Tip Your Servers, Please
The Christmas season is the toughest time of the year, if you're a budget geek like me. In addition to all the gifts for all the relatives you never see, there are budget busters around every corner. No matter how carefully you plan, there will always be an extra gift, a meal out, or a broken water heater to mess things up.
Add to that a deep recession, and you have the makings for a difficult time financially in the month of December.
Sometimes it is hard to avoid eating out during the month of December. Whether it is a holiday gathering with friends or coworkers, or you're out Christmas shopping and don't feel like going home to cook a meal, this is a big month for restaurants.
I was chatting with some co-workers at the bank recently, both of whom happen to moonlight as waitresses at local restaurants. Out of curiosity, I asked them about the tips they receive this time of year. They both said it varies—regular customers will often give them extra tips, while others stiff them altogether. The most common reason people give for not tipping in December is that they say they can't afford to. Money is just too tight.
Can I just say something? If you're going to eat out at a sit down restaurant, tip your servers. Don't skip out on the tip. If you cannot afford to leave a tip, don't go to a restaurant where tipping is expected. That's just wrong.
In fact, I would suggest that you tip more than usual this time of year. Those servers are probably doing like my friends—working second jobs to help make the ends meet. Leaving an extra tip is a great blessing to them. I was listening to a talk radio show the other day, and someone called in to say that he had left a $20 tip on a $20 dinner check. He wasn't bragging, he was just so filled with joy that he wanted to share it. He said it felt great. Another caller said that they had left a $100 tip recently, and he had the same feeling.
That's because generosity is a good thing. It feels really good to be generous. And it doesn't matter if our generosity is directed toward those we know, or those we don't. Generosity to complete strangers is just as great a blessing!
Lisa and I are going out to eat tonight. No reason—our shopping is all done, and we don't have any other plans. But her dad gave us a gift card to a local restaurant, and it is burning a hole in our pocket. Now the gift card is for $35. We usually share a meal and an appetizer, so we eat cheap. Hopefully we can eat cheap, so that the remainder of the gift card balance will be enough to make a really nice tip for our server. But if not, we'll leave a generous gratuity for him or her.
Another thing for those of you who happen to be followers of Christ. Generosity should be a quality you strive for. And it is a quality that identifies you as a believer. On the flip side, a lack of generosity is a bad witness.
Talking to my friends about their experiences serving tables, they said there is nothing worse than seeing a group of people come to their restaurant, offer a prayer before the meal, then leave them a crappy tip. They said that they hate to work Sunday afternoons, because often the "church crowd" will be the most difficult customers. Not only to they leave lousy tips, but many times they complain about everything. One girl said that if she didn't go into the business already knowing what she believed, she would have been turned off to Christianity, based on what she witnesses regularly by church people in restaurants. So sad.
So everyone have a Merry Christmas, and don't stiff your servers.
Okay. Good talk.
Add to that a deep recession, and you have the makings for a difficult time financially in the month of December.
Sometimes it is hard to avoid eating out during the month of December. Whether it is a holiday gathering with friends or coworkers, or you're out Christmas shopping and don't feel like going home to cook a meal, this is a big month for restaurants.
I was chatting with some co-workers at the bank recently, both of whom happen to moonlight as waitresses at local restaurants. Out of curiosity, I asked them about the tips they receive this time of year. They both said it varies—regular customers will often give them extra tips, while others stiff them altogether. The most common reason people give for not tipping in December is that they say they can't afford to. Money is just too tight.
Can I just say something? If you're going to eat out at a sit down restaurant, tip your servers. Don't skip out on the tip. If you cannot afford to leave a tip, don't go to a restaurant where tipping is expected. That's just wrong.
In fact, I would suggest that you tip more than usual this time of year. Those servers are probably doing like my friends—working second jobs to help make the ends meet. Leaving an extra tip is a great blessing to them. I was listening to a talk radio show the other day, and someone called in to say that he had left a $20 tip on a $20 dinner check. He wasn't bragging, he was just so filled with joy that he wanted to share it. He said it felt great. Another caller said that they had left a $100 tip recently, and he had the same feeling.
That's because generosity is a good thing. It feels really good to be generous. And it doesn't matter if our generosity is directed toward those we know, or those we don't. Generosity to complete strangers is just as great a blessing!
Lisa and I are going out to eat tonight. No reason—our shopping is all done, and we don't have any other plans. But her dad gave us a gift card to a local restaurant, and it is burning a hole in our pocket. Now the gift card is for $35. We usually share a meal and an appetizer, so we eat cheap. Hopefully we can eat cheap, so that the remainder of the gift card balance will be enough to make a really nice tip for our server. But if not, we'll leave a generous gratuity for him or her.
Another thing for those of you who happen to be followers of Christ. Generosity should be a quality you strive for. And it is a quality that identifies you as a believer. On the flip side, a lack of generosity is a bad witness.
Talking to my friends about their experiences serving tables, they said there is nothing worse than seeing a group of people come to their restaurant, offer a prayer before the meal, then leave them a crappy tip. They said that they hate to work Sunday afternoons, because often the "church crowd" will be the most difficult customers. Not only to they leave lousy tips, but many times they complain about everything. One girl said that if she didn't go into the business already knowing what she believed, she would have been turned off to Christianity, based on what she witnesses regularly by church people in restaurants. So sad.
So everyone have a Merry Christmas, and don't stiff your servers.
Okay. Good talk.
Jason-
I always enjoy reading your blogs. They are very well written and right on. You took a picture of me and my son-in-law the 3rd day of OK Freewheel this year. We both went to OU and now live in the Seattle area.
Happy Holidays.
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Man Jason you hit the nail on the head! I have even said this from the pulpit. Nothing fries me more than to see some cheap tip left by someone who says they go to church. Just two Sundays ago, a man who attends our church also waits tables at a Mexican restaurant. He came over to talk about the woman preacher in town who was there and making a fuss over a little burnt edge of a chicken tortilla. I little piece of chicken has come out of the wrap and was "done." She complained until they gave her a new one. Ridiculous! I always tip at least 20% if they are good and more if I feel led to do so. I also try to keep in mind what they might think if they ever found their way into the church I pastor and saw a cheapskate in the pulpit preaching about generosity. Don't want that to happen. Good post.
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