The Culture of Comp
February 3, 2010 by Nancy
Filed under Food & Restaurants, Food Issues
My friend Maya of ShopEatSleep emailed me an interesting thought the other day:
“I’ve often wondered what the proper protocol is for tipping the waitstaff at food blogger dinners that are comped. The consensus seems to be that if it’s a dinner arranged through the PR company that represents the restaurant, that the PR company makes sure that the staff is taken care of. Is that true? … I don’t want to gyp anyone, you know?”
It’s a good question. And so it brings me to the Culture of Comp. Is there a standard of etiquette for comps? Where is the line between freebies and freeloading? What are the expectations between those who comp and those who get comped? Let me share some thoughts with you from a PR perspective.
To Tip or Not to Tip
When a PR company hosts a media dinner or event, they will work with the restaurant/bar owner to ensure that the waitstaff is properly tipped for their time. We are the host, you are the guest. Dinner is on us. If you offer to tip, we will smile and refuse. But thank you for offering! Sometimes media request to visit on their own. In this instance, tip is appreciated. Standard practice is to tip on the total of the comped meal.
During media cocktail parties and charity food events where the drinks are free, it’s especially nice to leave a tip for the bar. Although you have been invited as media, the bartenders aren’t gaining anything from your presence. A token of appreciation for their hard work is more than welcome.
Plus 1s and Then Some
I often get requests for media to bring guests. Whether or not I can accommodate is dependent on the restaurant and event. There is no harm in asking; just understand why we might refuse. A restaurant owner has limited funds for PR/marketing, and has put his/her trust in us to use those funds in the most efficient way possible. Sometimes this means saying no to a writer’s significant other, or to four people from the same publication, or to a blogger’s friend who “tweets a lot.” On that note, offering to pay for your guest is a nice gesture that won’t go unnoticed.
Free, and Freeloading
I’ve heard the stories from other industries: stampedes for gift bags, a guy who was threatened over a free pair of Crocs, you name it. (Thanks to Caroline on Crack for the stories.) It also happens in the restaurant business, and the stories are at once hilarious and horrifying. I once had someone order every single item on the menu of a comped dinner, taking home a soup kitchen’s worth of doggy bags. Another person was known for going to food events and stealing bottles of wine.
What a strange world we live in, where people who make their living through getting free things just can’t get enough of free things.
By far the worst offender is a guy named Ray Engel, who would always insist on free tickets to charity food events so that he could do a “review.” His site, PartyHotline.net, is garbled nonsense. Scroll to the bottom of the site, and you will see that he sells his comped tickets. “If you want to come here and join with $100 cash, you’ll immediately get over 20 invitations to free events; plus extra free tickets, free passes, and free gifts.” I’m outing him because he’s utterly despicable.
I’m happy to report that these people are few and far between. And none of them have been bloggers!
Expectations
This is a contentious subject, one in which I’ll attempt to reconcile the different standards of ethics out there. Should a writer/blogger receiving a comped meal feel pressured into writing about their meal? Well, no. But, yes.
There is an implicit “you scratch mine, I scratch yours” relationship between publicists and media. If a writer has gotten plenty of free dinners on my clients’ dime and I’ve seen nothing in return, the writer can expect to see less and less invitations. Likewise, a writer who has produced great buzz on my clients’ behalf will see more invitations…. as well as story ideas, exclusives, etc.
I have a great respect for the media and their opinions. I don’t expect glowing reviews all the time, nor do I expect that every invitation will turn into a story. But I do expect fairness and accuracy. Constructive criticism over unwarranted vitriol is always preferred. We want our clients to get better, not feel bitter.
It seems like a lot of unspoken rules, but what this all boils down to is the mutual respect between host and guest. It’s what we in the restaurant business call hospitality.
“A guest has not to thank the host, but to host the guest.”
– Russian proverb
Thanks for posting this! Fortunately I guessed right on most things here but it’s always good to see it in writing. Very informative and you know I love hearing gossip.
Very thought provoking, and good to get the PR perspective. But by saying there’s an unspoken rule of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” you’re basically admitting that you bribe writers/bloggers for coverage with free food and drink. And they willingly participate. I think this is why the New York Times and other outlets don’t allow writers to take freebies.
Isn’t “Thank you for the invitation, and I’d love to come but can’t promise any coverage” acceptable anymore? Or have the ugly freeloaders finally ruined it for everyone?
Also, do you think some publicists (not all) have kind of bit themselves in the butt by asking every Tom, Dick and Mary to come to this party or that media dinner, just to show the client they have asses in the seats? And in the end, they don’t get the hits. That can’t be good for business. But it’s done, no?
