It was a the peak of the lunchtime rush, explains our submitter, a waitress at a busy Chili’s restaurant, and these customers made it clear early on that they weren’t happy with their meal. As you can see from the check, she says, “My manager already comped $18 dollars worth of food that they complained about” — not to mention that when the entrees were remade (for free), the customers ate every last bit — and enjoyed a free dessert as well.
“Apparently, that wasn’t enough, however,” our submitter says. At the end of the meal, “they were still charged for the appetizers they ordered (which they devoured and didn’t complain about),” but somehow they still felt morally superior enough to dine and dash. Adds our waitress: “Tipping may be optional, but walking out on your bill is still theft.”
Meanwhile, this customer’s approach (as submitted by Thomas in Palo Alto), is just bad form. Homophone fail!
related: A friendly tip from your waitress
344 responses so far ↓
#1
grad student waitress
Ugh, I can’t wait for people to start posting stories about how they didn’t tip AND IT WAS SO JUSTIFIED :/
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:29 pm rating: 40
#2
Melissa
Know what else is a bitch? Karma.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:29 pm rating: 90
#3
Mamabug (now with more resolutions!)
As a former server, I probably would’ve chased them out into the parking lot, gotten their tag number, and reported them for theft of services.
No, I’m not bitter about having this exact same thing happen to me…..
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:30 pm rating: 45
#4
lagne
Good god.. perfect example of why I would be worthless in the service industry. How do you not just follow them out into the parking lot and curb-stomp them? I would lose my mind. And job. A million times over.
The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I’m going to look at porn to take my mind off it.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:32 pm rating: 104
#5
SP
I almost got run over by a couple dining and dashing on an expensive cocktail bill. I ran in front of their Jeep and the guy didn’t so much as slow down. It’s amazing what people will do. I’ve had plenty of bad service. I just write to the corporate office and get a free dinner/drinks/whatever that way. I also report good service, too.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:34 pm rating: 35
#6
Mel K
Some customers behave like they are going through the ‘terrible twos’ and mommy tried to make them eat their vegetables.
It would be great if you could boot them out with no dessert!
I am not saying that wait staff are perfect. I am only saying that some customers are immature and nothing would make them happy.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:34 pm rating: 36
#7
Sir Ver
I once had a dining companion buy me dinner so he could tip the waitress a nickel. I was on board because she really did a terrible job.
But, generally (and especially when the food is the issue, not the service), I say if you can’t afford to tip 15%, you can’t afford to eat out. Yes, it’s a crappy system, and yes, they took the job with their eyes open. You still have to tip, you cheap bastards. It’s the only way these people make any money. Also, if you’re like most American restaurant patrons, you are an asshole and a pig. You should tip more.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:36 pm rating: 61
#8
Jeanine
I have a feeling that customer #1 entered that restaurant not intending to pay the full bill at all (they’d probably had a genuinely bad experience at the same restaurant previously and decided to take advantage of the manager’s generosity).
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:38 pm rating: 29
#9
Zinnia
No street cred ‘cuz you lost thug points when you spelled it your instead of you’re.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:38 pm rating: 21
#10
Nahhh
I’m a former server and a good tipper for good service. Oddly enough, I usually get good service, too…possibly because I am a good customer. It shocks me how many people forget their manners when dealing with people in service positions. “Please” and “thank you” are good for *everyone*.
Failing that, hot coffee on the thigh.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:47 pm rating: 74
#11
Perrywong
It’s at times like this I like to take the intellectual high ground. In the second photo it says “your a bitch”. This should be “you’re a bitch”. Grammar and spelling, it’s what separates us from them!
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:51 pm rating: 11
#12
Party in my pants
The comps were delicious!!
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:51 pm rating: 4
#13
jfruh
When you’re on a first date with someone, watch how they interact with the server. Your date will be trying to impress/woo you, and will probably see you as a social equal, so of course they’re being nice to you. But how someone treats a person they view as below them in status speaks volume about their character.
Jan 18, 2011 at 6:58 pm rating: 159
#14
Darth Val
I and many of my restaurant co-workers have gotten bitchy receipt notes like this telling us what horrible people we are. They usually don’t make any sense. These people are insatiable, entitled idiots. Some of them are actually scammers and complain every time they come in about nothing so they can get free shit. The more ridiculous and impolite they are, the more they are rewarded. It’s an awesome system.
Jan 18, 2011 at 7:01 pm rating: 44
#15
aaa
It would be more humorous if Thomas in Palo Alto is the one who left the left the eloquent statement on that receipt.
Exactly how did he get hold of it, anyway? Does he work there?
Jan 18, 2011 at 7:24 pm rating: 1
#16
sdeditor
Some restaurants take it out of the server’s paycheck when a table does a dine-and-dash. (This happened to my brother when he used to wait tables at Red Lobster.) I guess they DO expect the server to chase them down and stop them.
When I used to wait tables, we had a few regular customers who never tipped. So all the waitresses refused to wait on them, and the manager would have to do it. I wish he would have just let them sit there until they got the idea that people who don’t pay for service…don’t get any service.
Jan 18, 2011 at 7:30 pm rating: 32
#17
Jonathan
I wan half, Eddeeeee!
Jan 18, 2011 at 7:34 pm rating: 9
#18
Lauren
Complaint scammers are the worst.
Back when I still worked at California Pizza Hell, there were several families who would bitch and moan about EVERYTHING every single time they came in (at least once a month) in order to get free food. The managers totally enabled it by continuing to give them comp cards. It was ridiculous. If you hate the food/service so much, eat somewhere else! Not a difficult concept.
