You Make The Call: My Fault or The Waiter?

[TeRRoRiFiC35]

Did I seriously read someone say that the prices of the food on a menu represent the actual costs to buy the food? If that were the case, no restaraunt in the world would make money. An example would be getting spaghetti from a restaraunt for $15. You're going to say with a straight face that spaghetti and the ingredients to make the sauce for that individuals meal costs $15? It might cost that much for maybe 10 people's meals, not one.

[Vanity]

Originally Posted by karliejai

for all people that has never worked in this industry before, theres a lot more behind the scene stuff that you dont see. It takes 1 - 2 hours to open and prepare for everything (the just in case you need it stuff) before the restaurant opens and clean up after your shit cause you are a messy eater and leave shit load of crumbs and stain all over the seat and table cloth. Dont want to leave a tip, maybe you should go to McDonald's or Burger King and get your own straws, ketchup, napkins, and throw out your shit when you are done eating or get take outs and clean up after yourself in your own home.

Dining out is an experience or rather, you dont want to deal with the hassles of preparing your food, spending time getting everything setup, cleaning up; basically, you are just trying to enjoy yourself and your company while SOMEONE else is doing the bitch work for you. SO PAY THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE. Here in America, the price on the menu is the price for the FOOD only. The server gets no part of that. It all goes to the owner.

TIPS also stands for "to insure proper/promptness service." Some old school diners would slip you a $20 or whatever to the server when they arrive at the restaurant just so they let the server knows they are here to enjoy themselves and please provide a pleasant dinning experience. So FOR YOU PEOPLE next time you want to be a big boy baller and dine with your $200 steak dinner, BE A BIG BOY BALLER AND PAY THE BIG BOY TIP. I am in no way against spending money if you got them but i am sick of people bitching about the standard of 15% to 20% tips when they are dropping hundreds on dinner. On the other hand, if the service is lacking due to the SERVER's fault, then you can adjust your tips according but it has to be a pretty big fuckup for you to leave a big fat ZERO on tips.

The ONLY time ive left a big fat zero or even less than 10% was when the server completely forgot to put in my girlfriend's order in and when it finally came out, it wasnt what she ordered and no apologies or damage control was given. In that situation, the server is at 100% fault, forgot orders, messed up orders and didnt get a manager or anything to acknowledge the error to touch up on the situation. Hey i understand that shit happens, we all make mistakes but at least show me you are trying to fix it or attempted to wouldve helped the outcome.

Let me get this straight. Anyone looking to make a "living" and whom choose the waitressing industry are now extra dependants for everyone walking in through the door? Opening an closing a restaurant is not typical for servers, those are managerial positions. And cleaning "bread crumbs" is not a job that warrants making 20% on everyone's tab. I'd rather give money to the dish washer if we were truly tipping for who does the more dirtier work.

That being said, I tip 10-15% regularly. So about an extra 22-27. As for the menu just being the price of the food... sometimes after adding an extra 25% to my bill, I find myself thinking the actual "pasta" wasn't worth that much. But to each his own.

[CoconutPete]

Originally Posted by panicos81

i´m with this guy..

no really i usually tip but dont follow any percentages.. depends on the change. if i pay with card i round it up. in your case i would just leave the 20 in the first place..

Anyone read Maxim? There was a funny interview with Steve Buschemi a couple of years ago where he said that for years after making that movie he could tell that the waitstaff was arguing every time he went to a restaurant because nobody wanted to wait on him out of fear that he felt this way in real life too.

[CD2534]

I'll just leave this here

[.b0link]

I tip, and I tip well. As long as service is *decent* and Im not searching for my drinks or food or whatever. And obviously as long as they are polite, they will automatically get 20-25 almost every time. On smaller bills is when i tend to tip higher.

I worked at a small italian resturaunt where i think the most expensive thing on the menu was about 8 bucks. Working lunch hours many people just came in, got a 5 dollar sandwich and water, ate and left. If they had lived by the 15 percent rule I would have made nothing. When i go to fancy resturaunts such as Mortons or something...the percentage shrinks but never below 20.

