Waiters or waitresses can make or break a meal when going out to eat at a restaurant.  Whether it’s the personality of the server, the amount of time it takes to be seated, or the condition of the food upon arrival, many things contribute to the judgement of the waiter or waitress that determines the tip at the end of a meal. This is exactly how it should be. If the customer determines the tip instead of alternatives such as gratuity automatically placed within the check, it allows them either to reward great service or send a message that things need to be improved.

     A tip that is placed by guests in restaurants would motivate the waitress or waiter to serve with most efficiency, leading to more happy customers and a better atmosphere. This could benefit the restaurant because impressed customers will most likely recommend the place to others, leading to more publicity.  A tip should be based on customer satisfaction, the establishment should not be able to set a flat tip in the check because they are not the ones judging the service on a meal to meal basis.

      Although it seems to be the wrong way to enforce tipping, some restaurants do include a tip in the  check.  This could be beneficial if it is a large party of eight or more, but some restaurants feel that it is necessary  for their business regardless of the number of customers per party. It is advised that when going out to eat you should search for very fine print on the menu, or any signs in the restaurant that state a tip is included. If not, one could be tricked into paying more than expected, for service they may not have even found satisfactory.

     Junior Lyndsay Long said,  “Once I realized I had over tipped  because the place didn’t even tell you the tip was included. You should decide the tip and it should be based on how the waitress is towards you, if she’s rude and pays no attention obviously she’s not getting a good tip.”

    “Sam’s by the Sea” in Scituate Harbor is a restaurant that has recently enforced tipping by including it in the check, without making it clear to some visitors. Junior Margot Minder said, “When I got the check at Sam’s I saw it was an extra 18% added onto the bill, which we didn’t want to pay because our waitress wasn’t the nicest. When I asked the waitress for a separate check without the tip I was rejected. Eventually we decided it was unfair so we left the amount we thought was appropriate, which was only a few dollars under the check, only to get chased out of the restaurant by our screaming waitress.”

    Tip policy can be controversial because the businesses decrease the amount of pay for workers when they take into account the tips each waiter or waitress will be making. However,  this should be a reason for servers to work harder to gain more tips, instead of an excuse to enforce a flat tip. It ultimately should be the responsibility of the customer to judge the efficiency of service at a restaurant, not the business itself.