We both know writers of every ilk take comps, and it’s not always explicitly announced in their final story. We also know that comps are virtually necessary in this day and age of dwindling budgets. But there has to be some transparency with it all, otherwise it’s just a bribe.
I’m also with CoC: Love the gossip. Who is that tool????
It’s true that it does seem like “bribing,” but as I said, I don’t expect that showering writers with free food is going to guarantee coverage. I’m more annoyed with writers who take free stuff without abandon under the guise that they’re “media.”
But it is true that we tend to want to work with writers who have produced great stories for us in the past — it’s not so much that we think we’ve “bribed them” as we’ve developed a good working relationship with them.
You bring up a good point about “asses in seats.” I have heard about it happening, particularly in charity food events. Tom, Dick and Mary all want to “review” the event, but how the heck does that raise funds for the charity? At the same time, sometimes the PR strategy isn’t about creating hits, but building buzz. Must ponder some more.
Lastly, I’m all for transparency! I don’t mind at all when a blogger starts off a story with “A PR company invited us.” We’re not some big bad puppeteer flacks pulling the strings behind some evil corporation. We’re just restaurant promoters getting the word out about our clients, who we think are great people with great products that others should try.
Appropos post in light of the LA Weekly Squid Ink blog disaster this week. As much as I hate the concept of tipping, I tip. For me, there is no guarantee the waitstaff will be properly compensated. If tips are pooled, what’s the actual chance management will extricate funds from the daily take & make sure the staff is covered for the often obnoxious and self righteous media diners? Only God, and management, knows.
As far as people taking doggy bags to go.. I’m a bit torn. As a firm believer of not wasting food, doggy bagging gets props. Yet a line needs to be drawn for couthness, and baggin’ it at these events crosses that line, especially if you’re baggin’ other people’s servings (which we’ve all witnessed). And for God’s sake, if you insist on doing leftovers, tip.
Right, tipping. ALWAYS TIP! If you go off the grid and dine you and a guest are comped–TIP. If you go with the publicist–ASK ABOUT TIPPING. If you go to a party with free booze–hells ya, TIP (tip big and you’ll even get quicker service and stiffer drinks). God, I’ve even tipped extra if there was already a tip added. You’re not paying for anything, the least you can do is throw someone a few extra bucks.
Doggy bags for half-eaten food, OK. Doggy bags because you intentionally ordered far more than a 300-pound man could eat, not OK.
Bagging other people’s servings? LOL. Have not witnessed that one before. Might as well be dumpster diving, no?
Ohh, I heard about the one where SOMEONE YOU KNOW bagged other people’s servings.
Yes, I have a food web site and I never attend food blog events, never expect or want comps, refuse to endorse products I haven’t purchased and if I am invited to a family and friends pre-opening party by the chef and or owner, tip as if I had ordered the meal.
Hi Liz, good to hear from you. I always appreciate those who choose to pay for their own meals, as in the end, the chef benefits from the business. (And I have an enormous amount of respect for your palate — and your son’s!)
I also understand why some writers cannot afford to NOT take meals. I only hope we can establish a culture of proper etiquette so that restaurants are not being taken advantage of. We are all restaurant lovers, thus we should all respect the art of hospitality.
All these technicalities make my head hurt, but over my short tenure as a food blogger I’ve become accustomed to tipping well on the value of the meal if no PR reps are present, if I was especially impressed with the service (even if PR reps were there) or if I’m being given a private tasting. I think if there is a general respect for the service profession, that goes a long way…it’s always in your mind.
As for doggy bags, it’s a better idea to have one than not in regards to food that’s already been plated and going to go to waste, anyway, right? All of the aforementioned incorporating prudence when having ordered, of course…
Good explanation, Nancy. Thank you!
I don’t accept every media event I’m invited to, but if I do, I blog about it. Well, eventually. I’m serious backlogged. I usually send a link to my post afterward so the PR person knows I blogged it since it helps with their job.
As for tips. Always. For drinks. For food. You’d be surprised how many bloggers don’t tip or tip a few measly bucks. Or pat themselves on the back for not blogging restaurant reviews, yet accept free dinners. Or find some other excuse not to tip and justify it by saying the restaurant got some PR.
Just because the meal was free and given by the restaurant or PR company doesn’t mean the waitstaff didn’t have to work for hours covering our table, and missing out on a normal table that would have tipped. So it’s only right that we tip. Especially as the meal was free in the first place.
If I can’t afford the tip or don’t want to write about the restaurant, I just don’t go. It’s that simple.
It boggles my mind that people don’t tip. Great informative post.
Good info! working in Hollywood, these issues come up a lot on various levels. I have dealt with Ray Engel at several events and am glad you called him out! I don’t even think you can call him washed up because he never was anything. Event planners beware of this mooch!