How to Make More Tip Money

As anyone who's worked as a waiter knows, tipping is a necessity to pay rent and make ends meet. Unfortunately, as they also know, that doesn't always happen. Sometimes, people will go out to eat but probably can't afford it. There are occasional tips of a handful of quarters adding up to $2.50 and a lot of noise. Some people don't tip at all, for any number of reasons that the server usually cannot and should not be expected to solve. There are some people who give borderline tips, though, and they can be swayed psychologically to go that extra step from a good tipper to a great tipper. This is how to coax them through it.

Haptics
Interpersonal communications specialists and psychologists have long studied the links between touching and just about everything else. When waiters briefly touched the shoulders of their customers, they expected higher tips. An additional opportunity would be in introducing yourself and shaking the hands of your customers. A face and name is far more likely to matter than just "the guy that helped us."

Repetition
Waiters who repeat orders back to customers make much higher wages than those who neglect to do so.

Proximity
Just as touching creates more of a relationship, so does your placement. For example, one study found increased tips for waiters who made eye contact and squatted beside the table while taking orders. For those with a power trip, this has the added advantage of making yourself seem inferior. The tips may be out of pity, but money is money.

Gifts
There is a reason Chinese restaurants give out fortune cookies, and why restaurants offer mints and toothpicks. Tips are likely to be higher if the server makes the relationship out of balance. Going out of your way to give your customers mints, or giving children a small toy, creates an uneven benefit with the customer, making them feel obligated to return the favor. Some servers have found an added benefit by walking away from the table after leaving the check, only to turn around, as if forgetting something, and placing mints. You made sure to fulfill your half. So must they.

Complimenting
People like to feel reassured, especially when trying something new. If your customer mentions, "This is my first time here," or, "I'm going to try something new," try to compliment them on their excellent selections. People in positive moods are far more likely to put you into one.

Extra help
If you have shades by a customer's window-adjacent table, offer to close the shades for them. Simple considerations like this led servers in one study to see an almost doubled tip rate.

Consistency
A risky yet potentially useful way to increase tips is to place the customer in a situation that means they are "meant" to tip well. Similar to creating pity by squatting, if at the same time you can request to borrow a pen (make sure you can actually see a pen handy), they may feel even more strongly obligated to tip well.

Bandwagon
The final and most risky (and not at all professional) technique involves incorporating other people. Always ask how your table is. If on one occasion, your table asks you in return and you look particularly cheerful, tell them, "Those people getting up to leave just made my day - they left me a $10 tip!"

Scale the number up depending on how high-class your restaurant is, but keep it lower than you would like to get. People who feel that something is standard - tipping, in this case - are more likely to join the group. If you keep the number low, they will think that leaving a $15 or $20 tip is even better, doubling the excitement of your day. People asking for donations, for example, had a much higher success rate by saying, "Even a penny helps." If you would like to really risk it, you may try going higher than what you expect. Occasionally, a customer may think everybody leaves $50 and do the same for you. Be careful not to say such a thing around management.

That summarizes all the hints I know about increasing tips. In addition to providing excellent service and getting lucky with customers, I think every server can use these skills to their advantage. Did I miss anything? Have you used these?