When your barista makes you a quick cup of coffee you tip between 15-20% but when you fix someone’s garage door or simply unlock a door, you get… well sometimes nothing.
So we did some research in order to decide once and for all what are the tips for tipping and what are the ways to navigate asking for a tip. According to an article in Field Service Digital “Tipping, while it may lack a set policy in most companies, is an accepted (and highly appreciated) gesture in the world of field services. But ultimately, the decision lands on the customer’s shoulders as to whether they feel the particular service warrants extra gratuity.”
Let’s start by understanding the culture of tipping, when it’s appropriate, and why some would say it’s gotten a bit out of hand. Americans have been known to tip mainly in the food and beverage industry and the average tip is between 15-20%. According to research conducted by Pewresearch, 77% of Americans say the quality of the service they receive is a major factor in deciding whether to tip and how much. In field service industries, adding a tip for a job well done is a relatively new and evolving concept. As digital transactions become the norm, field service management platforms like Workiz have an integrated tipping feature into their payment software, making it easier for those who wish to tip to do so without any awkward interactions.
So what’s appropriate and how can we navigate tipping culture in the world of field service?
Here are some tips for tipping:
Customer service is crucial
Treat your customers with the quality of service you’d expect for you and your company’s brand, and go a little above and beyond by adding in a freebie for your customer. For example, while you are fixing their garage door, you can go ahead and grease their springs for “free”. This will make the customer feel like you really went above and beyond at little to no cost.
Feedback Loops
Encourage customers to give feedback on your services immediately after the job is complete. A satisfied customer is more likely to return the favor in the form of a gratuity. Pro tip: While the customer is completing the payment process you can casually say “Thanks for calling [your company name], How did you like our services today?” this is a good way to get immediate feedback and they might even feel more inclined to leave a tip!
Respect
It’s important to be mindful that not every client will be inclined to leave a tip. For labor intensive jobs like junk removal, plumbing and garage door, the polite tip might be $20 cash or baked goods. Tipping is absolutely not a necessity in the field service industry and not everyone is aware of this new norm.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tipping in the field and home service industry, but providing the best possible customer service is a sure thing in order to win the possibility of a nice tip. We all want to be compensated fairly for the hard work we put in to get the job done safely, efficiently and respectfully. The best solution to avoid having to rely on tips as a second source of income is to price your jobs appropriately. Workiz has developed a great job pricing calculator tool that will evaluate your job and price it fairly! Check it out here.
