who do you blame?

@messageme (2821)
United States
March 28, 2010 11:26pm CST
I am a waitress and today one of the cooks completely messed up one of my orders so I had to wait for them to redo it and then when I finally gave it to the customer it wasn't cooked all the way! So of course the customer was already upset because it took so long even though I explained what happen and then to have it not cooked all the way just made them even more upset. So when they left they left me no tip!! Was it my fault the cook not only messed up the order but then didn't cook it all the way? WHy do customers not see its not always the servers fault? Do they not understand that their tips are our paychecks? I tell the cooks that all the time, when they mess up that is our paycheck not theirs and they don't seem to care!! When you are a customer at a resturant do you always blame the waitress and not leave them a tip or do you understand that if its the cooks fault there is nothing the waitress did wrong and leave them something? I have had bad service when going out to eat myself, but I will always alalyze whos fault it was and if it was nothing my waitress did then I will leave a tip, but there is also really bad servers out there and if its them that did a not so good job then I won't leave one. or I leave one according how good I think they did. How about you? How do you decide what you leave?
1 person likes this
15 responses
@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
29 Mar 10
I always try to leave what I think they deserve, if I think they've done a fabulous job, then I'll leave more. I know its not always the servers fault if something goes wrong, it usually is the cooks fault. I always try to listen to what the server says, and I make my decision then. I don't think it was fair that you didn't get a tip, when it wasn't your fault, most people don't understand and they think they're always right and they don't want to listen to what you have to say. My sister used to be a waitress, so I know how it is, she always used to tell me about people who don't tip, I also realized that waiters and waitresses don't get paid much, most of their pay comes from tips, so I always try to do it.
1 person likes this
@messageme (2821)
• United States
15 Apr 10
I helps when the customer understands as you do. Thanks!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
29 Mar 10
I recently heard a radio program John Tesh to be exact where they said that even with bad service you should tip 10%...also most people don't know that waitresses have to claim and pay taxes on their tips! I think most people have a tendency to blame the middle man...in this case you...hopefully next time they will be more understanding.
1 person likes this
@messageme (2821)
• United States
15 Apr 10
I think alot of people don't know that we have to claim 10% of all our sales....so for you that dont tip guess what we have to claim that you did....It's funny because the other day I was talking with my grandma about something and we were deciding where to go out to eat and she brought up something about tips and said something about having to claim 6% I said no grandma it's 10% for most waitresses. She was shocked!! "WOW that much! what if they don't leave a tip?" Told her it didn't matter we had to claim as they did. She was just so disgusted by that they started ranting and raving about the government and how all they want is money and blah blah blah. My grandma is very old in her ways. (must I tell you too she isn't one to leave tips either but that day man she left a hell of a tip for that waitress) I was very proud of her and I think from now on she will be leaving tips :) I don't think she understood how the waitressing business worked. sorry to drag on
@palonghorn (5479)
• United States
29 Mar 10
We had this happen just the other night, it was not the waitress' fault, it was the cooks. We had good service and she was very polite and apologized for the incident (which wasn't her fault). She was left a good tip. It's not hard to figure out who is at fault in a situation like this, the food not cooked to order. The manager even took the meal off our bill, since it had to be sent back and redone. However, I don't have a problem not leaving a tip when the service is terrible or the waitress is rude.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
29 Mar 10
If i get good service i leave a tip if i don't get good service i don't. U shouldn't have been slighted for the cooks incompetence. I would talk to my maanager about that cook.I think he needs jerking up for that to start with. wouldn't think that would be good for the restaurant's buisness at all either. People do not taketheir jobs seriouly like they should.
1 person likes this
@sunil_008 (1269)
• India
29 Mar 10
hi, i am so sorry that you didn't get your tip from that particular customer.but you sometimes get treatment for other's mistakes in life as well. so all my sympathy is towards you.i am glad that you have a reasonable thinking about analysing whose fault it was.but you know in this world not all people are like you.most of the people are always look out for the smart way to save money and skip through the back door.i hope the next time the same customer won't come to dine at your restaurant, for either of the reasons(food isn't good here,i didn't paid the waitress the deserving tip)bad days at work do count as another pay day at work.so keep enjoying what you are doing without even caring about the tips. well, after all your boss is paying you for your support and services there ...
@sunil_008 (1269)
• India
30 Mar 10
hi cj, i hope you are not eyeing her...
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
30 Mar 10
My dear neighbor, I can guarantee you what she is getting paid in wages would barely cover her rent...