Jan 18, 2011 at 8:00 pm rating: 29
#19
careerwaitress
a “guest” once noted on one of my tickets that “service was pour.” i was so busy feeling smug about the *poor* spelling that i barely noticed the criticism.
Jan 18, 2011 at 8:19 pm rating: 28
#20
Anon in MI
I’m aghast, that is just terrible!
Whatever happened to decency, honesty and good manners?
I cannot stand it when people see waitstaff and other people in the service industry as servants. They aren’t and never will be, and deserve respect. Rude people need to stay home.
Jan 18, 2011 at 8:50 pm rating: 29
#21
havingfitz
I believe that it should be a requirement that everyone work in a restaurant at least once in their lives. And you would think people would learn that if you’re nice when things go wrong (we’re still laughing over a raw steak we were served the other night) you get a lot more freebies than if you’re a jerk about it. When restaurants get slammed, things can and will go wrong. And most restaurants feel bad about it and will go out of their way to make you happy, unless you make them regret not lacing your re-made order with arsenic.
Jan 18, 2011 at 9:29 pm rating: 40
#22
Madrias
The only reason I’ve ever done a no-tip was the time the waitress decided that, after she’d set all the stuff on our table, she wasn’t going to return. We had our food and our drinks, yeah, but when the drinks had been downed, and the ice melted and drank as well, you really need to come back.
Especially when you tell us “Hi, I’m Jenny, and I’ll be your server this evening,” and I start asking for you whenever you walk by.
Then again, I’ve also given a massive tip (or 2) before for really good service, such as the time one of the servers made sure we had soda in our glasses, checked on us multiple times, and gave a custom mix in our soda. Only time we’ve ever given a 100% tip.
Jan 18, 2011 at 10:43 pm rating: 4
#23
Silence
I haven’t been a bartender/server for a year, but goddamn, these notes are filling me with RAGE. The only consolation is that, at my bar/restaurant, we finally implemented a policy where people HAD to give us a credit card to start a tab. We were tired of this exact kind of thing. Plus, being a bar, it was routine for a large group to run up a $200-300 tab. Imagine being stuck with half of that!
Jan 18, 2011 at 11:17 pm rating: 9
#24
Canthz_B
So, for good service tip 15% or more.
For bitchy service tip nothing.
And for “homble” service pay half the bill?
Got it, thanks.
Jan 19, 2011 at 12:31 am rating: 5
#25
Canthz_B
The people who paid half obviously feel guilty about it and want to be tracked down.
They subconsciously left the map reference to their location on the receipt…”e6″.
Jan 19, 2011 at 1:10 am rating: 3
#26
Jenn
I hate rude customers. I had a lady call and complain today that she got charged for filets when she ordered sirloin. She called an hour after she ate and paid her bill. I repeated her order THREE times to her. And she still ended up getting a $30 comp on her next visit in. Honestly people.
Jan 19, 2011 at 3:17 am rating: 7
#27
Canthz_B
Happy Let The Servers Vent Day!!
Lord knows service hardly ever bites, and if it ever does, it wasn’t their fault because they are courteous at all times.
Yup! That has been my experience in life, so stop complaining about servers. It’s not their job to do their jobs, and you have no right to expect good service when you’re willing to pay good money for it. Nor is it your right to pay a lower tip when you don’t get the experience you thought you’d get.
Just fork over your hard-earned cash, shut your trap and take what you’re given, you damned customer!
EVERYONE knows servers NEVER catch a little attitude or decide from the get-go who will be a good tipper and treat them well based upon expectation, and who they expect will be a bad tipper and treat them accordingly.
Classic self-fulfilling prophecies don’t apply to servers because they’re clairvoyant.
Jan 19, 2011 at 5:32 am rating: 49
#28
Canthz_B
I have no problem leaving a generous tip, don’t get me wrong.
I just wish servers would disabuse themselves of the notion that a certain amount of tip is OWED.
Tips are EARNED…get it straight.
When my order is taken in a timely manner, you’ve EARNED a 15% tip just for showing up at my table. That amount goes up or down based upon how well you do the rest of your job. You can push it to 30% or drop it to zip.
That’s up to you. Like it or not, for the time being, you work for me…and every one of your other tables.
Not asking for a slave, just that you fulfill your obligation to me as a diner on your station paying to dine out.
Treat me the way you’d like to be treated if you were in my seat, as I don’t ask you to bust your butt for me. All I ask is that you be available a reasonable amount of the time. That you have an attention span longer than that of a gnat.
Is that so hard?
Jan 19, 2011 at 6:28 am rating: 22
#29
Alice
For those times when food is comp’ed (for whatever reason), but wait staff provided good service, don’t forget to include the cost of the free food in the total when computing your tip!
Jan 19, 2011 at 6:31 am rating: 25
#30
BrianS
I did 10 years of waiting. In that time I’ve been stiffed a handful of times, far less than most of my co-workers. Here’s why:
1. I recognize that the customer is not my employer, and isn’t obligated to give me anything. If I want a big tip, I have to earn it.
2. In a limited capacity, for the time that I am waiting on you, I am your servant. This silly notion that there is any difference between “server” and “servant” is nothing more than ego stroking. There’s nothing dishonorable about being a servant.
3. I don’t treat everybody the same. Some people want a vivacious, chatty waiter. Others want someone who is formal, prompt, and obedient. Know what the customer wants and give it to them. Don’t assume who is a crappy tipper and treat them worse.
4. I was honest. As a customer of any organization, nothing pisses me off more than getting strung along with a line of BS. If I made a mistake, I admitted it, and fixed it to the best of my ability.
