Maura: All right. Now let’s get to the episode today. We are going to do a Chatterbox episode, and that is where Harp and I get to chat about different topics of interest—could be cultural, could be an interview.
Harp: We often do different topics, and if you ever have an idea, you could always leave us a suggestion on our Facebook page or send us an email.
Maura: Now, this time, we are going to be talking about customer service.
Harp: Yes. We’re gonna talk about customer service. So whether you go to a restaurant or if you go shopping, the service that you get.
Maura: Exactly. How do the people in a store or a restaurant or in a business treat the customers?
Harp: We’re gonna start with talking about tipping.
Maura: And then we’re gonna talk a little bit about bad customer service.
Harp: And we’re gonna finish with talking about our experiences working in customer service.
Maura: That’s right, because we didn’t always just broadcast podcasts.
Harp: Yeah. We were doing other work before.
Maura: OK. So first we’re gonna talk about tipping, which is when you give an amount of money to someone who has provided you with a service.
Harp: Yeah. You’ve paid for the service already, but you give them an additional amount of money as an appreciation for their service.
Maura: You know, that was the old definition, I think, Harp, because more and more, tipping is expected. Whether or not you got good service, we’re supposed to give a little bit of an extra amount to some forms of service that we get.
Harp: Yes. That is true. It’s really expected now.
Maura: And also, more and more places—more and more types of employees—are expecting tips. Places that I remember when I was a kid no one ever tipped, today we do tip.
Harp: The most common place to tip is in a restaurant.
Maura: That is definitely true. When you go to a restaurant and you sit down, when someone takes your order and brings you your food, you should be giving them a tip at the end. Now, the amount that you tip is really up to you.
Harp: Yeah, it varies. And this is where the quality of service can definitely come in, because you can leave 10% if it was bad service, or if it was really good service, you can leave 20%.
Maura: Or even more. Now, when Harp says 10%, she means 10% of your bill. So, for example, if you bought a meal and it cost $10, then a 10% tip is one dollar.
Harp: Now I have a question for you, Maura.
Maura: I hope it’s not a more difficult math question, because I won’t be able to do it.
Harp: Nope. But I’ve had this discussion with my friends. Do you tip on the amount before taxes or after taxes?
Maura: To be honest, I usually estimate. And when I look at the receipt, I probably look at the total, so I would look at the price after taxes, because in Canada our taxes are added on after. So if you go to a restaurant and the menu says that something is going to cost $8.83, when you get your bill, it’s not going to be $8.83. It’s going to be that amount plus the tax, so the bill always goes up.
Harp: Yeah. And the tax amount differs depending on which province you’re in, but it’ll definitely go up. I agree with you though, I tip on the total after taxes.
