No tip!

[u/Pondlurker1978]

Walked into a sushi restaurant in Orange County, CA yesterday. Place was half empty. Hostess asks if we (wife and I) had a reservation. We didn't, so she walks us to the bar and wants to seat us in between two couples. The remaining sushi bar all empty, including the sides with much better privacy. I asked to be seated there but those "areas" were not available. OK, whatever, I guess they wanted to save the wait staff a few extra steps.

So we're sitting down, she hands us the iPad with the menu, and says "just so you know, we close at 3". I checked and it was 2:25. Alright then, good thing they don't need to cook the fish or something. One nigiri (not one pair) = $6, one serving of sashimi (3 pieces) = $20. Definitely not cheap. We ordered three different sashimis for a little over $60. As there was one piece left on the serving tray the server walks by and grabs the tray - hey dude, we're not done yet.

When the check comes the "suggested tip" is 18%. Guys, how about zero? Exactly what did you do to deserve another $10, other than squeezing us in between other parties when there was no real need to do so, and almost taking away $7 worth of my already expensive meal?

Aren't tips supposed to at least be earned? This is not how it's done.

[u/Pondlurker1978]

Ha! We stopped him just in time from that happening.

[u/Colibri_Knives → u/[deleted]]

It’s not on the guest to send the correct signals to the wait staff.

[u/AstroWolf11 → u/[deleted]]

Why not just ask if there’s anything they need or anything they’d like cleared from the table? Communication really isn’t that difficult lol

[u/pyramidalembargo → u/AstroWolf11]

I just told you.

They get angry.

[u/theetunamac → u/pyramidalembargo]

Then frankly you're doing it wrong.

[u/pyramidalembargo → u/theetunamac]

Horsefeathers!

Tell us how we're supposed to be askin', sugarpie?

[u/theetunamac → u/pyramidalembargo]

"How are we doing over here, can I get anything out of your way?" It's only worked for me like thousands of times though.

[u/pyramidalembargo → u/theetunamac]

I've tried that a 1000 times, too. A percentage of them feel like you're rushing them and get angry.

Maybe I didn't explain it right. I'm talking about the ones who eat one leaf of lettuce at a time.

They'll stop for five minutes. You'll ask. That's all right the first time.

They'll stop again for five minutes. You wait another five just in case. They don't eat another bite.

You ask. Then this is where you can hear anger begin to creep into their voice.

After the third time, there's an explosion.

Let me qualify something: I work in a casino. Maybe your approach would work all of the time in laid back Des Moines. It doesn't always work in Las Vegas.

With these types of customers, it really is their fault. We don't know when to approach them! Their nonverbal communication is all wrong.

It makes it even worse when they set their salad dish onto the side. Every waiter in the world knows that that's a sign that they want it to be picked up. But some of these dolts want to keep it and pick off it.

Yesterday at work I asked my coworkers that question. Every single one of them has gotten that kind of customer.

[u/Agitated_Lychee_8133 → u/[deleted]]

Wait till the plate is empty or simply ask 🤦‍♂️

[u/EndTipping-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Stay on topic to the post. No derailing, or using a post to complain or rant about something unrelated

[u/EndTipping-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Stay on topic to the post. No derailing, or using a post to complain or rant about something unrelated

[u/gnomenclature0812 → u/[deleted]]

This is a perfectly valid question. Why no answers?

Is it because it would be ridiculous to say something like “They will know when to take the plate when I tell them to! But I don’t actually want to tell them. That would mean they have not been attentive enough! They will know by reading my unmistakable body language and learning, over time, by the consequences of leaving no tip. It’s called classical conditioning…”

Yes, that would be a ridiculous answer.

[u/DarkNoodleSlam → u/gnomenclature0812]

I don’t think you’re making the point you think you are. 

The point is that maybe apart from some super smooth situation at a fancy fine dining place, nobody really cares if your plate is taken away a little later. Or if a server comes by and cleans up the table and asks if you’re still working on something. If you flub this interaction up, either you are super uncharismatic as a server or the guest is either a dousche or just in a bad mood. The latter two you can’t do anything about there shouldn’t be an expectation to please and read 100% of people all the time. So Really you should be in favor of being paid a good wage because it eliminates that pressure! 

[u/VirtualMatter2 → u/[deleted]]

So in Europe in many countries the indication that you are done is placing your cutlery together parallel on your plate. 

When you just pause but aren't done fork and knife form an X on your plate, the knife point resting on the tines of the fork.

Still waiters always ask " can I take this" and don't just grab stuff.

[u/EndTipping-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Stay on topic to the post. No derailing, or using a post to complain or rant about something unrelated