Tips fill a need for customers and staff
"Hi, want to come and work for us? We're a good employer with excellent recruitment and induction policies, and we pay the going rate. And tips? Sorry, we discourage them. We think they demean our staff and make them appear servile. So we've asked our customers not to tip any more. You're not happy with that? You're used to topping up your salary with tips? Well, I'm sorry, you'll have to go elsewhere."
Research from Small Luxury Hotels of the World suggests that tipping is being actively discouraged by some employers on the grounds that it links staff to servility. But discouraging, or even going as far as to ban, tipping is likely to be about as successful as banning beef on the bone, for both staff and customers.
Customers will always want to express gratitude for a service well executed, or reward someone who has gone that extra mile. They should be free to do so. "Not allowed" or "discouraged" do not sit comfortably in a service-oriented industry.
What many establishments lack are clear guidelines on their tipping policy. Too often the customer is left in a confusing and potentially embarrassing situation with credit card slips being left open and no indication whether service is included.
In the past there's been a suggestion that legislation is needed to clear up this murky area. But is more red tape really necessary? Surely a code of practice led by leading industry organisations would be preferable. Something along the lines of: "As we don't expect you to go to the kitchen and collect your own meal we have, of course, included service in our menu pricing. But if our staff have exceeded your expectations please feel free to let them know."
As for servility, there can't be too many staff who feel devalued in receiving a tip. The majority will probably feel rewarded and motivated. Thankfully, in this country we don't have a "no tip, no service" culture. It all goes back to training. Staff can be educated not to expect a tip automatically, but rather to look for ways to go beyond the call of duty and, if appropriate, hope to be rewarded in the traditional manner.
Enough of the theory. The sad reality remains that whereas far-sighted employers are paying realistic wages and not relying on tips to make up any shortfall, there are still many for whom tips are a lifeline. This should improve next month when the Low Pay Commission announces proposals for a national minimum wage. Even so, there's still uncertainty whether this rate will include a notional amount for tips. For an industry facing the biggest skills crisis it has ever encountered, let's hope not. Otherwise, staff may look elsewhere.
Jenny Webster
Features Editor
Caterer & Hotelkeeper
