Essay - Customer Service How Customer Service is Perceived When a Gratuity...

Customer Service

How Customer ***** is Perceived When a Gratuity is Included at a Restaurant

***** One

Introduction

Background

***** practice of tipping in restaurants has been around for many years, but lately there are some changes showing up on ***** menus. Instead of expecting a tip for the w*****iters and waitresses, a gratuity is now being included in the price of ***** meals that are served. This is d*****e more frequently ***** large parties or for carry-out or*****rs, ***** ***** ***** ***** restaurants that include a ***** in their prices for everyone involved, regardless ***** the size of the party that arrives at ***** restaurant and regardless of whether or not these individuals dine ***** the restaurant or take ***** food away to be eaten elsewhere. For many people, this is more convenient and stops them from being required to judge what percentage should be left for a tip and then figure out the correct amount. Hypothetically, however, it also stops the waiters and waitresses ***** working as hard and *****ing as polite in order to 'earn' a *****. Whether th***** practice is good or bad in how it affects customer service ***** some**********g that should be addressed.

***** of the Problem

***** *****s automatically include a gr*****tu*****y, the waiters and ***** know that a 'tip' will ***** coming to *****m, ***** of the quality of food that is served ***** the ***** of service that they provide. There is the potential that this will allow ********** to be slacker in their duties and therefore not provide the quality of service ***** might have been seen had ***** needed to work for the tip that *****y received. Naturally, competent and professional waitstaff ***** still provide high quality *****, regardless of whether a gratuity is *****, but the real issue here is not the actual ***** of service, but ***** perceived quality of service from the point of view ***** ***** customer. In other words, do *****s think that they are getting a lower quality of ***** when they ***** that a gratuity is included? This is the main problem that must be examined, and ***** question that will be addressed here.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose ***** this particular study is to look at the perceived level of service, from the point of view of the cus*****mer, based on whe*****r a gratuity is included in the price of ***** meal or whether the customer is 'expected' to leave a tip for the waitperson. This is significant, ***** on the idea ***** ***** satisfaction with the dining experience - restaurant facilities, *****, waitstaff, etc. - is often what keeps a customer returning to a particular place of business. If a customer experiences dissatisfaction, he or she may not return. Even those *****s that ***** ***** to give a particular restaurant an***** try will not continue to do so if the dissatisfaction continues.

Import*****ce of the Study

***** ***** is important to those that are cus*****mers and consumers, but also