Spinoff-Withholding A Tip

[mummabear]

I don't go out to eat often and can't recall getting service so bad that I would not leave a tip. I see nothing wrong with leaving a small tip or none if the service is terrible. As far as the pizza delivery person from the other thread, I would have given him a tip because the slow service may have been beyond his control. There are too many variables when a person delivers food to know for sure why the service was slow, so I would never take it out on the delivery person. For a waiter or waitress, it would be easier to judge the service.

Sure not leaving him at tip for being late (when the meals come free) is too much, on the other hand not giving him a tip because he tried to get them to pay for it anyway then gave them attitude about it is another.
In this case he reason I wouldn't have tipped him had nothing to with the pizza being late and everything to do with his poor service after the fact.

Picture this your comp au has a policy that says 30 minutes or free, they even have a countdown timer, you arrive at 40 minutes, you walk up to the door and say sorry I'm late but the good news is your pizza is free...still think hey would have stiffed him on the tip?

 

[ronandannette]

So if I order a pizza and the waitress brings me a hotdog, not leaving a tip means I treated her badly?

Never having worked in a restaurant, whose responsibility is it if an order comes out wrong? I'd think it's on the server to notice, even if the kitchen messed it up. Yes or no?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Never having worked in a restaurant, whose responsibility is it if an order comes out wrong? I'd think it's on the server to notice, even if the kitchen messed it up. Yes or no?

Yes I totally agree. Customer asks for pizza, waitress brings back a hot dog. Even if she submitted order correctly, she still screwed up.

 

[wilkeliza]

Never having worked in a restaurant, whose responsibility is it if an order comes out wrong? I'd think it's on the server to notice, even if the kitchen messed it up. Yes or no?

Totally the waitress/waiter's job to fix it as quickly as possible. If a runner brings your food they may not realize it is wrong but your server should be there quickly enough and register the issue and fix it quickly.

 

[tigercat]

I didn' tip a taxi driver once. We used a taxi from Miami airport to our hotel. I had taken the trip a couple of months before and I knew how much it should cost and the best and fastest route. This time he took the longest way possible and it was double the price. No tip at all.
As for restaurants there have been a few that I have left very little tip because of the horrible service.
tigercat

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's not been my worst experiences but multiple people have mentioned Chili's. They have been by far the slowest and least attentive service. If it's that way all over the place..it's very telling regarding the company.

Another one is Steak N' Shake...many times they forget the shake (ironic I know). The one we go to every now and then the waiters/waitresses like to gossip loudly. The manager we spoke with last time admitted it's been hard to keep the younger staff who appear to be of less than thick skin.

I personally haven't tipped less than 10% (one time only at Denny's though we didn't leave a tip..too long of a story on that one), 15% is my norm and more than that could be multiple things such as service, type of place, if I'm just grabbing a beer at a bar (my tab could be like $6 or so but I'm usually tipping $2-$4 to the bartender), etc. I also tip off subtotal so hopefully the waiters/waitresses are doing quick math to understand that part.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

So if I order a pizza and the waitress brings me a hotdog, not leaving a tip means I treated her badly?

That's not what I said and you know it.
But to clarify for those reading, if she initially brought a hot dog and then brought you your pizza in a reasonable amount of time, and you treated her badly and insulted her about it and left no tip then yes you treated her badly. If however, you were nice about it and she treated you badly and did not bring the pizza in a reasonable amount of time than you would be ok with leaving no tip. But rather than just leave no tip, you should contact a manager.

 

[superme80]

I have had some service where the servers are rude because I order the special and no alcohol. I had one waitress disappear on my friend and myself because we ordered the special and talked for awhile. Then we had the audacity to order dessert. She got a low tip. I have tipped a bus boy over my server before. Large group of college age kids went to Chevy's. Server took our drink order and vanished. Bus boy took our order, delivered it, and checked on us. Waiter cam back to deliver the check. We pulled the manager aside as we tipped the bus boy and informed him who earned the tip. Caught the waiter complaining to a fellow server and we informed him that if he did his job, he would have gotten a tip. My dad did the penny in a glass one time. We went to Denny's with my dad's side of the family and the service was awful. They were rude, slow, and the food came out cold. I was about 10 at the time, but my dad was livid. He doesn't like to complain so he paid, put a penny in a glass upside down and we left. We avoided that Denny's for years.

