That free mint? It’s a trap…

Think of the last time you had a restaurant meal.

When you asked for the bill, did it come with a couple of mints?

Or maybe some chocolates?

Or shots of a suspiciously dark liqueur no-one really wants?

It’s pretty standard these days. But restaurants aren’t just being nice – there’s a cold hard reason why they do this.

And it’s all rooted in reciprocity: a powerful influencer…

Let me explain.

In one tipping study, researchers found that when servers gave diners 1 mint per person, tips went up 3.3%.

And with 2 mints per guest, tips shot up by 14.1%!

It demonstrates brilliantly that when we’re given something, we feel duty bound to respond.

Notice the timing, too. The sweet treats aren’t given as a thank you after the bill is paid. They’re given before.

This is because research shows that gifts work better than rewards.

So, if you want people to act, think about how you can first help them in a genuine and meaningful way to trigger reciprocity.

• Want clients to fill out a survey? Don’t offer a reward:‘You’ll be entered into a prize draw’). Instead offer something up front: ‘As a thank you, we’ve donated £5 to the Royal Society for the Protection of Anteaters in your name.’ (As long as they’re anteater lovers, of course.)

  
  

• Want colleagues to review a draft report or proposal? Instead of just sending it cold, you could pre-emptively offer something useful: “I’ve attached a one-pager with three insights for your own client updates. Happy to adapt any of them for your team.”

  
  

• Want stakeholders to attend your presentation? Offer a useful resource before the presentation that will help them in their jobs.

  
  

The pull of reciprocity is so ingrained that I’ll often drink those dubious brown shots because I feel obliged.

(Or at the very least make my husband do it.)

You too?