The Tipping Point (Or Advice from a Wiseguy)

“Actually, it’s not tipping I believe in, it’s over-tipping,” says Steve Martin’s character, Vinnie Antonelli, in the 1990 comedy “My Blue Heaven.” Vinnie, a retired mobster in the witness protection program, can find a way around any no-tipping policy, and his generosity eventually wins over even the most hardened law enforcement agents. It’s too bad more business owners don’t see the world the way Vinnie does.

Carey Smith | Founding Contrarian

Like the retired mobster, I believe generosity always pays, and it’s a crime to be stingy. I also maintain that outstanding service should always be the goal, and enthusiastically rewarded when provided. But two recent experiences in New York City served as reminders that others don’t necessarily share my views. In one, the management could do better; in the other, they should know better.

The first was at a well-known vegetarian restaurant in lower Manhattan. The five-course meal was delicious and filling, and it came at a very fair, fixed price. So where’s the problem? In their no-tipping policy.

It’s become a trend lately to adopt no-tipping policies among certain kinds of restaurants — those that aspire to a greater air of sophistication and enlightenment, mainly. A no-tipping policy allows restaurant owners to signal to everyone their supposed virtue in paying workers what they claim is a decent wage — so they “don’t need to live on tips.” But how can we know whether they really live any better without them?

As trends go, this one has had its ups and downs. Some of the most prominent advocates of the policy have now reversed it. And across the industry, the vast majority of servers say they prefer tips to standard pay.

In the case of this particular restaurant, the no-tipping policy, which is presented with a large side of sanctimony, only serves to irritate diners like me. Judging by the packed crowd, the owners could clearly afford to raise their prices and pay their help even more — share the wealth! — if they insist on holding to the policy. Or why not just continue to pay that good wage, but allow people to tip, too, because they’re cheating the servers by not allowing them to accept tips. And they’re denying customers who appreciate good service the opportunity to show their appreciation by tipping, or over-tipping like Vinnie, if that’s their style. Since the dinner took place over the Christmas holidays, I can only say, “Bah, humbug.”

If that first experience was frustrating, the second was downright flabbergasting. At a Midtown restaurant, the server bringing our drinks spilled the entire tray over one of our group. Then, he had the gall to blame the accident on the poor drenched soul himself. When the manager came over, he coughed up an offer to have the man’s jacket cleaned — in Manhattan, though the man lived elsewhere — but made no mention of comping any part of the bill. AYFKM?

The manager and the server should have both known better. If Vinnie had been there, he’d not only have comped everything and had the suit cleaned, but he’d have bought the guy a new, more expensive suit, too. And by doing so, he’d have made a loyal friend and customer for life. That’s how it works. When you provide outstanding service, you get back way more in return