However, as the saying goes... "shit in, shit out" you give me crap service, you get crap tip. I never walk out without tipping, but if you have given me terrible service, i won't hesitate to leave you a 1 dollar tip. That way you know that I didn't "forget". Ive been known to speak to the manager on the way out as well.

I have also been seated, ordered drinks, forgotten about, and then found the manager, told them we were taking our business somewhere else, and why.

I really don't ask a whole lot from my servers, but whoever made the comment about some of them just feeling entitled to a tip no matter what was spot on. Unfortunately that seems to be my generation and their sense of entitlement.

[.b0link]

Also, Im glad we don't have to tip in Spain, cause dining out here pisses me off. It usually takes about 3 hours to eat. 30 minutes of just sitting there...get drink orders....20 minutes later...come back with drinks....dissappear for 45 minutes....come take orders. 30 minutes later get food....never get your check and get so pissed off you guess what the tab was thow it on the table and walk out.

They don't depend on the tips here, and the service shows it.

[BayMoWe335]

Lots of good comments...

Just to add some to the story - We were literally the only people he was waiting on because we were out of town and it was kind of an early time to eat dinner (around 5). I think 2 other tables were being served at the time.

Since we are out of town, I won't ever go back again.

I could have asked for change, but I just felt he made a dumb move.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Springs1

Did you realize he STOLE 6 cents from you? You said he only returned $20 and 50 cents, but he owed you 56 cents, did you realize he SHORTED YOU? WHY did you tip him at ALL just for that, huh?

Also, it's *YOUR* RESPONSIBILITY to tell the server if you want one dollar bills. Sure the server could have asked, but they are just guessing what you want. I would have stiffed the server over the 6 cents they stole on PURPOSE, because they were TOO LAZY to get more change from the bar or bring more on them or even short themselves if they didn't have any nickles or a pennies.

$40 -19.44 = $20.56 He only gave you $20.50.

Yes, this was also a factor...but, I've had this happen before so it didn't bother me too much really.

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Yes, this was also a factor...but, I've had this happen before so it didn't bother me too much really.

Why? I would have asked for my 6 cents back and stiffed. That's what me and my husband did when a waiter once shorted me and my husband 31 cents. One waiter one time kept 31 cents change and only gave me back a 5 dollar bill from a check that was $34.69 that I paid with (2) 20 dollar gift certificates. So instead of letting him have a tip of 31 cents, I decided to get it back to get him back. I reported it to the manager as well. So he got NO cents and had to make an extra trip to get the cents. What a lazy, ENTITLED asshole that waiter was.

I don't get why you didn't question him about it? I don't care if it's only 6 cents, it's *YOUR* money, NOT his. It's the PRINCIPLE of it that he STOLE, NOT the AMOUNT. If I would have a server short me one penny, I'd make sure they get stiffed. It's all about doing what is morally right and EARNING your tip.

I still say you should have told the waiter what you wanted. He could have kept the other $20. That happened to me once when I gave too much(I had been drinking) when I bought a daiquiri. It is a natural assumption you give that much over, that should mean tip since the other $20 doesn't need to be given for a $19.44 transaction. So honestly you are lucky the waiter didn't just not return any change by assuming it was all his. It doesn't make it right, but it IS a natural assumption though as to WHY would someone give THAT MUCH OVER unless it was on purpose that you wanted the person to keep it?

If you want one dollar bills, *YOU* should speak up. There are no mind readers in this world. Probably he did do it to get a higher tip, because that's how servers make money is so you feel well you don't have one's, he would have gotten a $5 tip at least, which is a pretty high tip for not even $20.

I wouldn't have been mad about that at all that the server didn't give me one's. That server isn't going to unless you ask. A good example, another time I bought a daiquiri, I was supposed to get back $5 back, they gave me 5 one dollar bills, why, because they know they aren't going to get $5 for one drink, so it's because they want a tip. You will have another customer complain he needs one dollar bills to tip with, so you can't win. The only thing you can do as a customer is to speak up or the server or bartender can ask you.