5. I don’t do “schtick”. Far too many people I worked with acted like robots. Everything they did or said came from a playbook, which seriously depersonalizes the experience.
6. I left my “real life” at the door. The dining room isn’t a place for my problems.
7. I always helped other servers and support staff. I was never on the floor and not working. Your customers see it when you are chatting at the register or hostess desk. The perception that you aren’t working hard will impact your tips.
8. Most Important: I used my eyes, and was constantly scanning my tables. A problem addressed promptly and effectively can actually become a positive in terms of tips. But for every minute the customer has to brood over what went wrong they get more and more put off by it.
9. I knew it wasn’t my job to protect the owner’s comp money. If the manager decided to comp someone to shut them up…it wasn’t my problem. All to often I’d see my coworkers get crap attitudes for the rest of their shift when the manager gave in to some horses ass.
10. I was honest about my experience. Only about 10% of the customers are excessively negative, while 20% or so were equally positive. Yet we all can remember that cantankerous old fart who sent everything back three times, was rude and demanding, and tipped a buck on a $15 check. We forget about the equally nice customer who was very polite, the good tipper, the person who dealt with a problem with grace. We get bitter, and it effects our performance, and our tips.
BTW: Depending on your state, it’s probably illegal for the management to make the server pay for a dine and dash in a typical sit down setting.
Also, any server who spits in food (or worse, and I’ve seen it), deserves to not only be fired, but arrested. It is unsanitary and disgusting, and risks passing communicable diseases. (And we all know how easily colds spread around anyway.)
Jan 19, 2011 at 10:44 am rating: 63
#31
kmd
I have complained about bad food, gotten the comp, and then always tip the server for what the bill would have been without the comp. Bad food is almost never the server’s fault.
Even when the service is really, really bad … I still tip 15%. Because that’s part of the cost of eating out. It isn’t optional.
Jan 19, 2011 at 12:08 pm rating: 4
#32
Russian
I wanna insult the gang of tools who decided only to pay half a bill they were only paying half of in the first place, if that makes sense, but this is a deeply funny website, and I don’t want to get all serious.
So I’ll quote Mrs Doyle. Ahem. ‘F you…. F your effing wife…. I’ll stick this effing pitchfork up your hole….’
Jan 19, 2011 at 12:08 pm rating: 1
#33
Heroin
I haven’t waitressed in a couple years, but when I started it didn’t take me long to figure out that my actual service mattered a lot less than my ability to freely apologize for things that weren’t my fault, and to do so with a smile. I only ever got stiffed once on a tip, where the bill came to $99.18 and the man tipped me 82 cents to make it an even hundred. It was so ridiculous I had to laugh.
And my disclaimer: I live in Canada where waitresses are paid at least minimum wage and where we throw around “oh, I’m so sorry”s like you wouldn’t believe.
Jan 19, 2011 at 2:13 pm rating: 5
#34
Divvitar
I usually tip 20% even for marginal service, especially if the place is super busy. There have been exceptions, however. I’ve even walked out of places a time or two. There was this place near Cannon Beach, OR where my wife and I ordered a meal, and it took us 20 minutes just to get our drinks. After another hour, our food still hadn’t arrived and we left enough cash to cover the drinks and split. The kicker was, there weren’t more than seven or eight tables occupied in the entire restaurant. I later reported them to the BBB. I never blame kitchen mistakes on the servers. I’ve worked as a delivery driver in the past for several different pizza places. I’ve had to put up with the angry, rude or just plain dishonest customers out there. I know what it’s like to have to survive off your tips. I had this one old lady tip me 50 cents for a $25.00 order and acted like she was giving me a Christmas present! You just do your job and move on. The customer in note #1 needs to be arrested, and the one in #2 is well…#2.
Jan 19, 2011 at 2:32 pm rating: 6
#35
vixen
Monk-
It’s people like you that make me HATE going out to eat… (and not trust waitstaff)
I’m generally a pretty easy going person… but I can’t help but wonder how many waitstaff people there are out there that feel the same as this Monk person…
You should feel ashamed of yourself. You’re disgusting. I hope someone spits in your food/drink every time you go out to eat!
Jan 19, 2011 at 2:55 pm rating: 11
#36
BrianS
Monk’s right that the industry does tend to be a home to a lot of people new to the workforce. A lot of servers are angry and bitter, and do take it out on the customer in one way or the other, and when they get caught and fired, are honestly shocked that it’s ‘frowned upon’.
As for the whole “half minimum wage thing” it’s a nice talking point, but it’s BS. If your tips (calculated on gross receipts) fails to raise your hourly wage to minimum wage, your employer is required to make up the difference.
I have worked in all sorts of restaurants, hole in the wall, high end, chain, 24 hour pancake houses. I never did so badly in tips as to make less than minimum wage; but I knew my rights if I ever did.
Also, the whole “taxes are based on your gross receipts” thing is also an irrelevant talking point. Withholding is done that way, not taxes.
Additionally, it’s based on 8% of your checks. If you’re not averaging more than 8% tips, you need a new place to work, or a new job. Even if a third of your customers stiff you, you should still average between 10-15%.
A bad knee caused me to get out of waiting. I’m now a manager in the healthcare field, and make a decent living. But no better than I made as a waiter.
Jan 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm rating: 14
#37
Valerie
The ONLY time I didn’t tip 15-25%: We went out to an Italian restaurant. I ordered my drink, and the waitress looked at me like I was an idiot. I repeated it, and she asked my fiancee if I have a speech impediment. Then she put her hand on his shoulder when she took his drink order. Then brought me the lobster ravioli that she had suggested, and I had declined telling her I’m allergic. I didn’t realize until two raviolis in what she had done. My receipt looked about like that second one- except both of our meals were comped.
