A tip is a small cash gift that is used to give to someone who has rendered a service or a pleasure, in addition to the compensation due. Not all parts of the world have the same culture of tipping: in short, country you go, tip you find. In the United States, for example, it is an extremely ingrained habit that seems impossible to question. Even in South America it is a well-established practice. Same thing in the Middle East where the extra is often the only source of income since wages are so low that they are barely enough to survive. In Japan, however, it is the opposite: giving a tip can even be offensive both to the waiter who receives it and to the owner of the restaurant. In Spain, as well as throughout Europe, the tip it is a courtesy gesture that customers usually do not feel obliged to do: it is totally optional and it is used as an acknowledgment to appreciate the service received.
Tipping can be a useful tool to ensure prompt and excellent service, but you also need to know it make the most of. The mistake that most people make is to believe that the tip is given at the end or after evaluating the service received: if the service has been good, you leave a tip; if it hasn't lived up to expectations, nothing is left behind. Behaving this way is counterproductive because it means that, to get a good service, you rely on chance. Smart people (in the good sense of the word) and who intend to live according to high quality standards, instead, they ensure good service by paying in advance.
Seeing is believing. Next time you eat out, especially if it is a special occasion, before ordering, ask the waitress or waiter to come to your table, and tell or tell him, "Here's a tip to thank you in advance for your service." Obviously the more generous you are, the better it will be the service you will receive in return. You will have a hard time believing the result: the waiters will buzz around your table and you will no longer have to wonder where they went. It is very likely that, in addition to a impeccable service and special attention, you will even receive something for free: a dessert, a coffee or a liqueur. In terms of empathy, this will also allow you to make the waiter a "friend" for future benefits such as, for example, the possibility of accessing a reserved room or obtaining a table in a privileged position.
See, sometimes gods are really enough small tricks to get more out of life. Never underestimate the immense potential that hides in details.
