Zomato Introduces New Feature Allowing Customers to Tip Kitchen Staff

In a bid to enhance the dining experience and show appreciation to the often behind-the-scenes heroes of the restaurant world, Zomato, the renowned foodtech giant, has unveiled a novel feature that enables customers to tip the kitchen staff of the restaurants they order food from.

This new initiative, as detailed in a recent blog post published by the startup on Thursday, September 21, offers customers the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the restaurant's kitchen team, including chefs, cleaning staff, and helpers. Zomato believes that this feature will not only enrich the food ordering and delivery experience but also foster a stronger bond between restaurant partners and customers.

Here's how the feature works: After customers have rated their order with four or five stars, Zomato will prompt them to consider leaving a tip for the kitchen staff. Alternatively, customers can choose to tip the kitchen team directly from the live order tracking page once their order has been placed.

To provide flexibility, Zomato allows customers to tip the restaurant's kitchen staff as a percentage of the total order value, with options ranging from 3% to 10%. Moreover, customers can also enter a custom tip amount, although Zomato has not specified a maximum cap for these voluntary contributions.

In terms of the tip distribution process, Zomato takes the responsibility of remitting the tips to the respective restaurants, subject to the deduction of applicable taxes. The onus of distributing these tips to the kitchen staff falls on the restaurants that choose to participate in this program.

Crucially, Zomato asserts that it does not retain any commission from the tip amount. Instead, it ensures that the entirety of the tip is passed on to the restaurant partners. Restaurant owners can easily monitor and manage the tips through their weekly payouts and statement of account, accessible via the merchant app or web dashboard.

To maintain fairness and transparency in the distribution of tips, Zomato requests participating restaurants to commit to an equitable distribution pledge. By introducing this feature, Zomato not only aims to elevate the culinary industry's unsung heroes but also encourages a culture of gratitude and appreciation among its vast user base.