Are Christians Bad Tippers?
I was having a laugh today with a friend who was telling me stories about his former life as a waiter. In between stories about ridiculous customers and snarky co-workers, we got to talking about how good he became at guessing which patrons would be good tippers and which ones would cheap-out on him.
He named three telltale signs of a bad tipper:
- Any young couple with kids. They're in bad moods because they have to fuss over the kids during the entire meal, and they don't have very much money to begin with. Perfectly understandable.
- Anyone who orders Thousand Island dressing. Apparently this is an absolute lock, though he had no idea why.
- People who just got out of church.
When he said the last one, I raised my eyebrows. I was skeptical, but he said it was totally true. For some reason, almost everyone who comes to lunch straight from church was, at least for him, a cheapskate.
Then he said something that really shocked me. "The worst is when they try to witness to you. When that happens, you know you're getting two bucks and a Jesus tract."
We actually got to have a decent discussion about faith after he said this, but hours later I couldn't get his quote out of my mind. Are Christians really bad tippers? Who would give someone a Jesus tract and then cheap-out paying their waiter? I understand that someone's soul is way more important than any amount of money, but think about the association that was built in my friend's mind with Jesus tracts as this happened to him again and again.
His story reminded me again of how careful we have to be, as Christians, about the things we do and say. It's amazing how many lives we touch and influence every day. If you're dressed up on a Sunday at noon, they probably know you just got out of church. If you're having a regular Bible study at a coffee house, the barista knows. And if you ever share your faith with your co-workers, they're going to keep their eyes on you.
It's a daily challenge for us to live our lives with integrity and a selfless attitude for everyone all the time, regardless of whether they know we're Christians or not. There's nothing more detrimental to the authenticity of the gospel than having bad experiences with Christians. I've known so many people who said they were turned off from faith in Christ because of their experiences with people who called themselves Christians.
Be sure to do your best to go through your day in a way that would please Jesus, no matter who you're talking to. And please … tip well.
posted by Editor at 7:42 AM
36 Comments:
I've heard the same thing about Christians being bad tippers (I believe from an NPR story). Supposedly Cracker Barrel waiters/waitresses dislike the Sunday afternoon crowd because they are some of the worst tippers and often the most rude and demanding as a whole.
We're taught to live Christ-like so that people can see we're Christians without us needing to tell them. It's pretty sad that people who are in a position where their Christianity is so obvious can act in a way that gives Christians a negative view to others.
I have to agree that the Sunday crowd has one of the worst reputations among servers. I used to work in a restaurant where servers would pay other servers to work their shift for them on that day!
I also know that women dining together also get the bad reputation of not being good tippers and hanging onto their table to chat for hours only to leave 10-15% tips.
Sometimes the difference between 20% (the industry standard) and a laughable insult of a tip is just a few dollars. Who gets blessed more by me holding onto those few dollars? Certainly not the person who has just waited on me hand and foot.
It takes one person at a time to make changes.
I have a question on this... I love the Lord, and I'm single. Some weekends I'd go to a restaurant to enjoy a cup of coffee and read my book - often places where you can sit outside and enjoy the sun - (on exception I might nibble something really small) - I often feel guilty for not being a huge tipper, but the bill is only so big... Or do I tip equal to my bill (or even more)... How much "waiting on hand and foot" does it take for a cup of coffee..? I've not managed for years to settle down about this in my mind... Any comments/suggestions....?
I have had about 8 close friends as waiters and waitresses, most in the south, but a couple from the west coast and north. All say that Sunday lunch is the worst time to work. You work hard, deal with people that have bad attitudes, and recieve a tip that is typically less than 15%. Often it's barely $1.
I asked a friend who worked for an organization on the west coast that surveyed the mentality of Christians and retail. It was a larger survey than just for restaraunts, but she said Christians expect people to be forgiving and to treat them well whether they are Christian or not. That's par, a 15% tip. Anything less than excellent deserves less. I think there can be many more reasons. I have my own assumptions as well. I know that we as Christians often see non-Christians as lesser people, more inferior, or at least not part of the elite. That stigma often affects their value and concern for others. It's possible that judgement affects their ability to see the waitress or waiter as a person of value.
