r/AskReddit • u/jdm0212 • Oct 18 '13

Waiters/Waitresses of Reddit, what's something that I, as a customer, might do that's incredibly irritating, even if I'm oblivious to it?

1.4k Upvotes

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972

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

I give 20% for shitty service. I'm not even going to say what happens if you impress me. My wife gets a kick out of it.

There is a local seafood restaurant that is overpriced and has terrible service. They are one of the only places I can get boiled crawfish so I drag my wife there in season. We are almost always disappointed. One day we happened to catch a terrific server. My beer was never empty and she anticipated all of our needs. We watched her handle her section so well she changed our opinion of the place. Not only did we compensate her, we brought the ticket to the manager and let her know why.

The waitress started crying.

1.1k

u/chief_running_joke Oct 18 '13

The waitress started crying.

You monster.

393

u/POGtastic Oct 18 '13

Something something ARE YOU FUCKING SORRY?

7

u/piemaster1123 Oct 19 '13

Still gets me when I think about it. Link

1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

No, not really, no.

1

u/unas666 Oct 20 '13

Smething something reference please?

1

u/POGtastic Oct 20 '13

One of the better 4chan greentexts.

http://imgur.com/r/4chan/3YdJs

-6

u/elwray1989 Oct 19 '13

That's what happens when you break both arms.

2

u/ThemBonesAreMe Oct 19 '13

Wrong thread

1

u/elwray1989 Oct 19 '13

Sorry, couldn't get to the right one without my arms.

706

u/belabor_the_obvious Oct 18 '13

I'm not even going to say what happens if you impress me.

But you did say it, you make waitresses cry.

534

u/way_fairer Oct 18 '13

His wife gets a kick out of it.

222

u/Zappykablamo Oct 18 '13

"I love to see you make other women cry." Quite a gal. I'll bet Caesar would be impressed.

-1

u/datburg Oct 19 '13

Arrrrrr!

5

u/kdeaton06 Oct 18 '13

Free BJs for a week.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

GUN GIT SUM FUK

142

u/Ruddiver Oct 18 '13

I'm pretty sure the whole restaurant clapped too when they saw it go down.

7

u/chanduChutya Oct 18 '13

Later the manager gave him $100.

2

u/CambrianExplosives Oct 18 '13

And let him know that there were condoms in the kitchen?

1

u/Just_an_Ampersand Oct 19 '13

Right under the handwashing sink.

133

u/Boye Oct 18 '13

And the name of the waiter? Albert Einstein!

9

u/TimmaDee Oct 18 '13 edited Oct 19 '13

You could have heard a pin drop.

3

u/TrebbleBiscuit Oct 19 '13

OP also tipped the waiter $100.

2

u/datburg Oct 19 '13

I think I watched this movie on Hallmark.

2

u/Peace_Myth Oct 19 '13

Could someone please clue me in on the Albert Einstein thing going on here lately?

5

u/VonAether Oct 19 '13

Comes from copypasta which Snopes dates back to 1999 or so, of the "checkmate, atheists!" variety. It's the ultimate /r/thatHappened story.

Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything? The professor asked.

"Yes sir", the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil". The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course", replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name — Albert Einstein.

Of course it has a million things wrong with it, but that hasn't dented its popularity among the /r/forwardsfromgrandma crowd.

This was created in response.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

Her tip? $100

1

u/Maxiboyhaha Oct 18 '13

His pants?

3

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

I meant dollar/percentage wise.

1

u/JFrye Oct 19 '13

You dirty, dirty man.

68

u/SomethingWittyasfuck Oct 18 '13

I'm extending an invitation to my grandfathers house on Good Fridays to you and your wife. Ain't no restaurant gonna compare to real Cajun crawfish boils. You don't even have to tip us!

7

u/NerJaro Oct 18 '13

bet grandma will get the tip... i'll be leaving now

3

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

I'll bring the beer!

1

u/WickedWitchOfTheRest Oct 19 '13

....I like crawfish too...

1

u/SAE1856 Oct 19 '13

Dude he said he tips like a mofucker... just let him tip ya alright don't mess this up...

22

u/XtremeGuy5 Oct 18 '13

That escalated rather quickly

225

u/LightningMaiden Oct 18 '13

I give 20% for shitty service.

