The Happy Handshake

Published on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, by Tea / Edit Post

Your catering staff is hoping for a number of things—that the event goes well, that nobody breaks the glasses or cops a feel—but at the end of the night they’re hoping for just one thing: a happy handshake.

Catering veteran and food blogger Mary Ladd of Jalapeño Girl tells it straight:

It’s a great event when a catering client says at the end of the night, ‘Thank you,’ and extends his hand. The catering handshake is a potentially awkward yet always exhilarating delight. Yes, I’ve found that the man takes on the duty of doling out the cash tips to catering staff. Not ever the woman. … I step away from the handshake … and usually can’t wait to get outside or to a private place to check out how much cash I’ve been awarded.

How much is that handshake worth? “One event can yield anywhere from twenty to a hundred and twenty dollars,” Mary explains. “It helps if the client has been drinking and likes to flirt, of course. That is one similarity to waiting tables: flirting can yield potentially bigger tips.”

For catering staff, the personal-handshake-and-cash-tip is always preferred. “Let’s say I have been hired by a catering company for an event in a grand, private home,” Mary writes. “Trust me, the catering company is not going to share the full wealth. Most catering companies pass along a tip of maybe forty dollars per event. That income is reported and taxed, where cash is not.”

Mary tells of a certain catering company in the San Francisco Bay Area where the employees refer to the owner’s “Tip House” and “Tip Cars.” What they mean is: “Our tips bought that wine country vacation house, and those luxe cars.”

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POST A COMMENT |3 Comments

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  • Actually, I wish to dispute the claim that women don't perform at the end of the evening -- handshake wise, I mean. :)

    I do a lot of entertaining, often assisted by local caterers. There has NEVER been a time where the personnel serving at my event has gone away empty handed. At the end of every evening, I tip them al, every single one. I prepare envelopes ahead of the evening and then make a...+READ

    Actually, I wish to dispute the claim that women don't perform at the end of the evening -- handshake wise, I mean. :)

    I do a lot of entertaining, often assisted by local caterers. There has NEVER been a time where the personnel serving at my event has gone away empty handed. At the end of every evening, I tip them al, every single one. I prepare envelopes ahead of the evening and then make a point to learn each one's name so they can receive a personalized thank you.

    I was hoping to get more intel as to the amounts various server-types generally get, so I hope more people post in.-COLLAPSE

  • I've been on both sides of this issue, but c'mon, the tipping has got to end somewhere! A bartender or server in a restaurant is usually paid by a tip at the end of the night. For a large party, the tip may even be included as an add-on to the bill. Do you still feel the need to tip more? If you hire a caterer, you are already going to pay a 20% gratuity on top of the TOTAL bill. And would you...+READ

    I've been on both sides of this issue, but c'mon, the tipping has got to end somewhere! A bartender or server in a restaurant is usually paid by a tip at the end of the night. For a large party, the tip may even be included as an add-on to the bill. Do you still feel the need to tip more? If you hire a caterer, you are already going to pay a 20% gratuity on top of the TOTAL bill. And would you feel the need to tip more?

    Sorry, but this is a free country and an employee has the right to find an employer that will compensate them adequately. It's not my responsibility to check and make sure they are happy with the money they make.

    -Kevin-COLLAPSE

  • I always tip individually - everyone.

    Each person works in a particular way and I like to reward those that really enjoy the job and contribute to the event success.