Restaurants are using simple trick to convince customers to tip more
Topics: Food and Drink, Psychology, Money
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Food and Drink, Psychology, Money
Tipping is a pretty divisive topic, with everyone on social media having their say on where they stand on the debate.
And some may even feel the culture surrounding tipping has got 'out of control' in recent months - whether that be for a walk-in hair cut or an online retailer.
Many have put blame on the establishments who implement these tips, and their success is apparently down to a simple trick.
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New research has found that a simple trick can bolster the average restaurant tip by a whopping 11 percent.
Authors in the study published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management said: "We establish that when emojis are included with tip suggestions during the payment transaction, customers tip at a higher percentage than when no emojis are included."
"We also demonstrate that the presence of emojis increases the positive emotions experienced by customers during the payment transaction, which in turn positively impacts tipping percentage," the study added.
These results were replicated across on-premise dining to third-party food delivery.
At full-service restaurants, it was concluded that the presence of emojis saw rises in the average tip go from 22.8 percent to 25.38 percent.
As for food-delivery apps, the average tip provided to workers jumped from 14.66 percent to 16.11 percent.
The biggest growth however was seen in takeout orders, with a change in average tip from 12.61 percent to 16.75 percent.
I think we are all aware that people have been getting more frustrated by how often they are prompted to tip, including one man during a recent Starbucks order.
The researchers noted excessive tipping has led to many being more cautious towards how much they pay.
"This effect is explained by positive emotions, such that the presence of emojis leads to a positive emotional experience for the customer, who in turn leaves a larger tip than they would when no emojis are included," the researchers said.
With the smiley face, it apparently stimulates a region of the brain called the occipitotemporal cortex. This is said to essentially internalize facial perceptions.
"Drawing smiley faces, a touch on the shoulder, squatting at eye-level - these techniques have been studied as methods to increase the amount that customers tip service employees," the study said.
“Smiles are the most direct signal of positive emotions."
Maybe the server who was called out for their ‘shady tipping practice’ after leaving strategic note on bill should have thought twice and left an emoji instead.