Just my two cents.
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable!” Things haven’t changed much since Ghanda made his observation.
Here's what I try to do: Take the amount, divide by 10, double it, then add a buck. Normally, the dollar is not that much to me, but it makes a decent tip a great tip. (Of course, this is when it's just 1 or 2 people. Add another buck if it's 3 or 4.)
Here's another one, a little gutsier: if your server approaches when you're about to give thanks for your food (they always seem to do that, don't they?), try saying this:
"We're about to pray for our food. Would you mind if we prayed for you too? Is there something we could pray for?" You'll be amazed at the responses you get.
But for goodness sake, if you're a lousy tipper and you complain a lot, don't pray before your meal. It just makes the rest of us look bad.
Excellent topic. I have seen Christians hold waitstaff to standards that they would hate for their employers to adopt. I learned very early from my mother, now in her 80s, about how Christians should act in restaurants. Here are three things she said:
1. "Don't bow your head to pray if you're not going to leave a good tip. If you're not going to act like a Christian, at least don't let anyone think you are one."
2. "Don't be someone's 'last straw.' You might be the only person who will keep that waitress/waiter from going over the edge. And you sure don't want to be the person who will send them over the edge."
3. "I believe in the ministry of tipping. As I treat that person better than they deserve, I can show them in a small way how God treats me."
Or you simply might not know what's cheap! I've always thought that 10% was the standard "good service" tip. I only tip 15% with exceptional service, and could tip as little as 5% if it was bad (it is rarely bad!)
Reading these comments, I had no idea that 20% was the STANDARD! Geez, with the price of restaurant food these days, I might stop eating out altogether - That means a dinner at a mediocre restaurant with mediocre service is going to set me back $36-40 bucks! I can't even fathom that.
That also means, in a given hour of work, a waiter that is reasonably busy is working 4 tables. If each table spends $50 (not unreasonable if they have a couple of beers or something, just assuming only 2 people to a table), that the waiter should be receiving $40 in tips? I know they typically get paid minimum wage, but that means they are getting easily $200 for a 4-5 hour shift! If that's true I should be quitting my job and work as a waiter - half the hours and the same pay!
To the second anonymous poster: If you are waited on, leave 20% (with slight variance depending on small total bills) regardless of the size of the bill. Example, for a two dollar check, if waited on, 20%is 40 cents, it wouldn't hurt to leave 50 cents. 20% willalways be appreciated.
And yes, Christians are horrible tippers. This comes from years of service industry experience along with having numerous friends still in the industry.
Shane,
You gotta get out more buddy.
And yes, serving in a fine establishment can be quite lucrative. However, tips are often shared with busboys, runners, bartender, etc.
Generally, we believers love to quote "A workman is worthy of his wages..." (Luke 10:7) when we feel we are being shorted, but we are so cheap when it comes to paying others. My wife and I waited tables early in our marriage and were very dissapointed at the well deserved bad rep believers have as notoriously poor tippers. If we can't afford the tip, we don't go to a restaurant where tipping is expected. We occasion we have gone back and put extra cash on the table after seeing how poorly our dinner mates tipped.
Come on people, quit being such a poor testimony!
I grew up in a family with four kids and with Mom a waitress and Dad a bartender we surely knew the value of tips for our family. I remember once at a restaurant with "my" family that as I was trying to calculate the appropriate tip, my son reminded me of the many stories that I had told them as they were growing up about the value of the tip to a family. I quickly doubled the sum I had placed on the table.
I worked for tips for a few years and I know good/bad tips are extremely unpredictable at best. It was the best of times, the worst of times. Still, I get so worn out with this 'Christians are bad tippers' debate. I knew what I was getting into when I accepted the job and if I really didn't like it, I'd quit and find something more steady instead of going around complaining about it all the time. I had a waitress once tell me "I only make $2 an hour" which, first of all, is a lie or she wouldn't be working. Second of all, no one forced her to do it.