 

[disneymom3]

So people say instead of leaving no tip or a low tip, talk to the manager. Because getting the waitstaff fired is a better option than figuring maybe they had an off day? I have waited tables, when you are doing a crappy job you know it. Unless people continue to tip you well and then you figure doing a crappy job is good enough.

My first waitressing job in college, we had this one regular who came in and no matter what he ordered he always left a penny. He was very cranky and demanding. No matter what we did, he only ever left a penny. We had a competition going to see if anyone could get him to leave more. Big smiles, his coffee never ran empty etc...didn't work. No one ever got more than a penny. We considered being rude to see if we could get him to skip the penny but no one wanted to get fired.

 

[Nancyg56]

We have the right to judge the service we receive that we are expected to pay for with our tips.

I agree. As a young mother I supported my family waiting tables, and I knew that my job depended on more than taking orders and delivering food. Now this was years ago, before runners and expediters handled orders after they were turned in, but I think the concept is still the same. You work in customer service, and your wage depends on the level of service you provide, you must accept that the customer is the person judging a portion of that wage.

I can not think of too many circumstances that would compel me to stiff a server. It would have to be horrific service, and I mean service....not food etc. I would be having a chat with management if I was that upset, though.

 

[MIGrandma]

Never having worked in a restaurant, whose responsibility is it if an order comes out wrong? I'd think it's on the server to notice, even if the kitchen messed it up. Yes or no?

Generally it's the server's responsibility to notice if a customer's order is wrong before bringing it to the customer. There were several times when I worked as a server myself I would notice something not right and would tell the cook it needed to be done again, so then I would go to the customer and let them know what happened. They were always appreciative that I let them know, rather than just letting them sit there and wait longer, wondering where their food was. Mistakes happen, but if they are promptly and politely corrected most customers are understanding. But, sometimes the server can't know if there is a problem until they bring it to the customer, such as in steak. If it's ordered a certain way but comes out more rare or overcooked, the server isn't going to know that until the customer actually cuts into the steak. I like it when the server brings the steak to the table and asks you to cut it right away, to make sure it's done properly before they even walk away.

DH and I had dinner out last Sunday, and the pasta primavera dish I wanted to order came with a "basil garlic oil sauce" whereas another dish came with a "light cream sauce" so I asked our server if I could switch to that sauce, since I HATE basil. She said it would be no problem, except for a $2 upcharge. I didn't fully understand the upcharge, since the sauce I wanted didn't contain meat, but I did agree to it. Well, when she brought it I could see parsley was sprinkled over the food, which was fine, but..."um, excuse me....is this fresh basil on the pasta?" Server says, "yes, it is." Seriously?! When I told you right up front, when I asked to change the sauce, that I HATED basil? Really?! She offered to have the dish remade, but my husband was already digging into his salmon meal so by the time I got a new one he would be finished, plus I have only sent food back once in my life (a steak ordered medium rare that came out way over well done and tough as shoe leather) as you just never know what "extra additives" a cook or server might decide to add to your food. So I just picked off what I could, but still had a couple bites with basil in it and couldn't finish and no, I don't need a box to take it home. It was very disappointing, and we did adjust the server's tip for it as I felt she should have conveyed to the cook not to add basil to the dish. Nor did she offer to take part of the cost off the bill, not even the ridiculous $2 "upcharge" for the change in sauce.

 

[hereyago]

So people say instead of leaving no tip or a low tip, talk to the manager. Because getting the waitstaff fired is a better option than figuring maybe they had an off day? I have waited tables, when you are doing a crappy job you know it. Unless people continue to tip you well and then you figure doing a crappy job is good enough.

My first waitressing job in college, we had this one regular who came in and no matter what he ordered he always left a penny. He was very cranky and demanding. No matter what we did, he only ever left a penny. We had a competition going to see if anyone could get him to leave more. Big smiles, his coffee never ran empty etc...didn't work. No one ever got more than a penny. We considered being rude to see if we could get him to skip the penny but no one wanted to get fired.

Yes, let the manager know. If you aren't doing your job, you have to have consequences. It is the duty of the manager to be able to have the employees in check, to look at for the bottom line of the business and to keep customers want to keep coming back. Not every employee gets fired automatically for getting a drink order wrong, but if the employee has had problems before, then that job isn't for them.


I honestly don't think that companies across the board especially that deal in customer service dont do any or enough adquate training.

 

[RedAngie]

The very worst restaurant service I have EVER experienced was in a Chilii's.
Like the OP, and the above poster.
Coincidence???? Maybe not!


