The Practice of Tipping: A New Zealand Perspective

Tipping is a unique hospitality phenomenon because it involves the extra payment for service that accompanies the delivery of food and beverage that the customer has already consumed. Because tipping is not part of New Zealand's culture many New Zealanders ‘stiff' their wait staff. Other nationalities, like the Americans, tend to be more generous because tipping is part of their culture. Despite the propensity for New Zealanders not to tip, a trend has emerged since the 1980s; New Zealand restaurant diners began [and continue] to tip, but their tipping patterns are associated with high-end dining experiences rather than habitual tipping within all hospitality experiences. Within restaurant environments the culture of tipping can generate a positive synergy; tipping promotes highly positive diner/staff experiences by encouraging customised services for guests. The management and distribution of the tips varies between restaurant operations and falls into two categories. The overall result encourages staff to stay longer with their employer, an important consideration, given the transient reputation of hospitality employees.