5 Tips for Good Tipping

It looks like my days as a waiter have come to an end. During my year-and-a-half stint as a Cracker Barrel “server,” people often asked me about the difference between a normal tip and a good tip. Since we represent Jesus Christ wherever we go, even a restaurant, I assume that all Christians want to faithfully represent the Savior through their generosity. Here are several tips to becoming a good tipper.

1. Realize that your waiter/waitress probably knows you are a Christian.
     Think about it. Did you pray before the meal? Are you attending just after church, dressed up and looking nice? Do you know other people in the restaurant (who are coming from church too)? Have you mentioned your faith at all during your conversation with those at the table?

2. Remember what your waiter/waitress is making an hour.
     Most servers make around $2 an hour. Virtually all of the money they make comes from tips. The money they need to bring food home to their families hinges on the generosity of the people they serve.

3. Remember that you are not usually a server’s only customer.
     During peak times (and sometimes during an unexpected rush of business during an off time), a waiter/waitress might have anywhere from three to five tables. Put four people at each table and you are talking about serving 12-20 people at one time. If you aren’t getting good enough service, before you blame it on the waiter, consider how many tables the server is waiting on.

4. If you leave a tract, PLEASE leave a tip too!
     The most frustrating tip is the one that comes in the form of a tract, without any cash at all. (The worst ones are those tracts that look like a $20 bill and are actually just a tract!) I am thankful for people who want to share their faith with their server, but if you don’t leave a good tip, just keep the tract. Don’t undo the evangelistic efforts of your waiter’s Christian co-workers by being such a terrible testimony.

5. Astound the server with your generosity.
     If the service was acceptable, leave 15%. If it was good, leave 17-18%. If it was fantastic, consider leaving 20% or even 25%. Reward good service. But don’t figure a tip by looking only at the bill. Consider the amount of work your server did. Did you have salads? Hot drinks like hot tea or hot chocolate? Did you ask for extra bread? How many Diet Cokes did he/she refill you? And please! If you share the Gospel at all with your server, make sure you astound them with an extra-generous tip.

written by Trevin Wax. © 2007 Kingdom People Blog