Restaurant Dining

[Foreigner]

Sharing research about customer behaviour under different settings:

Diner Beware - The Atlantic

Diners are more likely to spend more (more courses, pricier wines, etc.) when popular classical music was played than when pop music is played.

Lighting too sets mood.

 

[opusman]

Australian restaurants don't have to bother with psychological tricks, they just outright charge like a wounded bull for everything

 

[Boca68]

Sharing research about customer behaviour under different settings:

Diner Beware - The Atlantic

Diners are more likely to spend more (more courses, pricier wines, etc.) when popular classical music was played than when pop music is played.

Lighting too sets mood.

Also colours are proven to work in different ways. Browns and reds , people tend to eat more (read spend more $$). Blues and Purples are generally not good. Greens make people relax and stay longer. I'm sure there's lots more of variations.

 

[Daver6]

Not read the article so apologies if this was covered...

However, perhaps restaurants that play classical music general cater and appeal to a demographic more likely be able to spend more?

 

[wandering_fred]

Australian restaurants don't have to bother with psychological tricks, they just outright charge like a wounded bull for everything

At least you don't have to worry about tipping. And with the current exchange rate, most of the mid-level restaurants I seem to hit would compare well in medium size US cities. Now for the Oz residents... perhaps pricey. And reflects my stay at home philosophy domestically.

Though I still get messages that "we" need to visit Tasmania.

Happy wandering

Fred

 

[opusman]

At least you don't have to worry about tipping.

No you don't have to, but the pressure is sure there to do it.

 

[dajop]

Not read the article so apologies if this was covered...

However, perhaps restaurants that play classical music general cater and appeal to a demographic more likely be able to spend more?

I think that was taken care of in the study design ... same restaurant used with different types of music (at least in the one study I perused).

 

[Foreigner]

This article in link reiterates the British study in Post 1:

Good vibrations – Restaurant Catering Magazine

 

[harvyk]

No you don't have to, but the pressure is sure there to do it.

Trust me, I didn't feel any pressure what so ever to tip at the restaurant we went to last night (despite the sign stating that tipping is not just for cows, yes it was a steakhouse), I don't know if they where simply having an off night or what, but 20 minutes after finishing our main we where still waiting for someone to come clear our plates and take our dessert order. I ended up grabbing the attention of the waiter whom sat in the booth behind us. Then it took them 15 minutes to bring back a couple of bowls of ice cream and some heated up chocolate cake, and they still only took away half the plates from our main course (I was eating chocolate cake with a side order of left over coleslaw). It wasn't like they where busy with most tables empty well before 8pm (about the time we were first wondering when they would come and take our dessert order)

Then when I went to pay, they "forgot" to take away the Mrs's dinner off the price tag (they had a promotion for last night where mum's ate for free).

Let's just say, had I received the same level of service over in the states, I would be reducing my tip down to small single digit percentages. As we are not in the states, they would be receiving the exact amount as listed on the now corrected bill, and not 1c more.