If a waiter/waitress comps an item or two, do they pay?

[Aimeedyan]

Who covers the expense of the dish? Does it vary among restaurants?

Our waitress last night not only gave us an extra appetizer but also comped a cocktail on our final bill because she was delayed in approaching our table once seated (we sat about 10 minutes waiting). She was an excellent waitress the rest of the evening.

After we left, I got to wondering if she had to pay for the items she comped or if management covers those for things like that. I didn't want her entire tip going to those items and thought I should find out before it happens to us again someplace else =)

Thanks for any insight!

 

[ter-moo]

Generally, the manager okays the comp and the restaurant just covers it. I used to waitress and the only time I had to personally pay for something is if I screwed up somehow (or if the table stiffed me and I still had to pay the cocktail waitress, the bartender and the bus boy.)

By the way, your schnauzer looks a lot like ours!!!

 

[LadyyRedd]

Most likely the restaurant covers the cost and the waitress was already empowered to make the decision to comp items in exchange for service issues so that they manager doesn't have to be called unless it's a serious issue.

Kimya

 

[Beth76]

I would assume the restaurant covers it. But I would still tip for the amount comped.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I would assume the restaurant covers it. But I would still tip for the amount comped.

Same here.

 

[Freyja]

I would assume the restaurant covers it. But I would still tip for the amount comped.

I agree. I always tip for what the total bill would have been.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Thank you all for answering! That's what I was hoping.

(and we did tip on the 'what would be' amt - I'm a stickler for that, too!)

 

[vettechick99]

Some servers will comp things in hopes they'll get a bigger tip. This mostly happens at bars, but it happens at restaurants, too.

 

[rgf207]

Generally, the manager okays the comp and the restaurant just covers it. I used to waitress and the only time I had to personally pay for something is if I screwed up somehow (or if the table stiffed me and I still had to pay the cocktail waitress, the bartender and the bus boy.)

By the way, your schnauzer looks a lot like ours!!!

Where did you work. I have never heard of this. there is no way I would pay if a table stiffed me.

 

[ter-moo]

Where did you work. I have never heard of this. there is no way I would pay if a table stiffed me.

I've worked at several places, all upscale restaurants. Some of them made you tip a percentage of your food total to the bar and to the bus boys. So, if you got stiffed by a table or got a low tip, you actually ended up PAYING for the privilege of having waited on them. (And I was a good, attentive waitress)

 

[Youarehere]

I have NEVER had to pay, my mistake or not, and I have been waiting tables for 18 years.
One restaurant actually encouraged it. They printed out a list of what each server was comp/voiding each month. If you fell below or above a certain percentile you had to talk to a manager because you were either a theif, a really bad server, or you were not paying enough attention to your tables to be able to recognize a dissatisfied customer.

We did tip out based on actual sales though, so bartenders, food runners, bussers and other support staff got their share even if the server got stiffed.