Friday 14 November 2014

'Is service charge included?'

Tipping; the source of many heated discussion in the industry. Tipping (including tronc, service charges, gratuities, auto grats, and all the other forms of tips) varies from establishment to establishment, and from country to country.

In the UK, and other parts of Europe, it is a very discreet affair. A few coins left on the table, or a few pounds added to the bill. It is not that those in the UK, Australia, and other parts of Europe are stingy; it is rather that tipping is not in their culture.

This is a huge contrast to the Americas, north, central and south. Tipping (and quite generously) is a cultural and societal norm. Indeed, many trades and industries receive tips as standard (unlike in more reserved Europe). Servers and bartenders know that they can go into work expecting to leave a few hours later with (on a good day or night) a few hundred dollars in cash. However, their pay check a few weeks later can be comparatively disappointing. By contrast, over the European side, service staff see tips as a welcome extras, being dependant on that pay check slightly larger than that of their American colleagues.
The Great Tipping Debate and related discussions can be heard (quite heatedly at times) being discussed by waiters, bartenders, back of house staff, chefs and managers all across the world. In Europe, the question is often how to fairly divide the serviced charges and tips that are received. Indeed, it is usually the front of house divas who receive such tips. Back of house rarely gets a look in. Many front of house cite that they work for their tips (and often earn them through hard work), not the kitchen. And the fact that cooks and chefs often get paid more than waiters. Back of house promptly fires back that it is because of the food they produce that the waiters are able to work, and make the restaurant, bar or hotel money. And so the battle lines are drawn.
To Giles, he is of the opinion (shared by few front of house) that back of house should get a cut- albeit a reduced share. To him (and to some others) it seems only fair and right. Others in the industry would vehemently disagree, citing trips as the prerogative of front of house. Indeed, in many establishments (particularly in North America), servers and bartenders regularly ‘tip out’ their support staff (bar backs, back of house, food runners, etc) as an industry cultural norm. In that way, everyone walks away with something, and everyone is happy. The largesse is shared amiably. It is a pity that such an admirable system has yet to catch on in Europe. A few places have introduced such a system- but it is by far an industry cultural norm.
The whole industry agrees that tipping, be it for a few pennies in the UK, or a fistful of dollars in the US, does indeed act as an encouragement for front of house. Work hard, please the customers, give it your best customer service smile and attitude (even if the request or issue is remarkably trivial or petty), and you pocket will be rewarded. Conversely, a stingy tip is the customer’s ultimate way of expressing disapproval with poor service.
The industry also seems to agree- to disagree. There are many strongly held opinions about tipping, but everyone agrees that there are different philosophies, and cultural norms. Quite often, in attempts by management to make the system fair and open, they only confuse the matter, and accidentally makes the system less fair. Cue the mutterings after a long service over that much needed post shift drink.  
Another source of consensus is that tipping, (be it generous or not) is an expectation; woe betide any customer who fails to make any small gesture towards a tip. This was neatly nailed in Steve Buscemi’s hilarious riff on tipping in Reservoir Dogs.
Neither Giles nor William can think of anything better to end this riff on tipping than to hand over to Quentin Tarantino:



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