At a 5 & Diner In Vegas Kent Tipped 2.00 Bills
Hi Glenn - I adapted the $1 bill strategy into the
$2 bill strategy (hey-I'm in Las Vegas, baby!) Makes
it more than twice as effective, for two reasons.
First, anyone can give a $1 bill but it takes extra
effort to get $2 bills from the bank, so right off
the bat it's more impressive.
Second, a $2 bill is intrinsically worth twice
what a $1 bill is, but the impact is greater-at
least in my tests.
Went to a 5-and-Diner for Sunday brunch. These
little cafes are usually jammed on Sundays, and
the servers are very busy and hardly have time to
say hello. They are friendly but rushed.
(Case in point: Last week my server gave me a
second eggs benedict order, thinking she had not
given me the first, and apologized for the
mistake.)
Okay, so THIS week, I walked in and asked for a
4-top booth just for me. Although she could have
objected, she didn't and sat me down in a power
booth. I thanked her then pulled out my checkbook
of $2 bills and peeled one off.
(I bought 50 $2s and had them made into a pad with
a card-stock back and bought a nice checkbook cover
to put them in. It's a nice touch.)
My server was surprised yet pleased. She returned
moments later to take my order. She suggested I
have gravy with my biscuits, which turned out to
be a tasty complement to my ham and cheese omelet.
She returned with more tea promptly when my glass
was getting low, and I pealed off another two-spot.
She returned two more times to make sure I was okay,
but I didn't tip her those times.
Then, after I was finished, she came back and
asked me if I wanted anything else. It told her I
didn't want any more food, and asked her if she
minded if I stayed at the table for a while to
read.
When she said it was okay, I peeled off another
two-spot and said with a big smile, "Good answer!"
Then she added, "In fact, you can sit here as long
as you want." This, in a crowded restaurant with
otherwise high table turnover.
THEN, after about 20 minutes, she came back and
said her shift was ending and that another server
would be taking over. I gave her money for the
check plus another two bucks and told her I, too,
was about to leave.
She then asked me if I wanted some iced tea-TO GO!
-at no additional charge, of course.
So, for an extra four bucks (I would have tipped
her four anyway) I got treated like a king!
Another way to look at it is, I rented a nice
table with a nice view for an hour for only four
bucks extra.
I worked the same scheme at an upscale bar and got
served immediately while others watched in awe.
Best,
Kent