Jan 19, 2011 at 6:14 pm rating: 5
#38
Walker, "Tex" (a stranger)
I admit not reading the whole thread before posting, because by post 29.x I got tired of Modernmonk’s self-righteous bullshit.
Just for the record, I don’t tip trolls.
Jan 19, 2011 at 7:29 pm rating: 6
#39
Se
Go die in a fire monk, you sick fucking bastard.
Jan 19, 2011 at 7:45 pm rating: 4
#40
MissLiley
Holy jeebus I can’t believe I read ALLLL these comments! I’m compelled to add my story to the litany of all yours. I was a waitress in a strip club. Not a stripper. Not topless… Just a waitress. I’m sure you can imagine the hell I went through. From drunken perverts trying to accost me, to misogynistic club owners thinking that they can man-handle me because after all, I’m just a lowly waitress. We did serve food, mostly fried and burgers, but obviously mostly liquor sales.
We waitresses were paid exactly half of minimum wage plus tips. And to be honest, the tips were usually great. lol Patrons (read: drunken pervs) were usually with friends and trying to look like big shots, so large tips were the norm. Although there were always those who refused to tip or only tipped $1 no matter their total bill. I quit after it had finished serving its’ purpose for me. Don’t knock it, waitressing at the strip club paid for my college edu-ma-cation! But thinking back, I can’t think of one time that I thought it would be a good idea to spit in or otherwise sabotage a customer’s food or drink. It’s just not in my nature, no matter how rude, cheap or disgusting the customer may be. But I have seen it happen. I’ve seen waitresses put visine into someone’s drink. FYI it gives them a nasty case of the runs… I’ve seen a waiter drop someone’s sandwich on the floor. Pick it up to see if anyone saw, and then bring the customer their meal. I’ve seen things that would mortify most people and prevent them from ever eating in a restaurant in the future… So yes, Monk, it does happen. But those people are fired. Or arrested. Or sued. Or all of the above. And I believe you when you say it’s not something you’re proud of, you’re just stating what happened. But your giving a reason for why you spit in someone’s food sounds to a lot of people like excuses for inexcusable behavior. I think that’s just the crux of it. There IS no reason to behave unreasonably. I’m not going to vilify you, I’m trying to understand your view.
Being a waitress in a strip club did give me a skewed idea of what other waitresses/waiters made though, I have to say. I assumed that all servers were making around the same amount I was making, and since I was used to getting larger tips I in turn always tipped well.
If I’m going out to eat, I have enough money to pay for my meal and leave a generous tip should my waiter/waitress warrant leaving one. I can only think of one occasion that I refused to leave a tip at all.
Very nice Inn in Vermont, hotel restaurant. Our waitress left us at our table for 25 min. while chatting on her cell phone. Finally came over to take our drink order. We told her that we’d had enough time to look over the menu and knew what we’d like to order and was informed that she’s “not allowed” to take our order until after she’s entered the drink order. We thought that strange, but hey it’s Vermont! She went back to the order station and stood there for another 10 minutes texting on her cell. I waved her over and she let out a huge sigh, flipping her notebook over, acting all dramatic. Like she was somehow doing us a giant solid for taking our food order. By this time our drinks were close to empty. She didn’t bother to refill them or even ask if we’d like her to. Instead she rolled her eyes and went back to the order station to enter our meals. The entire meal went about the same, I won’t bore you with the details. I refuse to tip servers who act like it’s a giant hassle to do their job and mistreat patrons in the meantime. I shouldn’t be made to feel bad that I’d like a refill on my beverage please and thank you. We paid the bill and when we were leaving I asked the hostess if we could speak with the manager. I informed the mgr. what happened and he apologized profusely. Gave us a gift card for the full amount of our bill + $10 for the horrible experience. I gave the mgr. a 20% tip for the cook/busperson with the express stipulation that our waitress not get a penny of it.
Jan 19, 2011 at 9:31 pm rating: 21
#41
Chesire cat
You know, we have heard from several good servers who kinda take the whole thing in stride because they rarely got stiffed and when they did they knew a good tipper would make up for it. They seemed to get that they had to earn their tip and work hard for it and were grateful to get it. I think the crappy servers are probably the ones complaining. They probably get stiffed a lot because their service SUCKS. Maybe their customers get their entitled attitude that they are entitled to that 15% whether or not they earn it. Well there you go. Maybe if you earn it, then you will start getting it.
Jan 19, 2011 at 10:07 pm rating: 3
#42
dave
Wow ! what a train wreak!
It started with trainwreak is like I am so badass that I spit in peoples food!
People are like really? How could you?
TW: Yeah I am such a bad ass! I know other bad asses too who do this ok? So you better be tipping as I dictate or else!
People: Tsk, Tsk. Shame on you, you disgusting, lowly person. It’s wrong!
TW: I know it’s wrong but I am not lowly. I spit in people’s food but I have other standards. I am not lowly.
People: You should be ashamed of yourself for doing such disgusting thing instead of being proud of it.
TW: I am not proud! I am just saying that I am a badass you stupid people.
People: But you are proud of your dirty actions!
TW: I AM NOT PROUD! HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO TELL YOU!?I AM NOT PROUD, I JUST LIKE TO BE KNOWN AS BADASS!
People: *Ha! It’s fun. Let’s fuck with him* You are proud of your lowly actions. That is so shameful.