@common_man (1799)
• India
29 Mar 10
Hi friend, It is fact that front -line executive/workers have to feel burnt of what is happening at back end. Its is their fate accomplie. Now regarding your case, cook will never bother, because you are not sharing your tip with him/her. Just out of box idea, if you want you can try, tell the cook you will share 25% of tips received with them, for their contribution as, "they cooked well" and that helped you in getting tip. If you try this, i am sure cook will never mess up your order. Want to give atry! As regards giving tips, tips are given by customer when he/she is happy with overall packaged service, including your courteous behaviour, delivery of service with smile, the quality of food served, the environment of the restaurant etc. As far as I am convcerned, i always give fix % of bill as tip, considering expactaion of serving staff. Happy myLotting
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
30 Mar 10
Well, I can promise you one thing, offering to share that much of your tips with a cook will do a lot of good for you. Will reduce mistakes, will increase good will, and will make you one heck of a great friend. But, orders will still get messed up from time to time, it is inevitable. As a customer I do not get upset very often about the food, and that is due to my experience in the back end of the industry. I have the utmost care, respect and appreciation for all the things that a server is required to do. We are human, there are always mistakes made. I wish more people under stood this. There is no one to blame, because no one is perfect. With Appreciation CJscott.
• India
31 Mar 10
you are right, to err is human.
@gsnarayanan (1704)
• India
29 Mar 10
I am seeing you as part of a team. You are in the end link near the customer. The good name to your establishment comes not only through your service but also due to the whole chain of people from yourself up to the management contribute . Let me give you an example. A man starts climbing a mountain. He used a strong chain which is hooked to the highest point and he holds the other end and claims up. suddenly he fell down.The chain that he was holding was strong enough to support his weight But that was not enough. Each and every link in that chain was supposed to support his weight. There was one bad link in that chain that failed. The result is the failure to the climber. Your case is exactly the same The customer is the end point of your chain. The fault of any one in your establishment is transmitted to him. It is not fair on your part to blame the customer for not giving you tip. You have to set your house right.Then the result will be automatic. You are the best person to see the food quality is improved.Talk to the cook or the manager to improve the quality of food. The tip that you may receive from the customer must be pooled together and shared by all workers involved. Then all will have the interest to make the quality good.Talk to your fellow waiters and implement this .Best of luck...!
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
30 Mar 10
"The tip that you may receive from the customer must be pooled together and shared by all workers involved." This is often the case. In every establishment I have ever worked in the cook's got either a portion of the tip, or "tipped out" according to sales. However, this isn't always fair. Usually, the server's are paid minimum wage, plus tip...and that is it, never a raise to be had. And the cooks will start out quite a bit higher then this, depending on experience, attitude, and qualifications. In that order. The server, has the most direct contact with the "revenue" that is the customer, since in the end, the customer is paying everyone, and the bills. As such, they should be earning the most money. And often times, this is the case exactly. Once you factor in monies earned from Gratuities, servers oftenly come out on top. There was a clink in the chain. These things happen, best to look at the situation form another point of view and move on. Tomorrow is another day after all.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
29 Mar 10
giving tip over here is not mandatory and to be honest with you, i hardly give tip to the waitress unless if i am really happy with their service... and i know the fact that they are already paid for their salary by their employers... so i don't feel guilty at all for not giving tips... but if i receive an exceptionally good service, then i will definitely leave a tip just to show my appreciation for their efforts... and unfortunately, the waitress always get the blame even though it is the cook's fault because they are on the front-end line facing the customers... take care and have a nice day...
@messageme (2821)
• United States
15 Apr 10
How much they get paid over there? We only get $4 an hr and minimum wage is $7 something I think...Not sure I havn't recieved minimum wage forever. Even minimum you cant afford to live off that. So consider $4 how hard it would be to live off of just that. you may think they are getting paid but most waitresses earn from tips not from what the employer pays them. But it could be different over there Im not sure, but if its not I can assure you not to many waitress like waiting on you probably. But also if they don't recieve a tip they feel as though they have done a bad job!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
30 Mar 10
hi messageme why on earth when you go to a nice restaurant do not they pay waitresses a decent wage, I never got tipped when I worked first sa a nurses aide then as a page. we got a living wage, not huge but it was better than having to live off tips. they charge us an arm and leg for most meals then we have to add in the tip, makes it hard for some of us to afford to eat out, I do not like tipping as i do think it just encourages restaurants to underpay their help.but i will tip for good service but not for lousy service.
