Ok, storytime:

So, my family and I were at an undisclosed restaurant near campus the other night for dinner. Our waiter was decent. He filled our drinks once and brought our food within a reasonable amount of time.

So, when we got ready to go, my husband went to the front to pay. I thought he put a tip on the credit card he was paying with, so I left no money on the table. However, he thought I put money on the table, so he left no money on the card for a tip. Honest mistake.

We went into the parking lot and got in our car to leave. As we were leaving the parking lot, we see our waiter running out behind the car yelling and waving. We thought, hey, maybe we forgot something. We roll down the window and he's all like "You forgot my tip! You left me no tip!" His tone wasn't exactly friendly, but my husband and I both felt bad for forgetting, so we gave him his tip and he went on his way.

Afterwards, I started thinking about it and I don't really know how I feel. So, my question is: Was that inappropriate? Should a waiter have a right to come out and chase you down for a tip? I feel bad and all for forgetting a tip, but really was his action appropriate?

4/6/2007 11:09:10 PM

yeah it was and he's lucky that you honestly forgotten. ive heard stories like that before and if it ever happens to me, i plan on walking back in and getting them fired.

assuming i left no/bad tip on purpose. id probably give him a bad tip if he did that after an honest mistake.

[Edited on April 6, 2007 at 11:11 PM. Reason : .]

4/6/2007 11:11:27 PM

I mean most waiters that don't get a tip know they fucked up and probably get pissed and won't do this. However, in this case, he did a decent job so I feel he was right in coming and asking. The only question you have is would you want to seated at his table again?

Personally I'm ok with him doing that. You have to realized that they get paid shit an hour so tips are what pays the bills. He most likely needs that money.

Now I also think that he could have asked in a different way. if he had been like "hey I saw you didn't leave me a tip. Did I do something that you didn't like or was my service not deserving of a tip? " You know phrase it as like a comment card.

[Edited on April 6, 2007 at 11:17 PM. Reason : Note]

4/6/2007 11:15:19 PM

perhaps if he nicely mentioned it on the way out, but chasing down a car and then acting uppity is lame.

4/6/2007 11:17:05 PM

^got me before I updated. The chasing down someone is a little extreme. I mean if he had got them before they got out the door it would have been better. However, getting them at the car was a little more personal. If he had done it in the restaurant, it might have been in front of other people and a little embarrassing for Tabby

4/6/2007 11:19:38 PM

Tipping is such a stupid fucking practice.

4/6/2007 11:22:38 PM

Sure, lets just raise the price of food to an insane amount so waiters can be paid decently by the restaurant. Then the food will be too expensive and people won't eat it. Restaurants will close, and you will be on here bitching about how there is nowhere to go out and eat.

4/6/2007 11:29:00 PM

the waiter shouldn't have done this under any circumstances

4/6/2007 11:51:03 PM

^^Like in Europe

4/6/2007 11:54:22 PM

seriously though, pay the fuckers a shade above minimum wage (like all other jobs of that type) and your food shouldnt cost more than a smidge more. most restaurants have a large enough crowd to not have much of an issue.

4/7/2007 12:00:08 AM

yeah pretty much nobody can go to restaurants in europe because they have all closed due to what theoffice described - great point

4/7/2007 12:00:10 AM

i bet a million dollars thread poster is a fucking jew

4/7/2007 12:02:04 AM

Quote :

"if he had been like "hey I saw you didn't leave me a tip. Did I do something that you didn't like or was my service not deserving of a tip? ""

ideally, a manager should have tried to flag you down and asked this question about the employee, if that wasnt possible then the server himself should have, but under no circumstance should he have chased you to your car about it

4/7/2007 12:08:37 AM

Hell, I actually would love the idea if I was a waiter. Increase all prices by 15% and give the difference to the waiters. That way they would be guaranteed to make 15% off every table and there would be no shitty tips. And they would make that guaranteed 15% no matter if they refilled your drinks or not. Or checked back with you, or hurried to get out that extra sauce you need or were rude to you. It wouldn't matter to them, because they get 15% off of you no matter what. This is an awesome fucking idea, I can't believe restaurants havent thought about this by now.

4/7/2007 12:10:18 AM

i've had people stiff me on bills, and it had *nothing* to due with the quality of service, but only their own innate douchiness and un-relenting cheapness.

when they don't tip me, i *lose* money on that table, because i still have to tip out on the sales of the table.

that said, i wouldn't chase down any of my guests out the door; i'd just wish for them to be hit by a bus.

