The Bad Tip Follow-Up - What Can I Get You Folks?

5-26-2010 @8:20PM Jim said... Jordan, I, too, used to be a server, and with many people, it has nothing to do with anything that you or the restaurant did wrong; the problem resides within the cheapskate patrons. This is one reason why I will NEVER do that type of work again; most people were pleasant and fair, but by the end of my 4-year run of waiting tables, I just couldn't take any more cheapskate tactics, like the Sunday Afternoon Bible-thumpers who would run up a huge check, then leave what looked like a MasterCard on the table that said, "Give Christ charge of your life today", followed by how rotten they thought it was that you were working on the sabbath, basicaly calling you an evil person, despite the fact that they were there to give the place some business! Or the $175.00-plus check party of 4 who left you nothing while running your ass off for two hours.......... and then you watch them leave in a brand-new Caddilac; the list is endless. By the end of my tenure waiting tables, I hated people so bad that I couldn't wait to find another type of job. Just take heart in the fact that it is quite often nothing that you did wrong; people today are just a bunch of freeloading pigs who really don't care about you or anyone else, only themselves. Yeah, that was about the worst job I ever had, dude. Glad the nightmare is over. But it did leave one positive note on the rest of my life: when deciding whether or not we're going to go out to eat, I ALWAYS figure if I have enought money to leave a decent tip, something many people never even consider.

5-26-2010 @9:15PM Carlene said... I had the "privilege" of serving four young men supper at an upscale restaurant. There bill came to $ 167.00. They did not leave a tip on the charge card they used and said that they would leave it on the table. I went to the kitchen for a moment and when I came back they were GONE. On the table was two pennies, a dime and their keys. Needless to say I stuck the keys in my pocket and just waited for them to come back. Just a few minutes later one of them walks in bold as brass but sees that I had already cleaned the table. He comes to me and asks if I have seen his keys. I said yes, handed him the keys and the 12 cents. "Here, you left this, too". He turned red, turned around walked out. The next night he showed back up, alone this time. He handed me two twenty dollar bills without saying a word. I think he learned a lesson and I did not say anything that would get me into trouble.

5-26-2010 @10:25PM tipping is overrated said... So, say you have a workload of 7 tables and, say, on average an hour (let's even be generous and say 2 hours) per meal and an average of $100 ticket at - even - a modest 10% tip per ticket, which comes to a $10 tip per ticket. At 3.5 tables per hour you are making $35 an hour MINIMUM on top of your salary. Even if you say you aren't constantly busy with tables all night and are doing restaurant work, why should tippers supplement your "down" time. Why are you complaining????? In this day and age, most people would love to make that much per hour. So quit whining about bad tippers instead of rejoicing in good tippers and be grateful....And, yes I am a great tipper when the service is good but to say I OWE you is ridiculous.

5-26-2010 @10:47PM Dom said... Never is there a reason to run out of a job and confront a customer. That is poor job skills and should have been fired. I am in a business where tipping is customery, but NEVER DO I EVER confront the customer. Tipping is not mandatory otherwise it would be part of the bill. You are paid an hourly wage and that is what you are working for. While tips help and are aprreciated it is not something that you should demand. Your actions were way out of line.

5-26-2010 @10:49PM Julia said... To "tipping is overrated": A 7-top is a single table with 7 people, not 7 tables. Now that you know, the rest of your comment makes no sense, yes? Get it? Jordan wrote that he/she was not allowed to take any other tables, and only waited on this single table of 7 people for over an hour and a half for a measley $2.00 tip.
And that you brag about being a good tipper: It's a two way street. You are served, you tip. Even when the service is just okay, you must tip. The server pays taxes on the tips, regardless of whether or not he/she received one. The figure is based on a percentage of the total of all the server's checks for the evening. If your experience is negative, then get a manager. Unless the server is willfully being a bad server, there is no valid reason to stiff him/her. If management cannot provide good servers, then stick it to the restaurant and stop going there.
I am a restaurant owner. I know.

5-26-2010 @11:06PM D said... I think everyone should have to work as a bartender or waiter, or another job which relies strictly on tips to survive. While in college they work that job, or are required to work on tips, for at least one year, before being allowed to "go out."