@messageme (2821)
• United States
15 Apr 10
I never understood why they don't pay waitresses the minimum wage at least. I guess it's just always been that. I get paid $4 an hr. I would think it would encourage them to do a good job, I don't know. I love waitressing though and I have done it long enough that I know have to make it worth it. So far I think your attitude is the biggest thing that controls how much you really make.
@mentalward (14691)
• United States
30 Mar 10
I've never been a waitress but I do understand about how they make money and always leave a tip. If the service was terrible, I'll leave a tiny tip. If the service was great, I leave a large tip. I've never decided on what to tip if the meal wasn't right because I know it's not the waitress' fault. If I'm decidedly unhappy with the meal, I'll make sure to leave a comment about it but, if the waitress was good, she'll still get a good tip. Actually, in my entire life I've only come across one waitress who got a small tip from me. She definitely had an attitutde problem and didn't seem to care who noticed. I know that sometimes it's hard to put on a cheery face if something is bad in your personal life but, when you deal with the public, you should always put on a happy face, no matter how hard it is. I have worked with the public before and walked into this job that the previous employee had totally screwed up. Because she screwed it up so badly, I had to deal with several VERY unhappy people. But, I did it as gracefully as I could and never let these people know that I was very upset, especially when they were yelling at me. They eventually appreciated my attitude, once I straightened everything out. (I was working as camp secretary for the Boy Scouts of America and the previous secretary had double- or triple-booked some campsites. It was a total mess!)
@jeska87 (43)
• Philippines
29 Mar 10
I used to work in the customer service industry until a month ago, and I'm sorry to say that it's usually not really a question of who messed up what, but rather what creates an impact on the customer is the overall service provided by the company. Though it's sad to note that people in the front line (i.e. the servers/call center agents/cashiers) usually get the blame, we really can't blame the customer as well. They expect to get the service that they pay for. Though reading your issue carefully, I know you were not at fault. It's just unfortunate that it happened. :(
@myramae19 (667)
• Philippines
29 Mar 10
It was the cook who messed up, so it wasn't your fault at all, but If I were the customer I won't leave a tip too..cos, I got a very poor service. So, I think you should blame the cook, he's the responsible for you not to get a tip.. tell the cook next time be careful and be attentive to his/her work so that you can give the customer's satisfaction.
• Philippines
29 Mar 10
I know it sounds bad to say this, but usually in a restaurant or fast food chain, it doesn't matter if you're serving fast or if the cook is cooking slow. You all are the representation of your establishment. You can probably serve the food in seconds from the time the food is cooked, but if the cook messes up, then your presentation is also messed up. Since you're a waitress, you know where people are coming from when you receive some kind of bad service in a food place. But not all people will see that, and for them, 1 person's fault is everyone's fault. No matter how complete you take the order down, if it takes long to be served, you will be the one yelled at by the customers. You'll have to have a word with your cook. Maybe the customer doesn't deal with the cook, but you definitely can. But since you brought this up, I'll make sure next time I go out to eat, I'll pay more attention to what's going on. Thanks for opening my eyes about this one. :) Hope everything else works out fine where you're working.
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
30 Mar 10
Ah, dear apol. It is a rare occurrence that food is served that quickly. It happens, though, and those times make me smile. You are right though my friend, the fault of one, is the fault of many. Everyone can be doing everything right, but if even the Bus person, slips up a little, it can ruin the whole experience, for that matter, even a customer can ruin another customers experience... Cheers.
• Netherlands
29 Mar 10
Well it wasn't your fault, of course but you see you depend on his "performance". All in all the customer always has a right. The customer just expects excellence and I think perceive the whole place as one entity. I do not blame people for no reason, but if my food is messed up, like in your case, I wouldn't blame you. I'd just talk to the manager about this. You just serve food, you do not do it all, so it's senseless to be blamed for this. However you shouldn't expect tip from clients who are dissatisfied.. In the end people are so different and you can't expect everyone to be all understanding and good. Cheer up and don't think so much about it..
@SViswan (12051)
• India
29 Mar 10
I honestly have to say I've never thought of it this way and I usually put across my complaints to the waiter and never realize that it could be the cook's fault. If it's really bad and the waiter is rude too, then we ask for the manager. I don't remember ever not giving the tip even when we have been unhappy...but it's quite possible that my husband didn't pay a tip when he is upset or left a smaller amount than we would have paid if the service was good. Having said this...I've worked as a teacher and often we have had to take the brunt for the management's faults. We can't tell the parents that the management messed up the books' order or that they said we couldn't do what was promised. We have to face the parents and sometimes tweak the truth too..and often face very very upset parents.