Family walks out on $80 bill

[Pea-n-Me]

Went out to dinner last night. There was a family of three sitting behind us, including a boy of about 12 (who had a large prime rib). This family walked out without paying, leaving the waitress near tears. She'd worked a double shift and even packed up their uneaten food for them to take with them. I couldn't believe it.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

that is sad
bad example to set for the kids

 

[rhanditresmom]

just can't even imagine......

 

[Stacerita]

What the heck is wrong with some people

 

[gradtchr]

Poor waitress!

We witnessed an incident last night where two men ate 70 dollars worth of food at El Chico and tried to pass off a fake credit card. They were most definitely caught and the instigator said he had to go to the bathroom and took off running out of the mall leaving his friend to face the police by himself.

 

[chell]

Goodness! Such a shame.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Went out to dinner last night. There was a family of three sitting behind us, including a boy of about 12 (who had a large prime rib). This family walked out without paying, leaving the waitress near tears. She'd worked a double shift and even packed up their uneaten food for them to take with them. I couldn't believe it.

BIL worked as a waiter. Restaurant tried to charge waiters for unpaid bills including credit card charges fraudulently made. BIL had to point out the laws protecting waiters from being charged. This was in Maine.

Maybe that was why waitress was near tears.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

That really stinks. First these waitresses don't make much and what they do make is based on trips, so she lost out of the tips, plus whatever she might have to pay for the meal if anything.

 

[RonnieJo66]

It's amazing what some people will do!

I can't begin to wonder what else they are teaching their children

No good examples, that's for sure

 

[SillyMe]

BIL worked as a waiter. Restaurant tried to charge waiters for unpaid bills including credit card charges fraudulently made. BIL had to point out the laws protecting waiters from being charged. This was in Maine.

Maybe that was why waitress was near tears.

That's not right. Why should any of the employees have to pay for the bill? It's not their fault the customer walked out.

 

[chell]

That's not right. Why should any of the employees have to pay for the bill? It's not their fault the customer walked out.

Right! And if they were to refuse to serve them because they thought the person might skip they would be in trouble over that too.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Restaurant tried to charge waiters for unpaid bills including credit card charges fraudulently made

Yes, she said this would go "in her file" and she was worried if there were too many of these, she'd lose her job. I overheard her tell a coworker she wasn't sure she'd be at work tomorrow.

I can't see how it was any fault of hers. It was busy, but not too bad. If these people couldn't wait, at least they could have gone to the desk and asked for their bill that way.

 

[Evil Queen]

That's horrible.

 

[S. C.]

It's amazing what some people will do!

I can't begin to wonder what else they are teaching their children

No good examples, that's for sure

And these same people will wonder why their son grows up to be a thief. They will say they were such good parents that they just can't understand it.

 

[Acklander]

It's not just Maine, but everywhere that the law is you can't charge employees for mistakes; but the way around it is many times employers will say if there are any shortages then the employee if fired, by phrasing it this way then the employee has the choice to either pay for the shortages or lose their job. The law isn't just for wait people - if you work a register at a store they're not allowed to charge for shortages either.

 

[milkabum]

Next time you go there, leave a tip for a that watiress. She deserves something for serving food all day.

 

[minnie56]

..are just morally bankrupt aren't they??

 

[Honu]

An extended family (probably 10 people) sitting next to us at the pool in Maui last month ordered food & drinks (those $10 a pop drinks) and told the waitress they would pay by credit card because it was their last day there. They had id bracelets for the pool, so they were probably guests there. A couple hours later the waitress dropped off their bill, they waited for her to leave, packed up their stuff, took the bill out of the folder and walked away. We watched them leave and wished them a safe trip home.
I never would have expected it. The waitress was so upset. The bill was over $1000.

 

[Alice's Mom]

I would hope the only financial set-back would be the loss of tips. Please tell me that she really doesn't have to pay the bill and it wouldn't affect her employment status.

If that did cause her to lose her job, when it was obviously the work of dishonesty, there is a serious problem. I would imagine this would be wrongful termination.

Do waitresses in MA get paid an hourly wage, or is it just tips?

 

[DMickey28]

servers in MA get a very low hourly (it was $2.36 in 2000-2002) plus tips.

i can't believe some people. When i worked as a waitress and then a restuarant manager, it was the servers responsibility to keep an eye on the table, including when the bill went down. we had a new outside patio and that first summer we had a lot of people jumping the fence and leaving. While the server would never have to pay for it or lose their job, it would go in the file. we had a policy to check back 30 seconds after you drop the check.... it makes sense that it's the servers job to tend to that table until they walk out the door. however, this is no way saying it's her fault at all. Of course you have other tables and need to go to the kitchen for things.....