The effect of a server introducing herself by name on restaurant tipping was investigated. Forty‐two, 2‐person dining parties were randomly assigned to either a name or a no name introduction condition. The use of a buffet brunch reduced contact between server and diners and held bill size constant. Results indicated that having the server introduce herself by name resulted in a significantly higher tipping rate (23.4%) than when the server did not introduce herself by name (15.0%), p < .001. Tipping rate also was affected by method of payment, with diners who charged the meal having a higher rate (22.6%) than those paying cash (15.9%), p < .001. The findings suggest the importance of initial server‐diner interactions. Possible alternative explanations and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Garrity et al. (1990) studied this question.
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