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Managing tips in your restaurant

Managing tips in your restaurant

The collection of tips in food establishments has always generated great controversy, is it mandatory? Should I charge my customers? How much should you tip? We hope with this article to clarify the issue to avoid problems with your clients and collaborators.

In Mexico, the payment of the tip is a custom well seen by society, it is given as a bonus to a worker when he has provided us with a service that we consider good or outstanding, the tips usually range between 10 and 20 percent of the total of the account, depending on the degree of satisfaction we have received; The tips by law are for the workers who offer the service and should never be withheld by the owner of the establishment as indicated by the Federal Labor Law (LFT) in articles 346 and 347.

 

It is important to note that although the tip may be part of the salary, it should not be the only income that the worker receives from the restaurant.

 

How are tips divided?

There is no specific regulation that determines how to pay tips, each establishment is organized in such a way that it works for your needs, however, two main ways of handling tip distribution can be highlighted:

 

Tip for fixed assignment

At the end of the day, tips are collected by the captain of the waiters or the owner of the establishment, who has a tabulator that can vary between each restaurant, granting fixed percentages between each area for their consideration.

Democratic tip

In this case, the tip received during the day is divided equally among all the workers, making a division that is considered fair and that is having a lot of popularity among the new restaurants.

 

In both tip division schemes, the base salary is important, receiving a percentage of the tips does not justify the absence or reduction of the base salary and in its counterpart correctly managing the tips to have an equitable division allows the owner to offer a decent salary to the workers.

 

As a user of Soft Restaurant, it is important that you know that you can control the payment of tips with the use of the system, avoiding errors or omissions in it, with the administration and payment of tips received in cash or with card payment during the turn. This helps you streamline the closing work by accounting and dividing the tip income for the day at the discretion of the person in charge. Additionally, in the configuration of your ticket you can add the tip calculation as a suggestion for your customers, this is up to your consideration since there are diners who feel that adding the tip calculation data is annoying and works as pressure for them.

 

So is it correct to demand the tip?

No, in Mexico by law it is prohibited to demand a percentage of consumption as a tip, it is important to consider that the profeco is in charge of fining establishments that force their guests to pay a tip previously included in their ticket, the fines range from $ 600 pesos up to $ 30,000 pesos.

 

The tip is optional and is obtained in an expensive way by diners who enjoy good service in your restaurant, it should never be coerced by any means and it should represent a success to obtain it, since it sets the standard for the quality of the service you offer to your guests.

 

The tip in the world

Just as in Mexico there is a perception about tips, in many countries around the world they have different ways of perceiving tips and in some cases laws that regulate it.

 

In the United States, tips are between 15% and 20% of consumption and each state has its laws on its obligation, but it can be noted that by law it can be incorporated into some types of services, for example: in banquet events, room service or attention to a large number of diners ..

In Japan, on the other hand, tipping is considered rude and can represent an act of superiority for restaurant workers.

In Colombia, as in Mexico, tips are between 10% and 15% of consumption and these are completely voluntary, in case of demanding payment you can receive a fine of up to 3.400 million Colombian pesos.

 

How can I improve getting tips for my staff?

The main recommendation that we can give you is to train your staff to provide quality service to your customers, a smile and welcome greeting to all your customers, friendly respectful treatment and agile service are the main characteristics that diners will look for to feel comfortable in an establishment.

 

We invite you to consult our article on branding for restaurants, which can learn the difference between a brand, logo and branding.


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