Ex-waitress reveals restaurant tipping secret most customers don't realize — expert calls it 'bad hospitality'

Mel Robbins learned an unusual lesson about earning big tips when she worked as a waitress: Pay attention to the women at the table.

The bestselling author and podcast host recently recalled advice from a "mentor-boss" at the Red Rooster Tavern in Michigan about figuring out who really influences the gratuity.

"She told me when I started waitressing the secret to getting a good tip: Understanding who has influence over who gives you the good tip," Robbins told The Wall Street Journal.