Squatting to Get a Bigger Tip

I was in Florida where touristic hospitality is a central way of life.  From restaurants to hotels, there seemed a well rehearsed behavior of interacting with customers.  Most noticeable was the “invasion” of personal space by restaurant servers who when introducing themselves or taking your order, would often squat down next to the table and discuss the order!

I found myself appreciating the service differently when that interaction was so personal, and I got curious if indeed that is a well studied and taught behavior. So, upon return, did some research on this topic.

Indeed, there are a number of scholarly studies where the posture of restaurant servers is studied in relationship to the amount of tips they receive. It is found that when a server squats next to the table, brings his/her eyes down to the customer’s eye level, there is congruence between the server and customer. This nonverbal communication is associated with “rapport and liking” and results in higher tips.

To a street photographer posture is everything, since any story I will tell through frozen photo frames is nonverbal by definition. And I have taken photos of various posture, be that human to human or human to animals, mostly dogs.  So, went back to some of my photos…

Photo A. The “You are my best customer” posture.

There is no doubt that this lady felt the center of the vendor’s attention. I watched him for a while (he was selling canned liver pâté in an open market in Paris, France) and he assumed the same caring posture with every customer.

Photo B. The “Wow, your dog is soo cute” posture.

I like this posture, and my dog does too!

Photo C. The “I have more than one way to show that I am a friendly person” posture.

She was petting his dog which was small and very friendly. From my view angle, she was uninhibited and socially at great ease.

Photo D. The “I like to be me, no matter what the protocol says” posture

This was at a restaurant. I liked the youthful impulsiveness of this young woman who made the most of a relaxed sitting arrangement.

… So, it comes naturally to some of us to bring our eyes (and the rest of our body) to the level of the person or dog we are interacting with. Others learn the tricks of the trade when they are in service and hospitality professions. And, I have to believe that others struggle with such posturing, even when they know that it may help with the interaction and appreciation.

March 18, 2016

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2016