Ty Morris Sociology of Tipping Waiters

History of Tipping Began sometime in the late 1800s after Civil War in the US European’s took concept back home Initially tipping was fought against by breweries in America Large movement against for many years

Society’s Perception of Tipping Some state that it encourages good service from waiters and discourages bad service Some cite religious reasons for not tipping more, such as only giving God 10%, so why should waiters get more?

Perception of Tipping Internationally French implement service charges onto bills Japanese find tips offensive, like being graded for quality of service Quality of service should be on same level of pay, so basically always of quality

Differences in Tips Among Races/Socioeconomic areas (Conflict Theory) There are significant differences in tips given to Blacks vs Whites in the same working environment, however this varies in environments where racial differences are less noticeable. This disparity leads to a example of conflict theory in the work place for waiters trying to gain more tips, but are hindered by the inability to change born traits that appeal more to those who tip.

Functionalist View of Tipping Tipping is a construct with unfairness that resides in the perception of waiters at the hands of who they service. These perceptions create a need to try and achieve fair tips among waiters. However, one solution to fairness in this service industry would be to simply reach stability through abolishing tips in favor of fair pay.

How do waiters view themselves? Many waiters engage in certain behaviors in order to please customers These behaviors include but are not limited to, altering visual appearances, suggesting food to order, joking, repeating orders back to them, open mouthed smiles Many waiters are motivated, if not solely, by the thought that their actions will reflect into tip % Many feel subservient to customers, regardless of treatment and tip amount

Change Over Time Tips initially started as a means to show off wealth by early Americans Quickly became implemented into social norms of modern America Fiercely questioned around 1900, over 100,000 signed against tipping Eventually just accepted in America as expected custom Now, some restaurants simply add service charge to help pay waiters and refuse accepting tips at some establishments

Causes for Change Causes for change have been: – Customer’s feeling that employers should pay based on quality of work – Unfair obligation to tip small percent even when service is lacking – Waiters should already be working for the pay they earn

Static features of Serving Customers always expect high quality of service – May include certain behavioral elements expected – How fast the waiter works – Always a paid service – Very nature of being a waiter is subservient

How To Improve Institution Charge base % service fee of bill for waiters Implement an hourly charge for time spent in restaurant or % of bill per hour Overall, remove tips to remove pressure on customers feeling like they have to pay for quality service Raise pay and abolish tips

Who is a waiter? What is their social status? Waiters of older age are often those without higher level education or lack of resources to pursue other professions Older people are viewers as a bit lower than young people who are waiters Many young people are waiters and viewed as having a good starting job

Who works well as a waiter trying to gain tips? Charismatic person – Smiling – Making round to tables – Customer interaction – Quick to fix problems and get things done – Quick on their feet – Young and able bodied to lift heavy plates in order to work faster – Comfortable working for people of various backgrounds

Sources Jacobs, Tom. Pacific Standard. Pacific Standard and The Miller-McCune Center for Research, Media, and Public Policy. 4 Sept Web. 28 September Lynn, Michael. “Negative Perceptions of Christian Tippers: How Widespread are They?” Journal of Foodservice Business Research (forthcoming). Web. 28 Sept Moss, Robert. "Why Do We Tip?." RobertFMoss. BlogSpot.com, Web. Web. 13 Nov Lynn, M. (2008). Personality effects on tipping attitudes, self-reported behaviors and customs: A multi-level inquiry. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, Myself, as a waiter for over 2 years now.