Buyer Monitoring by Tipping as an Instrument to Ensure Service Quality

The evaluation of intangible, personalized service is a challenge for employers. Marketing researchers evaluate the employees' performance by focusing on motivational control methods. This study identifies four motives underlying the tipping behavior. These motives are verified in a comprehensive survey regarding their significant effects on the tip amount. The emotional component is analyzed in addition to the rational decision process. There is empirical evidence that tipping as long as it is a rational decision represents an evaluation of human behavior, thus service quality. This finding justifies tipping as a buyer monitoring instrument to evaluate and reward intangible, personalized service.