As someone who works in the food service industry, you live and die by how much money patrons leave on the table or in the jar. But what if there was a way to boost the amount someone tips simply by making one little change? Hope you like ABBA. According to new research from the University of Innsbruck, by playing “Dancing Queen” in the restaurant, customers left an extra 5% with the check. Other upbeat songs like Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” and Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” had a similar effect as well. Study co-author Annika Beer reveals, “Uplifting music makes people happy and the better mood someone is in, the more they tend to tip.” Interestingly, melancholy songs such as The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and “Back to Black” from Amy Winehouse also saw an increase in tips, while neutral music had no effect.
