Specifying a Contingent Relationship Between Tip Size and Service Quality

Author

Nicholas Reetz, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2013

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Behavior Analysis and Therapy

First Advisor

Dixon, Mark

Abstract

The current study investigated the effectiveness of a task clarification meeting and consistent task specific feedback on the completion of customer service tasks by servers at a local sit-down restaurant. The current study also investigated whether customers tip based on social convention (i.e., adjust a tip based on bill percentage according to the quality of customer service received) and whether customer service quality ratings were related to task completion and tip percentage. A list of tasks that should be completed during the course of table-service was developed into a survey through meetings with a restaurant manager. In experiment 1, task completion, tip percentage, and customer service quality data were collected by customers and completed surveys were left on the table as feedback for participants to find. The task clarification meeting and task specific customer feedback increased task completion for two of the three participants, tips were not related to task completion, task completion was moderately and significantly related to customer service quality, and customer service quality was not significantly related to tip percentage. In experiment 2, data were collected by the lead experimenter and completed surveys were vocally and visually reviewed by the experimenter with the server. The task clarification meeting and task specific experimenter feedback increased task completion for all three participants and tips were not related to task completion. Implications of the data as they relate to previous research on feedback and pay-for-performance schedules are discussed.