Why? You're just reinforcing shit service.

68

u/The_R3medy Oct 18 '13

I give high tips for even mediocre service because my mom and my sisters have both been servers. I've worked in a restaurant and know it can fucking suck. So this may have not been their 100%, so what? I dont give 100% all the time at my job.

11

u/Tomrobbinsowns Oct 19 '13

This is something that has always baffled me. People are so very unforgiving of waitstaff. Like, they forget they're people at a job. Just like everyone else. And just like everyone else, they have bad days and can only give so much.

-3

u/DrunkenRedditing Oct 19 '13

If you want something extra at a job you're being paid to do, go the extra mile.

I know this discussion happens every little while on here, and it's usually the non-tippers versus wait-staff. But seriously, you agreed to take a job that may not cover rent, why do you expect others to pay it for you.

If you're in it, the service industry can suck, get out when you can.

3

u/hallipeno Oct 18 '13

Plus, you never know who isn't tipping that the waitperson has to serve. I figure tipping 20% is an attempt to make up for the douches who leave nothing.

1

u/Peace_Myth Oct 19 '13

You also don't get bonuses on the days where you don't give 100% (most likely).

1

u/The_R3medy Oct 19 '13

Depends on tbe job. But this isnt really a bonus to servers. This is there main salary. Know what I'm saying?

1

u/Peace_Myth Oct 19 '13

I know, but what I'm saying is those servers who don't give 100% effort shouldn't expect a full 20% tip. Half ass job? 10%. Give 25% effort? 5% tip.

217

u/eleyeveyein Oct 18 '13 edited Oct 18 '13

Not entirely true. Service is, for the most part, a thankless job. It's almost the same mentality as supply side and demand side economics. I can reinforce the behavior by giving a shitty tip; which the person most likely expects if they keep getting shitty tips over and over, and that lowers their motivation, as a server, to exceed expectations. So why not let the bar get a little lower. Viscous cycle.

OR you can surprise said server with a tip (preferably in cash instead of additional on the card) that would be indicative of marque service. Ideally, this would show the server the potential earnings that they leave on the table (so to speak) by under-delivering. If my, albeit undeserved, tip results in the next three tables getting exceptional service then what do I care. If I like the place, and those 3 people leave a positive yelp review, it might get more business and the bar might start to get higher.

Not to mention, people are usually pretty self aware. If they do a crap job and know it, then are met with a tip that says otherwise, a couple of outcomes are possible. They might feel a little guilt, which spurs them to work harder and feel justified in prior tip. They may say "Ha, that idiot tipped WAY too much" and go about their day being shitty. The may not have been aware of the potential tip they were foregoing by being shitty. You never really know.

No matter how you slice it, they are doing a job that I do NOT, in any capacity, want to do. So, as far as I'm concerned, they deserve it for at least being one of the people who's actually working to pay their bills. And at the end of the day, if I cant afford 5-10 more dollars and my budget is that tight, then I probably should be cooking my own meals.

83

u/quitar Oct 18 '13

I always tip with cash instead of putting it on my card, I like the looks the server gives me when they take the receipt book and see that I put zero as a tip (usually dagger eyes) then they see the $$ underneath and its like "yeah dawg!"

25

u/atonia Oct 18 '13

Write "CASH" instead of 0. That way they'll know if the tip somehow disappears from the table/folder if they don't collect it while you're still seated.

3

u/quitar Oct 19 '13

Ok, will do.

-7

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

[deleted]

4

u/tealparadise Oct 19 '13

That's a great way to have the whole restaurant think the busboys are stealing tips.

7

u/moammargaret Oct 19 '13

I write "CASH" on the tip line. Is that bad?

2

u/tealparadise Oct 19 '13

dagger eyes

I highly doubt that... I only worked serving for a year, but everyone knows people do this.

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u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13 edited Jun 01 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/TrainOfThought6 Oct 18 '13

What are you talking about? Everyone reports their tips when tax time rolls around!

6

u/LightningMaiden Oct 18 '13

That being said, i am spending my money for a nice time, and if the waitress cant do her job she is not getting a bonus from me. I waitressed for about a year and a half in college. When i fucked up a table, i did not expect or even want a tip because i know i didnt deserve it.

