To Tip or Not to Tip?
August 16, 2005
by Kit Cassingham
Our inn is 10 rooms and we have a full sit down restaurant where the guests are served by our staff for breakfast. As our servers rely on tips like servers do in any restaurant, we have a constant delema with trying to find a way to educate guests regarding tipping.
Many guests feel that since breakfast is included, they don't need to tip the servers. We have a tip jar primed with a few bucks right in plain view of the guests as they leave the restaurant and a plate of mints right in front of it so they can't miss it. It amazes me how many guests will help themselves to the mints, read the note on the tip jar and thank us and walk out without tipping. We serve a full gourmet breakfast daily which would cost over $10 per plate at a quality hotel restaurant where they would have no problem paying for it and tipping the wait help. I would like some opinions on this, especially from those of you who have a similar situation.
Terry Neumann
Mrs B's Historic Inn & Restaurant
Lanesboro, MN
Comments
We have a tip envelope in each room that reads: "Many of our guests take special note of the Inn's cleanliness and attention to detail. Tipping is an individual preference; therefore we do not automatically add it to room charges. However, a gratuity for your chamber person is a thoughtful and much appreciated "Thank You"."
We don't have a restaurant, and I don't know if your wait staff is different from your housekeeping staff - for us it is the same two or three people.
This works fine, and is probably used about 50% of the time, sometimes very generously.
Posted by: Muirford | July 4, 2007 07:05 PM
Restaurants typically expect servers to make the bulk of their earnings thorugh gratuities but since bed and breakfast guests know that the meal is provided with the cost of the room, many of them won't tip.
One would HOPE that these same guests WILL TIP if they order lunch or dinner since they presumably have to pay for the meal before leaving the restaurant. But breakfast is different since the cost is again factored in as part of the room.
So why not do this? Raise your room rates. Factor service cost into the room rate. You don't even have to upset your guests by listing a service charge on the bill. (There will be guests who dispute the concept of a mandated service fee). Simply consider what a 15% gratuity would be for two guests who walked in off the street and ordred breakfast and increase your posted rates by this amount. Each time a guest checks out, credit the waitstaff with a gratuity.
Don't worry if some rooms are occasionally booked with 3 people. Everything will even out in the end as you are bound to have single travelers or guests who may not even want breakfast!
Posted by: David | July 4, 2007 07:06 PM