The Tipping Factor

BY RICCARDO TARABELSI

This month I’m going to depart my usual musings about wine since March has always been more of a beer month...drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, previewing new seasonal beers for the summer, and indulging in beer with friends for March Madness basketball. This month I’d like to address a relevant topic since we are all affected by it; whether we depend on it for income or if we decide it for service. Tipping. Call it a gratuity, a service fee, or just a way to reward the person that is serving you; tips affect everybody.

I remember working at my dad’s gas station as a kid. It was the perfect summer job. I would wait for someone to pull up to the pumps, run around to the driver’s window and ask with a smile, “Fill up?” Now, I’m probably dating myself by writing this, but this is when unleaded gas was about $0.89 a gallon, and we even offered leaded gasoline! Anyway, most people would have me fill up their tanks, hand me a $10 bill (for a fill up!) and then something magical happened… they would say, “This is for you,” and hand me a quarter or a fifty-cent coin or even a whole dollar! They actually tipped me for a service that I provided. They didn’t have to get out of their car, or get their hands dirty, or even figure out how to open their gas tank door. I did that FOR them, and they rewarded me for it. Now, almost four decades later, I work in an industry where good service is rewarded, and exceptional service is the goal.

In restaurants, tipping is more of a carrot-and-stick arrangement: “Serve us well and we’ll leave you a nice tip—maybe.” But it’s also a cart-before-the-horse arrangement. Far more practical in terms of getting results was the British habit of the mid-eighteenth century: patrons of pubs and coffee houses would hand waiters coins wrapped in a note reading “To Insure Promptitude.” Giving tips in anticipation of service, rather than after the fact, gave waiters the motivation to move it.

Tipping reflects our desire for our servers to like us even though we’ll be leaving in five minutes and may never see them again.

Bathroom attendant: $2 a visit.

Bellhop: $2 a bag, plus $10 for showing you how to turn on the TV and air conditioning. Bus tour driver and guides: $5 per person, per day. Coatroom attendants: $2 per article of clothing. Concierge: $10 to $20 for getting tickets and a difficult restaurant reservation; more for special services.

Hairdresser: 20 percent of the bill, plus $2 for the shampoo technician. Housekeeping: $2 to $5 a day, and more if you’re messy. Leave the tip in your room at the end of your stay (though some folks leave a daily tip to get their pillows fluffed regularly.) Valet parking: $5

Perhaps this is because we fear waiters’ anger if they’re stiffed. There used to be a website called The Waiter’s Revenge dedicated to servers posting fantasies in which punishments were given to bad tippers. Among the more interesting: bad tippers have to sit in a special saltines-only section of the restaurant, the bad tipper has a flat tire and the waiter is the only one with a spare, and bad tippers are given a complimentary after-dinner chocolate—the waiter explains that the word “Ex-Lax” printed on them means “Have a great day!” in Latin.

So how much should you tip? Fifteen per cent used to be the standard for good service, but these days most diners consider 20% to 25% more appropriate—for good service.

Let’s assume that the service was good. This means that the waiter was attentive, prompt, and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. Your waiter was friendly, but didn’t hover like a fairy godmother. Keep in mind that the more capable the service, the more invisible it becomes.

Consider, as well, what you’re demanding from your server. How many courses and drinks did you order? Did you ask for substitutions or special dishes? Did the waiter, at your urging, consult with the chef about ingredients and preparation? Did the sommelier help you match each course with a glass of wine? Did you bring any children with you? The more you ask of the wait staff, the more you should reward them.

In the end, great service deserves a great tip. Carpe Exceptional Service!

Riccardo and Marybeth are the owners of R Wine Bar and Kitchen on the East Bank of Downtown Sioux Falls. They are also planning another restaurant at Washington Square later this year. When they are not welcoming guests to their establishments, they spend time with their three sons Dante, Berent (engaged to Molli,) and Jaxon. Get in touch with Riccardo at riccardo@rwinebar.com.