Relationship between service quality and tipping in Norway: Do perceived service quality and other factors have a relationship with tip size in Norwegian restaurants?

Abstract

This research paper focuses on the service quality and tipping relationship. It goes on examining how this relationship is in Norway and tries to find other factors that could have an effect on tipping. The method applied was to collect quantitative data from customers that had just finished their dining experience and had paid their bill and tip. The main factors that were investigated on the customer level was perceived service quality, food quality, server attractiveness, group size and alcohol consumption and their effect on tip percent. The server self-rated quality was also investigated to see if it had any relationship with the tip percent. Findings indicate that there is a relationship between service quality and tip percent but that this relationship is weak. There is also a relationship found between the factors server attractiveness, group size, patronage frequency and server self-rated service quality with tip percent. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.