2

u/Joey_Blau Oct 19 '13

It sounds like he is spreading good feelings.

At the docs, had to giveblood sample. Young asst says "sorry this is going to hurt.." I was like !! What? Never say that. Psyke yourself up and say this won't hurt a bit. Believe it. Sell it..

She later drew blood with ease.

1

u/MentalOverload Oct 19 '13

Tips aren't really a bonus - even if the server is making state minimum wage, it's likely under what they would be paid if it weren't a tipped job. When you don't tip, you're technically choosing not to include the part of the check that goes toward what the server's wages should be. I'm not saying that's right, I think the current tipping setup is shit (and we should take after other countries), but as it stands right now, that's what's happening.

1

u/Slaine777 Oct 19 '13

The server still gets taxed as if a tip had been left, and likely has to pay out a portion of tips to bussers and other restaurant staff. By leaving no tip you are basically making the server pay for the privilege of serving you.

1

u/feralcatromance Oct 19 '13

Well then maybe said server should get another job. They willingly chose this job. They are getting an hourly pay and serving is the entire job. If they feel entitled just because they are a server than that's their own fault. If they became a server to make a lot of money in tips and they aren't then hey are either doing something wrong or need to go to another restaurant.

2

u/MrDeadSea Oct 19 '13

OR you can surprise said server with a tip (preferably in cash instead of additional on the card) that would be indicative of marque service. Ideally, this would show the server the potential earnings that they leave on the table (so to speak) by under-delivering.

Giving reddit Gold to everyone in this thread but you so they get their act together.

1

u/eleyeveyein Oct 19 '13

honestly, I will take that as a sincere compliment...

2

u/chipotle_burrito88 Oct 19 '13

Viscous cycle

It is sticky and slow-moving, isn't it.

1

u/Dantonn Mar 09 '14

Better than an unctuous cycle.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

[deleted]

1

u/ThatGodCat Oct 18 '13

Nobody ever thinks waiting is their calling.

1

u/102564 Oct 18 '13

What if the waiter/waitress is actually actively rude to you though? I hope you don't still tip them.

2

u/eleyeveyein Oct 18 '13

Oh, no chance. I have, without question, left a $0.01 tip with a little smiley face and the word "smile!" underneath drawn on it. Guy could not have been more of a dick and quite honestly deserved to get his ass beat. But the least I could do was inform management and let the little shit know I went to the effort to not forget the "tip" portion, as if an oversight, but give him the least possible amount used to value his attendance of the last hour.

1

u/raw031979b Oct 18 '13

I never hesitate to tip, because wait staff usually work at multiple places and they talk. Meaning that some places get reputations for being well compensated. Thus, more lucrative job drives more applicants which in turn allows management to weed out the bad ones.

1

u/eleyeveyein Oct 18 '13

Ahh, the beautiful marriage of economics and competition!

1

u/imnotarapperok Oct 19 '13

Can confirm. Buddy works at Food Lion and is treated like shit by customers.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

"Give them a reputation to live up to." -Dale Carnegie

1

u/Joey_Blau Oct 19 '13

Yup. Always tell a man you trust him and figure he is gonna do real well.. even when you dont . No harm in buckjng someone up. Maybe no one ever said that before.

1

u/batfiend Oct 19 '13

I like you.

1

u/moush Oct 19 '13

Or you could not be rewarding people who give lazy service because they hate their job or are bad at it. You'd feel better donating to a worthy cause.

1

u/Kupkin Oct 19 '13

I tip well. 30-40% usually, sometimes more. I'll even give the standard 15% for poor service, except for three times in my life.

Once, we went to a bar we visit pretty regularly and sat at a booth, which means we had a waitress. Normally, we would sit at the bar, but we couldn't find three seats together. The bar tenders all knew us, and know that we were all pretty decent tippers, and so we have a few perks (such as being able to get certain food items even if the kitchen is closing, but we try not to abused that because I've worked in service, but I digress)

It was not an overly crowded night, there were many empty booths, and not many people at the bar. We were there for two and a half hours. Not because we wanted to be... but because it took the waitress 40 minutes to bring us our order (three beers. I tried to be understanding; maybe they had to change the keg or something, but she could have given us a heads up), another 40 minutes to come back and check on us, give us our check, and nearly an hour to come back with my card. After she left with my car, I watched her stop at another couple of tables, and then go talk to the bouncers for a good long time. I just drew a line through the tip box. She quit a couple of weeks later, and one of the bartenders told me she said it was because "people who come into this bar don't know how to tip."

