Travis'+Page

media type="file" key="This I Believe.mp3"

Twenty-Percent There is a classic saying in the hospitality industry, and it goes a little something like this: ‘Everyone should work in a restaurant for a week, it will change their life.’

The contract between a guest and their respective server is simple. I, the server, will happily provide you with everything you need to fully enjoy your experience while residing in my restaurant. You, the guest, will tip me Twenty-Percent for providing that service which allows you to temporarily escape your personal life.

There is no excuse for tipping less than twenty-percent for any service, which inherently requires a tip. Yes, I am talking about taxi drivers, pizza delivery, and any restaurant or bar. If you cannot afford to take a taxi to your destination without providing the driver a Twenty-Percent tip, then you simply cannot afford the trip. If you order a pizza for delivery, and cannot supply the deliverer with Twenty-Percent, then pick the pizza up yourself. If you cannot afford to tip your bartender Twenty-Percent, then you should stay home and drink. If you order a bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus to impress your friends, but are unable to tip Twenty-Percent, then you should have ordered a less expensive bottle of wine for which you can tip Twenty-Percent.

The notion of tipping less than Twenty-Percent for any service provided where gratuity is a substantial source of the service providers’ income is incredibly absurd.

Take the last example above into account. The amount of time and effort a restaurant puts into purchasing, cellaring, and opening a bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus is enormous. The total care invested in a $10,000 bottle of wine simply cannot be quantified. The only way to show your appreciation for such meticulous work is by tipping Twenty-Percent. If you can afford a $10,000 bottle of wine, you surely can afford a Twenty-Percent tip. Receiving pennies on the dollar for providing a service is heartbreaking. A doctor who complains to a valet attendant for charging $8 to park their $80,000 car is simply an asshole. And if he’s complaining about the eight dollars, you can suspect what the tip percentage might be. Right. Less than Twenty-Percent. Go park the car yourself sir.

The standard tip percentage for many years was indeed fifteen-percent. However, inflation has taken place. The standard has risen to, you guessed it, Twenty-Percent. If the five-percent increase is too much for you to fathom tipping, please stay at home. You obviously need the five-percent more than we do.