In the '80s, I did that, and it's a valuable experience. When we used to go out at night, there was one of our group (a waitress, so go figure) who would not tip. I told her never to expect to make decent money if she didn't leave good tips. We started making sure she had her own check when we went out after work. She got the message quick.

Although, that was an enjoyable few years, it was frustrating when you worked your butt off and only got a dollar or two on a $50 - $100 tab. The need to tip 20% is something that should be taught. It used to be 15% that was custom, but now it's 20%.

Let's not get into which sex is a better tipper. People who generally always are paid for, don't know how to tip when it does happen. Teach them, it's easy. Takes about thirty seconds to explain to them, how. Maybe twenty seconds.

After doing that in the '80s, I told real estate agents and mortgage brokers later, I went out with why their tip was unacceptable, and what it's like to live on tips.

5-26-2010 @11:42PM John said... Is a tip a tip or a hidden charge?

5-27-2010 @12:18AM shelly said... and to "tipping is overrating", some states, such as Utah, I believe, do not have to pay minimum wage for restaurant workers. They can pay, say, $3 an hour, on the assumption they are going to make tips. And don't forget, servers, bartenders, etc. sometimes have to "tip-out" bussers etc. So, I ask that you continue to be the good tipper that you are, and not assume these people are riding a cash cow and paying for law school w/ their lucrative server wages!

5-27-2010 @12:50AM Marjorie said... To Tipping is Overrated... Because servers are taxed on the amount of money you spend, idiot. The government assumes you had enough class to tip, and thus taxes the server on the tip (whether it is received or not). As far as whining about how much money a server makes, I am shocked. Servers bust their butts waiting on culturally and economically uneducated people, such as yourself, while basing their salaries on how happy you are. The so-called fabulous salary you think they make has to underwrite health care costs and other "benefits" regular workers expect, as few hospitality companies offer the level of healthcare that traditional companies do. As far as your generous tips, I always wonder about those who proclaim to be extravagant in their generosity. The best tips I ever received while serving and bartending always came from either others in the service industry or those who were related to someone in the industry.

5-27-2010 @1:30AM BPM said... If a tip is something one must leave reqardless, there is no financial incentive to excel in serving the customer. I was once served so poorly I did not leave a tip. When the server attempted to
get the last word in by heading me off at the pass and essentially blocking the exit door while demanding an explanation, I read him the riot act, listing a half dozen reasons I was disappointed in the service.

5-27-2010 @1:38AM A former server said... @ Tipping is overrated. As previously stated many states the 'hourly' wage paid to a server is 1/2 or less than minimum wage. Generally if a server has a 7 top (meaning seven tables in their section) means they will be over worked and unable to take care of their area. Most prefer 4-5 tables that can be handled and repeatedly turned.
So look at it from this point of view. A table of four sits down, orders four drinks, two coctails two Iced tea's. They also order two appetizers, in the mean time you have now three other tables of four or more waiting for you to get their drinks as well as take an appettizer order or perhaps they are ready for to order the main course automatically. So you delay in bringing out group A's drinks while getting group B's drink order, and group C's main course order along with their drinks. Run to the bar/servery area and prepare the drinks, get the two coctails from the bar, drop them off and take group A's main course order, except now group D has also sat down. You then run to put group B, C's drink, and food order in respectively, get group D's drink/appetizer order, hope that your manager or an food runner has brought out the appetizer for group A, and if you have time, gather group C's food orders and run to see what group B wanted to order. By now group A's food order is up and its time to drop it off except the kitchen made a mistake.

Its an average of 45-60 minutes for a table of four, getting a drink and a appetizer and a main course item. Average cost of a meal for a table of four? $60
Assuming you recieve a 15% gratuity ( of which the bartender automatically gets a portion for the 2 coctails) you recieve $9.00, less the 10% of that you tip the bartender, $8.10
Subtract from that $8.10, the percentage you have to tip out to the busser, hostess, you are looking at $6-7 for that single table.
Hopefully, the other three tables are equally as well, and you just made $24.00-30.00. However, that is rare. This also took from 5-6:15 PM, the dinner rush. Now its 6:30-8:00PM and for the most part you are lucky to be sat 1 table at a time, anywhere from 2-6 people, who, since they are arriving post dinner and post movie/date/etc., can now sit and spend 90-120 minutes over a single drinks each, an appetizer, dessert. When they leave, because they didn't order a main course, they tip you based on average of what they ate. Soda and appetizer? $2-$3. Each..