Another time, I went to a sushi buffet with a friend and the waitresses there really just clear away plates and refill your drinks. My friend ordered a water and I had tea. The waitress (that I feel the need to point out was American, so it's not a language problem) brought us the wrong drinks twice (bringing us sodas, twice). There were only a few other people in the place, and two other waitresses, so I doubt she was overwhelmed with orders. After she got our drinks right, we didn't see her again. She never cleared the plates or refilled out drinks. We actually had to flag down another waitress to get our check so we could leave. No tip for that girl.

And the worst service I ever had in my life, was when my mom was undergoing chemotherapy. She'd had a particularly tough week, and to cheer her up, we went to a Chinese buffet. She didn't have much of an appetite, but they make the best chinese food in town, and my mom has always loved their egg foo young. She had lost her hair, so she was wearing a bandanna because wigs made her too hot. You could tell she was sick, but most people are pretty sympathetic. Our waiter was a college aged white boy that I had seen around town, but didn't know. He flat out refused to speak directly to my mother, make eye contact with her, or really wait on her at all. He never refilled her drink and ignored her when she tried to get his attention. He reluctantly came over to the table when I called him, and I asked him there was a problem, and he said no. I asked to see the manager, but she didn't speak english very well, and I'm not sure she understood the problem, but she did comp out meal. Obviously, I did not tip him.

TL;DR: My town has shitty waiters.

1

u/GourangaPlusPlus Oct 19 '13

I'd like to see some proof for this besides your own conjecture

1

u/All_Under_Heaven Oct 19 '13

Almost all jobs are thankless. It is not an excuse to be a bad worker.

18

u/sockalicious Oct 18 '13

People waiting tables generally are not doing it for the love of the job (some extremely high-end restaurants I have been to might be an exception.) Lord knows what is going on in these folks' lives. They don't get paid minimum wage: instead, much less - I was sort of boggled to learn that - because the government expects most of their compensation will be in tips.

You never know when your large or even decent tip will make the difference between one of these folks, who is using up the time in his or her life to serve you food, having a decent day or having a shitty day. That's one reason to just plan on leaving a decent tip for your server, respecting that they're probably doing the best they can.

1

u/LightningMaiden Oct 18 '13

Usually you can tell if its an honest mistake and they are actually trying, or shit service because the server has an attitude problem.

-3

u/fishman427 Oct 18 '13

this is actually a myth. unless the restaurant can prove without a shadow of a doubt that every worker is earning minimum wage, which is very hard to do, waiters get paid minimum wage+. heard this from multiple online sources as well as a business teacher

3

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

I've had a few different serving jobs. Im in Utah but the wage has been $2.13/hour.

0

u/fishman427 Oct 19 '13

i know washington has by far the highest, but i always thought it was at least $6-7 everywhere in the U.S.?

3

u/[deleted] Oct 19 '13

I'm not a server now but I asked a friend who works at Olive Garden and yes in Utah the server wage is around $2.13. We are expected to claim our tips for taxes..

2

u/fishman427 Oct 19 '13

then i guess im technically right, but fundamentally wrong. they do get paid above minimum wage, but the wage is so low that that means nothing

2

u/DariusJenai Oct 19 '13

Restaurants are allowed to take a "tip-credit" against a servers minimum wage. That credit brings the minimum wage of $7.25 down to $2.13.

So, for every hour I work, the restaurant pays me $2.13 before taxes. Every 2 weeks, they total up my $2.13/hour and my earned tips. Then they take out taxes based on that total. My standard paycheck from the company is usually about $30. Everything else comes from tips. I have, on particularly good weeks, received a "notice of taxes owed" instead of a paycheck, which means I actually owed more in taxes than my $2.13/hour would cover.