I just had to mention that we would never leave that kind of cash laying on the table.
if somebody else pocketed that cash before the long-absent server returned, then she might be held responsible for the amount of that ticket. (which some might say, serves her right)
We even tip as we pay with the credit card when possible. And do not leave dollar bills.

True. I stated it poorly. We wouldn't leave $50 on the table top and vanish. DH put it inside the black bill folder.

I have had some service where the servers are rude because I order the special and no alcohol. I had one waitress disappear on my friend and myself because we ordered the special and talked for awhile. Then we had the audacity to order dessert. She got a low tip. I have tipped a bus boy over my server before. Large group of college age kids went to Chevy's. Server took our drink order and vanished. Bus boy took our order, delivered it, and checked on us. Waiter cam back to deliver the check. We pulled the manager aside as we tipped the bus boy and informed him who earned the tip. Caught the waiter complaining to a fellow server and we informed him that if he did his job, he would have gotten a tip. My dad did the penny in a glass one time. We went to Denny's with my dad's side of the family and the service was awful. They were rude, slow, and the food came out cold. I was about 10 at the time, but my dad was livid. He doesn't like to complain so he paid, put a penny in a glass upside down and we left. We avoided that Denny's for years.

Us ordering non-alcoholic drinks seemed to change the server's attitude instantaneously. She was friendly when approaching the table for the first time, then it was clear that she didn't want to bothered with us.

 

[hereyago]

When dining alone, I refuse being sat in the bar area, for example at Red Robin or Texas Roadhouse Steakhouse, because the bartender always ends up getting busy with the drinkers.

And I hate places where they will sit down like they are your friend to take your order.

 

[superme80]

True. I stated it poorly. We wouldn't leave $50 on the table top and vanish. DH put it inside the black bill folder.



Us ordering non-alcoholic drinks seemed to change the server's attitude instantaneously. She was friendly when approaching the table for the first time, then it was clear that she didn't want to bothered with us.

When going out on date night with my hubby, we usually order fancy non alcoholic beverages. It annoys me when a waiter is rude when I don't order alcohol. I don't really drink when I go out, especially if I am driving.

 

[BLAZEY]

We had pretty bad service a local restaurant one time awhile back. DH works in food service and used to work in restaurants so he quite often will give the full 15%. (Liquor Servers in BC make $9.60/ hr plus tips. Regular minimum wage is $10.85) We were forgotten. We were seated and drinks were brought then it took almost an hour for our server to come back to try and take our order. We had flagged down another server to let them know we had been waiting a long time. When our server came back we just told her we wanted our bill and were leaving. paid just what we owed for the drinks, spoke to the Assistant Manager and left. You don't get a tip if you ignore us for so long we up and leave.

 

[focusondisney]

I'm always going to leave a tip unless it something horrible like the server hits me or cuss at me. None of us know what kinda a day this people have had before you see them. You don't know what their last table put them through or what struggles they are facing in their home lives. Try to show them a little compassion you might just change their whole day. None us of have the right to judge a server on the small amount of time we see them.

I would not be "judging". But I feel a tip is a payment for service. If i don't get service, why would I pay??? I am a nurse. If I give you the wrong medicine because I am having a bad day or have home problems, is that ok??

 

[justussix]

If I receive bad service, I speak to the manger... during my stay, not after it.

I still tip, though if it were as bad as some I'm reading here, it would be 10-15% instead of my normal 20+

I don't think 10 - 15% sends the message you want it to. If I provided substandard service, 10 - 15% would just tell me you're an average to poor tipper and I'm glad I didn't waste my time on your table. $1 would send a message. Leaving nothing would send a message.

Then again - if I was that bad - maybe I would externalize all of it and continue to provide bad service.

 

[BrianL]

We once had a terrible server for a large group who came by once and never came back. He didn't even take our orders, someone from the kitchen did it and took care of us the rest of the night. When it was time to go, we felt that if we left a tip on the table the server might take it, so my friend marched right back into the kitchen and handed that guy all of the tip money.

I don't know if it had to be pooled or whatever, but the server certainly didn't earn it.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I always leave a tip unless the service is so bad I'm willing to speak to the manager about it. I can count the number of times I've done that on 1 hand and I'd still have fingers left over.

My sister is a hairstylist and tips are very important to her livelihood, so I understand how important tips are in the service industry. So while bad service may affect how much I tip, it takes truly bad service for me not to leave a tip.