesn't realize how far below our dollar his currency is.  I'm not sure if this is ignorance or just blind optimism.

What this results in is a serious decline in the tip, to the point of non-existence, often to the point of dropping below the price of the bill causing the server to have to pay for the remainder, and then of course still tip out on the overall bill making it rather expensive to serve Americans who pay cash.

American cash used to be a blessing, Stratford saw more American tourists overall when their dollar was stronger than ours, they spent more money and were more generous because it didn't cost them nearly as much.

I miss those days...

autograt!

First, allow me to define the term: Autograt (automatic gratuity): an involuntary service charge that is added to your bill at the discretion of therestaurant.  Often applied to large groups (or in some cases parties of 6 or more?!?)

I personally have mixed feelings regarding this concept.  As a server who has been badly burned by guests in large groups who think either [a.] they can get away without tipping and no one else will notice because everyone else is tipping OR [b.] their friends are taking care of the tip!  I appreciate the option to add a service charge to large parties so that I don't end up paying to serve the table.

But, on the other hand, when dining out myself I feel that I am a fair tipper.  Though I don't always over-tip just because I'm in the business, when I receive great service I tip accordingly.  The same goes for when I get poor service!

Though I'm sure every server in the world thinks they are perfect, but sometimes large groups get poor service.  In the event of this possibility I think it is unfair to tack on a 15% (or more) gratuity to a bill.  However, there are some customer types that are a higher risk than others and therefore I'm not opposed to autograt-ing a party of, say, 10 or more? (especially if they require separate cheques!)

Having a policy regarding auto gratuities means that you feel your staff are entitled to the tip.  I wholeheartedly believe that tips are earned not  deserved (though I too feel indignant when shorted).

As a floor manager in a restaurant you should evaluate each service individually, know the strengths and weaknesses of your servers and autograt appropriately - or not at all in some cases.

All things considered, I've gained more than lost by letting my guests decide for themselves what kind of tip they feel is appropriate.  It's kind of like gambling, except you're betting on yourself and if that's not a good bet, perhaps you should re-evaluate your own service abilities!

late night bar etiquette - tipping

Tipping well is incredibly important when you are trying to get service at a busy bar.  Imagine: you are standing at the bar, money in hand, waiting.  You are surrounded by crowds of people all with the same basic intent - to get a drink from the bartender - yet for some reason it seems like they keep skipping you.

The busier a place is the more important your tip becomes.  Of course, to do their job, the bartender has to serve someone, but that someone does not have to be you!  If the person to your right or left has established themselves as a good tipper and you are a bad tipper, guess who will get served over and over again?

You might have been waiting for five or ten minutes, perhaps longer, when suddenly the bartender looks over your head, makes eye contact with someone behind you and begins pouring their drink.  Look over your shoulder, this person is a regular, he/she is good tipper.  He/she will always get served before you, unless you place yourself equally in this category. This may upset or irritate you, but really, put yourself in the shoes of the bartender.  If you had to do a job but someone offered you more money to serve them first, would you turn it down?

Remember this at last call as well, if you have been a poor tipper all night and you're hoping for just one more drink - a bartender always remembers a good tipper and never forgets a bad one - you will be overlooked. So the next time you wonder why "the service here sucks!" consider your tip amount, you'd be amazed what an extra couple of quarters will do.  And if you're planning to be a really bad tipper bring a credit card and run a tab for the night so that the bartenders don't know this until it's too late.

If you found this information valuable, you may want to stay tuned for the next post: late night bar etiquette - how not to be an ass!