It is a well established fact that a lot of waiters and waitresses do not earn a great deal in their line of work and that they cannot rely exclusively on their hourly wage to make ends meet. Tips are also an important way to supplement the income of low paid waiters and waitresses. But once customers have paid for their meals and they have left a tip, is it appropriate for waiters and waitresses to count their tips in front of customers?
A waiter or waitress who dislikes their job and is only doing it to help with saving for university or some other major expense will be keen to see how much they have made in tips. But even if waiters and waitresses do enjoy their job, it is only natural to want to see what has been made in tips. Did the family of six who kept you on your toes the whole time they were eating leave a generous tip in response to all your hard work? Or how about the friendly elderly lady who ordered two refills of coffee? Did she remember to leave a tip?
There is a tendency for waiters and waitresses to make judgements about the customers they have been waiting on if they decide to count their tips immediately after each table has been cleared. If someone leaves a very low tip or worse yet, does not tip at all, that is often a strike against that customer. If you think that waiters and waitresses will get over being slighted or will just forget about it, just wait until you are served by them again. They will remember you and are not likely to go out of their way for you a second time.
Waiters and waitresses must really bear in mind how it looks to customers if they are seen to be counting their tips in front of them. It does not look very professional and customers may feel that they did not tip enough. While many customers are spot on when it comes to tipping, others may need to be gently persuaded by their companions to dig a little deeper into their pockets.
If you are a waiter or waitress and you are tempted to count your tips, it is best to think twice and to do so out of sight of customers in the break room or to wait until you get home to count your tips. This will help you to maintain your professionalism in front of your colleagues, and especially in front of the customers.
