So how much do you put in? It says a lot about a person when they are deciding to put in just a little or as much as they can…
The night begins just like every other night pondering all too familiar questions. As you walk through the door, the hostess meets your presence with a smile, explaining that the wait is short, but she eagerly anticipates bringing you closer to the table that will provide the night’s de rigueur happy ending. The bartender asks you how you want it and you tell her to shake it and make it wet. Drink in hand; the crowd starts to fill up the waiting area, people are brushing by you to have their turn with the bartender, as you wonder if it were just easier to dine the night at a taco stand. Your friends show up, conversation relinquishes the wait and the Hostess leads you and your entourage to the table. Buttering bread; you realize that there are a few people at your table with farouche personalities who blow, but you redirect your attention to others participating in the gathering. You fletcherize in order to savor the grand occasion. A bountiful feast! Succulent breasts, meaty steak attached to harden bones, white gravy on fluffy biscuits, ham, and the best bottle of wine the venue has to offer. The service is outstanding. The waitress offers to toast your bread, but you prefer it soft. All night long the hostess, waitresses and bartenders bend over backwards at your dictums. Your pleasure is their only concern, making sure to end your encounter with ecstasy. With the bottle of wine nearly empty, the apple pie cobbler almost gone, your night of enjoyment is coming to a close. Your table is presented with the check, the official ending of the night. As your company scurries through their belongings deciding how much to put in, how much to give, how much tip is deserved, you cast judgment upon everyone who doesn’t put enough in and are thankful for those who give more than the normal tip to reward the services of the night.
…I have to admit, when I get an outstanding hostess, bartender or waitress who serves me well, I give them a lot more than just the standard tip. I find that this extra generosity can consummate an already burgeoning relationship. You don’t want the person serving you to feel shafted. It might be just a meaningless math percentage to you, but to others, it symbolizes satisfaction of their work. For the most part, the amount of tip you insert is learned. If you grow up limiting your tip based on percentage of the total debt, then usually you will give that percentage. If you worked in a service industry, you will, more than likely, give more than just the standard tip if the service justifies it. Replevy lost wages and become the tip of the spear among your friends by not basing what you give on the tab, but rather the effort of the person serving you. Most people in the service industry don’t expect any more than the standard tip, but when you give more, it doesn’t go unnoticed. In fact, I will wager that every person you give more than just the normal tip will be more appreciative and thankful that you went all the way with your generosity.
The key to advancing a relationship with a hostess, bartender or waitress is to overcome your greed. If you are one of those people who find it hard to give more, the next time you are with your favorite hostess, bartender or waitress, just whip out more than just your normal tip, hold it in your hand and stick it in her jar. When you do this, don’t forget to make eye contact, so she can approximate just how much tip you are giving her. If there isn’t a jar to stick it in, no worries, just lay it on the counter or table, but makes sure it goes into her hands before you leave. There is no point in laying anything if what you lay down falls into the wrong hands. Also, once you put a tip in, never take it out; leave it in and I guarantee your server will not have an anti-climactic night. Remember, most hostesses, bartenders and waitresses are trying to get a head in life, so heads up; it’s just a tip away.