Couple Arrested for Refusing to Pay Tip

[redlight]

I think calling the police was completely over the top ridiculous, the food and drinks were paid for. If I lived in the area, I wouldn't be going there anymore.

I agree. The behavior of the restaurant is dreadful, and they should reap the consequences.

 

[scuba]

If I have been sitting around long enough that I have to go seek out someone to ask for service - yep, I'm blaming the server for that. So, still 100% the server's fault in my world.

I agree with your point, Your getting me wrong. I'm not absolving anyone. I would hope that you are rational enough not to wait a whole hour....10 minutes, 20 minutes, 100% server problem, but a whole hour? I would also expect that you are not knocking down anyones door if you have only waited 5 minutes.......for me it's kinda a 10-20 minute wait until I see someone..shame on you(server)........1 hour without seeing someone....shame on me(patron)

 

[Papa Deuce]

So it sounds as if whatever happens it is not the wait persons fault at least 99% of the time as you stated earlier because that is the number you pulled out of the air to indicate good wait staff.

Saying that 99% of wait staff is very good may be pushing it.

When we tip who are we tipping, I know when I worked as a bus boy at 16 if I kept tables clean and helped the wait staff I would get a very small tip at the end of my shift, did I say small I mean very very small. I remember also the cooks getting their tip also based upon how they did. Being a bus boy at 16 I would take what I could get and I would dred certain demanding wait staff who would tip me terrible (here is a buck kid have fun).

LOL, don't get me started! The restaurant I worked at as a dishwasher / bus boy had a policy that the waitresses were supposed to tip us a minimum of 10% of their tips... In a BUSY restaurant, with $20 PP minimum dinners, and 5 - 7 waitresses, the MOST I ever got in one night was $20 in tips.

Thieves, they were, thieves!!!!!!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

OMGoodness - you had almost $6,000 in restaurant meals. No wonder you went during free dining.

This included housekeeping, bus drivers, etc.

 

[scuba]

^^ That's the point. Bad news travels fast. People don't want to eat at a restaurant where customers are arrested for doing nothing wrong.

This place apparently doesn't have a history of arresting patrons, It appears to be an isolated event therefore it shouldn't be taking up pages and pages on a resturant review of folks not going there because of 1 incident. I'm not for or against the resturant, But the place might have good food and or good service but now no one will know because the website you provided is filled with meaningless complaints about folks being arrested there, some may or may not have been there, only wanting to participate because it seems like the thing to do.....plenty of folks arrested at my local bar here in town but they still have pretty good food, and for the most part, good service

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

This place apparently doesn't have a history of arresting patrons, It appears to be an isolated event therefore it shouldn't be taking up pages and pages on a resturant review of folks not going there because of 1 incident. I'm not for or against the resturant, But the place might have good food and or good service but now no one will know because the website you provided is filled with meaningless complaints about folks being arrested there, some may or may not have been there, only wanting to participate because it seems like the thing to do.....plenty of folks arrested at my local bar here in town but they still have pretty good food, and for the most part, good service

That's the way bad publicity works... and that's why you avoid it at all costs. I'm guessing the folks arrested at your bar weren't taken into custory over a tip. And no matter how good the food might be, I don't want to support an establishment that treats their customers (and their police force) with such disregard.

 

[ginna74]

we were at a outback and they were realllly late and they sent over their manager and we got a FREE dinner that night.... We still gave a nice tip cause the server was sooo sorry and so nice.

 

[JOCAmom]

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - people are taking the side of the customer because the only one that has been proven a liar in this episode is the restaurant by claiming the couple turned down an offer of comped food prior to refusing to tip. If they did indeed turn down having their food comped, not tipping is hardly a big deal because the restaurant came out ahead.

How was the restaurant proven to be lying? Because the couple said they weren't offered to have anything comped? It's a total he said/she said claim with none of us knowing what really happened.

Now, I think the restaurant was wrong to get the cops involved. Unless the customers were being disruptive and out of control, the cops have far better things to be doing.

 

[michellev]

How was the restaurant proven to be lying? Because the couple said they weren't offered to have anything comped? It's a total he said/she said claim with none of us knowing what really happened.

Now, I think the restaurant was wrong to get the cops involved. Unless the customers were being disruptive and out of control, the cops have far better things to be doing.