TW: I AM NOT! Fine. I will fake apologized. I really want to be bad ass. I am mature now
Mean while people all over the thread. Ha ha ha! look at that lowly train wreck who is proud of spitting in food!
TW now all over the place: I am not proud! I was just immature. I want to be known as bad ass. I am not proud! Stop saying that!
MissLiley: TW I will try to understand you even though you are totally wrong in spitting people’s food.
CB: TW, you should not fuck with commneters at PAN.
TW: Somebody! CB! MissLiley! Get me out of this fix. MissLiley, I kind of admit that it was not a good idea. CB, I wanted to be a bad ass just like you. I thought that if I say something disgusting PAN people would worship me. Clearly that is not the case. This back fired in such a bad way, next time I will change my screen name when I comment again on PAN. I still want to be known as bad ass. Don’t you think people are wrong in calling me disgusting?
TW to all other people: You guys are dumasses! Leave me alone!
I AM NOT PROUD, I JUST WANTED TO BE KNOWN AS BAD ASS YOU KNUCKLEHEADS!
Jan 19, 2011 at 11:52 pm rating: 20
#43
neo
Pertaining to the actual note: These people are rude, no matter how sucktastic their service was. It’s one thing to not leave a tip, but it’s just a sign of a complete lack of decency to call your waitress a rude name on on your receipt. What were they, twelve? Honestly.
I personally would never intentionally leave no tip. There have been times when I’ve almost (and maybe even completely) forgot to leave a tip and had to rush back to the table after paying my bill to drop some cash for my underpaid waitress. Because of my fear that I may have accidentally walked out without leaving a tip, I tend to overtip, even if my service was subpar. I must admit, though, that I’ve never had a terrible experience with a server…I guess you get respect when you give it, huh?
I’ve worked in retail for the past four years, and I know I’m more inclined to be helpful to a customer when they ask politely for something rather than treat me like I’m personally withholding merchandise from them. Before I get jumped on, let me say that I would never be rude to a customer! I’m more likely to burst into tears than to snap back (speaking of which, tears make a rude customer suddenly more polite…though I’d rather have them continue to be rude, as crying in public is just plain humiliating).
As for the arguments between the users: Monk, I understand what you were saying and that you weren’t justifying it or being proud. It’s still disgusting, and forgive me if I think a bit less of you knowing that you did something so gross. All the people continuing to harp on it are being silly. However, I disapprove of your troll-like inclination to comment on every post made by Chesire or CB, whether the post pertained to you or not. Of course, Chesire and CB aren’t completely innocent of that inclination, either. Sometimes it’s best to take the high road…even on the internet. :3 Still, thanks for the entertainment!
Jan 20, 2011 at 4:42 am rating: 3
#44
Ms. Snark
WTH is it w/ tipping?
Forget the “food would cost twice as much” or “they chose a job based on tips” – and today many an underemployed professional would rebut that – it’s the way it is. Right or wrong, good or bad system .. you go to a service restaurant tipping is part of it. You don’t want the service, don’t go. Now skimping on crap ass service, fine and feel free to let management know your server sucked. Skimping b/c it took one minute and forty-five seconds to refill your beverage you’ve been sucking down like no tomorrow, not so fine. I’ll go back to my corner, STFU now.
Jan 20, 2011 at 12:38 pm rating: 14
#45
Wayne
I’m with Reservoir Dogs Mr. Pink on the whole tipping issue. Tips are bonuses, not mandatory EXPECTED extras on top of the bill.
I sure as fuck don’t expect/demand/whinge about being entitled to tips in my job! And yes, it is most DEFINITELY an underpaid “service” related job. As is ANY job where someone has to “serve” you in some capacity.
Jan 20, 2011 at 8:30 pm rating: 2
#46
modernmonk70
The universe is a strange and mysterious place. I just watched the Big Bang Theory from this past Monday, January 17th – Season 4 Episode 13.
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/video/?play=true&pid=iTRZRww68Tb1B20p7seZX_m2QFuQoTB7
Please, I beg of you all, go watch it. Just the first 3 minutes.
Thank you.
Jan 21, 2011 at 2:38 pm rating: 2
#47
Miss Ash
Sad. Hopefully the non-tipper felt better afterward.
Jan 21, 2011 at 10:00 pm rating: 0
#48
Daniel
That tip was fucking delicious …
Oh Jesus, I’m sorry, I know I shouldnt have said it … I just couldn’t take any more of the “tip thread” … especially as a current and longtime server … please forgive me!
Jan 21, 2011 at 11:02 pm rating: 1
#49
Springs1
modernmonk70
“If your server orders your food correctly – without bacon (and FYI, I’m a vegetarian, too), but the brain-dead stoner linecook isn’t paying attention and the food runner, who is not your SERVER, isn’t paying attention and brings it to you, you are an absolute bitch if you withhold money from the server because of it!”
No, it’s being **FAIR**, because that person was in our service as far as anything the server doesn’t have to TOUCH to notice the mistake, even if it’s not our server. We tip for the **SERVICE**, NOT WHO in the service messed up. Also, we don’t know if the order was put in correctly as well. Let’s say my server did, SO WHAT?
My service has been affected, WHY shouldn’t the tip be ? WHY aren’t you tipping out of the tip you get from us the ones that DO deliver the food correctly. NO ONE SAID YOU COULDN’T. Most restaurants have other servers running each other’s food instead of food runners, which means they don’t get tipped at ALL for running the food out wrong.