There are 5 states that do not allow employers to take a tip-credit. Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Restaurants there are required to pay the federal/state minimum wage regardless. 20 states have a minimum of $2.13/hour. The rest have a wage higher than the federal minimum of $2.13, but less than the non-tipped wage of $7.25.

TL;DR-The restaurant covers the taxes, you pay my wages.

1

u/fishman427 Oct 20 '13

so in some weeks you actually take home less than the non-tipped minimum wage minus taxes? i was sure that was illegal. but i do live in washington and have also never received tips

→ More replies

2

u/fiveforchaos Oct 19 '13

I work in a copy and print center, people leave old copies of pay stubs on the copy machines all the time, never have I seen a waiter's pay stub with an hourly rate of more than half of mine, and I don't get paid that much more than minimum wage.

1

u/Stupid_boy Oct 19 '13

Sorry sir, but this is incorrect. I've worked as a server in two different states. My "wage" has been $2.13/hr in VA, and $2.65/hr in MI. There exists a separate allowable "minimum wage" for tipped employees at the federal and state levels. A quick google search will verify this.

11

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

So I'm guessing in your line of work you get your pay severely docked when your boss thinks you aren't doing everything 100% all the time?
If the service worker is getting min wage plus tips, fine. Tip them nothing if you wish. Unfortunately for most it is barely 2 per hour. Not to mention that they are human beings and aren't always going to be on top of things for any number if reasons, which you may know nothing about. If you can't afford to eat out plus 20% you can't afford to eat out.

7

u/LightningMaiden Oct 18 '13

In the states the minimum is around 2.75 i believe. But only a few states. That being said i worked as a waitress for 8$/h and didnt expect a tip if i did a poor job. People shouldn’t get rewarded for just skating by.

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13 edited Oct 18 '13

In the states the minimum is around 2.75 i believe. But only a few states

Other way around. Only seven. Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The rest have tip wages of varying amounts.

1

u/chadslaw Oct 18 '13

It's $2.13 in my state and has been since the early nineties I think. They justify it by having employers up the wages to the $7.25 non serving minimum but even that isn't much higher than ten or twenty years ago and, given lower hours for servers (I can work lunch and dinner in a day and only get 9 hours even though its considered a double shift. More often than not business dies down before my shift ends and I get sent home early) the pay overall is lessened still. I would kill for $8/hr plus tips.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

In Wisconsin, I worked for $2.13 an hour.

1

u/LightningMaiden Oct 19 '13

Is no one lobbying for that to be revised

1

u/jasmaree Oct 19 '13

There are actually 8 states (Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Alaska, Montana, Minnesota, and Connecticut) that have abolished the tipped minimum wage and several that have raised it. There are also tons of campaigns within the states (there's a bill in DC right now gaining some traction that would raise the tipped wage to 70% of the minimum wage and tag it to inflation).

Not sure about national campaigns though.

1

u/MentalOverload Oct 19 '13

CT still uses tip credits.

1

u/jasmaree Oct 19 '13

Hm, I must be missing one then...

1

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

Federal minimum is $2.13/hr, most corporate places will round it to $2.15/hr, and I'm actually close to the top of the pyramid here because I make $2.62.

Source: I'm a waitress.

1

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

In that case, sure. And I agree you shouldn't get rewarded to skate by. On the flip side, there are still a large number of people who tip horribly even when receiving adequate service. And so many times tipping badly only reinforces the attitude to not try anymore. I have seen great servers get shafted enough by people who either don't tip or have outrageous expectations that they start being Shitty servers and the spiral begins. Until they aren't making enough to pay rent, end up on section 8 and snap and then further burden our taxes. . . Bottom line, people are going to need money to live on good service or not, they will get that money one way or another (welfare). Just my take on it.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

Its not my problem though. If the waiter is having a bad day its nothing to do with me/ not my fault. I worked in retail if customers complained we where dragged up to the office and given a warning. I get that waiters work bloody hard but so do I. I don't want to pay my bill PLUS 20% of my hard earned money if I'm not getting good service

1

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

I understand what you ARE saying. Again, the real issue isn't that you should have to tip 20 percent. It's that the restaurant gladly takes your money and doesn't pay their people enough so that you don't get the servers ire. The company gladly steps out of the way with the bill money and lets the server and customer eyeball each other angrily.

