How to Get Great Service

Everyone has at least one horror story about the terrible service they've received at the hands of a "bad" waitress, taxi driver, bartender, or other service industry worker. Most people assume that the servers in question are merely bad at their job, and this is sometimes true. More often, however, bad or lackluster service is the result of a server matching his or her effort to the tip he expects to receive. Just like financial wizards have ways of knowing when a stock's prices are about to drop, people in the service industry look for certain cues that a customer is a bad tipper. Those people tend to get less spectacular service, especially when the server is busy with other customers who do not fit the "bad tipper" profile.

While experienced servers are usually very good at judging the tip they'll get from a customer, they sometimes misjudge people. When this happens, a self-fulfilling prophecy is created-the server does not make an effort because he or she expects a bad tip, and therefore gets a bad tip. As a customer, the best way to avoid this situation is to know the signs of a bad tipper and avoid displaying them.

The most common sign of a bad tipper is known as the "verbal tip," and is a favorite among senior citizens. While servers appreciate hearing what a great job they're doing, they're working to make money, not to feel good about themselves. People who offer the "verbal tip" (especially when unbidden or overly complimentary) too early in the customer-server relationship rarely tip well. Compliments are better received once the server has finished doing his or her job, especially when backed up by a generous monetary tip.

If you're in a situation in which you and your server will be chatting (for example, if you're sitting at a bar or in a cab), you should avoid talking about money, especially how much you make. "The longer the driveway, the shorter the tip" is a popular saying among delivery drivers, and it tends to be very accurate. The best tips come from working class people who have worked for tips themselves, not from the wealthy. Most people who will brag about money to total strangers value money for its own sake, and therefore tend to be cheapskates.

The best way to insure good service is to remember that your server is a person trying to do his or her job, not your personal slave. Complaints about non-issues or uncontrollable situations, failure to recognize that the server has other clients, and generally showing a lack of respect for the person serving you, while not always indicative of a bad tipper, are likely to decrease the level of service you receive. A server's ultimate goal is to make you happy so that you'll leave a good tip, but there comes a point where no amount of money is worth the aggravation (and in some cases, degradation) they'll have to endure to accomplish the task.