I know at the Chili’s where I live, they have other servers running each other’s food, NOT food runners. That means there is NO INCENTIVE to DELIVER the food obviously correctly, which on a baked potato, most likely you could SEE bacon. This wasn’t an undercooked steak, this was something OBVIOUS it sounds like.
Withholding some money will make service better when you report the problem to the managers. It will make more teamwork to see that people are taking off for OTHER TEAM MEMBERS messing up their tip and visa versa since it’s other servers running each other’s food. That means that server that ran the baked potato with the bacon wrong has another lazy server not reading the tickets either. Why should they read the ticket? It’s not their money on the line, so they don’t care.
“But to penalize the server is patently unfair.”
It’s unfair for the customer to pay for bad service. THAT is what is unfair. It’s UNFAIR that you aren’t tipping that person that runs the food to our table at least a couple of bucks for doing the job that you weren’t able to do due to serving other customers. Shouldn’t THEY deserve the tip for “SERVING” me the food and NOT YOU as far as serving me the food goes part since you didn’t do that? For real…
“Why do you need to hold someone responsible?”
Because we are paying our HARD EARNED MONEY, that’s why. I want to see a good amount of money going to good service, not to bad.
Jan 21, 2011 at 11:47 pm rating: 6
#50
Springs1
modernmonk70
“After all, their coworkers, the food runner monkeys, for which the server monkeys also are apparently responsible, are the ones who brought her highness the bacon”
That’s the point, that the other server or food runner BROUGHT IT OUT, that means since it was an error that didn’t have to be TOUCHED to notice the mistake and the order was put in correctly by the original server, that means the other server or food runner was COMPLETELY at fault for the customer RECEIVING the problem, NOT THE COOKS.
NO COOKS LEFT THE KITCHEN YOU IDIOT!! What an idiot to blame it on the cooks for something obvious to the EYES, it’s either another server or your server that’s to blame for an obvious error getting to your table, because the cooks don’t bring the food to your table.
Jan 21, 2011 at 11:53 pm rating: 2
#51
Springs1
Jenn
“They may not put something on the plate because they didn’t read the ticket carefully.”
That doesn’t mean you have to BRING that plate to my table with something obviously missing or obviously wrong, does it?
Jan 21, 2011 at 11:56 pm rating: 2
#52
Springs1
Jenn
“I had a person order a chicken entree with no bacon because of religious purposes.”
Was it covered up by anything? I can understand if it was not to fault you since you put in the order correctly, but if you could see the bacon WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING, that’s YOUR FAULT FOR SERVING IT WRONG!! You have a written order and you compare it to the food. That’s WHY you get a tip, is mostly to get the food as correctly to the table as you can control. THAT you CAN control if it’s not covered up by anything.
Jan 22, 2011 at 12:01 am rating: 2
#53
Springs1
modernmonk70
“(which in this case sounds like someone who justifies their shitty tipping ala Chesire Cat) ”
NO, we tip very well IF we get good service. When the service sucks, WHY shouldn’t the tip reflect it so the server will get what is deserved in either case a reward or a punishment. Even if you didn’t take my food wrong to me such as in the case of the baked potato with bacon that has obvious bacon on it when you put in the order correctly, think about when it’s YOU that is the customer how YOU FEEL!! Do you really feel you should tip well just because your server didn’t cause the issue that another server did?
I would like to know, how YOU feel? Do you eat out much, because it sounds like you don’t?
I just gave $20 to 2 of my favorite servers at a restaurant I frequent for christmas and it wasn’t counting the tip either, which was over 20%.
We also have given many of times the servers that BUST ASS for us over 20%, usually around 25% at times or more.
We tip well, but you have to **EARN**your pay, it’s not a right. You can’t be lazy.
I understand your server can’t control another server bringing out something obviously wrong, but understand that the customer is tipping you on the service, which you aren’t willing to take ANY part of your money out your own pocket to tip that person, so WHAT do you expect that other server to do? Do you expect them to *CARE* about a table they won’t see a tip from to check the food? If you PAID them a couple of bucks at least, you’d give them an INCENTIVE to not ruin your tip, but you are too selfish to do that, aren’t you?
You expect another server to help you out when they aren’t getting PAID to. That’s stupid.
So it’s up to YOU to pay them so they WILL try hard such as when they deliver your table’s food, they will ask if they need anything else such as refills and if their food looks ok instead of just serving-n-run.
Jan 22, 2011 at 9:09 am rating: 2
#54
The Elf
Threads like this make me grateful that I cut my teeth on retail, not food service. Sounds to me like it was the lesser of two evils. Let’s make that three evils, since I’m pretty sure janitorial work is loads of fun too.
There are days, and this is one, where I feel that it should be mandatory to put in a year at some shit job to get idea of how much people can suck so that you don’t become that person when you get older and actually have money.
Jan 22, 2011 at 9:35 am rating: 3
#55
Springs1
modernmonk70
Another thing:
“People who say things like this are generally the most difficult to please.”
People who say that are LAZY that they don’t want to ((WORK)) for their money.
How hard is it to get the order correctly as you possibly can, be nice if you do make a mistake by apologizing, getting refills in a timely manner meaning not make me wait 5 minutes for one coke unless you are triple sat or something like that(meaning if it’s slow, there’s no excuse for you to get someone to get our refills if you have to go to the bathroom or something like that.).
I am not referring to YOU, since you aren’t a server, just as if you WERE one.
“There’s always a check list of reasons why you had to reduce the tip, isn’t there?”
NO, lots of times I have been forgiving. It depends on how the server HANDLED the problem. For example, if the waitress would have APOLOGIZED instead of saying “I’m not your server” as well as fixed the mistakes, OF COURSE the tip would have been higher, like 13% or so instead of 8%. The fact that she did neither showed a lack of caring and effort.