5-27-2010 @2:17AM cher blanco said... i have been a server for over 35 years, i recently went to an upper end sushi restaurant with my 3 adult kids, the bill was $100 including tax, I left $25 that is a 25% tip, when we left the restaurant to get our car, the server and manager/owner chased after us asking us what was wrong with the service? He tried to demand an additional $10 saying I undertipped his server. I stopped my credit card as soon as I got in the house because I was so mortified and embarressed by the entire scene. (He had threatened to add the $10 on to my card. In my dispute I included all the details, and when it was all said and done, my meal was free and there was no tip. The scene they created and the embarressment to myself and to my family was unforgivable. They got what they deserved, NOTHING !

5-27-2010 @3:40AM George said... It all depends were you are from also. There are states that all you do is make it on your tips, like NJ for one. Then there are the other places that make a full min. wage then the tips. In Jersey you get $2.13hr pay but that barely covers taxes at the end of a pay week. Not to mention you can give your est service and still be lucky if you get anything. Bars are even worse than that some places you only make money by tips so when you don't get them you don't get paid. Sadly you have to work your way to a great place you will hear the words "No Exp. No Hire" well that is why you have to take such low end jobs but to get that EXP. you have to lose a lot. Sadly even when you are in the best part of it you lose cause people just don't care. I see friends who have great jobs and leave crap cause they have never had to work like that in thier life. Just goes to show you what people think of you in the end. Just to add to you I have done Server ind. for many yrs and I am always stiffed I work as bartender and serv. in a Chain Rest. also I am a Contractor and Commercial contractor just to make ends meat here in Jersey and stiffs suck!

5-27-2010 @3:42AM BG said... Everyone should tip. Servers depend on it.

5-27-2010 @6:03AM Realmancan said... Jim, Sunday is not the sabbath.

5-28-2010 @3:08AM Patrick said... JORDAN -- your story of the low tipper enrages me. You were mad at HER for not paying your wage? That's utter B*S*. You should be mad at your employer for making you work for tips. When does it become the responsibility of the customer to pay for the product AND make sure the employees of a business are also well compensated? Tipping, on the rest of the planet, is optional. I've had "tips" handed back to me in Europe and Australia. Casinos and Bars have signs saying "no gratuities please". These employees are paid a livable wage by their employer -- the USA takes total advantage of the tipping industry, which used to make sense when it was tax free, but now the IRS has ways to get taxes of tips, too -- so why not just do away with it, make employers pay higher/livable wages and let "tipping" become an optional thing for when a guest has a great time and good service - not a required thing.

5-26-2010 @8:39PM strunge said... customers aren't under any obligation to leave a tip, so the idea that they should then have to answer to the restaurant for the amount of tip they did leave is ridiculous. besides, how do you force someone to do so? explain that.

the question isn't even a matter of whether a server should or should not be able to do so. there is no absolute answer and it is entirely up to the preference of the restaurant. but the most efficient and non-threatening way to the customer to be approached about it is to have a manager ask if everything is okay, and broach the subject about the tip as an inquisition about the server's performance. if the customer says everything was great, the manager can simply say the tip was low for what is considered acceptable service and they want to make sure the server is doing their job. anyone with any bit of sense will get the intimation.

5-27-2010 @11:53AM Dutch said... I once left a lousy 5% tip along with a note explaining that my basic tip is 20%. If we get incredible service, we add on 5%. If we get seriously lousy service, we deduct 5% for each incident, down to a minimum of 5%. I outlined what he'd done wrong: Demanding identification for two gray-haired 60-year-olds before serving us booze (not funny) = -5%. Bringing us our appetizer and drinks after delivering our meal = -5%. Failure to refill water glasses after being asked 3 times = -5%. Failure to bring our check in a timely manner (a full ten minutes after being asked) = -5%. He might have been ticked but he was lucky to GET that 5%!