Be kind. Tip your servers

When we go out to eat, one would think that leaving a tip would be commonplace. Unless, of course, you live in Taos, New Mexico.

I manage a restaurant in Taos, New Mexico. I train my servers to ensure that we “make sure that our guests leave happier than when they entered.”

We ensure that we provide a spotless restaurant, a happy smile, and make darn sure that food is hot and on time.

Our servers are doing all that they can to make sure that the “dining experience is an enjoyable one.” So what else can we do? What are we missing?

All restaurant servers need a TIP.

It is the least that we can do to say thank you for an enjoyable dining experience. However, in Taos, New Mexico, many of our guests feel entitled. Some say, “Heck, they are lucky that I even came into their restaurant.”

Here is the bottom line. No matter how perfect our servers are, few Taos residents will ever leave a tip. The server is left to wonder, What did I do wrong?

Let me say it this way. If guests have the wherewithal to go out to eat, then they should have the courtesy to give a tip, or at the very least, say what was wrong (or right) during their visit.

In case you might have forgotten, servers live on their tips. It is how they pay rent and feed their kids. It is how they can live and put food on their table. It’s called survival.

I pay my servers $5.00 per hour plus their tips. That means that my servers make $40.00 per day (if they work a full shift) before deductions. So, tips are essential to living a decent life. Many Taos residents don’t understand this, and if they do, I wonder why very few Taos residents leave a tip.

Now, with COVID-19, things have become complicated for everyone, including restaurant servers. I have had servers arrive at work every day and ask the same question:

“Why am I even here when these people don’t even leave a tip.”

In case you forgot, they work very hard to be sure that your dining experience is a positive one. The least Taos residents can do to say thank you by leaving a tip.

Please try to remember. Tips are essential to every server. It is how we live. It is how we feed our kids. It is how we can pay rent. It is how we can put gas in our cars. It is how we can live!

Final note: Many of my servers are single moms with children. Many of my servers have to work two jobs to make ends meet. While we know that every dollar is essential to you, it is crucial for us too. After all, we work hard to make sure that you are happy.

The next time you go out to eat, please don’t forget to leave a tip to your server. I am sure that they will appreciate it. You might even make their day extra special.

If you can’t leave a tip because money might be tight, be kind, and if nothing else, just let them know how much you appreciate their help and do it with a smile.

Remember, tips are how our servers feed their kids and keep a roof over their heads and food in the fridge. Just like you, it is how we survive.

Thank you, Taos, for just being kind.