I think churches get the bad reputation because they're the most easily identifiable. College students are another group that aren't very popular with wait staff.
I agree Christians should be setting an example. I actually tip too much too often, despite getting bad service (happens often) in oder to remain Christ like. However, I am always hearing servers complaining about patrons. With today's economy, maybe they should be thankful they have a job, even with the low tips and hourly wage they make. PPl often stay in these indutries because the tips are good. I thought the industry standard was 15-20% depending on service, if it's now 20% I will be eating at home more often and if too many others follow suite these server/complainers might end up complaining their employer out of business and themselves out of a job.
My wife and I have always, even BC (before children), lived by ‘our’ rule that, ‘if we can’t afford the tip, we can’t afford to eat there’. That has meant, sometimes we go through a drive-thru, and sometimes we have a nice meal. Yes, it can get expensive with children added to the mix, and that has played a role in our dining habits, as well! We have always tried to be friendly with our server and understanding of the circumstances of our visit (dinner rush, large parties, etc.). We, as Christians, should be setting the example for others to follow! You may never know how your actions may affect your server or their attitude. And the generous tip only adds to your witness, even after you are gone from the table!
Shane mentioned that servers make minimum wage and I understand that at some places they do. I've never worked at one of these. The law allows employers to pay a fraction of minimum wage to people who make tips, $2.13 per hour right now. It was $2.01 when I first waited tables in 1984 so it hasn't changed much.
I agree Christians should at least tip the minimum. However, the inference of equating generous tipping as a sign of being a better Christian is a stretch IMHO. Good attitude, I can understand, but I'm just not comfortable saying a person who gives the waitress a $10 over the one who leaves a $5 is somehow reaching a golden standard of godliness.
To be honest it is very rare i tip at all simply because eating out in a restaraunt is a luxury that i can rarely afford these days so when i can i have usually nothing left over to tip.
I have been a waitress before, and everyone is posting that waiters/waitresses only make 2.?? an hour. Well that is true, BUT when I waited tables, I got my minimum wage for a waiting at that time, plus all my tips. IF my tips and hourly wage did not add up to regular minimum wage, which was rare, then I was compensated to meet that wage. So usually even with bad tippers, I made more than minimum wage. I knew when I took the job, that it was a possibility that I would only make minimum wage. I also knew that I had the potential to make more! And whether it was church people or non church people MY attitude usually could depict my tip! If I was feeling bad and not into the whole nice waiter thing that day, then my tips suffered. If I was chipper and friendly I did much better! So I have the formed opinion that tips can also be blamed on the waiter. Having been in that position, if I get a waiter/waitress that looks as if they loathe me for being there and they have to get me an extra glass of soda at some point.... I may not tip as well as if the waiter were polite. If you are going to wait tables for a living, then you should know that what you put into is what you get out of it at times!!! Just my honest oppinion! :)
Shane,
Yes, you can make good money in the customer service industry (with mostly secular customers), however many of them don't make minimum wage. They are often paid $3-5 an hour and make up the rest in tips. Also, as a previous poster stated, the tips are often split between the host/hostess, bus staff, and bartender [if you get a drink] and the cook. This doesn't take into account the fact that none of those persons have any health coverage, sick days, etc. in most cases.
Also, being a good server takes more than just bringing food/drinks to the table so don't think you can simply quit your job and do this job properly. A good server anticipates your needs and meets those needs, they’re able to gauge whether they need to engage the table with conversation or not, has the ability to converse on whatever subject the table desires to talk about, among other things. Anyway, having spent time in the industry (and being a Christian), I make sure my gratuity is 20% or higher and I make sure to call over the manager to compliment better than average service. Also, if I tip less than 20%, I call them over to tell them why. Hey, they can’t do better if they don’t know better.
