Top Of The Table

K-Lee

Sept. 9, 2001

Customer Profiling: You'll Pay the Price

In the line of work where the level of service you deliver determines the tip you will receive, sizing up your customer becomes important. You might assess that your guest has special needs, a specific dietary requirement, a time limit for their lunch break, or perhaps they are a regular visitor who's needs you are already aware of. With this evaluating skill that the seasoned server has honed to an asset, often comes the unfortunate habit of sizing up the diner even as soon as they are being seated in your section. I shall refer to this analyzing technique as Customer Profiling.

In an age where racial profiling becomes more evident and less accepted, the server is often times just as guilty as our law enforcing neighbors. Whether it is a racial judgment made,
"Indians are the worst tippers",
a sexist remark,
"Women are so high maintenance and never tip accordingly,"
or a sweeping generalization,
"Fags tip like shit",
in my many years of serving I have learned to never judge one by their appearance, profession, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or age.

Yesterday this attitude once again, paid off.

Always confident that I am not racist, sexist, judgmental, or shallow, I will admit, there are times my heart sinks upon the arrival of some folks to my section.

I have tried to steer my thinking in another direction. I sometimes think,
"I will be the server that these folks will find amazing and they WILL tip me!"

True, I have been let down many, many times, but then again I half expected it. When they return, the service will be adequate but I most certainly will not go out of my way for them. However, many times I have also come away from the check presenter grinning. It happened yesterday. I waited on very rude men from the Middle East. They were gruff, demanding, bossy, and quite curt. I gulped back the urge to remind them that in the US "please" and "thank you" are common and it is ok to use them often. I resisted the need to inform them that speaking to me with a mouth full of their lunch was not only inappropriate, but "Thanks guys, I already know the menu here." I came to their table and went with a smile, pleasant words and I even thanked them saying I would see them soon (Not if I could help it, of course).

I sighed when I picked up the ticket book with their money in it. I knew what I would find.
"Oh well, I've got to get it out and stick it in my wait wallet. Holy Mother and Mary, what the hell is this!?"
I shrieked to a nearby waitress.
She peered over my shoulder and looked at the $12 tip they left on their $23 bill.
"Wow, was that from four?"
"Yeah," I reply smiling like a Cheshire.
"Who would've thought…" she said wistfully.

Exactly! That is my point. Other servers might put that preconceived notion to work against them, assuming that certain people will be bad tippers. Therefore, the server cares less and projects a lackadaisical approach to their table. Perhaps those diners always feel they get poor service. Then I come up and woo them with my serverly charms and baffle them with my efficiency and they feel like it has finally happened. They got some good service! They want to hook me up! I come out smelling like a rose and often am left notes or offered comments like,
"This was the best service we've ever gotten here," or
"K-Lee was charming".
I am certainly NOT trying to toot my own horn. I do that when I get to the bank and fill out my deposit slip. And definitely there are those that I have not managed to convince of my serving talents, but I would rather try to schmooze them for an extra couple of bucks than assume they are bad tippers for whatever reason. I am after all, there to make money and that is often times determined by me! My last point is this; a group of people may only leave you 10% and that truly sucks, but have you ever considered that they may not normally even leave that much? You have to look at the bright side in this tentative line of work.