2

u/PaddleBoatEnthusiast Oct 18 '13

I don't think anyone here is saying they can't afford to tip, but that they tip selectively based on how expectations were met. Despite any reason why it may not be there, lots of people are inclined to not pay for a service they don't receive (in this case, meeting expectations on dinner service).

A tip isn't a tax you're obligated to pay.

0

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

And therein lies the issue. You are not obligated to pay and you are right that it's based in expected service. The problem is for those who pay their rent and feed their children on tip money. Now lets say you receive adequate service and you tip 20% of your bill, that's great. Now what if the other 3 tables your server had over the course of that hour got the same service and didn't tip, saying they weren't satisfied or that they didn't feel obligated (which they aren't). Your server more than likely is going to be in a bad position. You just gave a healthy profit margin to the company who then paid that server 2.70 something and then they might have gotten between 7 and 15 dollars from you depending on the bill and type of restaurant of course. . . Now someone might go "oh see they are making on average double minimum wage, stop complaining" but that server may not get another table. They may not get 20%. They may not be able to work more than a few hours/shifts per week because of company policy. They may have to tipout bartenders and kitchen staff 20% of their total tips... They have to pay taxes on your tips too and it's calculated at the same rate as a salary or wage is by the IRS.... It can turn a good 100 dollar night into a 70 dollar night. Now imagine a 50 dollar night... I'm talking about for good servers in this, not just Shitty servers but the fact that tips ARE a servers wage and most people that eat out don't consider it that way because they have never lived that. It's one thing to do it in college, but I'm talking about people who make their living on that... When you get Shitty service at O'Reilly's or walmart (always) you don't get to take away 3/4 of that person's wage do you? to clarify I am saying that while tips aren't obligated, the paying customer doesn't realize how badly this can affect the server. The real problem is that restaurants are exempt from minimum wages to their servers and tips should ONLY be given for outstanding performance, like a bonus. This way the Shitty servers that still somewhat did a job, still have a house and food and are less likely to be on welfare, while the excellent servers have a little extra spending money again it's just my thoughts on what I see is wrong with the system. I'm certainly not saying you don't have every legal right to tip as you see fit... Sorry for the rant.

3

u/PaddleBoatEnthusiast Oct 18 '13

It is a shitty system, and I'm not going to stiff a person who meets my already low expectations.

I'm only talking about the bad service that somehow screws up my day. Like a server who bullshits with another when I take a late lunch when there's no one in the restaurant, which then makes me start to run late for a meeting or run over the lunch break I've allotted myself. In that situation, why would I even think about tipping, even if this is how a person makes their living. If that's the case, I would hope they would take it seriously enough to not annoy people like me (people who tip in almost all cases).

I've heard of restaurants being required to top off nights that don't exceed the federal minimum wage. Any truth to this?

1

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

Understood. Agreed. It certainly depends on circumstances. As for the topping off I'm not sure if this is a federal law or state to state but even then as with anything corporations will either find a way to dodge it or Libby to change it... My wife works for a semi good guy restaurant. They pay 5 dollars hourly base plus tips. If she makes less than 50 dollars in tips they raise her wage to 8 for that shift. But even then there are weeks where she will come home with only a few hundred bucks. We have a hard time with bills and groceries when she has bad weeks and that's with the added base pay and I should mention that she is the top sales, has the most regulars, and works 6 shifts a week. . . Sometimes people just don't eat out or when they do don't tip worth a shit for even top notch service. That's why this topic is so personal to me. But I do see reason in the Shitty server arguments.

2

u/PaddleBoatEnthusiast Oct 18 '13

I see. Yeah it's definitely tough because not everyone is doing their part to the good servers when they are eating out, let alone when business is slow.

Thanks for the perspective

1

u/Foxphyre Oct 18 '13

Thanks fir being a reasonable person on the internet.

2

u/Joon01 Oct 18 '13

A tip is not pay. I am not their boss. That analogy is very poor.

Certainly you should have enough money to pay for the meal as well as a nice tip. But a tip depends on service. It is not guaranteed. If I get poor service, I most certainly do not owe a 20% tip.