Side note: Call your server by name and speak to them with respect. The old adage ‘do unto others’ comes to mind here. Besides, you might be their ‘face of Christianity’ and you want to assure that that face is one that exemplifies God.
I agree with the last two posts. I think some servers think they're entitled to 20% and it doesn't matter how good or bad they are at their job. If I'm eating out and have bad service I'm not tipping 20%. It's a TIP for a reason! Now on the other hand if I get good service I'll probably tip 30 or 40%. But either way it's crazy to think I'm a better Christian somehow because I tip well!
Well whoever said 20% is the standard must be in the business and wanting bigger tips. Hey I love to leave a good tip but that is not the standard. 15% is the standard and then you can always leave more if the service is good.
I like to leave 20% but not for bad service. I think the bigger problem is most places employ and allow people that do not give good service.
I also agree that there is a testimony side to it. Where is the balance? I am going to reward bad service with an above average tip? That just encourages bad service and that is being hypocritical I think.
I have also heard and witnessed Christians not tipping well. Hey my 90 year old grandpa used to be a below average tipper as well but that was his culture and he came from an era where 10% was the norm and 15% the exceptional.
Good discussion here for sure. I guess at the end of the day it is a service industry. The bulk of their pay is based on the service they provide. In my book I choose to compensate based on that. I love to reward great service but rarely experience the service that Mandingo talks about and more often find the servers you have to sit with and empty glass for 10 minutes.
In terms of proper etiquette, most experts advise 15% for good service. Some, like me, tend to double the tax, as it makes for easy calculation and usually gets you somewhere between 15-20%. Exceptional service should be 20%. If you're a lot of work for your server, reward him or her.
There is no obligation for anyone, Christian or otherwise, to tip for rude, sloppy, or bad service, though. At least when I went through that unit in Home Economics, the rule was tip at least 15% or nothing. It's an insult to tip, as I have seen, in pennies.
I am a big believer in over-tipping (even though I love thousand island dressing). When someone has gone out of their way to provide exceptional service, there is no joy like over-tipping in a huge way.
A few other things to consider. When calculating the tip, do it based on the actual price of the meal (e.g., if you use coupons, you don't get to reduce the tip). Also, it is not your server's fault if the cook staff has problems. If the kitchen causes your meal to be late, cold, over- or under-cooked, don't take it out on your server. If your server doesn't help remedy the situation, it is then cause for not tipping.
I have a family member who considers a couple dollars an acceptable tip for any meal anywhere. Just remember that the law allows servers to be paid under minimum wage because of the potential of earning tips. Most people who serve me attempt do do it well because they want to be rewarded, and I think they deserve it.
Like most things in life, we're all probably best guided by the question, "If it were me doing the serving, how would I like to be rewarded?" Or, for some of you grandparents, "If my server was my granddaughter, how much would I tip?" That's loving others as yourself.
I used to work fast food in my high school and college days. Sundays were the worst because there were two churches nearby. The church folks were usually the most impatient and rude.
Many, thankfully not all Christians are cheap & terrible tippers. We had young people from our church in a Bible College in the south who worked at a franchise sit down restaurant who were paid only a little over $2 an hour & depended on tips. They too hated Sundays & waiting on Christians as many times the tip was $1 or loose change. My son did valet service to support himself in college in Minneapolis, MN. & a national women's conference was held there. He worked valet & said the tips were terrible & the unsaved valet workers made many negative comments about "cheap Christians". Apparently "WWJD" doesn't apply to tipping service people!
As a pastor I have taught our people to be very generous when they tip to combat the bad rep believers have when leaving tips. One problem is we seem to tip based on works, that is how good a job they did. I wish more of us would go in with the plan to tip based on grace. In other words we will bless the server whether they deserve it or not. After all that's what Jesus did for us.
The Bible promises that when we give things away the Lord will bless us with more and God owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. (I live in farm country) So does it not follow, if we give the waiters/waitresses a great tip the Lord will give us more. I like it when the Lord gives to me.
