Spare Change

Tipping Point

Posted by Bryan

I believe in generosity extended toward restaurant wait service. I remember hearing reading years ago about waiters in a city where a Southern Baptist convention was held who felt that the dinner guests' demanding attitude and paltry gratuities were incongruous to the diners' in-meal evangelistic efforts.

Consequently, I've seen my tipping as part of my witness to waiters. I tip a baseline of 15%, but service has to be pretty bad to not rise above it. Even when the order is wrong, or food is improperly prepared, I try to be gracious and still reward the waiter for their time and effort. Usually, McAnally tips hover in the 20-25% range. In a couple instances, Kelli and I have felt led to give a tip of up to 50%.

Tipping well says a lot. It communicates:

• Appreciation for service.


• Acknowledgment of the person's livelihood.


• A value of the dining experience


• The goodness of God.

Lest you think that last point is a stretch...Regardless of whether the waiter knows you, when you tip well, they will tend to identify you more favorably (particularly if you match your tip with an equally pleasant experience as a good guest with polite manners, grace, and gregariousness). However this is especially paramount if the wait service discovers that you identify yourself as a Christian (and try to make this an easy discovery for others to make). When they connect your generosity with your Christian identity, it opens the door for you to speak about how generous God has been with you, and how it is natural and normal for God's children to extend the blessing of generosity to others.

You don't have to be a big spender to be a big tipper. Maybe you will go out slightly less if you are slightly more generous, but probably not. In all likelihood, you won't even miss it. Everyone likes to be acknowledged, and I have seen wait service professionals demonstrate sincere appreciation for a thoughtful, generous gratuity.

As in many areas of life, you have been blessed to be a blessing. Don't withhold that blessing, just because the chicken was a little rubbery.