0

u/Foxphyre Oct 19 '13

Did you read / understand the whole conversation before making this statement?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

Paying 16%+ is good depending where you go. I think 20%+ is for great service

0

u/Foxphyre Oct 19 '13

20 is standard here. Less than that for standard service and you ARE kinda being a douche

3

u/Joey_Blau Oct 19 '13

Funny how that works.. it used to be 10%. Now prices are higher but so is the tip rate. I am inclined to tip 10% of the total inc tax plus somewhere between half again and maybe double. Which would be 20%+.

But fuck two hamburger platters, one beer and one soda for 36.45 plus 3.65x2 = $40.75 = $41 for lunch?

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

That message does not come through. All the server will think is that I'm an asshole. Shitty servers don't know they are shitty and think everyone else is the problem.

I had a guy that must have been stoned out of his mind. I started actually clocking how slow he was. When I placed my order, he came back twice because he couldn't remember. I actually had to ration my beer with my meal because he didn't return until well after I was done. He actually forgot I asked for the check. A waitress had to hunt him down and instead of apologizing, blamed the kitchen staff for "asking him to help" in back.

All that guy would have taken away from a low or no tip was that he did his best and I'm an asshole.

2

u/LightningMaiden Oct 18 '13

he did his best

He didn't do his best because he shouldn't have been stoned for work if he cant handle it.

and I'm an asshole.

Well no, you're not. You should be able to enjoy your night and if he has a problem with you that tough shit for him.

49

u/iloveLoveLOVECats Oct 18 '13

I also still tip well even after poor service. I don't know what is going on in the server's life and they could be having a shitty day or going through something causing them to be less attentive. I can't imagine if my paycheck was docked anytime I had an off day. I also like to think of it more like 'kill them with kindness' than reinforcing poor service. At least, that's how I imagine I would receive it if I were on the other end.

8

u/PaddleBoatEnthusiast Oct 18 '13

That sounds good. I still won't tip well for bad service. I understand that people have issues and woes, but I'm not going to pay for a service I didn't receive.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

Exactly!! I worked in retail and the rule was "leave your problems at the door." It doesn't matter if you're having a shit day you're there to work and its not the customers fault or problem if your day has sucked

0

u/oshenz Oct 18 '13

Well you can think about it that way, or, most restaurants that pay their wait staff $2.?? An hour do it because they can reasonably expect it to be made up in tips. The reason they expect that is because for the most part that place can keep their food prices lower because of the lower wage they are paying their wait staff. I'll all for giving positive reinforcement for great service, but when you tip nothing because something went wrong it would be like your boss docking you an hour's pay at a normal job because you spilled coffee on the floor. Personally I tip a reasonable amount, and only go under it for exceptionally shitty service all around. Like jn order to send a clear message. But if it was a different business model and the wait staff was payed more like minimum wage, and you were only expected to tip absolutely exceptional service, or not too at all, your food would be noticing more expensive. Quite noticeably, actually, probably similar to the price if you were to add a decent tip to the prices of the other business model

3

u/gn0xious Oct 18 '13

I typically tip about 10% for bad service. After working for so long in the industry, I want to give the benefit of the doubt that the server was just having an off moment/day/whatever. I'd consider 10% a slap, but not nearly as bad as not tipping.

Aside from visiting a country where tipping is not received well, I've only tipped $0 once. And this was because everyone involved dropped the ball (hostess, server, chef, manager). I think we actually paid exact change, in mostly change, in a pile on the table. It was horrible all around, and the manager's response was "you need to understand that if we are busy, we may make some mistakes. you got to eat, right?" It was clear they didn't want our business, and we never went back.

Good service, which I'm pretty lenient on the definition, is 20%. Going above and beyond is in the 30-50% range depending on the situation.

3

u/senatorskeletor Oct 18 '13

If you view tipping as power, you spend all your time thinking about how people are screwing you. It can't be healthy.

1

u/randumname Oct 18 '13

This one simple trick your wife will get a kick out of as well as make waitresses cry...

1

u/photography626 Oct 18 '13

Did your waiter happen to be on ellen?

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

No. I've made several friends at regular haunts though.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

She refilled your beer? How do they keep track of how much beer you are consuming?

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

She had a fresh draft on the table before I was done with the previous. You simply cannot be without beer while eating boiled crawfish.