I am glad this subject is being discussed. I worked as a valet for a company here in Minneapolis, and we had several restaurants and country clubs on our account. I worked part-time through college and beyond - even after I had a full-time job because the weekends offered a good chance to make some good extra money. We always dreaded Sunday jobs because we knew we would work our tails off for 1 or 2 dollars a car --- we considered 5 dollars as a good tip.
I also had several instances where we would get into conversations w/ the people whose cars we parked, and found out that they were Christians like me... only to get stiffed (no tip) or receive their extra pocket change (usually ended up around 75 cents or so). Change for a tip is a no-no as well... always give bills. My encouragement for anyone reading this comment is to always treat the people that serve you as if you were the one doing the serving... always tip beyond the ordinary, because they will remember you -- I can still remember the very good tippers and the bad tippers from 10 - 12 years ago.
Being in the industy for a few years i have found the worst tippers not to be of any type but people that have never worked as wait staff. They have no idea what "turning a table" is, yes its nice to relax over a cup of coffee but please consider that the longer you sit in that station the less your server will make due to you with your small bill and chatting time they cannot re-seat that table and make any more money. My standard tip is 20% plus regardless of the size of the bill or the service. If everyone considered what they make an hour and what wait staff makes perhaps they would be more inclined to give up that extra dollar. Wasn't Jesus a servent?
Daniel Brown, well said... I think that's the whole point, isn't it? To treat others with the same undeserved grace we've received?
Anybody who thinks 20% is "the industry standard" is probably a greedy server who is living a pipe dream. Sorry, folks, but "standard" is 15%. You give me satisfactory service, you'll get 15%. You give me EXCEPTIONAL service, and I will very likely go up to as much as 20%. You don't do the minimum, you've earned nothing - but I'll put down a penny or two -just so you know I didn't accidentally forget.
Oh, and buy the way, tipping is properly calculated on amounts BEFORE TAXES.
And by the way I refuse to patronize restaurants that "automatically" put 18-plus percent tips on the bill. Um, no. That's my prerogative, not anyone else's.
I was a server for 10 years before I decided to go back to school and finish my degree. Now I have a great job. Christians on average are HORRIBLE tippers. I was an excellent waiter. I averaged 20% most shift, with the exception of Sunday morining. I was lucky to make 10% on Sundays. I certainly don't think God looks too kindly on losers who think leaving a crappy tip with a bible tract is acceptable. Shane, I'm sorry that you haven't done enough with your life to allow you to be able to afford a $40 meal. That certainly isn't your server's fault. Stay home and cook your own food.
this is entirely true. Both my wife and I have been wait staff way back in the past and regardless of restaurant or locale/State it made no difference. Christians were the very worst and CONSISTENTLY. This was true when I was not a christian, when I was, when I was on fire , it didn't matter. Fact it it's not only appalling but it is embarrassing as a waiter when trying to invite people to church after getting this each week.
Those who say 20% is only for excellent service have obviously never needed to wait tables. Fact is there is a whole lot more going on that affects your service, more than just the waiter that are out of their control. If they've been courteous give them a break. 20% minimum. I usually now do about 25% up to 40% if great service. That is what the world does peeeps! Get with the program. Don't go if you can't tip. It's not worth it.
-Andy
Most wait staff get far less than minimum wage and believe me, it;s hard work! We do it as we have to to ourselves through school, etc. not all of us had mommy and daddy big bucks paying for some of their schooling or rent, etc. Some have to work for the whole thing so don;t be cheap! If we get bad tips our mood can be so dour that its that much harder to have energy to study all night too. Usually we have less time for any social life as well so please don;t preach me a God of love and then leave a ridiculous 10% tip. Everyone knows that;'s pathetic.
I've not heard that 20% is the "Standard" (and don't believe it is) but I have left that much at times for very good service. Unfortunately we leave 10 - 15% at the restaurant but leave much less in the offering...... let's put everything in the right perspective and be a cheerful and generous giver "Always"!
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home