4/7/2007 12:11:07 AM

oh, at my restaurant if we question anyone about a tip, or a lack of a tip, we're instantaneously fired.

4/7/2007 12:12:27 AM

Do you get fired for double posting too?

4/7/2007 12:13:19 AM

Instead of making a new thread about tips, I'll just post in this one and hope someone answers my question.

I've noticed a varying trend that when I pay with my debit card and leave a tip on the receipt, the tip usually doesn't get included on the charge when I check my account in the next couple of days. For example, yesterday I left a $2 tip on my bill from Dalat and was only debited for the meal.

What gives? Not that I'm complaining, it just seems strange that some places don't even bother taking the tip I willingly give them permission to charge me for by signing the receipt.

4/7/2007 12:15:47 AM

i hate the idea of tipping, although i usually tip very generously. i hate my thirst being at the mercy of someone else.

4/7/2007 12:21:36 AM

I seriously would have knocked him out right there in the parking lot. It's rude to not leave a tip, but it's even worse for a waiter to behave like that. I would have fired him on the spot if I was the manager. It looks really bad for the business.

4/7/2007 12:22:56 AM

^^So you would rather the tip be included in the price of the meal so you have no choice of leaving it, its automatically included. Or would you rather have a lower priced meal, with the option of not tipping as much when the service is lacking?

4/7/2007 12:24:25 AM

^ I agree tipping is better, if you just increased their wage there would be no motivation to go the extra mile and work hard (they get the same wage no matter what service they provide).

[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 12:39 AM. Reason : .]

4/7/2007 12:39:00 AM

no. i would prefer not to have to tip at all. as in no waiter. it works at mcdonalds.

4/7/2007 12:39:23 AM

Quote :

"there would be no motivation to go the extra mile and work hard"

How about not getting fired? If I don't work hard at my job, that's what would eventually happen to me.

4/7/2007 12:46:55 AM

i've yet to meet someone that goes the extra mile. i've seen people that do their job and people that suck at it, but nothing that involves working hard.

4/7/2007 12:50:49 AM

^ Then you've obviously never been to a "nice restaurant"

4/7/2007 12:52:17 AM

define nice? meal in the range of $10-20,$20-50, or $50+. i have been to plenty of places in the second category only maybe twice with a $50+ meal. most of the time the better service has been from the lower tier.

if its a "nice" restaurant then the person it getting paid a lot more. more is expected of their job performance and what you may see as the extra mile, i see as meeting expectation.

4/7/2007 1:00:13 AM

Quote :

"Then the food will be too expensive and people won't eat it."

actually only the bad tippers wouldnt eat it, the good tippers already have 15% included in their price tag

waitstaff are customer service/sales and they essentially work on commission

Quote :

"f its a "nice" restaurant then the person it getting paid a lot more. more is expected of their job performance and what you may see as the extra mile, i see as meeting expectation."

and that is one of the problems with the tip system, you shouldnt have to tip a guy more for bringing you a filet vs a hamburger if the service is the same

[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 1:05 AM. Reason : a]

[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 1:05 AM. Reason : oh and i think this is the 8000th thread on tipping]

4/7/2007 1:03:51 AM

Quote :

"Instead of making a new thread about tips, I'll just post in this one and hope someone answers my question. I've noticed a varying trend that when I pay with my debit card and leave a tip on the receipt, the tip usually doesn't get included on the charge when I check my account in the next couple of days. For example, yesterday I left a $2 tip on my bill from Dalat and was only debited for the meal. What gives? Not that I'm complaining, it just seems strange that some places don't even bother taking the tip I willingly give them permission to charge me for by signing the receipt. "

as an ex-waiter, id say thats pretty unusual, but im sure it happens.

restaurants have basically two different setups

(1) for your average and better restaurants the waiters keep their own bank. they hold all their cash, run all the CC transactions, etc. if the server loses something or gives wrong change, the server is out. typically you pre-approve CC for the amount of the bill, the person signs/tips, and then either you (or often management) actually run the total charge at the end of the night.

if the server misplaces or otherwise forgets the CC receipt, they have no way to prove what the tip was and basically have no way to add the tip on when the charge is run through at the end of the night, so it only goes through for the bill amount only.

here the server is very concerned to follow all tips through, because its all directly from their pocket. they also have to "tip out" the support staff (bar, bus, host). lose a couple big credit card receipts and you've pretty much wasted your night.

