Dear Editor,The editorial in yesterday's paper (Dec 28) regarding theobligatory 15 percent gratuity added to restaurant bills hits the nail on the head. Surely employees would be motivated to offer better service if the "tip" was not a guaranteedwindfall for them. Let's look at the origin of theword "tip" when relating to restaurant service. The wordwas originally meant as "to insure promptness", hence it became TIP. Promptness is not something that most Bahamian restaurants areknown for.

Tips should not be mandatory, but rather discretionary according to the diner's level of service - money given to insure promptness should reflect the work ethic and quality of service provided by those in the trade. After all, the word tip speaks directly to promptness of service. - A hungry diner

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