In your example, you should have told the waiter what you wanted since it was a huge amount of change you wanted broken, not just $5 of change, you wanted $20 of change broken, which is a lot on a $19.44 check.

Next time, steal back the tip they stole from you and report the waiter for stealing so he can be stopped or hopefully get FIRED for theft. It's all worth it in the end so this doesn't happen again to you or to others and to show the entitled jerks they can't just tip themselves part of *YOUR* money. Next time wait for the 6 cents. It is SOOO WORTH it to show the bastards that they can't steal.

[IFX]

Drives a 2010 bmw and left a 50 cent tip.

[adriang]

Originally Posted by IFX

Drives a 2010 bmw and left a 50 cent tip.

SO?! GOOD FOR HIM! he even had the decency to leave him 50 cents.
WHY NOT HAVE THE OWNER OF THE RESTAURANT MAKING MAD CASH PAY FOR HIS EMPLOYEE?!

[.b0link]

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by IFX

Drives a 2010 bmw and left a 50 cent tip.

In your mind, I would look even worse when a 2010 BMW is an extremely low end car for what I could have actually purchased. Maybe a 458?

But your point isn't valid...having the means to give a bigger tip doesn't mean you do it. I could have left a $500 tip too...not the point.

[GE]

I was originally going to call it a dick move but I re-read that the service was marginal at best. I would have found another server (which may have been hard considering that it was slow) and asked if they could break a $5. Even if he did try to be slick and get the $5, he probably at least deserved the 15% tip. At least it's not at a place you plan on going back to.

[JJFESQ]

I would not eat there again. You might get a loogie in your food.
Should have left the finn.

[E90 87ss]

Didn't read through each post... Have worked in the food service industry...

Basically the OP is fine in my opinion. The waiter should have told him that they ran out of small bills if that was the case, highly unlikely but completely possible for various reasons. It's on the waiter for not bringing smaller bills; he should not assume he would receive gratuity... The simple fact that the OP left with a bad taste in his mouth may be enough to discourage him from patronizing the restaurant again. Basically it would be intelligent for the waiter to take care of his customers and not leave anything to chance.

Anyways you don't know if they pool their tips... Hate pooling tips unless I have a great team...

The flipside/anecdote: I over tipped a waiter and they later tipped themselves an additional $10 on a $20 meal... You guys feel bad for waitresses and waiters what about delivery people... They make even less after gas and wear and tear on their vehicle... Very few places provide drivers with a vehicle and the $1.00-$1.50 delivery charge that some places tack on to the bill isn't much. Food for thought I guess...

[MrClean335i]

I always leave $5 dollars regardless of the meal cost. I dont care if its a 10 dollar meal or a 200 dollar meal I always leave $5

It is what it is

[stylinexpat]

Originally Posted by MrClean335i

I always leave $5 dollars regardless of the meal cost. I dont care if its a 10 dollar meal or a 200 dollar meal I always leave $5

It is what it is

If the waiter has 4-5 tables an hour at $5 each plus their wages then they are making well $25 an hour which is great money. If they need more money then they should take it up with their boss and ask for a higher salary.

[karliejai]

each industry is on its own. try not tipping the bartender and see next time how long it takes for him/her to get to you. some people tip when they first arrive at valet to ensure the valet takes "better" care of your vehicle. why's that? In some other countries, their custom is NOT to take tips and they are offended when you offer. Just gotta learn the rules.Do whatever you want, but if you want to be treated like a normal person in this country, learn the custom and play by the rules.

i didnt say you have to tip 20% everytime but 15% is standard.

[Templar]

Kinda shocked at some of the cheap asses in here that drive BMW's... Then again, I guess I shouldn't be...

[MadDog]

Originally Posted by Templar

Kinda shocked at some of the cheap asses in here that drive BMW's... Then again, I guess I shouldn't be...

+1.

[MrRoboto]

Originally Posted by Templar

Kinda shocked at some of the cheap asses in here that drive BMW's... Then again, I guess I shouldn't be...

We afford the things we have by NOT giving money away.