I Can't Believe They Did This!!!

[Chattyaholic]

I'm a waitress and yesterday (Sunday) I waited on a couple with two children. When they were finished I asked if they wanted dessert, and the woman said they wanted "two pieces of chocolate pie and one piece of apple pie." I totalled up their bill, took the pies to them (they were for the husband and two children) and asked the woman if she didn't want a piece herself?
She said no, and kind of paused, so I waited...then she said, how about a strawberry milk shake? No problem. I made it for her and brought it to her, and said "I'll just need to change the bill." I noticed she had the check already made out but didn't think much about it, figured they would just pay for the shake in cash.
On their way out, when I rang them up at the register, the husband apologized and said "sorry there isn't much left from the check for your tip, after adding the milk shake." I just smiled and said "no problem." But after they left I just couldn't believe they would pay for their shake out of what was supposed to be my tip!! So instead of getting $5.75, I only got $2.16. I couldn't believe they would do that, and then SAY something about it no less!!! If it were me and I already had the check written out I would leave more money on the table, or void the check and start over. What would YOU do if YOU had been the customer???

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Neither one...we always pay with our check card so we don't have to mess with writing checks

But, if it were me I just wouldn't have said anything about it and then the waitress would've just thought I was a cheap tipper.

 

[doxdogy]

I always pay with check card and add the tip. If had been me writing the check, I would have waited until your returned with the new bill, before writing the check. I honestly think that some people don't realize that a waitress or waiter generally doesn't make minimum wage and that the tips are taxable income. At least they were taxable income when I waited tables many moons ago.

 

[Lorix2]

Wow.

Being a waitress myself I totally understand how you feel.

I think that knowing that she didn't have enough money to leave a decent tip, she should have declined any offer from you for anything further.

On the other hand, at least the gentlemen acknowledged the fact that there wasn't much left, so he did think of you.

I also think that maybe she thought you might just say "oh, it's on us, don't worry about it" being that she knew the check had already been printed.

We don't accept checks as a rule, so ringing another check hasn't had that kind of issue.

Sorry you didn't get what you expected

 

[preshi]

I didnt even know you could write a check for food at a restaurant!!!

Weird...

Sorry that really sucks... I always pay with my check card too...

 

[FOJMO]

This really surprises me, but not for the reason you asked.

Since when do restaurants accept checks??? I have never heard of that!

I mean, when you buy something tangible (not edible), you can write a check, but when you've consumed food, what's the recourse for the restaurant if the check bounces? They can't get your food back!

Plus, what they did was wrong. Sorry that happened to you. Not a good thing at all.

 

[Chattyaholic]

The restaurant where I work is a family owned and operated old fashioned diner, where most of our customers are repeats who keep coming back time and time again. We do get some new ones, but they too usually become "regulars" as it's a really great place to eat, with all home-cooked food.

Plus, we don't accept credit/debit cards (I wish we did, but the owner refuses to) so it's either "cash or check" and we do get a phone number if there isn't one printed on the check. I've worked there nearly 7 years and only twice can I remember a check bouncing so it really doesn't happen often.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since when do restaurants accept checks??? I have never heard of that!

HUH? DH writes a check all the time at restaurants! As for taking her milkshake out of your tip...That was rude, classless and ignorant.

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Originally posted by Chattyaholic
most of our customers are repeats who keep coming back time and time again. We do get some new ones, but they too usually become "regulars" as it's a really great place to eat, with all home-cooked food.

Well, if you see them come back, offer her another milkshake and if she orders one only give her half of a milkshake and tell her that you just, "took your tip out of the milkshake"

 

[binny]

we always write checks at restaurants must be an area thing

 

[Chattyaholic]

Princess Aurora: I love your idea!! But, I don't think my boss would like it if I gave it a try. It would be tempting though!!!

 

[preshi]

**WARNING** playing devils advocate


A tip is not mandatory... to say she shouldnt have ordered a milkshake is silly... its her money she can do what she wants with it....

even if that means looking like a (insert word of choice here)


I personally was raised to be a good tipper so I dont have this problem but some people see it as a gift not as a given .

 

[grinningghost]

DH and I are both former restaurant workers (that's where we met), so we are always good tippers, unless the service is downright awful. If it had been me, I wouldn't have ordered so much food that I didn't have money left for a respectable tip. But that's the restaurant employee in me - I know how important those tips are to the servers. You're completely right in being upset, you gave them good service - they are in the wrong.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

If I'd already written the check I would have left the balance of the tip in cash. the only time I don't tip is when the service was not appropriate.

 

[katerkat]

Maybe they didn't have any cash on them, and that was their last check? I wouldn't have gotten the milkshake, though, if that was the case.

 

[Micca]

Taking the cost of the shake out of your tip was thoughtless. As far as the question about what recourse does a restaurant have if you write a hot check? They turn it over to collections and they can wreck your credit just as if you wrote a bad check anywhere else.

 

[Chattyaholic]

preshi: I'm not even going to comment on what you said, that's a whole other subject for the debate board!!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

From one waitress to another...I can understand your pain and frustration. We don't accept checks at Ruby's and those that write them we ask them for another form of payment. There have been those who have written a check and left quickly afterwards, but the tip was written into the check. The shake shouldn't have been ordered it if was going to take away from you tip. How do you go to a restaurant and not have at least two forms of payment??? I've had guests whose first credit card didn't go through and they handed me another that did, but at least they had their back-up. I've also had those who have written a check and I've had to tell them no and they just simply hand me cash or their debit/credit card.

That was just simply rude on their part to do what they did and then to tell you that your tip was lower now because of the shake!!! UGH!!! I feel your pain girlfriend....I feel your pain.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Originally posted by preshi
A tip is not mandatory...

Neither is good service.