One time, a waiter admitted he forgot to put our appetizer order into the computer. He profusely apologized twice saying “I’m SO SORRY” as anyone should that would have done a major mistake like that. He offered some chips and salsa which was a menu item, not free at this restaurant. Anyway, I said which is so true, we didn’t want anymore food and would rather have something off the bill. He got us $5 off the bill. The tip was 16% BEFORE the discount. If he would have not done ANY of that such as apologizing, offering us something else, etc., he would have gotten stiffed. I saw WHY he forgot. He HUGGED a woman I saw. He had time to do that, play around, but not time to do HIS JOB!! So that’s why he would have gotten a stiff. If I was seeing him bussing ass and would have done this, even if he didn’t apologize or anything, maybe a dollar or 2, but he wouldn’t have completely been stiffed as he would have if he would have done nothing to make up for the issue he caused that he had time for, but was too busy playing around.
So you see, while 16% wasn’t a wonderful tip, NOTHING can make up for our time lost. We waited twice a long for the appetizer due to a waiter that worried about hugging someone he knew instead of putting the order into the computer. We had ordered the appetizer when we were greeted, so that’s partially how he forgot since it was a separate time when we weren’t ordering our entrées.
Was I forgiving, YES, because every single thing he did, I would have done. I would have profusely apologized before and after wards. I would have offered something for free. So he deserved a decent tip. He would have had 19% if I would have seen him bust ass and not been playing around. He CAUSED his own problem by not doing his job.
There’s a checklist, but sometimes servers don’t make anything on the checklist that they do as they are supposed to be doing, so they get their good tip.
Not everyone makes the problems on the checklist.
Jan 22, 2011 at 12:35 pm rating: 2
#56
Liz
These comments were even worse than I thought they would be.
Jan 22, 2011 at 1:31 pm rating: 12
#57
roo1601
I just noticed that the first receipt already has a comp of $18.73!! They then only paid half of the already comp’d meal!
I would have followed them out, taken down their tags and called the cops.
Jan 22, 2011 at 2:08 pm rating: 2
#58
DW
Team MM for me.
During high school and college, I was a server at both a chain restaurant and at a big, fancy catering hall. I saw more straws licked before going into sodas, silverware wiped with dirty napkins, french fries licked, food from the floor (called “floor spice”), than any of you care to know. I never did it, but I watched it done every day by servers and line cooks. Do not fuck with your server as you don’t know how many people have behaved poorly before you sat down and you may be that straw that breaks the camel’s back that day. Servers also remember who is a tool and who isn’t. And if you’re holding your server accountable for how your food is plated or made, you’re being a jerk. Servers order and *sometimes* serve – they do not cook, they do not plate, they often don’t even run their own food many times. And people make mistakes – cooks, servers, bartenders. Apparently the only perfect folks out there are the customers.
I hope that Chesire Cat and Springs1 get EACH OTHER as customers when they go to the big diner in the sky and the line cooks make everything wrong that they order. Perhaps then they could show each other how its done.
MM, I know your pain. I didn’t like when you spit in the food, but I understand where that comes from. It’s funny how the one awful thing you did 15 years ago (and admit was wrong) is the thing that the asshats latch on to to justify their really bad tipping.
What a fun thread to read when one is home sick.
Jan 22, 2011 at 8:52 pm rating: 7
#59
Springs1
modernmonk70
“Wow. Just wow. That’s a lot of craziness right there.
You eat spit.
Guaranteed.”
Since I RARELY get sick, does it matter, STUPID ASS? I mean seriously, I have drank after people before, SO WHAT if I don’t get sick? FOR REAL, DOES IT MATTER?
Jan 22, 2011 at 9:27 pm rating: 2
#60
Springs1
DW
“And if you’re holding your server accountable for how your food is plated or made, you’re being a jerk.”
HOW if the customer can notice this without TOUCHING A THING? Tell me that, HUH? That’s not being a jerk, that’s having COMMON SENSE NOT TO *********SERVE********** it to me wrong, LIKE DUH!!! (UNLESS OF COURSE IF THE ORIGINAL SERVER PUT IN THE ORDER WRONG AND IF YOU AREN’T THE ORIGINAL SERVER THAT TOOK THE ORDER). YOU ARE A LAZY ASS, STUPID IDIOTIC PERSON as well as an UNCARING EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING as if YOU would want your food wrong the first time around, YEAH RIGHT, I believe it when I see it?
Jan 22, 2011 at 9:42 pm rating: 1
#61
Springs1
Modernmonk70, Jenn, and DW:
Think about it with COMMON SENSE ***WTF*** you RECEIVE A TIP. It’s because you CHECKED OVER THE FOOD FOR CORRECTNESS and did what you were in control of such as condiments.
If it’s another server, shouldn’t they get PAID from YOU to get the customer’s refills, tell you their order by having to go to you if they ordered a bar drink or ranch or whatever?
I mean seriously, it’s NOT a “FAIR” system, that if you work as a team, the other servers running the food to your tables won’t do it back at ya due to not getting a PENNY even of the tip even. It’s not fair, but YOU CAN MAKE IT FAIR IF YOU DECIDED TO TELL THEM TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH TABLES THEY GAVE CORRECT SERVICE TO, which you can find out from the customers since some customers will tell you what happened. That means, you can decide to pay them 2 dollars or so or maybe even 3 if they OFFERED REFILLS HELPING **YOU** OUT when their tables weren’t getting served or you can be a SELFISH SOB, it’s YOUR CHOICE to have bad service happen, because when YOU run another server’s order, do YOU HONESTLY, HONESTLY, HONESTLY, COMPARE EACH TICKET TO EACH PLATE PER DETAIL, I DOUBT THAT SERIOUSLY SINCE IT ISN’T ***YOUR*** MONEY ON THE LINE, AM I RIGHT OR WHAT LAZY ASS, UNCARING BITCH? I am referring to ALL of you 3.
