Tronc meaning in hospitality

Tronc is a system used in hospitality to distribute tips and service charges among staff. It comes from the French word tronc des pauvres meaning poor box. In practice, tronc is where all tips and service charges are pooled and then distributed fairly according to a set system.

Tronc is important in hospitality because it means all staff get a fair share of the gratuities, even those who don’t directly interact with customers but contribute to the service. It can boost team morale, encourages collaboration and gives employees a more stable income. It also simplifies tax for both employee and employer.

Imagine you’re running a busy restaurant. At the end of each shift, all tips from credit card and cash are collected. As the tronc master, you have to divide these tips among the waitstaff, kitchen staff, and other support roles according to a points system. For example, a senior waiter might get 10 points, a junior kitchen porter 5 points. You add up all the points for all staff who worked that shift, divide the total tips by the total points and then multiply by each person’s points to get their share. Everyone feels valued for their part in the guest experience, and this system helps maintain a harmonious working environment.