Bad tippers!!
By briennekb
@briennekb (610)
United States
December 5, 2006 10:06am CST
Calling all waiters ans waitresses!!! Do you have a story about a bid tipper?
I had a young couple with a small child at my table once. Now, mind you, that they were the only table in the place at the time so they had SUPERB service. They ordered a full meal. An appetizer, 2 New York Strip steaks, dessert and 2 expensive alcholic drinks each. And a childrens meal with a dessert. And, (can you believe I'm saying and?), they ordered about $150 worth of merchandise. (This is a the Hard Rock Cafe). There bill was about $250. They left the table to go pay at the hostess station, but the hostesses don't take the checks. The customers are supposed to pay at the table. So, I chased them down at the front. The man gave me $250 exactly and I owed him about .35 cents so I gave it to him. He looked at me and said that they were on vacation so they didn't have enough money to tip me. Can you believe that? A $250 dollar tab and he wouldn't even give me his coin change! I was so mad.
Moral of the story, if you can't afford to tip your server, don't eat out! Let alone ring up a $250 tab and say you're broke!
1 person likes this
3 responses
@imnutz (288)
• United States
6 Dec 06
My wife is the big tipper in our family and pretty much refuses to tip anything less than 20%. She worked as a waitress for years and says it does not matter how the service was, she will always tip 18-20%+. I have a problem with this. I normally tip around 18% for standard service. More for good or great service but I also have no problem dropping lower if the service sucks.
The other day I went to a chain restaurant where the service was poor. The waiter sat and talked to his friends why we waited for our drinks for 10 minutes. He forgot part of our order. And we never did find him to pay our check, he disappeared so we had to pay the manager. It was not like the place was busy, we are talking 10 full tables maybe and 3 wait staff. I wanted to leave a small tip and my wife was filling out the slip and she refused and gave him around 18%. We argued on this one for days and I as still mad about it. How is this waiter ever going to learn? Why should we have to pay them a fixed fee? If this were the process then it would be like a previous poster from AU said and be built into the food price and wages.
What do you think on tipping for bad service?
1 person likes this
@briennekb (610)
• United States
6 Dec 06
It depends on what kind of bad service. If a waiter, like in your story, is not busy and is talking with friends and never comes around, forgets things, then I would definitely leave a poor tip. If any at all. To me, a neglectful server is just as bad as a server with a bad attitude. However, if I server is really busy, and gives bad service then I will always tip her as normal. Because it can be really hard when you are super busy. And sometimes things get forgotten. But if the waiter is not apologetic about the service, then that will affect the tip I give also.
I try to always tip at least 20%. If the server is busy and doesn't give me great service, I will tip at flat 20%. And if the server is rude or does anything like ignore us and chatter with friends, then I would probably leave nothing. I agree with you that they waiter should learn his lesson. I would probably leave him a tactful note explaining why he isn't getting a tip. So that way he will realize why and maybe become a better waiter.
@briennekb (610)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I understand that. I'm saying that I will not tip someone if say, I'm their only table and they ignore me to talk with their buddies, and don't bring me what I ask. So I am only talking about when there is no justified reason for terrible service. If I've been waiting for my drink for 10 minutes and the whole time I see my server b.s.ing with his buddies, he doesn't deserve a tip. But, if his service sucks and he is really busy or is new perhaps, then I will always tip. I've been a server for years too but I still think tips should be earned. But in all my years, I have only had bad enough service to not tip only once.
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Some people are just rude and unfair. Everyone with culture knows that waitresses work for pennies and earn their living off tips. It is one thing to get a bad tip due to bad service...but this is ridiculous. I am sorry-hope you balanced out with other customers to even out your week.
1 person likes this
@briennekb (610)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Actually, that day my tips didn't balance it out. But, the rest of the month did. I actually had a really good month when that incident happened. But, it could've been better had that couple not been selfish jerks. I understand people not tipping because their server was rude. But in my particular case, I was very nice and they got all of my attention. And actually, up until they stiffed me, they were actually a really nice couple.
1 person likes this
@princess07031980 (5412)
• United States
6 Dec 06
I was a waitress this last summer. At a very expensive restaurant. (Dinner plates started out at 14.95) A dinner tab for 2 was easliy "$60. I always recieved a tip. The best I got was 40 on a 140 dollar tab. Rich people who are generous are great!!!
@Silverchic (396)
• Australia
6 Dec 06
Wow! That's really shocking!! Personally I feel weird tipping (in Australia we don't tip - is included in wages etc etc and actually at the casino's here you can't tip even if you really wanted to). But I still do when I go to other countries - I usually have to ask one of the other customers around how much is normal to tip! =) I get a few funny looks I tell you!
But that customer of yours deserves a really big thumbs down! I hope he loses that 35 cents!
1 person likes this
@briennekb (610)
• United States
6 Dec 06
Thanks. I hope he lost more than that .35 cents. I fully believe that waitresses should get paid a higher wage and not get tipped at all. I think it would be better that way. Working for tips is too uncertain sometimes. Hourly would be nice. But, at the same time, we wouldn't make near as much. There are some really bad tippers out there but there are also some really good tippers. I think the key is just finding the right place to work at.
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