Years ago, when I was working as a mobile disc jockey, I always looked forward to the tips at the end of the show. Sure, I was getting paid by my employer, but, the extra cash was nice. I considered the money as a token of appreciation from my clients for a job well done. It was their way of rewarding me.

I still fondly remember one particular Saturday night when I was handed a $200 tip for an extra hour of work. I'd seriously thought about canceling the event because it was scheduled on the weekend after Hurricane Fran struck Raleigh and knocked out my power. As I pocketed the money, I was thrilled I had put forth the effort to make it to the job.

Recently, a friend told me about an exclusive country club that has banned its members from tipping the employees who help them load and unload their gold clubs. The club management’s reasoning for their decision was based on complaints they had received, charging that the members who tipped the most money were getting preferential treatment.

It stands to reason that there was a better way for the club's management to resolve the issue without taking away the employees’ tips. If you've ever worked in the service area, you know that the pay is usually not that great. I'm all but certain that some of the country club's employees depended on the tips to help support their families, or pay their monthly bills. An unexpected cut in pay could be financially devastating for them.

I've worked enough jobs in my life to know that upper management does not always know what's best for their employees. Over the years, I've learned that a lot of the problems between supervisors and employees stem from the fact that often the supervisor has never actually done the employee's job. It just doesn't seem logical to me for someone who's never performed a job to instruct someone else how to do it.

Since, at certain times over the years, I've held positions in the service industry, I feel that I'm qualified to make a suggestion on how management could keep their employees happy at that particular country club.

I had my car washed a couple of weeks ago, and as I was walking across the lot to pick up my vehicle, I noticed a box where customers could leave a tip. At the end of the shift, the money is counted and split evenly between the employees. What makes that system even better is that the employees don't have any way of knowing who left how much, and therefore, everybody gets the same treatment.

The management at that country club should set up a "tip box" for their employees. Like the car wash, they could place the box in a spot that would be out of the employees’ direct view so they wouldn’t have to worry about a certain group of members, or the “big-tippers,” being treated better than their other members. If they were to get the box put up over the next couple of weeks, it might be considered as somewhat of a Holiday present by the employees. Both supervisors and employees know something about the Holiday Season and giving and doing the right thing.