It just doesn't make sense that the restaurant would call the cops on the tip if they had already offered to comp the meal.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

"lehigh pub" is the 19th most searched on phrase right now on google... just sayin'

 

[disneyfav4ever]

This is pretty local to my area so I've read a lot about this today. I think the cops being called and them being arrested was completely outrageous.

I've read that the waitress went out and smoked when the customer was getting her own drink and silverware. That is just bad service.

 

[OceanAnnie]

This is pretty local to my area so I've read a lot about this today. I think the cops being called and them being arrested was completely outrageous.

I've read that the waitress went out and smoked when the customer was getting her own drink and silverware. That is just bad service.

I guess she was busy.

 

[Free4Life11]

I think the restaurant was ridiculous for calling the cops. Totally over the top and a foolish move because of the bad publicity.

But my guess is these are just simply your typical cheap you-know-what type of people. I'm not buying the story. They didn't go to a five star restaurant, they went to a pub...what kind of service did they expect? Very rarely do I see the waitress bring the silverware and napkins, usually it's the host. As far as refills, when you go on a busy night you might not get as many refills as normal. Is it really that difficult to walk to the bar to get one? Waiting an hour on the food sucks, but it happens on busy nights and is most likely due to a backup in the kitchen.

I would be so embarrassed if members of my group made a big scene over a few dollars tip...very petty. Next time go to a place that DOESN'T automatically tack on the tip.

I think BOTH parties were acting ridiculous.

 

[scuba]

"lehigh pub" is the 19th most searched on phrase right now on google... just sayin'

I'm just saying that my regional hospital has had some complaints, but if my family is ill i'm still going to go there.......certainly there are folks piling on this resturant without any knowlege of the resturaunts true nature or the exact nature of the incident.....If a resturant has a history of arresting folks and it appears on a review then fine....I have 1 speeding ticket but it's not a reflection on my overall driving habits...just saying

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that the couple was arrested over this and I definitely wouldn't patronize a place that did this.

 

[scuba]

This is pretty local to my area so I've read a lot about this today. I think the cops being called and them being arrested was completely outrageous.

I've read that the waitress went out and smoked when the customer was getting her own drink and silverware. That is just bad service.

If this indeed is an accurate accounting and the server was out smoking then maybe she had handed over care of this table to another..........I just wouldn't have waited all dinner long, ate and drank the items, destroyed the table and then identified that there was a problem with the service......there has to be more details, I cannot fathom this going down the way it was reported. Maybe the patrons were a$$es from the start and they were being ignored for a reason, maybe the patrons were initally abusive, maybe even intoxicated........in which I would have waived the tip had I been the manager

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I'm just saying that my regional hospital has had some complaints, but if my family is ill i'm still going to go there.......certainly there are folks piling on this resturant without any knowlege of the resturaunts true nature or the exact nature of the incident.....If a resturant has a history of arresting folks and it appears on a review then fine....I have 1 speeding ticket but it's not a reflection on my overall driving habits...just saying

Nobody is telling anyone what they can or can't do and nobody is calling you a bad driver. I have a feeling that the majority of people would be cautious (at best) going to a restaurant where a paying customer was arrested for not leaving a tip.

People are more than welcome to go there if they want. I have a feeling there won't be a long line.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

Tips are to be earned. They should not be compulsory. That's why it is a tip. FWIW I've never recieved servcie so bad I left no tip, but would think nothing of doing so if it happened.

I have and it was bad enough that I wrote on the check "My tip is to become a better server."

 

[quentina]

Figures....restraunt is right near where I live....it's getting weirder and weirder over here....talk to talk hubby into going South.

 

[scuba]

Nobody is telling anyone what they can or can't do and nobody is calling you a bad driver. I have a feeling that the majority of people would be cautious (at best) going to a restaurant where a paying customer was arrested for not leaving a tip.

People are more than welcome to go there if they want. I have a feeling there won't be a long line.

I can agree with that, I would be cautious too, but I bet that I would find out that this is an isolated incident that was handled poorly from all sides. I just don't feel that an isolated incident....I don't know this may indeed be a terrible place to eat, but I don't think a resturaunt trying their best in a poor economy needs to be bashed on a review site over 1 incident especially when the folks bashing it are just logging onto a review site and doing it just to get a rise....hopefully this place won't go out of business especially if it comes to light sometime that the patrons were indeed a$$es.