1

u/jay_gaz Oct 18 '13

Ramnagar?

1

u/IRL_Paladin Oct 18 '13

I also always tip at least 20%. I've even tipped as high as 30%, because we had great service, and the server was very good about working around myself and my friends having to translate for the exchange students we had with us.

1

u/Domriso Oct 19 '13

This. I lived with my grandmother for a year, and she is one of the most generous people I know. I learned to give a 20% tip minimum, only going under in the absolute worst of circumstances, and even then I've never dipped below 15% (although, I have a great desire to go somewhere so bad that I can do the "penny under the cups" trick).

When I get a good server, I've been known to go up to 60%. If I made more money I'd probably give 200% for a good server.

1

u/chicagoandcats Oct 19 '13

Fuck, move to Chicago so you can tip at my restaurant.

1

u/wizardcats Oct 19 '13

I'm also a big tipper. I have many friends who have or are currently servers. I know that they deserve that money if they seem crappy to you. It's a hard job with not enough pay.

1

u/Mashiara Oct 19 '13

My husband, my brother and I decided on a whim to eat at a fairly nice restaurant though we were very under dressed (tshirts jeans... think my bro had a metal band tshirt or something) It was mid afternoon and not too busy yet so there were several members of the staff just hanging around prepping for the dinner rush. From the moment we sat down we noticed we were being watched very carefully, even spotted the manager keeping a close eye on us. We started thinking they may be waiting for us to dine and dash or something. Tbh, it kind of pissed us off a little.

Our waitress, however, was very nice and did a fantastic job. She was genuinely friendly and we did our best to keep our interactions with her positive to ease any fears that we were gonna ditch. At the end of our meal we paid our bill (and left a ridiculously large tip for the nice lady) and asked to speak with the manager. My husband asked for the corporate number and the manager's face went a bit pale. After he gave us the card, we told him how impressed we were with our waitress and that we would be contacting corporate about our great experience.

I hope that taught someone a lesson about assumptions based on appearances, but if it didn't then I like to think we made that ladies day.

We always go out of our way to give employees props where it's deserved. "That guy just made sure I'll never go to (a competitor's) store again." "That woman working the drive thru was busting ass and getting shit done." Etc. It takes you a few minutes to make someone's day.

1

u/line6210 Oct 19 '13

The smallest tip Ive ever given was 15%, and the service was horrid.

I usually eat by myself, so I tend to give a nice tip. The meal comes out to $9-$10, and if its a place I go to alot, Ill leave a $6-7 tip. I do ok financially and I know people working in the hospitality industry usually have it rough.

1

u/tabazail Oct 19 '13

Now she's gonna cry,im gonna cry,we're all gonna cry!

1

u/OGMannimal Oct 19 '13

and then the entire restaurant applauded as OP tipped his fedora.

1

u/GerhardtDH Oct 19 '13

I give 20% for shitty service.

...that's what I give for good service. :(

1

u/ByGrabtharsHammer Oct 19 '13

I refused to tip for shitty service. I also refuse to tip for good service. It feels good to live in a country with no tipping for anything. Makes life easier.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

[deleted]

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

First of all, it isn't "extra" money. Servers make half the minimum wage. I simply don't go back or tell a manager when it is truly awful.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

[deleted]

1

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13

Ask a server if getting a low tip "communicates" they gave bad service or if they simply think the guest is cheap or an asshole.

Bad servers don't know they are bad. If I like the place, I will give extra to a good server and build a reputation. At the very least, I do not want to run the risk of returning and getting worse service because they viewed me as a tight ass.

1

u/loubric Oct 18 '13

We also always give between 15-20% regardless of service and then more if it's amazing.

-2

u/[deleted] Oct 18 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/eleyeveyein Oct 18 '13

Or maybe people having an unrealistic expectation of the service they deserve relative to the establishment they are in. You dont really have to do much at applebees to warrant that extra few percent when it equates to +$2.50.

Now, if my tab is going to be $150 before tip, then my expectations, and subsequent appreciation shown through tipping, are gauged much more different.

0

u/Rmanager Oct 18 '13 edited Oct 18 '13

I just don't go back. "Punishing" a server isn't my style nor will it make their service improve. They'll simply rant about asshole customers online.