Factors Influencing the Tipping Propensity of Restaurant Customers: A Study in 5 Star Hotels a La Carte Restaurants
Savas Artuger, Burçin Cevdet Çetinsöz

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the factors which influence the tipping propensity of customers in a la carte restaurants of hotels. The sample group of the study consists of tourists who were accommodated at 5 star hotels in the center of Antalya province between July and September of 2012. A questionnaire taken from a study carried out by Ineson and Martin (1999) which measured the tipping propensities of restaurant customers was used as a data collection tool for the application and data was obtained from a total of 583 tourists. Descriptive analyses such as arithmetical average and standard deviation and statistical tests such as factor analysis, reliability analysis, t-test and variance analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The study revealed that the most important factors influencing the tipping propensity of the participants dining at a la carte restaurants of 5 star hotels were transactionalisation and product quality. The other results of the study revealed that the element of presentability had a more influential impact on the tipping propensity of individuals with high income levels. Product quality had more impact on the tipping propensity of individuals in young age groups than on the tipping propensities of middle-aged (adult) groups. Value for money has a greater impact on the tipping propensities of Swiss and British customers. In addition, customers in the high level income group are more influenced in their tipping propensities by value for money.

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