Nobody likes a less-than-satisfactory dining experience. Apparently, however, we need to kick it up a notch and dress better to receive better restaurant service from the wait staff! A recent study shows that they’re more likely to provide excellent service to those who are dressed nicely.

Dress to Impress the Servers for an Excellent Restaurant Service

In every establishment you’ll be dining out, the wait staff will almost always anticipate tips from the patrons they serve — but they also know that they have to provide great restaurant service in order to receive a generous amount of it! However, in a recent survey that researchers from the University of Missouri conducted, it shows that servers are more likely to provide better restaurant service to the ones who are well-dressed — as they believe that the better-dressed diners will leave the best tips, compared to customers who are dressed more casually.

The customer’s race didn’t matter to the surveyed wait staff either. To them, among the minorities, well-dressed ones are still believed to tip better than those who wore casual clothing. However, when it comes to gender, even if both men and women are well-dressed, men are said to tip better. However, keep in mind that these are based on observations by those who are in the hospitality industry.

As for the servers’ experiences as members of a restaurant’s wait staff, you could probably say that the stereotypes they conceived could very much be because of their past observations — well-dressed men are more likely to tip better than well-dressed women; men who are wearing casual clothing are the least likely to tip heftily.

What to Do if You’re Not Happy With the Restaurant Service

Contemplate

Everyone deserves at the very least to experience — at the very least — decent restaurant service. And it seems like a restaurant’s wait staff are more likely to treat you better if you’re dressed nicely. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with dressing up more fashionably in order to be served better, or dressing up fashionably — period. However, your choice of clothing shouldn’t be the sheer basis for a wait staff’s service. And if you truly believe that you’re being disregarded or denied service because of discrimination, know that it should never be okay!

Communicate

If you’re being discriminated against by a server, that’s when the “I need to speak to your manager” line becomes reasonable to say — if your race, gender, or social status is a factor as to why you’re unhappy with the restaurant service and overall dining experience, then complaining to the manager or establishment-owner is not a “Karen” thing to do in this scenario. Still, however, try not to make a scene and express yourself calmly and articulately — never aggressively.

Comprehend

On the other hand, we also have to be more understanding toward the wait staff. They also serve other patrons, and they won’t be able to focus on us 100% of the time — or give us 110% of their attention when we’re dining in their restaurant. At the end of the day, serving diners is an entry-level job position. Therefore, even if you don’t tip them handsomely, they still need all the extra money they can have — it’s best that you ask yourself first if they really deserve to be refused — or given the bare minimum amount of — a service tip from you.

A Stylish Service? Or a Stereotype to Sabotage?

A part of a server’s job is to always keep an eye on us customers — and, apparently, our sense of style! A recent survey shows that the wait staff is more likely to provide better restaurant service to well-dressed men the most; nicely-stressed women next, and casually-dressed men last — as they’re the ones said to tip from best to worst. These seem as though they’re harmless stereotypes based on the surveyed servers’ observations and past experiences — but if you face discrimination from the wait staff, make sure to let their employer know then take further proper measures if you need to.

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