One of the things that impressed me on my visit to Queenstown and Wanaka this year, aside from some excellent food at Rata Dining, Amisfield Bistro, Vudu Cafe and Ferg Bakers, was the quality of the service we received. Wait staff and, indeed, all the hospo staff we encountered, were unflinchingly, unfalteringly polite, well informed, helpful and courteous. And I tipped accordingly.
Now, given that I live in Wellington, where there are a plethora of dining options and where there is a great deal of pride in the quality of food and service offered, you would think that I would find that unremarkable. But, you know what? And this may be a terrible, sacrilegious thing for me to note and observe - I reckon the quality of service, if not necessarily food, in Central Otago exceeded much of what is offered in Wellington. Seriously.
And so - I pondered just why this might be.
And this is what I concluded - tipping. With the significant volume of particularly US visitors in a place like Queenstown, if you are able to deliver satisfying, pleasant, appropriate service, there is a real possibility of receiving a gratuity. Going the extra mile is incentivised by the prospect of reward for service above and beyond the basics. And I reckon this is a good thing.
Foreign visitors are often told that they needn't tip in NZ - that it isn't expected, that wait staff are well paid here by comparison to their US equivalents. And that's fine. But it's also not illegal to tip. And also, I wonder if a bit more potential for some reward might reap significant improvements in the quality of service we receive in restaurants, cafes and bars, and in the types of people hospitality roles attract.
While cooking jobs now (bizarrely) have some sort of kudos/glamour attached (blame Masterchef), whereas cooking used to be something that people who were too antisocial/drunk/crazy went and did when they got out of prison (relax, I am exaggerating for descriptive effect - call it "hyperbole"), service roles often fall to part-timers, students, and people who don't really see themselves making careers of working in restaurants or bars.
Which I reckon is a bit of a pity. I used to have a barman friend who had dual degrees in psychology and zoology, which are probably the perfect fields of qualification for a bar manager. Part zen guru, part priest, part counsellor, he probably understood what makes people tick better than anyone I have ever met. He saw people at their best and worst, and knew exactly how to deal with them at both ends of the spectrum.
Let's get one thing straight: it's not as though I think we should tip as a matter of course, as it is seemingly expected in the US - the practice of paying an extra dollar for each beer you order seems bloody daft to me. I also loathe the "compulsory service charge of 15 per cent will be added to your bill" schtick - if you are going to do this, just build it into your prices, and tell me NOT to tip. I mean, no matter how lousy, lazy and inept service may be, you have to pay that extra 15 per cent. Bollocks to that.
But if you receive especially good service or food, or preferably both, there is no reason at all why you shouldn't tip. Ten per cent when it has been especially good seems reasonable; another rule of thumb I have heard was "enough to buy a drink" for your server. If I tip, I usually leave cash - there is no way to be sure that the gratuity amount on the credit card slip ever makes it to your server.
A friend of mine has a concept that any job has three ways it can be done - good, cheap, and quick. And that, for the most part, you can only ever achieve two of these three - you want good and cheap; it won't be fast. You want fast and good; not cheap. Cheap and fast; not good. I reckon this just about always holds.
To this end, I reckon it would serve us all well - diners, restaurateurs, and of course bar and wait staff, if service staff knew that exceptional service was more likely to result in tips.
Employers would find better quality staff who would stay with them for longer, punters would experience better service. And the wait staff would receive more financial incentive for capable and competent service.
But this is not me telling you how it should be. This is just me throwing the concept into the air - I am interested in what you all think. Wait staff, do you agree: better service begets better money? Employers: might it make it easier to hang on to better quality staff? And, as diners, or bar patrons: better quality, better informed service?
What do you think?
Please join The Omnivore on Facebook.
Picture: Jeff Kubina
Sponsored links
Newest First
Oldest First
When I was a waitress I never expected tips - being polite & on-to-it is just part of the job description, and I always just got a buzz out of having good customers. I used to feel awkward when Americans would ask me how much to tip - I'd usually tell them that it wasn't necessary but that if they wanted to, a couple of dollars would be more than adequate. Let's just say, I always made enough tips for bus money home - which was great! The other times I would often be tipped was when I'd have a huge group (15+) and they'd often tip me between $20-$60, or if I gave a customer fast and good service when they let me know that they were in a rush ($10-20). Always a pleasant bonus, especially if the days been hard. But I don't think that it would have changed the way I worked - like I said, you should be doing your best anyway!
I can't say that I've encountered places in Wellington that have the sort of 15% gratuity charge that you mention in passing. Is it a bit more common further up the food chain than my usual eating places?
I'd probably have a similar reaction though, if it's not a voluntary charge, and I am required to pay it, put it *in* the pricing.
I don't leave tips for good service, however if I've been really impressed with the service received I always make a point of telling the server/waiter and their manager how happy I am. So often the manager only hears complaints so I find people appreciate being told the good things
Tipping is a dirty practice and should be avoided. You get paid to do your job properly.
It's a tricky one; I don't tip for precisely the reasons mentioned; they're paid to do a job, and well, and without knowing how the tips are shared amongst other staff (it's an in-depth process in the States), I'm loathe to do it. Also, where do you stop? Should I tip the salesman in Noel Leeming because he was very informative about HDTV's? Slippery slope etc.
Lease#2 I agree, being polite and good service is just part of the job description. To the writer of the article. There's a good reason why they may be more polite in Queenstown...southerners are known to be more friendly....simple. My opinion is that if you tip in NZ you have more money than sense...food in NZ is expensive and when we go out as a family of 3 in Wellington, even to a moderately priced restaurant, there's no change from $100.
I often have to arrange large group dinners (10 or more), which are usually a bit more difficult for the wait staff to deal with and to get all the orders correct. So when we're divvying up the bill, I always add $2 to each persons bill to give to the wait staff. $2 to each diner is not even noticeable, but when added up it makes a good tip for the wait staff.
Otago Polytechnic, Cromwell Campus. Specializes in horticulture and hospitality. People tend to get trained very well and then go away (but not too far away) and get jobs. Queenstown and Wanaka are where they get their work experience; the whole region is a training area.
I have tipped and still would do so when we've had exceptional service. We have a son who has a significant disability which involves difficulty eating and when we've had sensitive and discrete service which has made us feel welcome and not like social rejects I've wanted to reward that person in some tangible way. I also will ask to speak to the manager and commend that person to them. I am the person that sends a letter to the manager of the store where we got good service, BUT I'm also the person that will write a letter of complaint if the service is poor. By recognising the good I feel that gives me the right to identify the bad.
Best & worst of the fest: Day eight
Married after four years 'from hell'
Real bodies don't need labels, do they?
Advice: When the friend zone isn't working
Secrets of the world's healthiest countries
Be the school ball belle on any budget
Best & worst of the fest: Day seven
Recipe: Moroccan spiced chicken
Married after four years 'from hell'
Ten new grape varieties to try
Secrets of the world's healthiest countries
Going by another article on stuff today, Kiwis just love to work and not necessarily for the money. Going by that finding, tipping should be considered offensive...Or you could take that other article for what it is (BS) and assume that tipping would encourage most people to work harder. Whilst we are not in the same situation as Americans, where you pay wait staff $2 an hour and if they don't receive tips they can't live, it is still not a great motivator to work hard for the minimum wage. So yes, I think tipping is fine where it is deserved.