Using the aura to make people more generous...

[Joe_Oh]

What color or colors should I visualize my aura to be to bring out the philanthropy in people? Or is there a better technique besides the great service I already provide?

Thanx-

[Silver Incubus]

Greed will get you no where

[beavis]

guns make people very generous. ask any robber

[Joe_Oh]

who says I'm being greedy? I just want a buck or 2 per delivery. I'm not looking to break the banks of these people, its just that some are just cheap bastards. I would just like to use what I have to get a little somethin for my effort.

Jeez-

[halfphased]

I also work in the service industry.  I know how amazingly frustrating it can be at times.  I can offer some of my insights (heh, I was going to say I can give you some tips)  

Examine your attitude before, while, and after.  

Think about what tipping is.  Do you feel like these people owe you something?  Do they feel like you owe them something?

Is $2 worth more than a friendly 'Hello' and a smile?

Is a bad attitude and a frown worth two resentfully given dollars?

Is a calm and balanced mind more desireable than an upset, unbalanced, and angry mind (especially while driving and with 5 hours of work ahead of you)?


For me, I try and look at the situation as a whole and from as many angles as possible.  There are always so many things to factor into the situation.  Maybe they were having a bad day.  Maybe they come from a country that does not tip.  Maybe they don't have a lot of money and work like a dog and just want to relax for once that week.  ect. ect.

Sometimes I do get upset when someone does not give me a tip.  Especially when I have gone the extra mile and been super polite and helpful even though they were treating me like some 3rd rate slave (which is entirely inexcusable regardless of the social situation) and then they drive off in their Mercedes or BMW.  But I must remember that if I do not make it a personal issue then I can more easily go on my way and enjoy my day.  Of course, knowing that these people are going to go out and treat others the same way is not a pleasant feeling.

[Side tangent that you can ignore entirely, but it is something I want to get out:  It is amazing how messed up our society is when in the name of politeness and buisness we have to take being treated like s**t and at the same time smile and be very polite.  Thus, reinforcing these people's bad attitudes and the idea that we can treat people however we wish to as long as we are paying them money.

That means that to work in the service industry you are going to be suppressing a lot of anger and then venting it out onto someone else.  Some lucky few will be able to take a more constructive approach to the situation and learn how to never accumulate the anger in the first place or if they do happen to get angry they will be able to balance through meditation or yoga or some other physical activity.  But then they still have to live with the idea that they are allowing people to believe that it is perfectly fine to treat someone that way.

If we really wanted a healthy society, I would be able to tell that person right then and there that the way they were treating me was entirely innapropriate.  So instead of having the situation be suppressed into the collective consciousness of the human race we would be able to work through it right there!  Just look at all the issues that the world is going to have to face and is facing in the name of being polite!] [/rant]

Essentially, I have learned to take a more "positive" attitude through it all.  Although, I understand that tipping is how we make our money and that it is common knowledge that if you are going to go to a restaurant and have someone serve you or you are going to buy a pizza and have it delivered to you (at the same price it would cost if you had picked it up yourself) then our current social agreements require that you pay for that service.

It appears to me that when I have a "positive" attitude (or read '"positive" aura', if you wish) and I do not worry about what tips I am getting then I have noticed that my tips usually are better and I have fewer people stiff me.  When I don't think about my tips at all, then I know it has been a good tipping day.  

But if I start to get bogged down from one person not tipping me, then I know it is going to be an issue all day that I am going to have to work through.  Life will not let you escape yourself.  

I have also noticed on days when I am being "positive" and I know someone is going to stiff me that it helps to just kind of broadcast the idea of tipping with my mind.  I have actually had people stiff me (as in I am standing at the register and they are standing infront of me signing their credit card reciept without bothering to write in their total much less a tip) turn around to walk out and then turn back and pull money out of their pocket and give it to me.
This has happened multiple times.  Too many times for me to think it was just coincidence.  

Intuition tells me that I would avoid trying to do such a thing with anger in your heart.  You can be positive with an understanding of the situation like "I know I do not hate this person, but he is suppossed to tip me, since he has knowingly accepted the service that I provide."

If you were to do it with anger then I would imagine that he would probably respond with anger and he would want to tip you even less.

I don't wish to imply that you are angry with these people.  Even if you are, then to a certain extent you are entitled to feel that way.  Some people are cheap bastards.  Yes, but I do not hold that against them.  If you are holding it against them then you have an excellent opportunity to examine yourself and see why you feel that way.  Sometimes you wont be able to figure it out, so just be angry or upset and let it out.  But don't hold on to it by holding it against anyone.  You'll just end up harming yourself and others.

If none of this applies to your situation then so be it.  I'm just talking to myself anyway.

[Hans Solo]

I would try this line when they open the door:

Hi! Here is your pizza.  Ahh, so this is where you live... I will have to try and remember that (kinda looking around as if you are trying to take it all in).  Oh yea, that will be $14.34.  

Han

[halfphased]

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The dangers of being too introspective.

heh

Thanks Han.  I needed that.

[Joe_Oh]

Ok, we can sit here and make excuses for those who dont tip OR we can come up with a more solid technique for bringing out the better side in our "valued" customers.

Any *Good* Ideas?

[halfphased]

Well, Han gave an excellent technique, probably the oldest one in the book.  

Plus, I have proved to myself that what I have told you about being positive (that positive attidue is going to make your aura positive and the mental signals you are sending out more positive) and broadcasting mental nudges about tiping does indeed work.

But if that is of no value to you then please ignore my knee-jerk reaction.

[Joe_Oh]

Umm, As far as Hans suggestion goes, I always do that, esspecially for the new customers.

So lets drop the happy thinking clap-trap that wont work with most non-tipping customers and use that "VooDoo" we all know and love so well.

[halfphased]

Thanks for the lesson about faith.

[Grigori]

Why don't you just do what the term TIPS implies. It's an acronym from  "To Insure Prompt Service" ... no tip no prompt service.

[greatoutdoors]

Joe_Oh,

Don't know if you're talking pizza delivery or restaurant service, but a sneak-peek at part of your problem surfaced when you put quotes around valued. What you feel is what you project -- and what will be picked up by your customer. You can't visualize your aura into being any different than what it actually is, and that will certainly be reflected in the tip you get -- or don't get.

I can give examples. When we eat out and the service is perfunctory but barely adequate, we will leave 10% to 15%. If the server projects the attitude that we are there just to bother them and the service reflects it, they get nothing. They have given no service and have made our special occasion less enjoyable.

On the other hand, when a server appears to genuinely enjoy what he or she is doing and takes pride in doing a good job, that attitude also shows. I know sometimes this may be put-on, but it makes our outing more pleasant anyway. (Good actors also deserve reward!) These folks will get at least 20% to 25%, plus we will always find the manager and comment on the special dedication of that server. I could give some stellar examples of this type of person, but there's not room here.

Now as to pizza delivery, I can't speak frome experience. At a guess however, I'd say that's not a career where you would expect generous tips. I think when we order in at work we add 10 to 15% and leave it at the front desk. There's nothing that person could do to influence that tip.

Halfphased has given you some excellent pointers. Hint, hint!

I do agree that customers can be rude, demanding and insensitive. I've seen it more times than I could wish. But they are still the exception and not the norm. I'm afraid if I were the server in one of those situations, I would be the perfunctory, mechanical type and just wouldn't worry about a tip. Reaming them out would accomplish nothing and you just have to hope they will learn their lesson in some other way.

[Joe_Oh]

Heh, I guess you guys have no idea on how to use the aura to bring out the good in folk.....Oh-Kay!

[Joe_Oh]

Oh snap! Thank you