Jan 22, 2011 at 9:50 pm rating: 2
#62
ShellyB
Heck, we got lousy food and lousy service for breakfast this morning and still left a great tip. The restaurant was packed to the gills so we figured it was what caused the bad food and slow service. However, we decided not to eat there again because that is the second time we’ve had a bad experience there.
Jan 22, 2011 at 10:27 pm rating: 2
#63
aaa
Yesssss… I knew the tipping post would bring people otherwise uninterested in commenting on this site out of the woodwork to piss and moan at each other about how right they are and how wrong everyone else is and repeat the same three points a thousand times. This mindless web-bitching is giving me a lady boner. HNNNNNNNGGG.
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:07 am rating: 3
#64
Jack
It’s this simple: servers are paid tips for taking orders and bringing food to the table. If they do it wrong, tip suffers. If they don’t think it’s fair to get blamed for a mistake the cook made, then they should make sure they are checking food against the ticket before serving it. The end.
Jan 23, 2011 at 3:43 am rating: 2
#65
Springs1
modernmonk
“long justification for being a pain-in-the-ass shitty tipper.”
NO, TREATING THE SERVER EXACTLY AS THEY HAVE TREATED US!! That means by even if my original server didn’t bring us the obvious bacon on the baked potato, the fact that you aren’t PAYING that server anything to bring it out right, so YOU ARE CAUSING the server to have a REAL REASON to not check the food. WHY should they when they have their own TIPPING tables to take care of, huh?
To say a “PAIN-IN-THE-ASS” you sound VERY, VERY, VERY LAZY, because anyone that wants to **EARN** their money LOVES when there’s more work to do. They don’t call that person a pain in the ass if they aren’t lazy, do they?
What an UNCARING BITCH that only thinks about yourself!!!
“You sound like a bitch.”
NO, I am NICER than most servers even by saying “Thank you” when they bring me things and ask NICELY for something such as “Can I get another coke or Can I get another coke please” and even tell them “thank you” BEFORE and AFTER they get it even. I have even told many servers “Thank you” when they forgot something and they DIDN’T say they were sorry, how about that I was NICER than THEY WERE?
“You probably run your server to death for every little thing.”
No, I ask for MANY things at once, which the problem is, most don’t write the stuff down, so they end up forgetting something and most don’t even apologize for it even. They were too uncaring to TRY to remember it by being too LAZY to WRITE IT DOWN.
A good example, a box, the check, a bag, and a coke to-go. One waitress forgot the bag and I just nicely said “Can I get a bag”, which she didn’t apologize.
Servers are JERKS most of the time just like that uncaring bitch that didn’t WRITE DOWN those things if she has a bad short term memory and to not apologize is MEAN, plain mean.
“You probably tip poorly.”
I tip poorly if the service is poor. I tip well if the service is good. It’s all about the service.
“Put this on the side”
You sound like a VERY, EXTREMELY LAZY ASS UNCARING BITCH!! If I am ***PAYING*** YOU, you do as I ask, that’s **YOUR JOB***!!
“bring that beforehand.”
If you are forgetful, maybe you should bring out the condiments ahead of time to AVOID a mistake since that needs no cooking. You sound SO LAZY ASS, FOR REAL. It’s called a ******JOB******* for a reason. It’s not called “SIT ON MY ASS” is it?
“I don’t care if the cook messed up, or if the other server was a bitch, the person who gets the tip is to blame…Blah, blah, blah.”
I told you that if the cook messed up I wouldn’t blame the server. I don’t care if the other server was a bitch, because that person caused MY SERVICE to be shitty.
When you have bad service from someone else, you’ll see how YOU feel, because it sounds like you never have experienced that, have you?
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:03 pm rating: 2
#66
shwo!
Oh, good. This whole argument is still going. I was worried that people might have found something better to do after five days of yelling. Carry on. Here’s a tasty lozenge for your throat.
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:04 pm rating: 2
#67
Springs1
modermonk70
“If you are a regular customer at an establishment and you consistently find reasons to not tip properly, the problem is YOU. ”
HOW? We didn’t cause the server to be lazy and uncaring, did we?
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:17 pm rating: 1
#68
gawd
Well, in Canada servers make $10.25 an hour. It isn’t a fantastic wage but it’s enough that I don’t feel the need to tip just because. Earn it and I have no problem tipping. I don’t think I have ever left without tipping, but it definitely isn’t always the 15% I normally tip.
Maybe Yankee restaraunts should pay their servers more. It isn’t like they are hurting for cash in these big chains.
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm rating: 5
#69
Springs1
modernmonk70
“If you are as demanding as you appear,”
I am nice when I ask for things. If you think asking for things NICELY is demanding when you are GETTING PAID to do the job, you have something wrong with you then, it’s called LAZINESS and being VERY UNCARING!
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm rating: 3
#70
Springs1
ShellyB
“refuse to tip poorly regardless of what the service is like. ”
It’s uncaring people like you that CAUSE people like me to have bad service by paying them well NO MATTER WHAT. How will the server ever LEARN to try their best to not cause problems, huh?
Jan 23, 2011 at 12:50 pm rating: 2
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