(2) other places you pay for the meal at a register "up front"... typically cheaper restauarants, and a lot of ethnic restaurants, do it like this.

there its up to the person running the register to handle it the tip. if theyre slack they may forget or lose shit, its not usually out of their pocket. also, those places may or may not pool ALL the tips and divide them among the staff. ethnic restaurants tend to do that a lot.

long story short: if the server or register person loses/forgets/misplaces the receipt, the charge only goes through for the amount, since they cant remember and/or cant prove what the tip should have been.

4/7/2007 1:17:39 AM

also possible, the tip debit is transacted later? so maybe the amount is only for the bill when you see it, but later it gets bumped up by your bank to include the tip.

anyhow. ive typed too much about this now.

4/7/2007 1:20:40 AM

Quote :

"and that is one of the problems with the tip system, you shouldnt have to tip a guy more for bringing you a filet vs a hamburger if the service is the same"

the person in the cheap diner slinging burgers or pancakes, gets $1-$5 per table. they have to handle a lot of fucking tables in a shift to make anything. that means they have a lot of tables at one time, and they want to turn each table over as fast as reasonably possible.

when you take your bitch to IHOP for $20 sunday brunch, you get what you pay for. some single mom working 3 jobs brings food to you, fills your coffee, and tries to look amused at your stupid jokes. you leave the server $4 standard 20%.

four bucks aint shit. and many of you cheap fucks only leave 3 or 2 bucks. some people leave none. talk about running their ass off.


now you go out for a $60 dinner for 2 at Outback or Macaroni Grill or whatever (cause you college kids have no taste) there, the person has to spend more time with you bringing entrees, drinks, salads, etc, and they only have 3 maybe 4 at the most tables at any time. the environment and food is such that you spend longer at your tables. they have fewer tables and slower turnover. and they have to do more work for you. not only that, but these people have to "TIP OUT" the bartenders, hostesses, bus staff.

so you leave between $10 and $15 on the $60 tab. yeah, its a better tip, but they have to spend time waiting on your ass. and they have to tip out.

if you cant afford an extra $10 on a $50 tab, or an extra $20 tip on $100 tab, then you need to stay the fuck home and eat at the dinign hall or McDs.

(not to mention that waitstaff automatically gets taxed on 8% of their gross sales as income, so if you leave no tip, youre actually TAKING money from them)

4/7/2007 1:38:15 AM

thanks for reading the quote since i said for the same service

say i go to 42nd st oyster bar and order the special and a coke

30-33 tab, 6 tip

say i order an app and a water

8 tab, 1-2 tip

same service, more tip

4/7/2007 1:41:08 AM

Quote :

"Hell, I actually would love the idea if I was a waiter. Increase all prices by 15% and give the difference to the waiters. That way they would be guaranteed to make 15% off every table and there would be no shitty tips. And they would make that guaranteed 15% no matter if they refilled your drinks or not. Or checked back with you, or hurried to get out that extra sauce you need or were rude to you. It wouldn't matter to them, because they get 15% off of you no matter what. This is an awesome fucking idea, I can't believe restaurants havent thought about this by now"

the key phrase is see here is "if i was a waiter"

obviously youve never worked in a restaurant, and its apparent you dont know what youre talking about.

when i worked good restaurants, i would be disappointed by a 15% overall tip out. i worked my ass off to get that extra tip. sometimes didnt work, sometimes it did.

hteres always a policy where Parties of "x" people or more would have added a 15% gratuity. some places i worked we would judge each large party table individually on whetehr or not to add teh 15% or risk it.

many big parties would tip like hell if they were drinking and having a good time and got good service. sometimes I'd get shit like $50 tips on $200 tabs. automatic 15% would hurt me in a lot of cases.

but if the table looked retarded or otherwise sketchy, i'd put that 15% on in a heartbeat. basically if the table was full of old people, or young families with kids, or those annoying groups professional-looking women drinking water, or -- and damn i hate to say it -- if they were black.

4/7/2007 1:50:57 AM

Quote :

"Instead of making a new thread about tips, I'll just post in this one and hope someone answers my question. I've noticed a varying trend that when I pay with my debit card and leave a tip on the receipt, the tip usually doesn't get included on the charge when I check my account in the next couple of days. For example, yesterday I left a $2 tip on my bill from Dalat and was only debited for the meal. What gives? Not that I'm complaining, it just seems strange that some places don't even bother taking the tip I willingly give them permission to charge me for by signing the receipt. "

It will be readjusted later. My bank does that too, they run the charge through for what is definite i.e. the meal as a pending transaction, then a day or two later they will actually charge you what the full total was. Its the same thing as those transactions that show up as 1.00 for some stuff like gas stations, they know you made a transaction but until its secured as a certain amount for x.xx dollars they wont know what to put while its 'in progress', so they just say $1.

