34% of customers are more likely to tip while on a date, according to research conducted by Caterer.com in February 2020
We spoke to more than 2,500 customers and hospitality workers in the run up to Valentine's Day to find out if customers are more generous when love is in the air.
Other than Christmas, people are most generous with their tips when going on a date, with 60% of hospitality staff believing this to be true.
34% more likely to tip on a date
- Millennials are the most likely to tip to impress, with 34% saying they are likely to tip more if on a date, compared with 25% of 18-24-year-olds and just 14% of 45-54-year olds
- Chivalry isn’t dead and men are twice as likely to feel the need to tip more on a date, with 25% of men feeling the urge to be extra-generous on a date compared with just 13% of women
- Londoners are most likely to tip more when on a date (37%), followed by the North East (25%), with the East of England least likely to tip more (11%)
Manners matter too
Neil Pattison, Director at UK hospitality job board Caterer.com, said:
There are points in the year which bring great opportunity for hospitality businesses and workers, and Valentine’s Day is a good example. With more people dining out at this time, and with love in the air, staff in restaurants, hotels and bars can receive good bonuses from tips due to Brits’ added generosity at this romantic time!
For hospitality staff who are keen to do well and pocket more tips this Valentine’s, our research suggests that the most important factor is staff manners, with 9 out of 10 people saying this would impact how much they are willing to tip, followed closely by a willingness to accommodate preferences and requests.
At the end of last year, the government revealed plans to make it a legal requirement for employers to pass on all tips to workers. We welcome this promising news for the industry, with tips having the potential to boost the overall take home pay for workers.