What with it being the time of year for resolutions we thought it might be a good idea to nudge – or rather forcibly elbow - the restaurant trade into sorting out the mess that is tipping for 2011. You all felt strongly about the issue when we last addressed it The Tipping Point.. So have a look at this direct quote from the Department of BiS Voluntary Code from October 2009: "Our aim is to empower customers through clear information on what happens to the service charge, tip or gratuity they leave. The customer should know what is happening with his/her money and be able to make a judgement on its fairness."
The code goes further: it cites a four-point strategy for businesses as to how to span the gulf that exists between customer understanding of tipping and the gaping maw that is the restaurant owners' pockets. To paraphrase:
1. Restaurants should provide a clear display of information to customers about their tipping and service charge
2. Restaurants should have in place a process to deal with customer inquiries about their tipping procedure
3. Workers should be able to pass on information about the tipping procedure to customers when they ask
4. Workers should be kept informed about the tipping procedure and where they stand on receiving it – if at all
The curious circular nature of points 3 and 4 aside, perhaps the most interesting of these is Point 1. Have you actually noticed that your establishment of gustatory preference has made a single iota of change to its tipping and service charge information over the last year? Have you seen it writ large in letters of fire that tips shall not be used to top up staff wages? Probably not. Probably you will still see in tiny letters at the bottom of the menu that service charge is 12.5% and you have no idea whether this is mandatory, allocated to staff or used to top up a night's takings.
So, here's the deal. We'll let you off all those mad resolutions to run the marathon/lose 14 stone by February 13th/stop drinking for January (why? It's the one month that clearly requires some alcohol-induced momentum) as long as you bang on and on – and on – at your local eatery about their tipping practices. Don't pay if they won't say (Ooh, that would work well on a placard). Give the staff a Happy New Year by insisting on your money going directly to their pockets.
And not forgetting - Happy New Year to you all!
