How tips are distributed in restaurants

Have you ever wondered how tips are distributed in a restaurant? Tips become a very important bonus for many workers. Depending on the month, they can get a high amount that allows them to have more purchasing power or to save more, each case is different!

If you’ve ever wondered about it, you may be a restaurant owner, you may have just started working in the hospitality industry or you may just be a curious person. Whatever the case, here we are going to explain how tips are distributed in a restaurant.

How tips are divided in a restaurant

There are different ways of dividing tips in a bar or restaurant. Of course, there are restaurants where tips are not distributed. It all depends on the policy of the company, of course. However, from Tipeame we recommend that you do it, as it is an incentive and a positive reinforcement for employees.

As we said, every company has its own tipping policy. However, there are two ways that are the most common when it comes to dividing tips.

Tip Jar

Traditional, fast and organic. Every time a waiter receives a tip, or a customer hands it in at the bar, it goes into the tip jar. This jar is also often used when there are cash shortages and money is missing. Also, when the cash register is balanced at the end of the day, if there is money left over, it is put into the tip jar. This is the most common method.

But when is the tip jar distributed? It is usually done at the end of the season. The most obvious example is at the end of the summer season. How much money is in the pot is counted and divided among the workers.

The good thing about this way of distributing tips is that all workers get a share. This is a great act of comradeship, especially with employees who do not have direct contact with the diners but who do play a fundamental role, such as the cooks.

However, there are waiters who do not see this as fair, as we will tell you in the next point. Another problem with the tip jar is that there are sometimes waiters who never get their share. This is usually the case for waiters on temporary contracts or for specific occasions.

Ideally, they should be given a proportional share for their services, but this rarely happens in practice.

Every waiter receives a tip

Would it be fair that a waiter who does his job perfectly should have to share his tip with a bad waiter? For those who ask such questions, there is also this method. Each worker keeps the full amount of his or her tip and does not have to share it with the rest of his or her colleagues.

In addition, this means that the waiter gets his tip at the exact moment, without having to wait until the end of the season.

However, this brings us back to the previous problem. Cooks, no matter how exquisite the dishes, will rarely receive a tip.

We hope that with this information you now know how tips are distributed and what the advantages and disadvantages of each form are.

Tipeame: the best way to tip in a restaurant

Tipeame comes as a solution when it comes to tipping. Thanks to our system, customers will be able to choose who they tip. This means that every member of staff who has served the customer, indirectly or directly, can receive their tip. That’s right! Maîtres, cooks, bar waiters… everyone will be able to get a tip.

Another great advantage of working with Tipeame is immediacy. What does this mean? Well, the money will be paid into your employee’s account immediately. So they don’t have to wait until the end of the season to receive their share.

And the most convenient thing for the customer is that they can leave a tip from their mobile phone. All they have to do is scan the QR code of the employee in question and enter the desired amount.

In addition, as the restaurant owner, you will receive a small percentage of the tip and from our app you will be able to check who are the workers who get the most tips, which will be great for you to keep statistics and be aware of the degree of satisfaction of your customers!