Servers: Here’s How to Earn Better Tips

Bartenders, waiters, and waitresses have been in the news lately with the attempt to raise their minimum wage in New Jersey; now there’s a collection of research in the New Republic that says you’re not tipping on the quality of service anyway. 

Some behaviors that I don’t particularly like, such as squatting by the table or touching me on the shoulder, are actually proven to increase tips.  Having blonde hair and wearing a red shirt apparently help, as well.  It’s rather disconcerting to think that we’re being manipulated by behaviors that have nothing to do with what we think we’re paying attention to, such as the drawing of a “smiley” face on our bill.

Do you think that results in a larger or smaller tip?  The answer is: depends on the gender of the server; a female server who draws a smiley face gets a bigger tip, but a male server who draws one winds up getting a smaller one.  And, in a finding that reminds me of the “flair” requirements in “Office Space”, researchers found that women who had some sort of ornamentation in their hair got larger tips than those who didn’t.