A Pizza and a Holiday Tip Go Great Together
I went to pick up a pizza for dinner on my drive home. It was a cold night and snowflakes were starting to stick as they landed on my windshield. I had the Christmas music cranked up and was feeling festive. Plus, I love pizza.
I walked into the restaurant and approached the pick-up counter. The woman working there was clearly not feeling the same holiday vibe as me. She flatly asked what my name was. I told her. Without looking up, she says, “That’ll be $24.50.”
I took out $30 from my wallet. She handed the change back to me without comment or eye contact. I could see that my pizza was just coming out of the oven. As I waited for the pizza-maker to box it up, I noticed a bowl on the counter: Tips Appreciated.
And the bowl, not surprising, was empty. I had two conflicting thoughts:
The woman at the pick-up counter is a bit grouchy, so it’s not surprising that the tip bowl is empty, but…
Maybe she’s having a bad day. Maybe she hates her job. Maybe this is not “the most wonderful time of the year” for her.
I took the $5 bill and coins she had just handed me and dropped them into her jar.
A moment later, she came around the corner and plopped my pizza box on the counter. In that same instant, she spotted the $5 bill. She smiled wide. Her eyes became instantly friendly. She made eye contact and said, “Thanks so much honey! You have yourself a great night! Enjoy your pizza!” In an instant, her demeanor shifted.
Could my small $5 gesture have turned her night round? Maybe.
I walked back to my car and thought about her on my drive home. How often do we have an opportunity to positively impact someone with a simple act of kindness or generosity? And isn’t that what the holiday spirit is all about?
This is a great time of the year to think about your tipping philosophy. Are you a generous tipper? Do you leave 15% no matter what the service? Do you tip solely on performance?
People who work in the service industry— and who rely on tips— have a lot of unpredictability in their jobs. They can give a customer their best effort, but that doesn’t mean the customer is going to leave a tip that reflects their hard work or attentiveness. A waitress can be excellent, but if the food coming from the kitchen is sub-par, a customer might choose to leave a small (or no) tip as a result.
What if we all shifted our thinking and changed our “tip philosophy” for the next month? I challenge you to push yourself beyond your normal tip-giving:
Think about your babysitter and the difference she makes for you all year— what if you Venmoed her a little bit extra this week as a sign of your appreciation?
What about those teenagers bagging your groceries every week? Sure, you get frustrated that they put a canned good on top of your loaf of bread—but they’re teenagers with jobs, which is something these days! Could you slip them a few bucks and wish them happy holidays?
My friend leaves a basket on her front porch all December with snacks, chips, candy canes, and drinks. The sign says: “Thank you FedEx, UPS, and USPS for getting my packages here! Help yourself to a snack!”
Think about the guy who plows your driveway super-early after a snowstorm so you can get to work on time— what if you paid his invoice, added a little extra, and wrote THANK YOU! across the invoice? Better yet, what if you shuffled out to your driveway when he arrives, and handed him a hot cup of coffee to enjoy while he plows? How great would that be?
My mom is notorious for stopping at Dunkin Donuts and getting a cold drink for the police officers working road details on a hot day, or a hot chocolate for them in the winter.
A friend of mine has several zip-lock bags in her car. Each are filled with a pair of gloves, a warm pair of socks, a few snacks, and a bottle of water. She hands them out to the homeless people she sees at intersections on her commute to work all winter. Her kind gesture literally warms people up.
What’s your gesture going to be? What’s a “most wonderful time of the year” change you could make in your routine that’s going to put a smile on someone’s face? Even better, involve your kids or grandkids. Explain to them what it means to tip generously, to show gratitude and to spread holiday cheer. And then lead by example.
When your drive-thru coffee is $2.50 and you tell the barista to keep the change from your $5 bill, that might not feel significant to you… but keep in mind that it represents a 100% tip for them! Imagine the appreciation he or she might feel from your gesture.
For the next five weeks, as you go about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, give some thought to your community and the people who have served you in various ways. Do something thoughtful.
And assume the thought always counts.
This Week’s Resources
The Real Tipping Point
For the ultimate inspiration, read here to learn about billionaire Marcus Lemonis’ theory on tipping service workers and how gratuities don’t need to have boundaries. Yes he is wealthy, but he also is incredibly generous with his money: https://www.marcuslemonis.com/life-skills/the-importance-of-tipping-and-being-tipped
Feeling Crafty in the New Year?
If you think you can’t draw, think again! This free art class is being offered on New Year’s Eve by the talented artist Elaine Huffman. She offers a fun way to relax, do something creative, and connect with people safely on Zoom. Check out the Zentangle technique and the opportunity to learn it here: https://tangleu-productions.teachable.com/p/free-new-year-s-eve-class
Pizza Art
I love pizza. I also love crafts and creative projects. So how is it that it took me 50 years to discover Pizza Art? A friend shared this idea and I was blown away. Pinterest showcases some of the most creative pizzas right here that you can make an impress your dinner guests with: https://www.pinterest.com/sipbitego/pizza-art/
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