To Insure Promptness

It's Friday, the end of the week. You're break from it all. The hustle and bustle of the week, taking the kids to school, pumping gas, dealing with the egocentrics of the world, whatever. The week has come to an end. What better way to start your weekend than to go out for some great food and great service at your local eatery, right?

You go home, shower, get dressed, ready to enjoy some great food, inviting atmosphere, and some long-awaited relaxing time with your family or friends. You arrive at your favorite restaurant, or maybe one you've been dying to try and finally give it a whirl.

Well, you're on a budget, as we all seem to be these days. That means choosing the restaurant very carefully, not leaving your financial situation in the negative just to have a good time, right? So you arrive at the restaurant and scour the menu for something great to eat, at a reasonable price.Yes! A choice that sounds delicious and fits right into your budget.It's a choice thats possibly a little more than you had planned but what the heck, you deserve it. You're meal arrives in a reasonable amount of time,the meal was excellent just as you had hoped, the service was great, your drink stayed full the entire time, which is vital to most with their dinner, and you are feeling full and satisfied.

The bill comes to $19.31 and you've got a cool 20 to spend. Boy, you've really planned that to the Tee. But, wait, has something been forgotten? Let's quickly backtrack. Service was great, the meal was excellent and you are feeling full and SATISFIED.
Satisfied. You pay the bill and pocket the .69 cents, thank the server and go on your way. The server goes to clean the mess you've made at your table and is bewildered and confused at the fact that there is no TIP on the table. "What did I do wrong? I kept their drinks full, brought plenty of napkins, served the meal in a speedy amount of time, and they even thanked me when they left, they seemed pleased." Since this server did not recieve a tip, or some sort of gratuity, this reflects that the service was considered poor, even though the customer was fully satisfied. Is there something I'm not getting here?

This would make one ponder the question: Why would you, as a patron of this restaurant decide to spend money on a meal, knowing that you will be provided table service, when you will not be able to afford to show that you are gracious for the service you recieved? Wouldn't it have made a bit more sense to order a cheaper dish, therefore allowing you to leave a TIP for the server? You may have even considered going to a restaurant that does not provide table service, where a TIP was not necessary. I am sure that most people are aware of the fact that the word TIP has been adopted as an acronym for "To Insure Promptness" or TIPS "To Insure Proper Service", although this is not the origin of the word.

It is sad to see that server gratuity is no longer commonplace in America today. Many feel that it is an unnecessary practice, and the burden is left to the more financially well-to-do patrons because "they can afford it". Personally, it has nothing to do with whether you can "afford" it or not. If you can afford to go out to a nice dinner which requires a server to tend to your every need during your meal, then you should budget in the TIP, if you recieve good service. If you do not, let someone know. Your Friday night should not have to suffer over bad service. Although, nor should the person waiting on you suffer from your poor planning.