And for this thread I personally as a waiter would've just said fuck it, and tried to figure out what I did wrong in service rather than run someone down and ask for a tip. Who's to say you actually forgot (even though in this case you really did), and didn't like the service? What if you intentionally didnt want to leave a tip and he ran out and asked that? It might've been different if you forgot to sign the signature and that was his chance but it doesnt sound like it. His fuckup, if you really like the joint for the food, just ask for a different waiter next time. Just try to figure out beforehand who's leaving the tip, or dont want to at all.

[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 1:59 AM. Reason : .]

4/7/2007 1:54:07 AM

i've been a waiter and bus boy so i've seen both sides

50% of waitstaff are entitled jerks, 25% appreciate every tip, the other 25% are a mix

no server should ever complain about a 20% tip

4/7/2007 1:54:57 AM

^^^^ you dont make any sense.

app and a water. costs less. less work. less service. less time at the table. less overall tip.

dinner and a drink. costs more. more work. more service. more time at the table. more overall tip.

if you feel bummed out about the app and the water, then sure go ahead leave the guy $10 for the $8 ticket.

in any event if youre just having an app and a water, you damn sure better not be sitting at a table. take that shit up to the bar.




[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 1:55 AM. Reason : ]

4/7/2007 1:55:23 AM

wait waht


a dinner is one plate

an app is one plate

a water is one glass, needs to be refilled

a coke is one glass, needs to be refilled

same work, different price

4/7/2007 1:56:52 AM

Quote :

"no server should ever complain about a 20% tip"

well, yeah. of course. who was complaining about that? i missed it if they were.


15% = "you did what you had to, so im tipping what i have to"
20% = "thanks for the good service"
25%+ = "you rock" or "im so fucking baller heres a fat tip."

4/7/2007 1:58:24 AM

just about every waiter i have ever worked with is who

4/7/2007 1:59:14 AM

Quote :

"sometimes I'd get shit like $50 tips on $200 tabs. automatic 15% would hurt me in a lot of cases. "

That's 25%, why would you want an automatic 15% in lieu? Or do you mean in addition?

4/7/2007 2:00:19 AM

^ you must be a moron, he's saying that at a nice place an automatic 15% would hurt you in many cases (earlier another guy argued 15% should just be built into all prices).

[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 2:03 AM. Reason : .]

4/7/2007 2:02:52 AM

^^^^^ a dinner usually comes with extra stuff. salad, or soup... bread, etc. you also have to often dress the plate up with garnish or somethign else. its a bigger process. then you check up on people at least a few times, with their dinner to see if everythings okay, if tehy need anythign extra, yadda yadda. they also get more refills on drinks.

an app is nothing. punch it in throw it out. youre done. again, they eat it and theyre gone. or they better be.

hell wait a second??. app and a water? who the fuck seated this cheap sumbitch at my table anyhow?? ima go slap that stupid high school bitch at the hostess station. tell that fucker to go sit at the bar.



[Edited on April 7, 2007 at 2:04 AM. Reason : ]

4/7/2007 2:03:22 AM

Quote :

"no server should ever complain about a 20% tip"

4/7/2007 2:05:33 AM

^ no one in here stated otherwise

4/7/2007 2:06:04 AM

i was just agreeing. I always leave 20% or $2 minimum if its a low tab, unless the service just sucks.

4/7/2007 2:09:20 AM

Quote :

" no one in here stated otherwise"

exactly.

no one, i mean no one, would ever complain about a 20% tip. no one here has. except maybe RWOODY, who says he was a waiter, but cant imagine he worked any decent place for any length of time.

4/7/2007 2:10:00 AM

People usually think a server makes minimum wage + tips. Wrong, it's 2.15 an hour plus tips, and the 2.15 goes to taxes typically. So you live off those tips. And yes, you typically have to tip out on every dollar you sell, and when I'm technically then paying for a percentage of your meal, it sucks.

True, if I gave bad service, then by all means dont tip me well. But dont complain to anyone if youre the one knowing you're going to tip me badly when you walk in there.

4/7/2007 2:15:23 AM

the one thing i disagree w/ as far as tipping goes is bartenders who think they deserve a $1 every time they pop the bottle cap off of your $2.50 miller lite

4/7/2007 2:15:47 AM

^yeah, I typically tip them full on my first drink what I think I will be buying the rest of the night. That way, they pay attention to what I need and I set a limit.

4/7/2007 2:17:49 AM

SET EM UP!

4/7/2007 2:46:55 AM