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Monday, April 13, 2009
Can a jar of quarters guarantee good restaurant service?
Posted by dholm on Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:07 AM
We all want to have outstanding service when we go out to eat.
In most cases, the service is more important than the food. However, unfortunately the service experience is completely out of control.
Until now.
Servers are motivated usually only by one thing: tip money. They work hard to get good tips. What if a server knew how much tip money they were going to make from each table before the experience was over? Would they work harder?
In college I had a professor who used a revolutionary tool to make every dining occasion a perfect one. Every time he went out he would place a jar of quarters at the end of the table. The quarters in the jar would add up to a designated amount of somewhere between $15 - $20. (Not a bad tip depending on where you're eating out).
When the server greeted the table he would tell them that the jar of quarters had $15 (or $20) inside and it was their tip. However, every time they messed up, or didn't provide service up to his standards he would remove a quarter (or quarters) from the jar.
If the server did everything perfectly they would walk away with a very good tip. If the server messed up or didn't give great service they would receive a tip that was less than what they had hoped for. It was completely in their control. My professor claims he never had a bad experience whenever he did this.
It's pretty crazy to put a jar of quarters at the table and demand amazing service. Was he completely out of his mind or a genius?
You decide.
Dan Holm writes the popular restaurant blog Green Eggs and Classy Eater - a revolutionary website with all kinds of restaurant deals and discounts.
Email him at danielrholm@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @danholm
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