Ty Webb, manager of the Philadelphia Hotel, is considering how to restructure th
ID: 436815 • Letter: T
Question
Ty Webb, manager of the Philadelphia Hotel, is considering how to restructure the front desk to reach an optimum level of staff efficiency and guest service. At present, the hotel has five clerks on duty, each with a separate waiting line, during the peak check-in time of 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Observation of arrivals during this time shows that an average of 90 guests arrive each hour according to a Poisson process (although there is no upward limit on the number that could arrive at any given time). It takes an average of 3 minutes for the front-desk clerk to register each guest. The service times by the clerks are exponentially distributed.Mr. Webb is considering three plans for improving guest service by reducing the length of time guests spend waiting in line. The first proposal would designate one employee as a quick-service clerk for guests registering under corporate accounts, a market segment that fills about 30% of all occupied rooms. Because corporate guests are preregistered, their registration takes just 2 minutes on the average and also follows an exponential distribution. With these guests separated from the rest of the clientele, the average time for registering a typical guest would climb to 3.4 minutes. Under plan 1, noncorporate guests would choose any of the remaining four lines.
The second plan is to implement a single-line system. All guests could form a single waiting line to be served by whichever of the five clerks became available. This option would require sufficient lobby space for what could be a substantial queue.
The use of an automatic teller machine (ATM) for check-ins is the basis of the third proposal. This ATM would provide approximately the same service performance as would a clerk, however, the ATM’s service time would be a constant 3 minutes per guest. Given that initial use of this technology might be minimal, Webb estimated that 20% of customers, primarily frequent guests, would be willing to use the machines. This might be a conservative estimate if the guests perceive direct benefits from using the ATMs. Mr. Webb would set up a single queue for customers who prefer human interaction at check-in. This queue would be served by the five clerks, although Webb is hopeful that the machine will allow a reduction to four.
Determine the average amount of time that a guest spends checking in. How would this change under each of the stated options? Which option would you recommend?
Explanation / Answer
How much you should tip at a restaurant depends on these factors: the size of your party, the class of the restaurant, and the quality of the service. In this case we'll call a large party anything over 6 people, and an expensive restaurant a "four-star" restaurant. But first let's consider more humble establishments.
How much should you tip for eating at a counter? In this case service isn't considered a big part of the meal, so 10% - 12% is an adequate tip. However, if the service is excellent there is nothing wrong with tipping 15%.
How much should you tip for eating at a local restaurant? Providing the service was good, a tip of 15% of the bill before tax is a good rule of thumb. If you happen to live where the state tax is between 7% and 8% you can calculate the tip easily by looking at the amount you are taxed and simply doubling it. You can then round this amount off higher or lower, depending on the service and your state's tax percentage.
For example, let's say the state tax is 8%. If the bill comes to $48.70, the tax will be $3.90, for a total bill of $52.60. To quickly calculate the tip, double $3.90 for a tip of $7.80. Since this is 16% (twice the state tax), you can round down to leave a $7 tip. This comes to just slightly less than 15%. Or if you had an especially nice meal you might want to round up to $8 to leave a slightly larger tip. If you are dining with a large party, a 20% tip is appropriate.
Bear in mind that food and service are separate issues. If the food was bad but the service was good, complain to the manager about the food, but tip the server for their efforts. On the other hand, if the food was good but the meal was ruined by poor service, a lower tip can reflect that as well.
But how much should you tip at a four-star restaurant? At a four-star restaurant, the maitre d' may be the first person you tip, particularly if you are a regular and he goes out of his way to either keep a table for you, or to seat you even when the restaurant is very busy. The maitre d' tip might be $20 - $100, and should be given to him before you are seated, or as you are seated, but not after you are seated. Once you have dined, expect to leave a 20% tip. Again the tip is calculated before tax. If you have wine with your meal, the wine steward should be tipped $2 or $3 dollars for a bottle of wine under $10, or if multiple bottles are ordered, 10% - 15% of the wine bill. If you order a single bottle that is extremely expensive a 5% tip to the wine steward is acceptable.
Another person you might need to tip at a four-star restaurant is the coat check attendant. Tipping $1 for one or two coats is fine. Restroom attendants are normally tipped 50 cents to $1, and parking attendants can be tipped $1. If you stop in at a restaurant's bar while waiting to be seated, the bartender should be tipped $1 per drink, or if you have multiple drinks, 10-15% of the bar bill.
No matter the restaurant, tipping a few percent more is always a good idea when the server has had to work particularly hard for your table or went out of their way to make your meal especially pleasant. Waiting on tables is hard and often frustrating work that usually involves little thanks. Although tips have come to be expected, rather than a reward for service well done, when the service is good it's nice to let that conscientious server know that you noticed by leaving a good tip.
Some restaurants now add a surcharge to the bill that is supposed to be a "built in" tip. This money is theoretically divided up among busboys and other staff, however it is not unheard of that some restaurant owners keep this fee, and the customer is still expected to tip. If your restaurant bill comes with a surcharge, ask the waitress if she gets a portion of that money. If the answer is no, leave her the customary tip, based on the food bill before the tax and surcharge. Whether or not you wish to patronize that particular restaurant again in the future is up to you!
Following these basic guidelines for how much you should tip at a restaurant will keep you in good standing and help to ensure that repeat visits are as pleasant an experience as possible.
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