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Using a Customer’s Name to Personalize Checks and Increase Restaurant Tipping Behavior

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  • Victoria Paige Adams
  • Terry F. Pettijohn II

Abstract

The current research investigated how language can be used to communicate with restaurant customers and improve server tip percentage. Specifically, personalizing checks with thank you notes and the customer’s name were predicted to increase tip percentage. A server makes a minimum wage of around $2.13 and after taxes are paid, servers do not have a paycheck. Servers need to make at least 8% off of tips to have enough to break even and have enough money to pay their bills. This research took place at a national seafood chain restaurant in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Five servers collected data on a total of 103 customers dining during dinner hours. When servers personalized checks by writing a thank you that include the title and last name of a customer, their tip percentages were significantly higher than writing a thank you note with the customer’s first name, or not writing a thank you note at all on the check. Further research should investigate variables such as serving style and personalities of servers to see how they interact with personalizing checks to better understand how these factors influence a tip percentage.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Paige Adams & Terry F. Pettijohn II, 2015. "Using a Customer’s Name to Personalize Checks and Increase Restaurant Tipping Behavior," International Journal of Management Sciences, Research Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 6(10), pages 491-497.
    • Handle: RePEc:rss:jnljms:v6i10p3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wessels, Walter John, 1997. "Minimum Wages and Tipped Servers," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(2), pages 334-349, April.
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